Earlier this week G League Ignite announced that London Johnson will sign a two-year contract with the team, in order to prepare himself for the 2024 NBA Draft. Originally rated as a four-star recruit in the 2023 high school class by most recruiting services, Johnson had a productive career both at the high school level for Norcross in Georgia and at FIBA competitions representing Jamaica.
As the G League season approaches, it’s time to dive into the tape and see what Johnson can bring to Ignite and what he can do to improve his draft stock ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Scouting Overview
Johnson has great physical tools for a guard. Listed at 6-foot-4 and having long legs and arms, Johnson uses his difference in size to impose himself physically against smaller guards.
While Johnson is not extremely explosive, he has a combination of shiftiness, body control and fluidity at his size that allows him to get to his spots on the floor with relative ease. This is especially evident as a driver, where he uses a number of effective crossovers and changes of directions to avoid defenders on his way to the rim. Johnson is extremely comfortable moving through tight spaces and dribbling the ball in traffic, being able to flow seamlessly from one move to the next.
His length also helps him as a finisher, as he is able to avoid rim protectors and finish in tough, awkward angles with his extension. His moments as a finisher away from the rim are even more impressive, as he has shown a solid ability to use floaters. This will be a key for him going into the next level of competition, as he will need to become consistent and versatile with his finishes a few feet away from the rim to compensate for his lack of an elite level of vertical explosiveness.
This ability to handle the ball in traffic and create his own drives allows Johnson to attract help defenders, which opens up multiple passing lanes for him every time he drives. Johnson is able to capitalize in those situations with simple drive-and-kick passes, being extremely reactive on the move.
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His shooting, however, might be the most enticing aspect of his NBA projection. Johnson has all the things you would look for when projecting a shooter to the next level. The numbers are there, as he converted on 48.6% of his attempts from three-point range between FIBA and high school competitions according to Cerebro Sports, but his shot repertoire is even more impressive. Johnson displays an ability to convert shots off the move and against heavy defensive pressure nearly every game, showing polished mechanics and an impressive level of shooting touch.
Defensively, despite not always being tasked with defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player, Johnson makes an impact off-the-ball with his size and length, being especially effective at getting in passing lanes for steals and deflections.
NBA Questions and Projections
Johnson has an intriguing profile as a scoring guard with good size for the NBA level. His versatile shooting ability should allow him to add value offensively almost from day one and despite not being the most explosive athlete, he should make an impact as a driver with his combination of touch and ability to move through traffic with the ball in his hands.
The big area for improvement will be his passing in half-court situations and his ability to run sets. Johnson plays more as a secondary initiator who can pass on the move than as someone who has been tasked with running an offense full time. If he is going to develop as an offensive engine, I can’t think of a better context than a stacked G League Ignite roster, where he will likely be asked to play more as a facilitator given the number of talented scorers they already have on roster.
While Johnson’s multi-level scoring potential is impressive, his development as a passer would add yet another dimension to his game and make his draft stock gain a considerable boost. Players who can make plays for others while offering a level of scoring gravity are always sought out by NBA teams. As such, if he continues to develop as a passer, it would be difficult to see many NBA teams passing on Johnson by the time the 2024 Draft rolls around.
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