Draft profile: Johnny Furphy

Furphy’s inconsistent shooting leaves him as an imperfect option.

Johnny Furphy is a developmental swing. He showed flashes of being a capable 3-and-D wing at Kansas, but his confidence issues and midseason struggles point towards Furphy being a long-term project rather than plug-and-play.

General information:

College: Kansas

Position: Wing

Year: Freshman

Stats: 9 pts (46.6% FG / 35.2 3PT% / 76.5 FT%), 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists

Measurables:

Age: 20

Height: 6 ft 9 inches

Weight: 202.8

Wingspan: 6’8 ft

Strengths:

Furphy is a smart basketball player. He excels at making his own shots with his off-ball movement. Furphy shines as a catch-and-shoot threat but do not overlook his knack for creating lanes and making reads as a cutter for easy scoring opportunities.

There is a sneaky athleticism with Furphy that jumps off the screen. Furphy runs the floor well in transition, whether spraying out to the corners or when leading the break.

His athleticism translates to rebounding as well. Being 6’ 9” certainly helps, but the difference-maker is Furphy’s aggression on the glass. His pursuit of the ball can be surprising and his intensity has translated to being a good offensive rebounder too.

Furphy stands out defensively with the consistent aggression he brings. He is a piece of scotch tape with his opponent. There is no sagging off-ball for Furphy whether he is on the strong or weak side. This combined with his willingness to fight through screens shows that Furphy is not the one-note type of player the general consensus seems to label him as. His active hands make him a capable on-ball defender, as well.

Furphy offensively rides on his ability to shoot the three-ball. It was this trait that thrust him into the Jayhawks lineup. He showed a willingness to shoot early and often even though he struggled for stretches. Furphy stands out as one of the better catch-and-shoot prospects in this draft. His release is quick and fluid, which spells trouble for any defender who gives him an ounce of daylight.

Weaknesses

Confidence is something Furphy seems to struggle with on a game-to-game basis. His career arc at Kansas started off the bench, then once he found his outside shot he was inserted into the lineup, only to then struggle for a majority of the second half of the season. Kansas only kept him on the floor because he was the lone true outside shooter for a team that lacked spacing.

Unfortunately for Furphy and Kansas, there were major lapses in production on those shot attempts. During a stretch from Jan. 30 through March 23 (14 games) Furphy shot 16-57 (28%) from the perimeter. “If Furphy can be consistent then…” was a common narrative in the Kansas games broadcasts. It felt like both college analysts and even the color guys knew that Furphy needed to be just good enough for this Kansas team to reach their ceiling.

When the shot is not falling it feels like Furphy lacks the juice in other ways. His driving is suspect, sometimes making difficult layups on drives, other times it looks like he is forcing attempts. His passing and creating off-ball is a case of “right idea but poor execution.” Furphy struggles with executing the proper pass when defenses overload despite seemingly having the awareness to see the open man. It feels like he has an NBA level of processing, but the talent is still raw.

Furphy was unable to match the tone of some games, not from a lack of passion, but rather from being enveloped by the moment. This was on display against Houston in March when Furphy appeared skittish in moments when he could have rallied his team through a slow start.

Where he could help the Cavaliers

Furphy would give the Cavaliers someone who is defensively sound and smart with how they move off the ball. Cleveland’s wings are all either too small to defend opposing wings or unable to be movement-based shooters. Furphy could hit on both of these facets if he polishes his game.

His ability to space the floor made Furphy a starter at Kansas. He possesses NBA-level IQ with how he moves off-ball and can create outlets for his teammates.

Furphy’s off-ball defense would also help the Cavs immensely. Cleveland’s defensive options at the wing currently feel like it is Dean Wade and no one else. They would have another quality option with Furphy in the mix.

Game to watch: Kansas @ Cincinnati (1.22.2024)

Final verdict

The selection of Furphy would be a display of trust in the Cavaliers to develop him into an NBA-level wing. In his current state, he needs time to develop in the G League or on a young team that will let him play through the bad times. While the Cavaliers would benefit from the ceiling of what Furphy can be, I think the team would need to lean toward prospects who are more prepared to contribute right away.