Finishing and athleticism
Inside the arc, Furphy was even more impressive, as he shot 67% on two-pointers and made a name for himself in the Big 12 as an efficient scorer, registering a 64.4% true shooting, which ranked second in the conference, as well as a 126.3 offensive rating, good enough for fifth-best in the league.
Excluding the two games from the NCAA Tournament, Furphy took 55 shots at the rim and made 44 of them, good for 80%. Furphy also made 11/12 dunks in those games, good enough for fourth on the Jayhawks team and second among non-bigs behind KJ Adams Jr.
On the topic of dunks, Furphy makes his name as a scorer from his finishing. Despite being rather slight and slender, with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and only weighing in at 190 pounds, he drew contract rather easily at Kansas, especially for a late-bloomer freshman.
Speaking of drawing contact, free throws are another strong part of Furphy's game. Not so much his ability to make them, although 76.5% isn't awful, but rather his ability to earn them. Furphy's free throw rate of .393 ranked seventh in the Big 12. As a more slender player, Furphy's touch around the hoop is rather soft, and he has plenty of crafty below-the-rim finishes in addition to sneaky highlight reel dunks.
With Kevin Mccullar out, Johnny Furphy (#10) is beginning to get more on-ball usage
— Roshan (@PickAndRo) February 13, 2024
Love how he problem-solves with his handle and craft on this drive. Uses multiple jabs to create space but when the defender sticks with him, he uses a behind-the-back dribble to change… pic.twitter.com/QrFGQe8UxK
Furphy's athleticism is even more impressive because he has dealt with a weaker lower half since his growth spurt, which saw him go from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-8 during the pandemic. Additionally, Furphy was not able to make major strength gains due to dealing with shin injuries before his Kansas career started.
Despite this, Furphy's explosion still stands out, and his load time off two feet is rather quick. This makes him one of the hardest players to stop in the open lane and at the rim. With his aforementioned physicality and welcoming of contact, along with his leaping ability, he possesses NBA-level play-finishing abilities that he puts on display rather often when defenses are scrambling.
A few clips from Johnny Furphy (2024) at the 2023 NBA Academy Games.
— Michael Houben (@michaelhoub) July 9, 2023
Showed off his length and athleticism at both ends, finishing above the rim, knocking down threes, and attacking off closeouts.
Per @DraftExpress, over 20+ HM offers as a result of his performance. pic.twitter.com/FXTvBjuoaA
Additionally, Furphy is a player who does not need the ball in his hands to be effective offensively. This fits right into Indiana's pass-happy, movement-friendly offense, as he can create gravity off the ball and get to his spots where playmakers like Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell can find him for jumpers or inside finishes.
Furphy's feel for the game comes into play here, as he knows when to leak out and get into transition, where he thrived at Kansas. His hard and fast-paced style of play seems to be right at home in Rick Carlisle's offense.