[OhCanada-Participant]

 I personally dont think it was that large of a reach. He was widely considered the best shooter in the draft and even shot 57% from three on the road in ACC play. He is a polished player that has played various roles for UNC so he will understand his job in the pros and how to continue to improve. I’ve seen shooters go higher than expected in the draft plenty of times and more often than not it work out.

He was also getting looks in the 1st round by plenty of teams. Rumours even surfaced saying Philadelphia wanted him at 24 but would have to trade up to get him. Philly ended up getting the 20th pick and the difference from 11 to 19 couldnt possibly bring much value to the Suns. 

Phoenix ended up also getting the 24th pick and selecting Ty Jerome. So the question is would you rather have Dario Saric, Cam Johnson (11) and Ty Jerome (24) or Coby White (6) and one of KZ Okpala, Keldon Johnson or similar player to Cam (24).

[BleedGreen808Participant]

I agree it was a pretty big reach for the Suns to take him at 11.  Also want to add a couple of things that make the move more questionable.  The Timberwolves were able to move up from 11 to 6 by giving Saric to the Suns.  I feel like that’s poor compensation with Saric slated for RFA next summer.  Secondly, Mike Schmitz and a couple others reported that several teams had Johnson red-flagged due to hip injuries he had suffered in college.  

 

[Andrew1984Participant]

Based on your first sentence, I’m not sure you read the OP, Sir. 

[CoachWyersParticipant]

 I had him in the 20-35 range.

[MopgrassParticipant]

I don’t think he’s widely considered the best shooter of the draft. Maybe top 5. But hey, maybe they saw something a lot of us didn’t.  

[RUDEBOY-Participant]

his teammate coby white’s reaction said it all..lol..

 i read some reports online that his stock would drop becuz his medicals came back…And teams were concerned about the knee surgery he had a few years ago..And it would cause him to drop….Thats why i moved him out of the 1st round on my mock….

its funny that cam johnson is older than devin booker…

[Scrooge McDuckParticipant]

Cam Johnson is a pretty good prospect. I had him pegged for Portland. Drafting him at 11 was purely a  desperate move. It was silly

[The GoatParticipant]

 My approach would be that you draft or trade for a player trade based on where you think he will go. If you don’t have concrete information and you like him, you need to bite the bullet. No idea if Phoenix ranked players based on overall ability on a big board or just players ranked on a skill or type (eg shooters), because it seems to me that they chose a type of player and ranked them that way instead. nstead. If the commitment was to get the best shooters they could (and I’d say that was identified as a way to give them greater internal improvement by opening up scoring for Ayton) then they probably achieved their goals.

[llperez]

 i would have stayed at 6 and taken culver as I felt he was best prospect available there. ANd he can play the wing next to booker and take on the tougher defensive matchup. Plus I dont think culver is a bad shooter, he just had to do so much one on one in the texas tech offense that his percentages werent as good as a spot up shooter. 

[weballin.netParticipant]

They already drafted Jackson and Bridge (both younger or the same age as Johnson) at the exact same position and Bridges finished the season pretty well displaying versatility, defense and the ability (not consistently enough I confess) to shoot from three.

The Suns had better picked White and then pick a PF or trade down for a later first and an early second round (for example Golden State 28 and 39). At 24, Kabengele was still there and if they had managed a trade for two picks, there was still Johnson, Claxton, Paschall, Bol or Sirvidis, plenty of potential steals at the PF or shooting swingman positions. 

[220Participant]

 Phoenix really surprised me. I didn’t think they’d move out of the 6 spot, but they did. Getting Dario Saric along with the 11 pick didn’t seem like a bad choice, just surprising since they needed a point guard and they were in a good spot to get one.

Hearing they drafted Cam Johnson at 11 was a huge surprise though. All anyone talks about is his shooting ability. That’s a great skill, but his game seems to be lacking in other areas and since he’s an older prospect it seemed like he was destined to go late first round early second round. The thing that matters most now is how he plays. If Johnson is a dead eye shooter that can’t be left open for the entirety of his career then the pick is well worth it. If he’s a streak shooter who can’t be trusted and th Suns continue to have point guard problems then Phoenix will hear about this pick as a blunder from the fans and media for years to come.

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

I’ve seen worse. There is this expectation that when you draft in the lottery you need to get a franchise altering type talent but in reality if you can get a decent role player with a translatable nba skill at 11 that is pretty solid value. Johnson might have lacked the upside of some of the other prospects, but upside doesn’t always translate to nba success. The suns are gambling that they will be able to fill their pg hole in free agency or via trade, and that saric plus Johnson will benefit their team more long-term than whatever prospect they could’ve taken at 6. 

Johnsons a smart player who should be able to contribute right away. I have some questions about his fit on defense due to lack of strength and athletic ability. But than again, was there really a prospect available at 11 that didn’t come with question marks? If I was making the pick would I have gone with Johnson there? No. But could I see the rationale behind it? But it’s not like I can’t see any rationale behind it either.

[kobyzParticipant]

 not less of a reach as the other Cam one spot before…

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 I don’t think Cam is as bad of an athlete as people say he is.  He had an offseason hip procedure and looked noticeable quicker and explosive than he had the year before.  He won’t wow anybody in the NBA with his physical tools.  I don’t think he’s a terrible defender.  he averged almost 2 steals a game this year.  Would I have taken him at 11 if I were the Suns??  No, but they do get a guy that I beleive can be an elite shooter in the league and he has a super quick release.  He played great on the road also and has a great work ethic.  I think he’ll have a solid NBA career if he can stay healhty.  

[mowestenParticipant]

I didn’t have Johnson this high, but I’ve been one of his biggest fans here and thought he would go to the Spurs.

I think people have to recognize how the league is changing to understand the value. He’s a great shooter with good size and moves exceptionally well off the.ball. How many guys in the league fit that exact profile?

– The league values big men who can play both the 4/5 that have sone skills, even if undersized, who can be a match up problem for opposing teams. 

– Big men that can run, jump and switch have value.

– Old school centers with slow feet that clog the lane don’t have much value.

– Shooters who can help you spread the floor and not kill you in other areas have value.

The 2019 draft encapsulated all of those points if you were paying attention. Johnson going#11 embodied the final point about shooters having value. So did Tyler Herro, the Luka kid SA drafted and others.

[kobyzParticipant]

 Am I the only one who see a lot Peja Stojakovic in him?

[Author]

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