Cameron Johnson is entering his fourth season with the Phoenix Suns, and with a potential contract extension on the line, he’s looking to break out. He’s likely going to be the team’s starting power forward, given the reports that Jae Crowder will not suit up for Phoenix this season.
Johnson is already 26 years old (older than Devin Booker, despite being drafted 4 years after him), so his skillset seems relatively set in stone. This doesn’t mean that there’s no room for improvement however, as he can still maximize and excel in his role.
His contract extension eligibility does complicate matters as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. So what does that, and his new starting role, mean for Johnson and the Suns moving forward?
Cameron Johnson’s offensive skill set will fit well in the Phoenix Suns starting lineup heading into the 2022-23 NBA season.
In 16 games as a starter, Johnson averaged 16 points on 66% true shooting percentage, compared to his 11 points on 61% off the bench. Adding a good off-ball offensive player to the lineup helps, especially given the struggles that the team faced last year.
In the postseason loss against Dallas, the Mavericks were able to trap Devin Booker and shut down Phoenix’s offense, because Booker had no offensive threats that were ‘one pass away’. Crowder was often the man receiving these passes out of double teams, and he’s not talented enough to punish defenses as either a ball-handler or a shooter.
Crowder’s three-point shooting ability has been slightly overrated by a few outlier seasons (39% in 2021), especially given his shot quality has been really good. Johnson is a clear step up as a spacer, and has done so on more difficult shots against heightened defensive attention.