The Washington Wizards got their hands on quite a prospect in Cassius Winston as the 53rd overall pick in the draft. Winston came in the way of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who themselves decided to trade the former Michigan State standout to the Wizards. Another former Spartan had some high praise for Winston, and this came from none other than Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Johnson, who himself led Michigan State to an NCAA title back in 1979, remains very high on the 6-foot-1 guard, and he took to Twitter to express just how much potential he believes Winston possesses:
In this year's NBA Draft, the best leader at any position is MSU's point guard @cassiuswinston. With 18 points per game, 6 assists, and a basketball IQ off the charts, he's an ultimate winner!!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 16, 2020
That's some high praise coming from one of the greatest players in both NBA and Spartans history, who also had something to say about a recent Lakers acquisition. As he said in his tweet, Magic Johnson firmly believes that Winston's best asset is his leadership — something that he exhibited during his four-year stint with Michigan State.
In his senior year, Winston averaged 18.6 points (on 44.8 percent shooting), 2.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.2 steals, while also knocking down 2.4 triples on a highly impressive 43.2-percent clip. The 22-year-old had a decorated career as a Spartan. He is a two-time Consensus All-American, a former Big Ten Player of the Year, a two-time All-Big Ten, and a Big Ten Tourney MVP, among others.
Taking all this into consideration, it does sound as though the Wizards got quite a steal in Winston so late in the draft. It remains to be seen, however, what kind of role he will be given once the new season starts, so he will need to be at his very best in training camp.
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