Washington Wizards first-round pick and former Texas star Tre Johnson made his NBA debut on Wednesday night in a 133-120 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Johnson scored 16 points on 5 of 11 shooting (4 of 8 from three-point range), recorded five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in the defeat. The former Longhorn came off the bench for the Wizards, playing 26 minutes in all.
"Really thrilled to add Tre to our group, to our organization," Wizards head coach Brian Keefe told 106.7 Fan in Washington D.C. after the team drafted Johnson. "First of all a guy who loves basketball, who loves his craft, who is a gym rat, who works. From all that work is a guy who's obviously his shooting numbers, how he shoots the ball. A little more than that, too, is he's an underrated playmaker seeing the game. But it's really his pursuit of his craft was really drawn us, how he's really intentional about how he wants to be and how he gets better. Those are the things that stood out about Tre. We're really excited to have him."
Watch Johnson's highlights from his first game below:
Keefe wasn't the only one excited about the Wizards selecting Johnson with the sixth overall pick in this past summer's draft.
"We are all so proud of you. From the first time I watched you play as a freshman I was convinced you would be an NBA Lottery pick. It was a privilege to recruit, and coach you during your year in college. Congrats to The Washington Wizards, you guys got a winner!" – Former Texas head coach Rodney Terry
"The Wizards are a young team who have missed the playoffs four straight years. They need a scorer and someone who can be instant offense and entertain that fan base. This kid is clearly that. By having Tre Johnson, this should go a long way to avoiding the level of misery they've experienced as of late." – ESPN's Stephen A. Smith
"Tre Johnson is a really good fit for Washington. They need someone who can score and make defenses react when he's open. He's the best shooter in this year's draft." – NBA Analyst David Aldridge
"One of his biggest strengths when you look at him is how well he shot the ball off the dribble. As well as off the catch, he had a 41% catch and shoot rate, that's impressive and at his size, I think pound-for-pound, he's if not the best, one of the best shooters in this draft and he can also make plays for others." – Washington Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins.