Johnny Davis is trying to reboot his career in Türkiye, and the first step looked promising.
The former Wisconsin standout opened his overseas run with Manisa Basket by putting up 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in his debut, while also hitting three shots from deep and shooting 60% from the field. It was a clean, productive first game for a player whose NBA journey has gone off the rails.
That fall has been steep. Davis, once a top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, never found his footing in the league and was effectively pushed out after just two and a half seasons. Across three seasons, he played in 112 games and averaged 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists, shooting 39.7% from the field, 27.3% from three and 56.1% at the line.
After a pair of underwhelming G League stops, he chose to head overseas.
Now the question is whether this is the beginning of something bigger. Davis has made his goal clear: he wants to get back to the NBA. That won’t happen off one strong debut, but it’s a start, and it matters that he’s still only 24 years old.
His situation in Washington didn’t exactly help him grow, and he never really got a fresh start in a new NBA setting. After leaving the Wizards and landing in Memphis, he was cut quickly and never got another shot on an NBA roster. That kind of stop-and-start path can bury a young player before he ever gets traction.
Türkiye may be the place where he gets some of that back. If Davis can stack performances like this one, he’ll at least give himself a real chance to convince teams that there’s still something worth betting on.
In Other News...
Wisconsins 2027 Schedule Just Took An Unexpected Early-Season Turn
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The bigger picture still gives the Badgers a varied 2027 setup, starting with a season opener against Pittsburgh in Dublin and rolling into the familiar grind of Big Ten play. With the out-of-conference puzzle continuing to shift, Wisconsins upcoming itinerary is taking shape in a way that should give fans plenty to track long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Week 3 Threat Fans Should Not Overlook
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For the Badgers, the matchup is less about the standings than the specific stress points Eastern Michigan can create. Mowchan gives the Eagles a reliable presence on defense, and the mix of experience across the roster is what makes this one worth watching beyond the usual nonconference assumptions. Wisconsin should expect a physical game in which the details matter, and the danger is letting a seemingly manageable opponent turn the afternoon into something more complicated than it should be. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Heads Into Eastern Michigan With Three Troubling Weaknesses
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Those three issues matter even more now because they are tied together. When the passing game is off, the offense keeps putting the defense in tough spots, and when the defense is not finishing plays in the backfield or forcing turnovers, the margin for error shrinks fast. Wisconsin does not need a complete overhaul this week, but it does need signs that at least one of those weak points is starting to move in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]