Former Wisconsin star Johnny Davis is heading overseas after signing with Glint Manisa Basket in Turkey, a move that marks the next step in a pro career that never got off the ground in the NBA.
Davis announced the decision himself, and the news comes after a rough stretch in the league that saw the former top-10 pick struggle to find traction with the Washington Wizards. Over his first three seasons there, he appeared in just 112 games and averaged 11.4 minutes per game. The production never matched the draft slot: 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game, along with shooting marks of 39.7% from the field, 27.3% from three and 56.1% from the free-throw line.
For Badger fans, that version of Davis looked nothing like the player who dominated in Madison. At Wisconsin, he put up 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and added almost two stocks per night, numbers that helped him earn first-team All-American honors and Big Ten Player of the Year. He was the kind of star Wisconsin has rarely had, which made the NBA collapse all the more jarring.
Even in the G League, the results were modest for a player taken that high. In 42 games, Davis averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while posting a 52.2% true shooting mark that at least resembled his sophomore season at Wisconsin.
The drop-off was hard to miss. His shot form changed, and that appeared to throw off the touch that once made him so effective.
The 3-point shot was always going to be a question, but the free-throw decline was especially alarming, with his percentage falling by nearly 20%. Confidence issues and an inability to adjust also played a part in how quickly things unraveled.
Now Davis gets a chance to reset in Turkey with Glint Manisa Basket. Whether that becomes the place where he rebuilds his career is still unknown, but for the first time in a while, there is at least some optimism attached to his future.
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