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John Tonje, G, Wisconsin
Height: 6-5 • Weight: 218 • Class: Senior • Age: 24
Summary: Tonje will enter the NBA at age 24 with some readymade skills as an off-ball movement scorer and shooter. But his athletic ceiling and defense will determine if he’s more than just a backup.
Comparisons: Max Strus
Strengths
Shooting: Tonje made 40.5% of his catch-and-shoot 3s as an upperclassman, per Synergy. He is comfortable off movement actions and has an effortless release, though he may need to speed it up at the next level.
Off-ball movement: Constantly moves without the ball. He looks for opportunities to back cut to the rim and relocate beyond the arc. In a handoff-heavy offense he could thrive.
Secondary creation: He’ll need to adjust to a lower usage role in the NBA, but his go-to role at Wisconsin showed his abilities as a pull-up threat out of pick-and-rolls and as an attacker who can destroy closeouts with his decisive drives.
Concerns
Defense: He doesn’t have great lateral quickness, and his size is only average.
At-rim finishing: He’s a below-the-rim finisher on drives to the basket, and he lacks a left hand.
Playmaking: Tonje had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio in each of his college seasons because he gets way too out of control on his drives and lacks an advanced handle. He also flopped a lot at the college level, which helped him draw a ton of fouls. But he won’t get rewarded in the same fashion at the next level.
For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.
