Rumors Suggest Suns Have Interest In James Johnson
by binarybasketball on May 29, 2009 11:50 AM MDT
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PrintJames Johnson has been rumored to be of interest to the Phoenix Suns according to Draft Express. James Johnson is 6-8 and 225 pounds and plays power forward in college but is likely to be a small forward in the NBA.
Johnson has shown defensive improvement and has decreased his turnovers from his previous year. He shoots over 50% from the field and has a solid mid-range jumper.He can steal, block, and even manage to be a play maker. Overall, Johnson seems to have an above average basketball IQ.
But the question remains. Do the Phoenix Suns really need another forward?
The Phoenix Suns currently have Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, Goran Dragic and Jason Richardson at the 1 and 2 guard positions. With only 4 players at the guard position and Dragic still earning his wings, many sources believe the Suns should make an attempt at Ty Lawson or Jonny Flynn. Surely one of them will still be around at the 14th position and both of them look to be very promising.
Tucker, Amundson, Dudley and Amar'e currently occupy the 3 and 4 forward positions. Both Grant Hill and Matt Barnes have expired contracts and I'd wager at least 1 of them (most likely Hill) will be re-signed to the Suns. If the Suns picked up James Johnson we can pretty much guarantee that Matt Barnes won't be wearing a Suns uniform next year but that would still mean 6 players occupying two positions.
Tucker and Dudley have shown quite a bit of talent late in the 2008-2009 Season but they are still young. Would the Suns really want to add another young player to their list of developing forwards?
Considering the Suns have limited options at the guard positions and a number of players that can fill the forward positions, especially at the 3, should the Suns even consider James Johnson? Maybe they are just occupying their time looking at the other talent just in case they can't get a preferred player and have to do a sign and trade.
It's still very early and there is plenty of time before the draft so we can't assume too much at this point. There are numerous directions the Suns can go this off season. My guess is that drafting another forward just isn't one of them.
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Need
I don’t think the Suns will really be drafting for need this year. The fact is that in a year they’re going to have holes at every position (except SG with JRich and LB), so really I would think they’re just going to take the best player available. I mean, it’s not like a rookie backup PG is going to push them over the hump next year, so they would be wise just to acquire the most talent at 14. If they think that’s Johnson, then that’s who they should take (I don’t know that I would agree, but sure. He’s a unique player).
Purchasing my Dragic jersey
Need
True, the Suns have less contracts going into the 2010-2011 year than most other teams but it’s a pretty good free agency year and I’m not just talking about LeBron and Wade. Between this year, the draft, trades, etc… I’m pretty sure they won’t be in a position where they are looking to fill their roster with scrubs. I expect STAT to be traded during the summer in a 2 for 1
Besides, what are they to gain by drafting the best talent if they don’t have the ability to develop that talent?
by binarybasketball on May 29, 2009 12:47 PM MDT up reply actions
I didn't say
the Suns’ roster would be full of scrubs. I said they’ll have holes to fill because essentially they’ll have to rebuild a new team.
Nor does having a rookie play limited minutes (which even a PG would play) stymie his development, and in the case of drafting a talented but more project type player (i.e. B.J. Mullens or Earl Clark) a year of sitting would probably help.
So if need and talent coincide, great, meaning if they think the most talented player at 14 is also a PG great. But if the best player is a SF, they should take that SF, because the window is closed for the Suns, so passing up talent to plug the holes in a sinking ship is just a waste.
Purchasing my Dragic jersey
Best. Player. Available
I have no idea who that is but draft him
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Seth Pollack on May 29, 2009 5:40 PM MDT up reply actions
You would think
Earl Clark or Austin Daye. They’ve both got a lot of problems (which is why they might be available at 14) but they’re pretty talented dudes.
Purchasing my Dragic jersey
Austin Daye is trash
He’s a poor man’s Keith Van Horn. We don’t need soft guys like Daye on our team.
by Aluminum Foyle on May 30, 2009 10:07 AM MDT up reply actions
We need another F
Hill and Barnes will be gone soon
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
They might be already
Both Hill and Barnes’ contracts are up so they might be gone already. I’m pretty sure both players are unrestricted free agents as well.
Either way, I don’t think you can go wrong when you are paying them a combined 3 million when you think about the production we have received in return from both players. Though, Barnes has been more streaky than anything. I’d pay at least 3-4 million for the pair. I just don’t see how you can go wrong when we are talking about that kind of money.
by binarybasketball on May 29, 2009 8:42 PM MDT up reply actions
binarybasketball
great site i checked it out
nice write up as well. i’m not a suns fan, but i do like reading about what other teams are planning to do.
JJ
Is the second best SF in the draft behind Earl Clark. And I also see him as a possible big guard in some lineups, like the first JJ. It was a shame Trague had his worst game of the season in the NCAAs, and we didn’t get to see Wake more. I would like him if Clark and Maynor are gone. Sam Young is an intriguing SF, but his shot looks weird. Kind of like Marion, I know.
I believe the Suns are going to get a good player, maybe not an all-star, but a starter at least as good as Barnes. I also saw that their second round may net them Robert Dozier of Memphis.
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
is it just me or do we love jj’s?
jim jackson, james jones, jumaine jones, joe johnson
consider it an omen, good or bad, i cant tell you lol
I've got an idea!!
Let’s sell the pick, and then trade one of our star players in 4 years to get that drafted player back! we’ve been doing well with that so far…..
This is from DraftExpress....
Johnson’s biggest issue right now might be the lack of focus he shows at times—making some poor decisions at times with the ball, but also making costly fundamental mistakes as well. He tries to do too much from the perimeter on a few possessions every game, over-handling the ball, being somewhat turnover prone, and settling for bad shots. He isn’t as solid as you’d hope either, forgetting to box out his man in crucial moments, being late to rotate defensively, and generally being inconsistent from game to game and often possession to possession. Johnson seems like the kind of guy who needs special attention from the coaching staff to make sure they’re getting (and will get) 100% out of him at all times, although this could be something that improves with added maturity.
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