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With the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Cameron Johnson from the University of North Carolina.
The late-blooming 22 year old Johnson was projected to go anywhere from 20th to mid-second round.
It was a reach, right?
That’s what many believed at the time. But how are you feeling now?
Maybe the Suns could have traded down, picked up another asset and still selected him. However, with the way he shot the ball in college was it guaranteed he would have been there at a later pick? Nope. There were rumors Detroit was sniffing around at 15.
The Suns got their man and now his critics are getting quieter. Yeah, Cam is shutting those mouths.
In Saturday’s win over the Heat, Cam met the first of many milestones when he became the fastest Sun to net 100 career treys. He did so in 54 games, passing Wesley Person (72 games). With the way he shoots the ball, he will get his name onto the franchise three-point leaderboard before you know it.
It’s not all about the long ball, though. He has continued to display his offensive versatility in the bubble. He moved into the starting lineup and has not looked back. When they faced Dallas in the second game, he had his first career double-double (19 points and 12 boards).
He’s also displayed his defense and surprising athleticism in transition. Teaming up with Mikal Bridges, he did wonderfully in making a scorching hot T.J. Warren work for his (16 points on 20 shots). The solid rebounding has been a welcome addition as well.
The man has proven that he can perform at a high level, even as a rookie. There have been several times where the game was close or the Suns were down and he was one of the main leaders in a run that gave Phoenix the opportunity to seal the win.
In the 5-0 stretch, Cam is shooting 50 percent from the field and 37 percent for three, making 2.0 threes and averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as the Suns newfound stretch four.
So, when he was drafted maybe the 11th pick seemed a bit high but I think he’s well on his way to being worth that and possibly a whole lot more.