NBA Scout Says Tre Johnson is 'Just F--king Good' But May Be 'S--tty' on 'S--tty Team'
Ahead of the 2025 NBA draft next week, projected lottery pick and Texas freshman guard Tre Johnson is drawing mixed reviews about his possible outlook at the professional level.
An Eastern Conference scout who evaluated Johnson told The Athletic's David Aldridge that the sharpshooter is "just f--king good," though they later added, "But if he goes to a s--tty team, he might look s--tty."
B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his latest mock draft that Johnson would be drafted at No. 8 by the New Orleans Pelicans. Based on the scout's prediction, joining a team that went 21-61 this past season could be detrimental to the 19-year-old's development in the NBA.
Johnson averaged 19.9 points and shot 39.7 percent from three-point range in his lone season with the Longhorns. He contributed minimally in other areas with averages of 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists, fueling a perception that he could be a one-dimensional player despite his impressive potential.
"He has a chance to be one of the top-three players. He has the talent to do it. And I think he has the mindset," the scout said. "He’s been a really hard player to like. I’ve watched him for three years. He’s a hard player to like, because he seems like he’s a selfish player. ... He wants to win, and he tries to win, but the only way he thinks he can win is doing it himself."
The scout pointed to Johnson's lackluster showing at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup as part of the reason for his polarizing evaluation.
"He didn’t have a good team in Texas, but he’s been on some good teams when he was bad. He was on the USA Basketball (U-19) team in Europe. His body language and his game didn’t support all the hype he was getting," the scout said.
Despite the questions surrounding Johnson, the scout admitted that it's "going to be about fit for him," as he will need to be surrounded by the right players to bring out the best in his game.
"If he has a couple of good vets around that can help him and that he respects, he has a chance to be good," the scout said. "Tre is the hardest worker, from everybody I’ve talked to, at Texas."
