Charlotte Hornets NBA Draft Profile: Keon Johnson

The Charlotte Hornets own their own first-round pick (11) and are owed second-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets (57) and the Los Angeles Clippers (56). Over the next couple of months, leading up to the 2021 NBA Draft, Swarm & Sting will take a look at prospects hoping to hear their name called on draft night.

Today we key in on Tennessee wing, Keon Johnson. I mocked Johnson to the Hornets in my dream offseason piece so I figured it was only right that I follow that up with a draft profile on him. Let’s dive in.

Age: 19

Height: 6’5

Weight: 185 lbs

College Stats/Awards

After one season at Tennessee, Keon Johnson enters the draft as maybe the most athletic prospect in this class. During his freshman season, Johnson featured in 27 games, starting in 17, while averaging 11.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. Johnson had shooting splits of 45/27/70. Not a whole lot to write home about.

Primary Strengths

The main draw to Johnson’s game is his uber athleticism and stout defense. When this guy gets a full head of steam you do not want to be standing in his way. Johnson is able to use this athleticism by excelling as an off-ball cutter and on the defensive end where he can be an immediate plus.

Johnson has the makings of an elite high-impact, on-ball defender who can guard 1-3 maybe even 4 depending on who’s on the court. He’s extremely quick laterally with impressive speed that will likely ensure that when he enters the NBA he will at the very least be positive on the defensive end. Johnson looks to be a guy that you can match up against the opposing team’s best player and feel comfortable about your chances. Something that Charlotte could desperately use.

Johnson is always looking to make a play on the defensive end. He’s got quick hands and does a good job of getting into enemy lanes to force steals. If he does get beat you can bet he’ll make an effort to get back in front and try to contest the shot. Nothing will come easy if he’s guarding you. He navigates screens with a purpose, stays attached to his opponent, and goes above and beyond to deny that player the ball.

Offensively he’s very raw but he uses his athleticism well to get to the rim and finish. He’s a good cutter and an underrated playmaker who could function as a secondary playmaker on his best days. The shooting percentages aren’t there, but he’s got a solid shooting motion and intriguing pull-up potential that you could bet on him being an average shooter when he gets into the flow of an NBA offense.

Primary Weaknesses

As stated, Johnson is a very raw player. He didn’t start playing organized basketball until he got to high school so the fact that he’s found himself as a likely lottery pick just 4-5 years later is pretty crazy. Getting those shooting percentages up is his main task as he prepares for the NBA draft, he does have upside here so it’ll be interesting to see how that continues to develop. Johnson could also benefit from tightening up his handle and sloppiness which led to an unwanted amount of turnovers at Tennessee.

If he adds these to his bag of tricks that already includes defense, inside scoring, and athleticism you could be looking at a potential star player.

Draft Projection

Johnson is likely a surefire lottery pick, he’s floating anywhere from 6-15 and could very well have the most potential outside of the top five. The NBA team that picks him will be betting on his athletic upside as he possibly has the potential to be a top 30 player in the NBA, maybe higher. He should be able to step in immediately and contribute defensively and provide an offensive spark as a lob threat and cutter. If he’s there when the Hornets are on the clock, they shouldn’t hesitate in selecting Johnson with the 11th overall pick. Charlotte has to be looking for their second star to pair and grow with LaMelo Ball and Johnson fits that bill almost perfectly.

The 2021 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, July 29 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft will be televised on ABC (first-round only) and ESPN.