Post#117 » by DJ_3_Ball » Thu Nov 14, 2019 8:15 am
Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to watch much Phoenix Suns' basketball this season. I did watch a video on Youtube by one of my favorite NBA Youtubers that focused on the Suns start this season. If anyone is interested, the video is by MDJ and it's called "The Phoenix Suns aren't terrible anymore".
This post is about Cameron Johnson, though. I was a fan of him in the pre-draft scouting leading up to last year's draft. Kept hoping he would slide to the late 1st round, and my Mavs' could move up & grab him. Turns out to be a pipe dream, but he was projected in the mid 20s at that time. Fwiw, I think he's the exact missing piece the Mavs need. A guy who can fill it up from 3, doesn't need the ball in his hands, and gives space for Luka to work. A guy you can depend on for 15 ppg.
These are outside observations, though. How do Suns' fans feel about him? Is he James Jones 2.0 (when James was in his prime), or does he look more like a Doug McDermott type, a bit more inconsistent, or does it still look up in the air? It seems like he's gaining the trust of Coach Williams and earning a bit more playing time. Do you guys feel his acquisition is what made TJ Warren expendable? Does he have other strengths besides shooting?
I know that's a lot of questions, but just very intrigued by this player. Thanks.
Edit: Just seeing some of the comments talking about his draft position. This is just my own opinion, but I think draft position is something fans & media worry about within the first 2 years of the draft or so. There's a lot of players who when you look at them 5 years down the line, you really don't remember where they were drafted. 5 years in, you have so much familiarity with that player, you just judge them on their skills & accomplishments. I mean, I can't tell you where Domantas Sabonis was drafted (without looking it up), and I don't remember much about how he wasn't very productive early in his career. All I know now is Sabonis is a very productive player. Or how about Doug McDermott and Kyle Korver. One was a lottery pick the other a 2nd rounder. Does anybody remember who was who without looking?
I just find draft position so arbitrary, after the fact. From an organizational standpoint, if you continue to draft contributors, even if you reach for a player, you'll wind up with a good team. Or at the very least, a lot of valuable assets to make moves with. For example, Cameron Johnson might wind up not quite fitting in with the Suns (I don't think so but it's early & a possibility). Still, he has a skill very much in-demand in today's NBA. A team missing that skill set might be willing to offer more in value than the spot he was drafted at. If that makes sense. Like I don't see the merits of going "OMG why didn't we draft PJ Washington???". You're not going to draft perfectly with the most optimal/best player every time. Maybe the Suns, said we have some guys we like but they're 50/50 guys. We could hit or miss on them. But, there's this Cameron Johnson kid who we're very confident will at least make our rotation. They take him & move on. I don't think that's a bad plan.