The Washington Wizards (2-18) have the best-kept secret in the NBA. It's so under the radar that only the most passionate die-hard fans would have any clue about it, and it involves Washington's 10th overall pick in 2022.
The Wizards' G League affiliate, named the Capital City Go-Go (8-3), is one of the best teams in the NBA's lower level. Not only that, two-way player Johnny Davis showed why he was a top prospect coming out of Wisconsin, scoring 16 points on a blistering 6-of-9 shooting (2-2 3pt) with a +22 plus/minus in Friday night's 131-106 win over the College Park Skyhawks (7-4, Atlanta Hawks affiliate).
This came only hours after he got assigned to the G League on Friday morning. Davis has bounced between both leagues several times and had just played five minutes in the Wizards' 137-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
“It comes with the job, you know,” the 22-year-old said. “I did ask to play in the G League just to keep my conditioning and my tools sharp. I did it a lot last year and my rookie year, so it's not something I'm new to. It's not exactly easy either, but like I said, it's the job.”
Davis got called back up to the injury-ravaged Wizards on Saturday morning, via Wizards PR. However, the third-year veteran appreciates what the 8-3 Go-Go have going on.
“It feels really good to be a part of it. The head coach Cody Toppert is doing a lot of good with the guys down here,” Davis continued. “It just kind of shifts perspectives going from the Wizards down to here, but at the end of the day it's all just basketball.”
Davis will likely get bench minutes against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, which would mark his third game played in three days across both levels and his fourth in the last five. He played 11 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.
Davis has yet to make a significant impact at the NBA level this season, averaging 2.5 points with 1.3 rebounds across 7.3 minutes per game. However, his performance on Friday showed the hoops world what he can do when he gets more playing time.
“Really just my overall game,” Davis said about what he thinks he's improved on since getting drafted. “I would say the jump from Year 1 to Year 2 was pretty good, but my jump from last year to this year has definitely gotten a lot better. I'm excited for what the rest of the season has in store, and I just can't wait.”
Johnny Davis, Wizards' G League squad provide bright spots
Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Davis, who was a consensus first-team All-American with the Badgers in '22, might not have originally expected to bounce between the NBA and G League. However, his resilience and passion for the game were on full display Friday, and the rebuilding Wizards can use as many players like that as they can get.
“The first thing about Johnny is that he's such a high-character kid. He assimilates into the group, he likes those guys,” Toppert said post-game. “He likes our players, he knows 'em, he's played Summer League with most of our guys. He wants to be part of the group, and that's what makes it so easy to coach him.”
Playing in the G League helps talented hoopers sharpen their fundamentals, and Davis got back to what he knows best: turning defense into offense.
“And then he's a defense-first player, we saw some really really good defensive possessions from him early and some really good defensive possessions from him late,” Toppert continued. “And in between that as he was getting his feel, he found opportunities without disrupting anything, he didn't force anything, which I thought was huge. That's how he ends up with a great box score…he wasn't out here to just be like ‘I'm the assignment guy, I'm gonna try and show what I can do.' He wanted to help the group win, and ultimately he did.”
An egotistical player would've put himself above the team in Davis' situation, as he gets more NBA playing time than the rest of the Go-Go roster. Instead, the '22 Big Ten Player of the Year showed humility and a team-first approach, which will help ground him as he tries to reach the same heights he did in college.
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Meanwhile, the Go-Go should be fine without Davis, as they're second place in the East Pod (equivalent to a division) of the Showcase Cup, also known as the Tip-Off Tournament.
This tournament is a precursor to the G League regular season, via the league's website.
“The Tip-Off Tournament, which marks the start of the 2024-25 season, begins on Friday, Nov. 8 and culminates when a champion is crowned during the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase in December,” the site's description says.
“For the Tip-Off Tournament, teams are placed into four regions to play 14 games exclusively against each other. The teams with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four teams with the best winning percentages regardless of region, will advance to compete for the Championship at the NBA G League Winter Showcase. Every team will play at least two games at the Winter Showcase.”
The Go-Go are only a half-game behind the Greensboro Swarm (8-2, Charlotte Hornets affiliate) for first place in the East, and are primed to compete for the Championship, which has a cash prize of $100,000.
While G League happenings don't make national headlines, having one of the best teams at the lower level provides a reliable talent pool for the Wizards to take advantage of, which is a valuable resource for an organization that's struggled in recent years.