ImageImageImage

Welcome Cam Johnson

Moderators: bwgood77, Qwigglez, lilfishi22

User avatar
ATTL
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 16,624
And1: 8,482
Joined: Aug 24, 2003
Location: Moms basement
   

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#21 » by ATTL » Fri Jun 21, 2019 6:54 am

How is cam compared to kuzma coming out?
User avatar
lilfishi22
Forum Mod - Suns
Forum Mod - Suns
Posts: 33,555
And1: 21,504
Joined: Oct 16, 2007
Location: Australia

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#22 » by lilfishi22 » Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:00 am

Crives wrote:Best thing about Cam is that he looks like Books little brother

Even though he's a couple months older haha
lilfishi22 wrote:More than ever....we are in the championship or bust endgame
User avatar
RedIndian
Bench Warmer
Posts: 1,356
And1: 1,804
Joined: May 23, 2010

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#23 » by RedIndian » Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:38 am

He looks like he's going to be a Joe Harris or a Bjelica or a Bertans. Strictly a sniper, who is passable on defense.

That's not a bad player, but the league is getting increasingly populated with such players. We could have easily acquired one elsewhere if we so wanted. Could really have taken someone with more upside at #11.

Like I said in the draft thread, one of Washington, Sekou, Clarke, Williams or Bazley is going to be very good, and we passed on all of them.
User avatar
sunskerr
General Manager
Posts: 9,245
And1: 5,291
Joined: Feb 20, 2010
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#24 » by sunskerr » Fri Jun 21, 2019 9:50 am

You know what? I'm not as down on this as I was a few hours ago. I think his age is irrelevant given where he was drafted. 23 is still young. He's coming out with an NBA ready shot (statistically backed!!). Yeah, in terms of value we probably should have been able to get another (small) asset if we traded back to get him. But reading about him, and his skills, I'm not sure in terms of strictly the ability to play basketball that a better player was available at that pick. There are a lot of older rookies that have come into the league with ready to go skills who pan out well.

Hope he does well! He certainly has the ability to.
User avatar
SlovenianDragon
Head Coach
Posts: 7,029
And1: 11,031
Joined: Aug 01, 2014
         

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#25 » by SlovenianDragon » Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:16 am

I like guys like this:



Hope it works out for us and him!
Image
Saberestar
RealGM
Posts: 19,671
And1: 14,634
Joined: May 21, 2010

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#26 » by Saberestar » Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:40 am

Crives wrote:Best thing about Cam is that he looks like Books little brother

Cam is older than Booker. :lol:
hollywood6964
Analyst
Posts: 3,299
And1: 1,397
Joined: Jul 14, 2015

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#27 » by hollywood6964 » Fri Jun 21, 2019 11:25 am

sunskerr wrote:You know what? I'm not as down on this as I was a few hours ago. I think his age is irrelevant given where he was drafted. 23 is still young. He's coming out with an NBA ready shot (statistically backed!!). Yeah, in terms of value we probably should have been able to get another (small) asset if we traded back to get him. But reading about him, and his skills, I'm not sure in terms of strictly the ability to play basketball that a better player was available at that pick. There are a lot of older rookies that have come into the league with ready to go skills who pan out well.

Hope he does well! He certainly has the ability to.

So if you broke your right arm, does that give you a chance to develop you left? Come on.
User avatar
Qwigglez
Forum Mod - Suns
Forum Mod - Suns
Posts: 20,522
And1: 13,537
Joined: Jul 10, 2009
Contact:
     

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#28 » by Qwigglez » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:22 pm

I was initially very frustrated with this pick because first off, I didn't even know who this kid was. I didn't really look too deep into this draft class besides the the top 6 or 7 guys. When I saw that Brandon Clarke was still available at 11 I thought for sure we were selecting him only to see Gambo say we are taking Cam Johnson.

After reviewing several articles and Youtube video highlights I think we made a solid selection. It actually reminds me of taking Booker several years back, both players being strictly regarded as shooters. I'm always very high on shooters, I hated the Josh Jackson pick, hated the Chriss pick (I did like the Bender pick somewhat because of his shooting ability). Anyway, Johnson reminds me of Booker & Kuzma too. Hopefully he pans out, we really need floor spacers on the court.
Crives
General Manager
Posts: 8,689
And1: 7,039
Joined: Feb 21, 2014
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#29 » by Crives » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:32 pm

SlovenianDragon wrote:I like guys like this:



Hope it works out for us and him!


Sounds like someone Monty will love.
Monty must have had a lot of input.
(We also added a former player in Saric)
Crives
General Manager
Posts: 8,689
And1: 7,039
Joined: Feb 21, 2014
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#30 » by Crives » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:33 pm

Saberestar wrote:
Crives wrote:Best thing about Cam is that he looks like Books little brother

Cam is older than Booker. :lol:


And yet he’s got the baby Book face!
User avatar
Jstock12
RealGM
Posts: 10,493
And1: 17,273
Joined: Jun 24, 2012

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#31 » by Jstock12 » Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:52 pm

Saberestar wrote:
Read on Twitter


Kyle Wiltjer is also an amazing shooter.
Phystic
Assistant Coach
Posts: 3,856
And1: 2,642
Joined: Jul 06, 2009
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#32 » by Phystic » Fri Jun 21, 2019 1:21 pm

Domejandro wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
Golanator wrote:Not who I thought we’d get but like any new rookie it’s not his fault we overdrafted him and hopefully he turns out to be a stud!


Yeah, certainly not gonna hold it against him, and I love shooters so he might end up being one of my favorite players. Seems like we got high iq, ready to go players which is good.

Cameron Johnson is a good player, you guys will absolutely like him; I have him top ten on my big board. The issue I have is that Phoenix could have traded down even further and corralled him, but oh well.


I think this is the complaint most of us have.
WeekapaugGroove
RealGM
Posts: 23,857
And1: 19,657
Joined: Feb 07, 2010

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#33 » by WeekapaugGroove » Fri Jun 21, 2019 2:24 pm

lilfishi22 wrote:Draft grades from a google search. Don't grill me on the source

CBS Sports

This pick was made by the Suns, who traded 6 for 11 and Dario Saric. The Suns did this because they've got all this youth. Johnson's a guy who's as ready to play. But what a stunning move. No one expected him to be this high. Johnson was not even one of the 24 players invited to the official draft green room. This is wild to me. Grade: D


Sportingnews.com

Well, this is unexpected. Johnson is actually headed to Phoenix along with Dario Saric for the rights to draft Jarrett Culver at No. 6, which begs the question… Did the goats make this pick? Johnson was largely projected as a late first-rounder in most mock drafts.

I actually like Johnson quite a bit. I thought he would be an excellent selection for a team in the early 20s as a player who could come in and help right away. He's probably the best shooter in the draft, and he has positional size. He's able to get his jumper off over most defenders. There's a ton of value in that alone.

But Johnson is also already 23 years old. He's a limited to non-existent on-ball creator. He's skinny and almost certain to struggle defensively at the next level. He also has an extensive injury history and had reportedly been flagged by multiple teams for those injury issues. His best case scenario is a 3-and-D combo forward.

Phoenix, a team drastically in need of a point guard, passed up the chance to draft a good one at No. 6 in Coby White in exchange for a fine role player? This selection is frankly awful.

Grade: F


The Ringer (surprisingly lenient)

The Suns have suddenly become conservative with their lottery picks. A year after they traded up to no. 10 to take Mikal Bridges, an experienced wing with a proven 3-point shot, they took a similar type of player in Johnson, a fifth-year senior from North Carolina with one of the best 3-point shots in this year’s draft. Johnson isn’t as good defensively as Bridges, but his size (6-foot-9, 205 pounds) should at least allow him to survive on that end of the floor. Johnson will have an immediate role in the NBA, which means he is a pretty safe bet to give them solid minutes off the bench, even if he never ends up as a high-level starter. He hasn’t shown the ability to do much on offense beyond shoot, but he won’t need to if he’s playing with Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell, the latter of whom they may target in restricted free agency.

Grade: B


SI

This is an extreme reach for the Suns, who are grabbing a player most teams expected to be available in the 20s here at No. 11 after trading down from No. 6. This is hard to explain—Johnson is one of the draft’s best pure spot-up shooters, but he’s already 23 years old. It feels like the Suns are drafting for need here, and this is an extremely high juncture in this draft to do that. Phoenix would seem to be trying to accelerate its rebuild, but this decision is questionable, given the way this draft seemed slated to fall. The choice itself makes some sense, but the execution here is the issue I have. Grade: D–


The Phoenix Suns must be desperate for shooting. Cameron Johnson, taken 11th overall, can supply that in spades, but good luck getting anything more from him.

He is the anti-upside prospect of this class. His college career spanned five years and two schools. His 23rd birthday is already behind him, meaning he's older than Devin Booker and Ben Simmons. In other words, any flaws in Johnson's game—his handles and athleticism are suspect—are unlikely to be corrected. It's a strange investment for a club that appears nowhere close to the playoff picture.

But his lethal long-range shot is a safety net, both for his career and the Suns offense, which, it's worth noting, finished 28th in three-point makes and 30th in three-point percentage last season. With good size (6'8½") and better understanding of off-ball movement, he's the early favorite to pace this class in spot-up splashing. This past season, he buried nearly three triples per night at a 45.7 percent clip.

The Suns had enough frontcourt clutter that they effectively salary-dumped TJ Warren onto the Indiana Pacers earlier Thursday, per Wojnarowski. Johnson just crowds things again, only with far fewer scoring tricks up his sleeve.

Grade: D+


SB Nation

Grade: D
Johnson is the oldest player expected to go in the first round and simply doesn’t have enough upside to warrant a pick this high. He’s arguably the best shooter in this draft class, as a 6’8 forward who shot 46 percent on threes in his fourth year of college ball. He doesn’t offer much else outside of his shooting, though. Johnson lacks the physicality to make an impact defensively and will also struggle to finish through contact in the NBA. He also doesn’t create much off the dribble.

The Suns still don’t have a point guard, though it’s possible they target someone like D’Angelo Russell in free agency. Paired with Mikal Bridges, the Suns now have some shooters on the wing to surround Devin Booker. It might sound good on paper, but Johnson is simply too one dimensional to get picked this high.


Washington Post

Analysis: In one of the night’s biggest surprises, the Suns selected the 23-year-old Johnson after trading down five spots. A proven shooter who hit 46 percent of his three-pointers last season at UNC, the 6-foot-9 Johnson will be expected to contribute immediately for a Phoenix offense that ranked 28th in efficiency. Given that this is his first draft as Suns GM, James Jones will face scrutiny for taking a player who didn’t receive a green room invite and who is older than Phoenix’s franchise guard, Devin Booker, who is entering his fifth NBA season. — Ben Golliver

What he brings: The 6-foot-9 forward is a master of using screens and spacing to his utmost advantage. The senior astonishingly scored more than 1.4 points per screen and cut — per Synergy Sports, those rates ranked within the 97th and 89th percentile of DI, respectively — and Johnson was at his best using body control, sharp cuts and angled positioning to keep defenders off-balance before he launched into his shooting form. Johnson doesn’t look like instant offense, but his offensive rating ranked 15th best in the nation this past season, as there was little defenders could do to break Johnson from settling comfortable into his shooting rhythm game after game. — Matthew Giles


Uproxx

11. Phoenix Suns (via Minnesota): Cameron Johnson, UNC (Grade: D)
Phoenix continues to be Phoenix. On the bright side, Cam Johnson is perhaps the best shooter in this draft and it helps to have a legitimately skill. Unfortunately, that is the only above-average trait that Johnson brings to the table and, value-wise, taking him at No. 11 is very, very aggressive. (edited)


Yahoo Sports
Twenty-four players were invited to the NBA draft green room. Somehow the Suns took one who wasn’t there at No. 11 overall. On the bright side, Johnson is an elite shooter — maybe the best in the entire draft. As a senior at North Carolina, the 6-foot-9 combo forward shot 45.7 percent from behind the arc, excelling as a catch-and-shoot threat but also showing an ability to hit a pull-up jumper if a defender runs him off his spot. The problem is Johnson doesn’t do much else at an above-average NBA level. Nobody will mistake Johnson for a playmaker, rugged rebounder, slasher or defensive stopper. He can be a marksman off the bench, but as one of the oldest, most mature players in this draft, he doesn’t have much more upside than that. When you’re drafting in the lottery, you’d like to have higher expectations.

Grade: D
I also hated this pick but I guess it's good to note that with the Bender/Chriss and Jackson drafts they were nearly universally praised the day after the draft by media. None of this matters if Johnson can play.

Heck say Landry shammat was pick like 12 last year you would have seen the same reach reactions but if you redrafted that just a year later he might go even higher that that in a good draft.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming Wow! What a Ride!-H.S.T.
jredsaz
General Manager
Posts: 7,719
And1: 2,788
Joined: May 25, 2012
         

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#34 » by jredsaz » Fri Jun 21, 2019 2:29 pm

WeekapaugGroove wrote:
lilfishi22 wrote:Draft grades from a google search. Don't grill me on the source

CBS Sports

This pick was made by the Suns, who traded 6 for 11 and Dario Saric. The Suns did this because they've got all this youth. Johnson's a guy who's as ready to play. But what a stunning move. No one expected him to be this high. Johnson was not even one of the 24 players invited to the official draft green room. This is wild to me. Grade: D


Sportingnews.com

Well, this is unexpected. Johnson is actually headed to Phoenix along with Dario Saric for the rights to draft Jarrett Culver at No. 6, which begs the question… Did the goats make this pick? Johnson was largely projected as a late first-rounder in most mock drafts.

I actually like Johnson quite a bit. I thought he would be an excellent selection for a team in the early 20s as a player who could come in and help right away. He's probably the best shooter in the draft, and he has positional size. He's able to get his jumper off over most defenders. There's a ton of value in that alone.

But Johnson is also already 23 years old. He's a limited to non-existent on-ball creator. He's skinny and almost certain to struggle defensively at the next level. He also has an extensive injury history and had reportedly been flagged by multiple teams for those injury issues. His best case scenario is a 3-and-D combo forward.

Phoenix, a team drastically in need of a point guard, passed up the chance to draft a good one at No. 6 in Coby White in exchange for a fine role player? This selection is frankly awful.

Grade: F


The Ringer (surprisingly lenient)

The Suns have suddenly become conservative with their lottery picks. A year after they traded up to no. 10 to take Mikal Bridges, an experienced wing with a proven 3-point shot, they took a similar type of player in Johnson, a fifth-year senior from North Carolina with one of the best 3-point shots in this year’s draft. Johnson isn’t as good defensively as Bridges, but his size (6-foot-9, 205 pounds) should at least allow him to survive on that end of the floor. Johnson will have an immediate role in the NBA, which means he is a pretty safe bet to give them solid minutes off the bench, even if he never ends up as a high-level starter. He hasn’t shown the ability to do much on offense beyond shoot, but he won’t need to if he’s playing with Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell, the latter of whom they may target in restricted free agency.

Grade: B


SI

This is an extreme reach for the Suns, who are grabbing a player most teams expected to be available in the 20s here at No. 11 after trading down from No. 6. This is hard to explain—Johnson is one of the draft’s best pure spot-up shooters, but he’s already 23 years old. It feels like the Suns are drafting for need here, and this is an extremely high juncture in this draft to do that. Phoenix would seem to be trying to accelerate its rebuild, but this decision is questionable, given the way this draft seemed slated to fall. The choice itself makes some sense, but the execution here is the issue I have. Grade: D–


The Phoenix Suns must be desperate for shooting. Cameron Johnson, taken 11th overall, can supply that in spades, but good luck getting anything more from him.

He is the anti-upside prospect of this class. His college career spanned five years and two schools. His 23rd birthday is already behind him, meaning he's older than Devin Booker and Ben Simmons. In other words, any flaws in Johnson's game—his handles and athleticism are suspect—are unlikely to be corrected. It's a strange investment for a club that appears nowhere close to the playoff picture.

But his lethal long-range shot is a safety net, both for his career and the Suns offense, which, it's worth noting, finished 28th in three-point makes and 30th in three-point percentage last season. With good size (6'8½") and better understanding of off-ball movement, he's the early favorite to pace this class in spot-up splashing. This past season, he buried nearly three triples per night at a 45.7 percent clip.

The Suns had enough frontcourt clutter that they effectively salary-dumped TJ Warren onto the Indiana Pacers earlier Thursday, per Wojnarowski. Johnson just crowds things again, only with far fewer scoring tricks up his sleeve.

Grade: D+


SB Nation

Grade: D
Johnson is the oldest player expected to go in the first round and simply doesn’t have enough upside to warrant a pick this high. He’s arguably the best shooter in this draft class, as a 6’8 forward who shot 46 percent on threes in his fourth year of college ball. He doesn’t offer much else outside of his shooting, though. Johnson lacks the physicality to make an impact defensively and will also struggle to finish through contact in the NBA. He also doesn’t create much off the dribble.

The Suns still don’t have a point guard, though it’s possible they target someone like D’Angelo Russell in free agency. Paired with Mikal Bridges, the Suns now have some shooters on the wing to surround Devin Booker. It might sound good on paper, but Johnson is simply too one dimensional to get picked this high.


Washington Post

Analysis: In one of the night’s biggest surprises, the Suns selected the 23-year-old Johnson after trading down five spots. A proven shooter who hit 46 percent of his three-pointers last season at UNC, the 6-foot-9 Johnson will be expected to contribute immediately for a Phoenix offense that ranked 28th in efficiency. Given that this is his first draft as Suns GM, James Jones will face scrutiny for taking a player who didn’t receive a green room invite and who is older than Phoenix’s franchise guard, Devin Booker, who is entering his fifth NBA season. — Ben Golliver

What he brings: The 6-foot-9 forward is a master of using screens and spacing to his utmost advantage. The senior astonishingly scored more than 1.4 points per screen and cut — per Synergy Sports, those rates ranked within the 97th and 89th percentile of DI, respectively — and Johnson was at his best using body control, sharp cuts and angled positioning to keep defenders off-balance before he launched into his shooting form. Johnson doesn’t look like instant offense, but his offensive rating ranked 15th best in the nation this past season, as there was little defenders could do to break Johnson from settling comfortable into his shooting rhythm game after game. — Matthew Giles


Uproxx

11. Phoenix Suns (via Minnesota): Cameron Johnson, UNC (Grade: D)
Phoenix continues to be Phoenix. On the bright side, Cam Johnson is perhaps the best shooter in this draft and it helps to have a legitimately skill. Unfortunately, that is the only above-average trait that Johnson brings to the table and, value-wise, taking him at No. 11 is very, very aggressive. (edited)


Yahoo Sports
Twenty-four players were invited to the NBA draft green room. Somehow the Suns took one who wasn’t there at No. 11 overall. On the bright side, Johnson is an elite shooter — maybe the best in the entire draft. As a senior at North Carolina, the 6-foot-9 combo forward shot 45.7 percent from behind the arc, excelling as a catch-and-shoot threat but also showing an ability to hit a pull-up jumper if a defender runs him off his spot. The problem is Johnson doesn’t do much else at an above-average NBA level. Nobody will mistake Johnson for a playmaker, rugged rebounder, slasher or defensive stopper. He can be a marksman off the bench, but as one of the oldest, most mature players in this draft, he doesn’t have much more upside than that. When you’re drafting in the lottery, you’d like to have higher expectations.

Grade: D
I also hated this pick but I guess it's good to note that with the Bender/Chriss and Jackson drafts they were nearly universally praised the day after the draft by media. None of this matters if Johnson can play.

Heck say Landry shammat was pick like 12 last year you would have seen the same reach reactions but if you redrafted that just a year later he might go even higher that that in a good draft.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app
This draft in particular. The difference between talent was not that stark after #1. It was a role player draft and then suns may have picked up two if the safest role players in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app
User avatar
sunskerr
General Manager
Posts: 9,245
And1: 5,291
Joined: Feb 20, 2010
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#35 » by sunskerr » Fri Jun 21, 2019 2:38 pm

Well the good news is that it looks like all he needs to do to become a worthwhile player is add a few pounds, and then study and practice defense.
Crives
General Manager
Posts: 8,689
And1: 7,039
Joined: Feb 21, 2014
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#36 » by Crives » Fri Jun 21, 2019 3:18 pm

I wonder if the red flag injury rumor was put out by a team with a late 1st hoping to get him to fall in their lap?
I haven’t been able to find any solid reports that he has had issues with his hip post surgery. Anyone find anything?
Phystic
Assistant Coach
Posts: 3,856
And1: 2,642
Joined: Jul 06, 2009
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#37 » by Phystic » Fri Jun 21, 2019 5:48 pm

I'm still not thrilled with this pick, however after some thought and research I'll reserve judgement until this kid gets some time in the league. Comparing his draft profile to guys like Booker and Klay during their respective drafts, and this kid really isn't that different. Now I'm not saying he will turn into what they are, just that you can't really judge a player that accurately in the draft.
Wilber85
Veteran
Posts: 2,721
And1: 2,421
Joined: Oct 10, 2017

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#38 » by Wilber85 » Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:26 pm

Saberestar wrote:
Crives wrote:Best thing about Cam is that he looks like Books little brother

Cam is older than Booker. :lol:


Who cares ?
Crives
General Manager
Posts: 8,689
And1: 7,039
Joined: Feb 21, 2014
 

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#39 » by Crives » Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:32 pm

I bet We could run some fun lineups with Cam at the 2. Supposedly his perimeter defense is not terrible.

Really interested to hear how Monty plans to use him.
User avatar
TASTIC
Retired Mod
Retired Mod
Posts: 18,310
And1: 2,327
Joined: May 17, 2004
Location: New Zealand
   

Re: Welcome Cam Johnson 

Post#40 » by TASTIC » Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:33 pm

I guess the frustrating thing is, we could have gotten Johnson where we got Jerome, then Jerome with #32. Then we could have taken either Culver or traded it for something better, surely?

Have no ill will towards Johnson and hope he kills it obviously, but the entire draft day was really puzzling. Feels like we got bent over in every trade somehow. Bower might have too much pull already which is concerning, considering how bad his last run in Detroit was.

Best case scenario is what...Prime Ryan Anderson (people forget a legit 15-18ppg gunner) or Teletovic or a Marvin Williams type...Worst case he’s McDermott?

Return to Phoenix Suns