New Orleans Pelicans 2015 NBA Draft Profiles: Dakari Johnson

It is that time of year again. With the NBA Draft just a few weeks away it is time to start looking at players that the New Orleans Pelicans can potentially draft. While most of the players that we profile will be second round players since the Pelicans currently only have a second round pick, there will also be a few first round talents mixed in with the bunch as well. Considering the Pelicans are pretty set in the backcourt and at power forward the profiles will focus on wing players that fit into a small forward role and backup big men, places the Pelicans can stand to get a bit better.

We start today with a look at a player that was once considered a potential first round draft pick in Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson. After a productive freshman season, Johnson found himself stuck behind the glut of lottery picks in the Kentucky big man rotation which led to his drop on draft boards. Johnson decided to leave Kentucky anyway and now could provide a great value pick for some team in the draft.

The Basics:

Age: 19

Height (with shoes): 6’11.75”

Weight: 265

Wingspan: 7’2”

Standing Reach: 9’4”

Max Vertical: 25.0

2014-2015 stats: 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 50.6 percent shooting in just 16.3 minutes per game.

Draft Projections: Late first to mid-second round

Strengths:

Johnson’s biggest strength is easily his massive size. At 7’2” and 265 pounds, Johnson may be a bit on the heavy side but unlike many big men prospects that enter the NBA he won’t be pushed around easily.

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That is a huge plus for teams that are looking for a player to make an immediate impact as Johnson won’t need the time building strength that other prospects may. Johnson also understands how to use his body and isn’t afraid to be physical. He is willing and able to bang in the paint and does so to score many of his points in a garbage man type of role.

Johnson also is a pretty good rebounder, which shows in his defensive rebounding rate of 19.1 this season, despite playing with other very good big men. With his size and strength it isn’t a surprise to see Johnson rebound the ball well and his offensive rebounding as a freshman shows a nice nose for the ball as well.

Weaknesses:

As much as Johnson’s body is his biggest strength it is easy to see how it turns into his downfall as well. Johnson was the heaviest player at the combine and had a 14.9 percent body fat mark. While big, beefy big men have succeeded in the NBA (look at the current Memphis Grizzlies) there is the worry that Johnson could lose control of his weight and eat himself out of the league.

The other weaknesses that come out of Johnson’s game stem from his body as well. As could be expected for someone as big as Johnson, he is not a great athlete which limits how well he can finish inside against traffic. Johnson shot just 50.6 percent this season which is a low number for a guy with an NBA body to post in college, especially considering he was taking most of his shots from in the paint. That lack of athleticism also shows up in Johnson’s defense as he is not mobile or athletic enough to really be a shot blocking, rim protecting force. There is also the worry of conditioning issues with a player as big as Johnson, though the hope is NBA teams would figure out a way to combat that.

Finally, Johnson is very raw offensively. At Kentucky he scored many of his points off of dump-off passes and offensive rebounds. There isn’t a great jumper in his game yet or any real low post moves meaning he isn’t going to be able to be the center point of a bench unit right away.

Projected Role: At the moment it is hard to see Johnson as anything more than a bench big on a contender or starting center on a loaded or terrible team. With is size there is a real chance he sticks for a long time as long as he keeps his weight in check and is willing to play the role of a garbage man. He probably won’t ever be a star but every good team needs a good third big and Johnson should be able to give someone that.

Information for this report, including measurements, came from DraftExpress and Chad Ford’s big board.

Next: The first big we broke down was Iowa's Aaron White

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