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Alize Johnson is one of my favorite prospects in the 2018 class. One of the reasons I am high on him is because his name is Alize. If you've listened to any 2Pac music from the Death Row era of the mid 90's ( Johnson was born in 1996) then you've heard all about Alize, Pac's drink of choice outside of Hennessy. My main reason for being a believer in Alize Johnson, is because he has game. Major game. 

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Johnson burst onto the scene last year for Missouri State after playing 2 years at Frank Phillips College in the middle of nowhere Texas. In his first season playing major college basketball, Johnson established himself as one of the more intriguing prospects in all of America. Standing at 6'9" and weighing only 205 pounds soak and wet, Johnson ranked among the nations leaders in rebounds and had 7 games were he grabbed 15 rebounds or more. He plays with relentless energy that reminds me of Shawn Marion since large percentage of his points came from effort plays and offensive putbacks. 

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Johnson is still somewhat raw, but he has the tools to be a weapon on the NBA level with the proper development. A late growth spurt changed him from a 5'9" point guard to forward and its evident by his passing ability and ball handling. Johnson has the ability to make passes out of the low and high post and also passes well on the move showing vision you rarely see in a power forward. As a ball handler, he displays an advanced handle and can beat most of his matchups to the rim. The problem is he lacks strength, so any type of contact changes his route to the rim which causes a lot of off balanced and wild drives. He has a tendency to put his head down and drive to the rim without a purpose and rarely makes plays above the rim. Shot selection is another area where Johnson will need to improve on going forward.

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What really makes Johnson a special prospect is his ability to space the floor. He shot an impressive 38.8% from 3 and has the potential to become a real pick & pop threat as a pro. I even think he can develop into a guy who can shoot 3's coming off screens or pin downs with his footwork and mobility. The majority of Johnson's possessions came from operating in the post, where he banged his skinny frame until he got to his sweet spot near the basket. While he lacks strength and polish, he was an efficient scorer on the block and shot 52% on post up possessions. Johnson's ability to rebound and passing instincts makes him a "Grab & Go" threat which has become more coveted in recent draft classes.

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While I'm a big fan of Johnson's game and potential, there are a lot of areas where he can improve to help his draft stock. In my opinion he's more of a natural "hooper" than basketball player and has made it this far on his natural ability and high powered motor. Once he tightens his handle, puts on weight and gets stronger he has a chance to be a very good complimentary player. I'd love to see him improve as a roll man in the pick & roll, mid range shooter and become better at attacking close outs. With his natural talent and ability, adding those facets to his game should not be an issue. 

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RAFAEL BARLOWE -  SEPTEMBER 22, 2017