Former Wisconsin Badgers guard Johnny Davis’ first campaign as a professional basketball player can best be described as up-and-down. After being selected 10th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Davis split time between the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the G-League’s Capital City Go-Go during the 2022-23 season.
Davis’ professional tenure got off to a slow start. From the beginning of the season through December, Davis played in just 10 games for the Wizards, scoring 11 points in 50 minutes of playtime. Davis was sidelined with a hip injury for most of this time.
On Dec. 27, Davis made his first appearance with the Capital City Go-Go. In 18 games with the team, Davis averaged 12.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He also managed to score over 20 points in two games with the Go-Go, including on Feb. 27, when he led the team with 25 points against the Delaware Blue Coats.
Davis returned to the Wizards on March 12. For the remainder of the season, he averaged double digits in minutes and points scored per game. However, it was during the month of April when Davis displayed the potential that made him a top-10 draft selection.
Davis made his first career start in the NBA on April 2. In the final five games of the regular season, Davis averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. This stretch also included back-to-back 20-point games on April 4 and 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.
In 28 games with the Washington Wizards this season, Davis averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. With the Wizards struggling to find consistency all season and missing the playoffs, Davis can turn his attention to preparing for his second season in the NBA.
Overall, in a season through which he proved his resilience, Davis looks to be a cornerstone of the Wizards for years to come.
