Richard and Tre have much in common: similar builds, charismatic smiles and an admiration for Kevin Durant. Durant was Richard\u2019s favorite NBA player throughout Tre\u2019s childhood. Since Durant\u2019s games were often televised during basketball season, Tre also grew to respect him and now calls Durant his favorite player.<\/p>\n
Although father and son share a craftsman\u2019s approach to the game, they have developed different playing styles. At 6 foot 3, Richard built a reputation as a physical, slashing guard who attacked the basket on offense. At just under 6-5 without shoes, Tre distinguishes himself as an outside shooter. He averaged 19.9 points during his lone collegiate season, led the SEC in scoring and hit 40 percent of his 3-pointers.<\/p>\n
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Tre Johnson\u2019s picturesque outside shot features a high release point that is difficult for opposing guards to block. (Petre Thomas \/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Where Tre needs work, and what he shares in common with many 19-year-olds about to enter the pros, is his defense and physical strength. He knows about his weaknesses in large part because he started his interviews with teams during May\u2019s NBA Draft Combine by asking talent evaluators to identify his weaknesses.<\/p>\n
Improved defense and getting stronger \u2014 those were the nearly universal responses, Johnson recalled. And on June 12, the night before Johnson\u2019s workout in front of Wizards officials in Washington, Dawkins reviewed game film from Johnson\u2019s year at Texas and showed him examples of defensive plays that Dawkins felt Johnson had taken off<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rodney Terry, the Longhorns coach during Johnson\u2019s freshman year, acknowledged that Johnson must improve on defense. However, Terry, who was fired after the season, added some necessary context. Johnson averaged nearly 35 minutes of playing time, far and away the team\u2019s leader, and was asked to be the focal point of the Texas offense. Because Johnson shouldered such a responsibility on that end of the floor, there were times when his defense lagged.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us last year, I really needed him to score,\u201d Terry said. \u201cI really tried to challenge him at times to be a good defender, and there were times that he showed glimpses that he could do that. I think it\u2019s going to be predicated on the culture that he\u2019s in (in the NBA) and also the guys that he\u2019s around.\u201d<\/p>\n Terry also emphasized that Johnson has the confidence to accept constructive criticism and a desire to improve. Basketball really is the focus of Johnson\u2019s life.<\/p>\n When top recruits would take their official visits to Texas, many of them would spend their first night in Austin going out on the town with the Longhorns\u2019 incumbent players, Terry said. Not Johnson. On his first night, Johnson spent until 1 a.m. shooting baskets with, and playing one-on-one against, one of the Longhorns\u2019 players.<\/p>\n Johnson confirmed that anecdote during a recent interview, adding that he wanted to start jelling with a potential future teammate and that \u2014 in what\u2019s now a surprise to no one \u2014 \u201cI also like being in the gym working rather than going out.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wizards did thorough homework on Johnson. Dawkins wasn\u2019t the only member of the front office to closely monitor the youngster. Others did, too, including longtime talent evaluator Frank Ross, who lives in Austin.<\/p>\n A few days ago, when Dawkins was asked whether he had heard the story of Johnson spending the first night of his official visit to Austin in the gym, Dawkins flashed a wry smile and answered, \u201cWe heard that story and confirmed that story.\u201d<\/p>\n Dawkins also heard and confirmed that on days when the Longhorns would play night games, Johnson would do individual shooting work before the team\u2019s morning walkthrough, then return to the gym for more shots before the pregame meal and shoot again after the meal. His coaches insisted that he tone things down to remain fresh for the actual game. Some players need to be prodded to go to the gym; Johnson has to be nudged out of it.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to be an old-school throwback kind of guy in terms of really working on his game and having a love for the game,\u201d Terry said. \u201cI think he\u2019ll be a guy that has an impact early in his career, because his skill set\u2019s very high.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe Duffield agrees with that assessment. Duffield coached for three years at Lake Highlands and saw Johnson dominate games against some of the state\u2019s top high-school competition.<\/p>\n As a sophomore, Johnson scored 39 points in a loss to archrival Richardson High, which was led by senior (and future Oklahoma City Thunder starter) Cason Wallace. To be clear, Wallace typically did not guard Johnson during that game, as\u00a0<\/a>evidenced by the game\u2019s highlights<\/a>, but Johnson demonstrated\u00a0his star power at an early age. Even as a lanky, rail-thin 16-year-old, his shooting motion looked pristine.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s picture perfect, and I think a lot of that credit goes to (his) dad,\u201d Duffield said.\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s got a really high release point. His mechanics are really, really good. It\u2019s quick. There\u2019s not a lot of wasted motion. I think there\u2019s a lot of similarities to a Ray Allen or Devin Booker in the mechanics and the way the shot looks.\u201d<\/p>\n
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