Welcome Cam Johnson

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

PF seems like the most realistic option for Johnson as strength and muscle are easier to obtain than quickness and agility. That's not to say he can't improve in those areas because personal trainers can help him, he will just need to put a lot of work in the gym going forward. Dave Burns made a great point about Johnson, he said if there is one skill that you want a draft pick to have if they only have one skill its shooting because that translates into the NBA. Guys like Korver, Reddick and Kapono back in the day made their mark in the NBA with their shooting despite being very unathletic.

Personally at #12 I was hoping for PJ Washington but maybe Jones felt he was too similar to TJ Warren whom they had just traded away. Although Washington may not be the shooter Johnson is right now, he could become a great shooter with the improvement he made with it his sophomore year at UK. But hopefully Johnson proves everyone wrong about being a reach.

I don’t see cam putting on size. He’s got a slight frame. Narrow shoulders. And right now virtually zero muscle. I’d be shocked if he ever really thickened much.

 

[Mainstreet]

That’s what I immediately recognized on draft day. This team dramatically needed to enhance their three point shooting. If bridges improves and we actually add a pg I could see bookers three point percentage increase as well. It should really open up the middle of the lane for Ayton. Now he just has to be aggressive.

This must be the Suns thinking. Saric can be put in there as well in terms of outside shooting.

 

[1Sun]

That’s what I immediately recognized on draft day. This team dramatically needed to enhance their three point shooting. If bridges improves and we actually add a pg I could see bookers three point percentage increase as well. It should really open up the middle of the lane for Ayton. Now he just has to be aggressive.

Of course, none of this works without a quality facilitating point guard...

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This must be the Suns thinking. Saric can be put in there as well in terms of outside shooting.

Yes saric was included in the original post in which I commented.

 

[Yuma]

I don’t see cam putting on size. He’s got a slight frame. Narrow shoulders. And right now virtually zero muscle. I’d be shocked if he ever really thickened much.

I know it doesn't look like it, but KD has put on weight and muscle. He was way more skinny than Cam. Reggie Miller got bigger and he was a stick, too when he hit the NBA. He's not going to bulk up huge, but he can get significantly stronger. Even JJ is bigger and stronger than when we first drafted him.

 

[overseascardfan]

I don’t see cam putting on size. He’s got a slight frame. Narrow shoulders. And right now virtually zero muscle. I’d be shocked if he ever really thickened much.

For him he would not need to get to Karl Malone size. He would just need to add lean muscle mass and core strength, similar to what Bridges did this offseason. Johnson at 240 would be even less athletic than he currently is so that would probably not be an ideal scenario.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I know it doesn't look like it, but KD has put on weight and muscle. He was way more skinny than Cam. Reggie Miller got bigger and he was a stick, too when he hit the NBA. He's not going to bulk up huge, but he can get significantly stronger. Even JJ is bigger and stronger than when we first drafted him.

Reggie never got “big.” He would’ve been ragdolled by small forwards and he was 6’7.

JJ has much broader shoulders than cam and was years younger than cam when he came out. Remember cam isn’t a teenager. He’s already 23. I’m sure he’ll put in weight, but to project him to PF is a reach imo.

 

[1Sun]

Reggie never got “big.” He would’ve been ragdolled by small forwards and he was 6’7.

JJ has much broader shoulders than cam and was years younger than cam when he came out. Remember cam isn’t a teenager. He’s already 23. I’m sure he’ll put in weight, but to project him to PF is a reach imo.

Or if the Suns try that, we'll be longing for the days we could get the rebounding and defense at the power forward position that we got from TJ Warren last year.

 

[Yuma]

Oh I missed the point about tring to make Cam a PF. No FREAKIN way! LOL. SF is his ceiling for sure. Probably would be better at 2 guard back up. I think he projects as back up 2 guard, or situational 3 point shooter you bring in when we need threes at the end of games, etc. A guy to bring in when we lack offensive punch. I think he can be very valuable in just that role for us.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Oh I missed the point about tring to make Cam a PF. No FREAKIN way! LOL. SF is his ceiling for sure. Probably would be better at 2 guard back up. I think he projects as back up 2 guard, or situational 3 point shooter you bring in when we need threes at the end of games, etc. A guy to bring in when we lack offensive punch. I think he can be very valuable in just that role for us.

I think he will be kind of a swing forward depending on match-ups. He sure as hell isn't covering guards or even the quicker SFs either. Therefor if he is going to keep himself on the floor he will have to be a flexible defender who can at least do a decent job on multiple different types of players.

 

[1Sun]

Oh I missed the point about tring to make Cam a PF. No FREAKIN way! LOL. SF is his ceiling for sure. Probably would be better at 2 guard back up. I think he projects as back up 2 guard, or situational 3 point shooter you bring in when we need threes at the end of games, etc. A guy to bring in when we lack offensive punch. I think he can be very valuable in just that role for us.

Yeah...Too bad we're still missing 2/5, and possibly 3/5, of a starting line-up.

 

[1Sun]

I think he will be kind of a swing forward depending on match-ups. He sure as hell isn't covering guards or even the quicker SFs either. Therefor if he is going to keep himself on the floor he will have to be a flexible defender who can at least do a decent job on multiple different types of players.

Then don't expect him to keep himself on the floor...

 

[Yuma]

I think he will be kind of a swing forward depending on match-ups. He sure as hell isn't covering guards or even the quicker SFs either. Therefor if he is going to keep himself on the floor he will have to be a flexible defender who can at least do a decent job on multiple different types of players.

Sometimes teams bring in guys who are a liability on defense during games because they need that offensive punch more at that point. I think that's initially what we are looking for from him. If he turns out to be an NBA average defender, jack pot!

 

[Yuma]

Yeah...Too bad we're still missing 2/5, and possibly 3/5, of a starting line-up.

I think right now, without Oubre, we have filled 4/5s of the starting lineup. You put PG?, Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Saric out there at this moment. I know you don't like Saric, but I count him as our PF starter.

 

[1Sun]

I think right now, without Oubre, we have filled 4/5s of the starting lineup. You put PG?, Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Saric out there at this moment. I know you don't like Saric, but I count him as our PF starter.

Only by default.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think right now, without Oubre, we have filled 4/5s of the starting lineup. You put PG?, Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Saric out there at this moment. I know you don't like Saric, but I count him as our PF starter.

We need Oubre for depth. Oubre might start, but Mikal becomes the depth rather than a starter.

PG, Jerome, TyJo
Booker, Melton, Okobo,
Oubre/Mikal, CamJo
Saric, Bender (?)
Ayton, Baynes

Right now it makes sense to sign Bender to a minimum deal once the smoke clears. I wonder if anyone else is going to give him more.

 

[1Sun]

We need Oubre for depth. Oubre might start, but Mikal becomes the depth rather than a starter.

PG, Jerome, TyJo
Booker, Melton, Okobo,
Oubre/Mikal, CamJo
Saric, Bender (?)
Ayton, Baynes

Right now it makes sense to sign Bender to a minimum deal once the smoke clears. I wonder if anyone else is going to give him more.

With that point guard and power forward rotation, this is a team that struggles to win 10-15 games next season.

 

[Phrazbit]

Right now it makes sense to sign Bender to a minimum deal once the smoke clears. I wonder if anyone else is going to give him more.

If I am Bender the Suns would be my last option. Not that we've mistreated him, he has been terrible, but if he goes somewhere else he gets a fresh start, will be viewed as "young PF with maybe hidden potential!", staying in Phoenix on a near minimum deal would not only be embarrassing for him but also leave him with the stench of his busted pick.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If I am Bender the Suns would be my last option. Not that we've mistreated him, he has been terrible, but if he goes somewhere else he gets a fresh start, will be viewed as "young PF with maybe hidden potential!", staying in Phoenix on a near minimum deal would not only be embarrassing for him but also leave him with the stench of his busted pick.

New coach, new gm = fresh start argument for the Suns. Also Saric, fellow Croatian is here. Good role model for Bender.

 

[Phrazbit]

New coach, new gm = fresh start argument for the Suns. Also Saric, fellow Croatian is here. Good role model for Bender.

Okay... and despite all that if he comes out in the 1st preseason game and plays poorly he will be deemed "still garbage".

We turned down his player option, as the #4 pick in the draft that is some really embarrassing stuff... I find it really hard to believe that he'd come back unless we're offering more money than anyone else.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Joseph is our backup 4. They won't be bringing back Bender

 

[SirStefan32]

Joseph is our backup 4. They won't be bringing back Bender

Who?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Who?

You know, Joseph!

 

[Yuma]

With that point guard and power forward rotation, this is a team that struggles to win 10-15 games next season.

I am going twenty games just because I feel the coaches are superior to last year, which I thought actually cost us games to get us under twenty games. It's hard for an NBA team NOT to win twenty games in my opinion.

 

[Yuma]

Joseph is our backup 4. They won't be bringing back Bender

We only have 3 bigs on the roster right now. Ayton, Saric, Baynes. Not even possible to have a Joseph as the backup 4.