Louisville basketball: How the “Super Six” can impact the Cards going forward
David Johnson
Okay, now we’re talking.
While the first three players we have discusses are more freshman projects, and the fourth, Jae’Lyn Withers, is a redshirt, our final two of the Super Six are the two players who have already made a true impact for the Cards.
What we’ve learned: David Johnson is the most buzzworthy name around town during this “rocky” period of the season.
Perhaps it’s Johnson’s hometown roots, or maybe it’s the crowded, mixed bag of a backcourt that the Cardinals have to work with, but everyone has some sort of opinion on David Johnson and how he should be utilized.
It certainly doesn’t help that Johnson was the alpha for Trinity high school, leading them to a Kentucky state championship in Rupp Arena last spring, catapulting himself into an immediate conversation as an instant-contributor in the Cardinals backcourt. And it only fueled the fire when Johnson was tabbed by Mack as a potential starter from day one only to go out with a shoulder injury late in the preseason and miss the first three games in 2019.
The David Johnson saga has already been a complicated, and some biased locals will admit, emotional, roller coaster of expectations.
Johnson’s first game saw him throw down two dunks on crafty set pieces that showed no signs of a lingering shoulder injury, but we only really saw brief glimpses of Johnson for the first two months of the season. Two minutes here, eight minutes there, three minutes again here… fans wanted more after lackluster performances from other backcourt members.
Finally, Johnson played 17 minutes against EKU, 12 against Miami, Ohio, 19 against Florida State, and 12 against Miami, Florida. However, there was a big-fat DNP, coaches decision sandwiched in there while Fresh Kimble was careering it against Kentucky, so while his playing time is going up, it seems like it’s still on a case-by-case basis.
Johnson’s stat lines aren’t otherworldly by any means, but when he’s in the game, he seems to make a huge difference.
Looking ahead: Overall, Johnson is second among freshmen in +/- stats, and when in the game he provides a completely different look for opponents.
Louisville’s other guards Kimble, Perry, and McMahon are all 6’2″ or smaller. Johnson measures at a lanky 6’5,” with a long wingspan, great first step, and excellent leaping ability. Johnson has the skill set to stay in front of the opponent on defense and also contest outside shots- something Louisville has struggled with in Mack’s pack-line defense.
On offense, Johnson has a complete game given his youth and relative inexperience. He has a solid outside shot, especially when given the chance to step into one, and he showcased a seamless midrange game in high school.
The sample size, again, is too small to say that Johnson is going to be something really special come season’s end, but I would say that the opportunity is there for Johnson to take over this team more and more as the season progresses.
We are already seeing Johnson take advantage of opportunities as he sees increased minutes. In Louisville’s last game against Miami, Florida, Johnson was inserted for Kimble and sparked a 7-0 run over a two minute period. The game prior, Johnson created a ton of looks in isolation and had an off shooting night, but was still able to grab six boards and dish out three assists.
We are seeing Johnson begin to find his comfort zone on this team, and as he continues to settle in, he may be one of the missing pieces that the Cardinals are searching for outside of Jordan Nwora.
Long-term impact: It’s hard not to see Johnson as Louisville’s starting point guard during his sophomore year and beyond.
Johnson is a prototypical Chris Mack point guard in regards to size and skill set, and everything about his game and intangibles tells me that he won’t be around for his senior year. If he can get things going as a lead guard by the start of 2020-21, the Cards may have their next NBA stud on their hands.