The Atlanta Celtics 6th man and de facto point guard when hes on the floor is no other than 6-7 Noel Johnson (#34 Scout, #36 Rivals, #39 ESPN), a very smooth and versatile swingman in the Josh Childress mold. Were talking about a wing player with excellent physical tools for the positionsize, wingspan, frame and solid athleticism to boot. Johnson looks to have the makings of an outstanding defender who can guard multiple positions, as hes smart, intense, long and fundamentally sound. He tries to contest every shot and does a great job staying in front of his matchup thanks to his above average lateral quickness, which makes him a handful to deal with at his size.
Johnson is also a terrific passerthe reason why the Celtics play him at the point next to the shot happy Trae Golden. Hes not the best ball-handler around, but his feel for the game lets the Celtics half-court offense flow more smoothly when hes on the court. Johnsons scoring ability mostly revolves around his ability to get to the rim in transition, pull-up off the dribble from mid-range, and knock down shots from the perimeter with shaky consistency. He shoots the ball with awkward form, from behind his head and therefore isnt always very accurate at this point in his career. His decision making isnt the best and hes fairly turnover prone, particularly when forced to go left. Johnsons game is just now beginning to round into form, so it will be very interesting to see which direction he goes in once he hits the college ranks.
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