Dakari Johnson

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North Carolina 82, Kentucky 77

Saturday, December 14, 2013 | Dean Smith Center (Chapel Hill, NC)

Dakari Johnson — C, 6-10, 265
Freshman, 18 years old

Season (9.9 mpg): 3.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG

Game (7 min): 2 points, 3 rebounds

Outlook: Johnson has great size and strength (6-10, 265), and has impressive footwork for a player his age. Throughout high school, he displayed potential as a “true big man” who is able to score with his back to the basket in the low post. It hasn’t been a seamless transition for him at Kentucky, but Johnson is a hard worker who should garner more minutes as the season goes on.

Right now, Johnson’s biggest weakness is a lack of athleticism, particularly his “lift.” Just by closely observing Johnson in warm ups, it was clear he has virtually no lift right now. This is also clear on tape, as he often establishes great position to secure a rebound but quickly surrenders to the force of gravity.

Johnson should always be solid defensively, which bodes well for his NBA potential, but he needs to show more on the offensive end to really be taken seriously. Right now he’s behind offensively. A good place to start would be attacking the rim with more conviction, regardless of his “lift.” Johnson always lacked a “mean streak” throughout high school, and it seems to be carrying over at Kentucky. He’d be a different player if he looked to throw the first punch.