Phlying Under the Radar - Tre Johnson

We’re getting closer to the halfway point of the season, and so far, the 2025 draft class has been impressive.

Here are some standout Rookies:

Cooper Flagg

Flagg is going to be on a championship-level team at some point in his career. Whether it’s shooting, playmaking, or defence, he does a little bit of everything at a high level. This jack of all trades ability makes him a perfect pairing with another superstar player. I could see him playing a similar role to what Pascal Siakam did in Toronto or in Indiana last season. One thing that has stuck out to me in the games of his I’ve seen is how unselfish he is. He’ll drive and be aggressive when needed, but will not force it, and will make the right pass. The Mavs require more pieces (and healthy players) to make a dent in the stacked Western Conference, but when they do, Flagg will make a huge leap.

Derik Queen

Some of my favorite players from the past decade are Boris Diaw and Zach Randolph. If you’ve ever wondered, what a player would look like if you combined the skillset of Diaw and Randolph, look no further than Derik Queen. The 6’9” Center out of Maryland has a truly unique style of play. He has the footwork, court vision and balance like Diaw, but he also uses his size and strength like Randolph did to get a little hook or push shot past the defender. He’s had some truly spectacular performances like against the 33 point game against the Spurs where his talents were on full display. If he becomes a better player on the defensive end, there’s All-Star potential here.

Kon Knueppel

Knueppel is going to give Eric Collins an aneurysm one of these days. Check out this play 2:06

One of the most poised rookies I’ve seen. He plays like a vet in year ten. Super calm and under control. He’s a knockdown shooter and has a solid pull up mid range shot when driving to the hoop. He doesn’t have the flashiest style of play, but it is efficient and effective. If they’re not already, the Hornets should be your east coast league pass team. Not only is LaMelo polarizing, we’ve got Knueppel balling out and hitting clutch shots, and causing Eric Collins to lose his mind on a nightly basis.

Most hoop heads are already aware of these three rookies, as well as some other gems like Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecomb. However, one rookie phlying under the radar…

Tre Johnson

Here’s a quick glance at his stats in his 25 games played

PPG 12.2

RPG 2.8

AST 1.6

FG% 45%

3P% 41%

Yeah, nothing all that impressive, and I believe this is why not many are talking about him. It’s been a bit of a slow start for him, but there were a few things holding him back. One, He was injured, and missed a handful of games. Two, Washington has way too many wing players which makes it hard to get in a rhythm with limited minutes.

However, fully healed along with a few recent injuries for Washington in both the starting lineup, and bench, has given Tre the chance to showcase his skills. Not only is Washington playing their best basketball of the season going 3-2 in their last 5, Tre is showing his potential of being a lights out shooter.

In his last 5 games his PPG has increased to 15.2, and he’s shooting 57% from 3!

He went on an impressive streak by draining 9 threes in a row against Phoenix and Milwaukee in his last two games. Sure, players get hot like this all the time, but this brief stetch was different. Tt seemed like there wasn’t a single one of these 9 threes that touched the rim! It reminded me of when Klay Thompson would catch fire and become unconsious from three for a quarter. Is this an overreaction? Probably. But The Wizards have been awful this season, and this small stretch of solid basketball, and the emergence of Tre Johnson gives me hope to see at least a few more wins on the season.

Here are some things that have stood out to me about Tre these past few games.

Tre Johnson has a silky smooth jumper, with the ability to heat up quickly. When he’s feeling it, his confidence is sky high and shoots from anywhere. I mean just look at the zero hesitation logo range three (@:48) he took against the Suns.

This limitless range is only going to be a positive for the Wiz. Defenses will have to respect his range which in turn will open up the floor and take some pressure off of guys like KyShawn George and Alex Sarr.

Tre Johnson also has the potential to be a solid mid range scorer as well, too. Coming off a PnR he looks comfortable, and confident taking the mid range jumper. Having the touch from middy is huge when the defense will be closing out quickly on his threes. The percentages aren’t there just yet, but I’m sure with more time and touches, these will be a regular part of his game.

Another positive that I’ve noticed is that he hustles, and seems to be always communicating with the rest of the team. He seems like the player that really gives a crap if they win or not. This is character trait that the Wizards desperately need. The grit and will to win can’t all fall on Justin Champaignie’s shoulders.

There are a few areas of his game that could use some improvement though. The two that stick out to me are his defense and finishing around the rim. He shys away from contact on both ends of the floor, so larger/stronger players seem to be a mismatch for him. He is only 19 though, and I’m sure over the years he’ll get stronger and (hopefully) be less of a liability on the defensive end.

Ultimately I see his ceiling to be that of a player like Lou Williams. He has the potential to be a streaky lights-out scorer from multiple levels on the floor. Every team needs one of these guys, Washington certainly does.

This small stretch of solid basketball from both Tre and the Wizards has been refreshing. While they are certainly not going to be making the playoffs, as long as there are similar moments to Tre hitting nine straight threes, I can survive the season!

Written by Luke