Evaluating Phoenix Suns Rookie Cameron Johnson

The Phoenix Suns invested their 11th overall pick in Cameron Johnson, a surprise pick from North Carolina. This is an evaluation of what he may do for the team his rookie season.

Remember the movie The Intern  where old man Robert De Niro takes a beginner’s role with a bunch of youngsters a startup company? That’s pretty much Cameron Johnson, the sniper small forward taken by the Phoenix Suns with the 11th overall pick.

The rookie, at 23-years-old, is older than six other players on the roster including Devin Booker, and he’s only four months older than Kelly Oubre.

Johnson’s résumé showcases his extensive amateur career, consisting of five years of college with two different teams.

Starting out at the University of Pittsburgh – before The Intern even came out – Johnson only played eight games his freshman year due to a shoulder injury and garnered a medical redshirt.

That redshirt would end up making him a lot of money as it earned him a fifth year at the University of North Carolina, the year where he almost didn’t miss a shot.

Every basketball expert and fledgling blogger alike has reamed the Suns’ decision to overreach on Cam Johnson with the 11th pick in the draft. I won’t re-litigate that here, but it was about as rational as The Intern somehow grossing nearly 200 million dollars worldwide.

Anne Hathaway for the win.

However, a large reason (maybe the only reason) one could justify this puzzling trade and pick is many of those same experts and bloggers consider him the best shooter in the class.

Why do they think that? Because he led all Power-5 conference players in 3-point percentage (with at least 100 attempts) at 46%.

While that is objectively impressive, had he only played four years of college, scouts would have had to go off the much less impressive 34% 3-point average he shot the season prior.

Raise a glass to freshman year shoulder surgery.

So, how does a handful of up and down years capped by a spectacular season as a 22-year-old fifth year senior translate to the NBA?

Look no further than what the Suns got in the same transaction that landed them that 11th pick: Dario Šarić.

Well, a Dario Šarić who is surely capable of growing better facial hair.

Johnson is another lanky 6’9″ stretch-four who likes to shoot and rebounds when it’s convenient. He’s also doesn’t seem to like to touch people (a trait he and I definitely share), often shooting instead of driving to seek out contact and has no post game whatsoever.

If the Dario (or me) comparison isn’t sticking, call him an upper-middle class version of Dragan Bender.

Johnson and Šarić will be vying for Bender’s big man shooter spot on the team, and with all eyes on Booker, Ayton and Rubio, they are likely to find themselves open. The competition will likely come down to who can line the pockets of Suns’ charities with Fulton Home hundred-dollar bills more.

The thing is, hitting open jumpers might really be all the Suns need from that position, and Cam Johnson could be really good at it. If we presume 46% 3-point shooting was a bit of an anomaly, or a byproduct of the UNC roster and style of play last year, he still very well could stay above 40% in his first year in the league.

And a four as the first digit of a man’s 3-point percentage will promote him out of an intern role and into a valuable employee quickly.

Look for Cam to do just that. I predict he takes Super Dario’s place in the rotation by the All-Star break and doesn’t give it up. His 10 points and five rebounds per game will pair nicely with another part of his game no one talks about: his defense.

The guy is long, but don’t mistake him for a Cheick Diallo-like shot blocker. A rim protector he is not.

But he did average 1.2 steals a game last year for the Heels and has the ability to be disruptive in passing lanes.

Essentially with Cam, the Phoenix Suns have a high floor/low ceiling, geriatric rookie who the company inexplicably brought into the fold over other more traditionally deserving candidates.

Hopefully, though, by the end of his intern year, he will look a lot less like the weathered Robert De Niro and more like the ravishing Anne Hathaway.