Copyright clutchpoints
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington Wizards fans dreamed of getting Duke University superstar Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for months, but the Dallas Mavericks won May’s NBA Draft Lottery instead despite having 12.2 percent worse odds. The Wizards received the No. 6 pick, which was the lowest they could’ve gotten as the second-worst-ranked team in the sport last season. However, they still landed University of Texas guard Tre Johnson, who is hardly a consolation prize. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised the 19-year-old before his team’s 111-105 win over the Wizards on Saturday. I asked Jason Kidd what’s his first impression of Tre Johnson: “He’s playing well. You can see his confidence is growing. When you’re a young player in this league, you’ve got to be around positive [examples]…CJ and Middleton are helping these young players.” pic.twitter.com/kj0gQA6PK8 — Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 8, 2025 “He’s playing well. You can see his confidence is growing,” the Hall of Famer said. “When you’re a young player in this league, you’ve got to be around positive [examples] … CJ [McCollum] and [Khris] Middleton are helping these young players.” Indeed, Johnson has wasted no time asserting himself. The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder is third among rookies with 5.1 three-point attempts per game and fourth among rookies with at least three average attempts in three-point field goal percentage (37.5), per NBA.com. Meanwhile, Flagg is making 26.2 percent of his 3.8 attempts. That doesn’t mean Johnson is better than Flagg, especially since he’s primarily a jumpshooter while the latter player is a three-level scorer. But it shows that Washington fans have plenty to be excited about, as their newest lottery pick is shining just 11 games into his career. Kidd isn’t the only prominent NBA figure to notice Johnson’s prowess. Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse called the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year “very good” and someone who has “a scoring knack in a lot of ways” before his team’s 139-134 overtime victory over the Wizards on Oct. 28, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd. Flagg, who interacted with Johnson and the rest of his peers in this rookie class during the pre-draft process, had similar comments after Saturday’s game, via Todd. Players and coaches are typically diplomatic when asked to describe opponents and teammates in interviews, but each quote can reveal a different truth. For example, Kidd pointed to Johnson’s confidence, which is aided by the veteran leadership of McCollum and Middleton. Nurse also mentioned the Texas native’s scoring talent, which the 76ers noticed before ultimately drafting Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe No. 3 overall. Finally, Flagg admitted that he’s not close with Johnson, but he “definitely” knows him and is happy to see him prosper in the nation’s capital. The two top-six picks may not be best friends yet, but they have common ground. Each of them is expected to help improve losing teams, as Dallas is 3-8 while Washington is 1-10. The difference is that the Wizards were supposed to be at the bottom of the standings again to keep their top-eight protected lottery pick next summer, while former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison claimed that his team would “compete for a championship” in 2025-26 during an April press conference, via Locked On Mavericks’ Isaac Harris. Harrison was subsequently fired on Tuesday as the organization reels from the fallout of February’s Luka Doncic trade. Regardless, it reflects well on Johnson that several opposing players or coaches who are asked about him give different compliments, and it’ll help him to be part of a team that has a clear rebuilding vision rather than one in turmoil. Alex Sarr describes Tre Johnson’s importance Naturally, Johnson’s teammates appreciate him too. Second-year Washington center Alex Sarr explained the sharpshooter’s importance to the offense after Saturday’s loss. Alex Sarr on how Tre Johnson helps the Wizards’ offense: “Being aggressive. Being a very good shooter, he pulls the defense. He can make plays for others, puts the ball on the floor. He brings a lot of playmaking.” Tre is shooting 39.6% from deep so far this season. pic.twitter.com/7kzHH7IXUw — Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 9, 2025 “Being aggressive. Being a very good shooter, he pulls the defense,” the 2025 first-team All-Rookie honoree said. “He can make plays for others, puts the ball on the floor. He brings a lot of playmaking.” The Wizards aren’t outclassing the rest of the NBA offensively, but adding Johnson has helped them make a jump. For example, they rank 23rd with 113.6 points per game after finishing 27th with 108 last season, and they rank 21st with a 53.3 effective field goal percentage after ranking 28th with a 51.2 percent clip. They are also 24th with a 56.2 percent true shooting percentage after finishing 29th with a 54.6 percent clip. Those improvements are also due to other factors, like Sarr and second-year wing Kyshawn George both developing into reliable scorers as they gain experience. At the same time, those things go hand in hand. Johnson’s presence commands defensive attention and spaces the floor, making it easier for his teammates to score. The next step for the former McDonald’s All-American is to have a 25-plus-point game to show the NBA world that he can score just as well as any of his fellow rookies on a given night. Flagg, Edgecombe, and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel have all done it, so now it’s time for him to make a statement. Johnson’s next chances to do so will be an away matchup against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and a home date with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
