The Sixers will have no shortage of options after landing the No. 3 overall selection in next month's NBA Draft.
While many of the Sixers fan base have been focused on Rutgers scoring wing Ace Bailey and Baylor hyper athletic guard V.J. Edgecombe, there are other potential intriguing options for the Sixers — whether they choose to stay put at No. 3 or trade back. One of those other top options being floated by fans and the media is none other than SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC leading scorer, Texas’ sharpshooting guard, Tre Johnson.
Let's take a look at what makes Johnson such a highly rated prospect.
Tre Johnson stats (Per 40):
23.0 PPG
3.6 REB
3.1 AST
1.1 STL
55.7 TS%
39.7% 3PT (6.8 3PA)
87.1% FT
Tre Johnson Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-6
Wingspan: 6-foot-10 1/4
Weight: 190
Age: 19
Good day for Tre Johnson at the NBA draft combine. Tested well, hit 68% of his aggregate jumpers in drills, and measured a 6'10 wingspan and 37 1/2 inch vertical leap.
NBA teams are increasingly talking about him as a safe pick, with significant long-term upside to grow into. pic.twitter.com/LSsa93if9F
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 14, 2025
Strengths
Shooting and Scoring
The conversation with Johnson, regardless of who you talk to, is going to start with his elite shooting ability. Simply put Johnson is one of the best shooting prospects to enter the draft in the last several years. The numbers Johnson put up off the catch, off the dribble, off screens, and off movement were historic and unprecedented for a freshman — especially for a freshman in the SEC, the best conference in all of college basketball. Johnson displays an effortless stroke, consistent mechanics, great balance off the catch, off the bounce, off movement, and all with machine-like consistency. Don’t just take my word for it.
Let’s look at the numbers:
- 39.7% from three overall (89-for-224)
- 40.8% Catch-and-shoot threes (51-for-135)
- 41.6% guarded Catch-and-shoot threes (32-for-77)
- 39.6% unguarded C&S threes (19-for-48)
- 52.1% off screen jumpers (25-for-48)
- 54.8% threes off screens (17-for-31)
- 44.2% transition threes (23-for-52)
- 38.4% OTD threes (38-for-99)
Tre Johnson is one of only four freshman ever to average 19 points per game, make 80 or more threes, shoot 38% or better from three, and have an offensive rating greater than 112. The other three you ask? Jamal Murray, Malik Monk and D’Angelo Russell. Pretty good company.
Secondary Playmaking
Despite averaging just 2.7 assist per game, Johnson consistently flashes more than capable playmaking and passing ability. He’s shown the ability to make reads out of pick-and-roll and hit the roll man and skip passes to shooters with both hands. He leverages his shooting gravity to hit quick reads off of movement and off the dribble to find his teammates in scoring position. He displays some dynamic high-level passes in transition with a variety of manipulative passes and no looks.
Johnson is great at playing out of DHO situations and hitting the handoff guy rolling or popping. His playmaking is a huge swing skill for his overall upside at the next level. I wouldn’t predict him to ever be a team's primary ball handler but if he can increase his volume as a passer and be a true weapon as a secondary playmaker it increases his upside significantly. If Johnson can get more paint touches and improve as a driver it will only open up his playmaking ability even more.
Handle
Johnson has a very advanced and tight handle. Johnson leverages his handle to get to his spots and create space from three and the midrange. He displays a ton of creativity and moves with crossovers, behind-the-back dribbles, hesitations, and in-and-outs and ability to probe in pick-and-rolls and beat pressure.
Areas of Concern
Rim pressure and Rim Finishing
Johnson struggles both to get to the rim and to finish at the rim. Johnson only had 20% of his total shot attempts come at the rim posting just a 16.7% halfcourt rim frequency and finished just 46.5% of those attempts at the rim in the half court. Poor numbers across the board.
Johnson’s lack of strength and burst are the biggest contributing factors in this area as he can be bumped off his spots and redirected by more physical defenders and struggles to consistently beat his man off the dribble. Texas also had a less-than-optimal supporting cast and Tre was at the top of every team’s scouting report. Oftentimes, Johnson was just given the ball and asked to carry the load. There’s an argument to be made that with better usage and better spacing that some of these issues can be mitigated.
The biggest area of concern in Tre Johnson offensive game is his lack of rim pressure and finishing at the rim. Johnson posted just a 16.7% rim frequency in the half court and finished just 46.5% of those attempts. Only about 20% of Johnson total shot attempts came at the rim. pic.twitter.com/dU9PRZ6UFa
— Will Rucker (@Will_Rucker3_AD) May 20, 2025
Defense
The biggest weakness and most concerning area of Johnson’s game at this stage is his defense. Johnson far too often appears to lack engagement and technique defensively. His struggles to contain the ball and navigate screens show up throughout his film. There are flashes of high effort and good contest but not nearly consistent enough.
Johnson’s lack of strength allows offensive players to dislodge him on drives and finish through and around him at the rim. He lacks some awareness off the ball as well and needs improvement as a team defender. He’ll have to make big strides to avoid being targeted defensively at the next level. His shooting and shot making may end up offsetting any value lost on defense but you would hope he can at least become a neutral defender down the line with better coaching and improved strength.
My overall biggest concern with Johnson is his defense. Far too often gets beat off the bounce and struggles to navigate traffic and bodies on screens at the Point of attack. There’s flashes of good effort but it comes and goes and will have to be a big area of focus for him at… pic.twitter.com/nBR3Ej3vyo
— Will Rucker (@Will_Rucker3_AD) May 20, 2025
Strength and Burst
Johnson’s lack of strength, standstill burst, and quickness are the biggest driving forces behind his primary weaknesses as an on-ball defender and as a driver and finisher at the rim. Striking the right balance of adding weight and strength without sacrificing any quickness will be big for his potential improvement in these areas.
Overall
Johnson is a tantalizing prospect — one that I believe projects as a 20-25 points per game scorer in his prime. His blend of handle, dynamic shooting, and secondary playmaking make him a potentially elite offensive weapon capable of lighting up the scoreboard and being a go-to option offensively at the next level as he was in his lone season at Texas.
Johnson’s shooting and scoring ability give him a high floor and make him a safe bet as an off-ball weapon offensively. His ceiling will ultimately be determined by how much he can leverage his playmaking, whether he can become a true three-level scorer and produce at the rim, and can he make strides defensively. Johnson is known to have a relentless work ethic and drive to be great — traits that many of the best in the world possess. Expect to hear Johnson’s name called early in next month’s draft.
Draft projection
SB Nation mock draft: No. 9, Toronto Raptors