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Opinion: Better Route for Cam Johnson to NBA?

But, him not making the NBA (no one is saying it is close to a sure thing) won't prove this discussion wrong. The issue here is you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the NBA and its team structures. It is essentially inconsequential whether Cam Johnson is a better all around player (although I would bet on him being better than the latter 3) than Sam Young, Jamel Artis, Lamar Patterson, or Mike Young because none of them are even considered for roles, which ask them to be close to a complete player. All Cam Johnson needs to do is prove he can be a solid defender and hit the 3 at a high mark and he will have a good shot at making an NBA bench. Artis and Mike Young have absolutely no chance at that and Patterson's chance is very small unless his shot improves greatly and he has improved his athleticism.
Although Lamar HAS already made the NBA.
 
Artis and Mike Young have absolutely no chance at that


I actually think with the contract that Young has signed he is very likely to spend some time on an NBA bench this upcoming season. The reason they added deals like Young's to the CBA is exactly so teams have a guy (two, actually) playing in the G League who can come up and sit on the bench and maybe play a few minutes if the team gets hit with a bunch of injuries at once, which happens to almost every NBA team every year.
 
I actually think with the contract that Young has signed he is very likely to spend some time on an NBA bench this upcoming season. The reason they added deals like Young's to the CBA is exactly so teams have a guy (two, actually) playing in the G League who can come up and sit on the bench and maybe play a few minutes if the team gets hit with a bunch of injuries at once, which happens to almost every NBA team every year.

For what it's worth, I consider "making the NBA" to be just what you are describing ... sitting on an NBA bench being available to play in an NBA game.
 
For what it's worth, I consider "making the NBA" to be just what you are describing ... sitting on an NBA bench being available to play in an NBA game.


Play one game. For me, that's the standard. Brandin Knight will forever be an NBA player as far as I am concerned, because he played in one game.
 
Although Lamar HAS already made the NBA.
He has made it to the NBA. He hasn't really been a bench player, though. He has been an end of the roster filler.

I actually think with the contract that Young has signed he is very likely to spend some time on an NBA bench this upcoming season. The reason they added deals like Young's to the CBA is exactly so teams have a guy (two, actually) playing in the G League who can come up and sit on the bench and maybe play a few minutes if the team gets hit with a bunch of injuries at once, which happens to almost every NBA team every year.

I don't think any of this conversation has been about 10 day roster exemptions or injury filler players, but actually having a sustained NBA role and career.

If it were, there wouldn't be any discussion.
 
He has the length they look for in the NBA. If he continues the progress he's made the last couple years I can definitely see him getting drafted, maybe early 2nd round.

Definitely took a chance going to UNC, no guarantee he will get enough minutes to develop his skills. They have a shortage of players at his position, but they're one of those teams that reloads every year. If he doesn't succeed right away could easily see himself pushed down in the rotation.
 
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But, him not making the NBA (no one is saying it is close to a sure thing) won't prove this discussion wrong. The issue here is you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the NBA and its team structures. It is essentially inconsequential whether Cam Johnson is a better all around player (although I would bet on him being better than the latter 3) than Sam Young, Jamel Artis, Lamar Patterson, or Mike Young because none of them are even considered for roles, which ask them to be close to a complete player. All Cam Johnson needs to do is prove he can be a solid defender and hit the 3 at a high mark and he will have a good shot at making an NBA bench. Artis and Mike Young have absolutely no chance at that and Patterson's chance is very small unless his shot improves greatly and he has improved his athleticism.
Your assertion is that his skill set is a better fit for the NBA than any of those other players , I get that . His skill set though is limited to his shooting abilities . He shot 41% form the college three PT line and with an overall shooting percentage of 44%. As far as a defender any of those guys , none of them world beaters would eat his lunch if he was defending them . Listen I'm not anti Cam I just haven't seen the talent that makes me think he's a special player and yes when your one of 350 or so bb players in the world playing in the NBA your special !
Ps .. He'll have his chance real soon to showcase his skills at UNC and I hope he proves me wrong .
 
By special I don't mean Michael Jordon or LaBron special . Watch the summer league or D league there's a ton of guys who can really play who can't make NBA rosters . What did he do while at Pitt that makes you think he's better than MYoung or Jamel Artis . How about Sam Young or Lamar Paterson . Everyone including myself got carried away with his potential when his former coach was quoted as saying he'd play in the NBA someday . I kept waiting for him to flash that potential and except for a few games here and there he just wasn't special . He was the third best player on a bad team .
I hope he develops at UNC to the player we all thought he was capable of being , but there's nothing he's done up to this point in time for me to think he'll be playing in the NBA .
At this point in time there's 11 former UNC players currently in the NBA .This includes Vince Carter from the class of 98 and two guys from 2005 . Just because you play at UNC doesn't mean your a future NBA player it means your a good college bb player . Your also assuming he's a stater .

Hell, watch that TBT tourney where DJ Kennedy, Deandre Kane and Dejaun Blair won it all. There were some terrific players there, that just aren't good enough for the NBA.

Of course my biggest problem with the NBA and I would like to hear the opinion of David Stern's nephew Ski (Okay I am kidding.....) but I think NBA always, always errs on the side of potential over production when it comes to drafting and filling out rosters.
 
Your assertion is that his skill set is a better fit for the NBA than any of those other players , I get that . His skill set though is limited to his shooting abilities . He shot 41% form the college three PT line and with an overall shooting percentage of 44%. As far as a defender any of those guys , none of them world beaters would eat his lunch if he was defending them . Listen I'm not anti Cam I just haven't seen the talent that makes me think he's a special player and yes when your one of 350 or so bb players in the world playing in the NBA your special !
Ps .. He'll have his chance real soon to showcase his skills at UNC and I hope he proves me wrong .
He just has to be able to fill a role really well. For him it is entirely about shooting the 3 and playing defense. He already has the length and solid athleticism, so being an above average defender from there is effort. His overall shooting percentage doesn't even really matter. Can he hit the 3? That is his path to an NBA role and bench spot.
 
Hell, watch that TBT tourney where DJ Kennedy, Deandre Kane and Dejaun Blair won it all. There were some terrific players there, that just aren't good enough for the NBA.

Of course my biggest problem with the NBA and I would like to hear the opinion of David Stern's nephew Ski (Okay I am kidding.....) but I think NBA always, always errs on the side of potential over production when it comes to drafting and filling out rosters.
When it comes to drafting in the 1st round and specifically the lottery? Absolutely. When it comes to the rest of the draft (save International stash players) and filling out rosters? I don't agree, at all.
 
He just has to be able to fill a role really well. For him it is entirely about shooting the 3 and playing defense. He already has the length and solid athleticism, so being an above average defender from there is effort. His overall shooting percentage doesn't even really matter. Can he hit the 3? That is his path to an NBA role and bench spot.
Guess what in a yr or two we'll know whose right . For me his play needs to be at a much higher level than it was at Pitt and if he can elevate his play then maybe he has a chance .
What I find amusing is that no one really wanted Cam out of high school and now people are anointing him a future NBA player . KS has a roster full of guys just like Cam and he's the worst HC in the world !
 
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This is a serious question, not trying to be a smartass, what exactly has he done at Pitt to be considered one of the best in the country? There were numerous games where he wasn't even the best on the court.

Is he considered one of the best because he is playing at UNC?

I really can't think of a time he was so impactful that it really gave us a win or chance to win.

There are players in recent Pitt history who have been the difference between crap and getting top seeds. Cam has only shown me solid rage but not always consistent, very thin and slightly fragile, and not the best dribbler.

I just don't see him being one of the best in the country unless you all think Pitt negatively impacted his development.

I'll let this year play out and see if it's him, Pitt, or UNC that determined him being one of the best in the country.
 
Is he considered one of the best because he is playing at UNC?

Yes, probably.


I really can't think of a time he was so impactful that it really gave us a win or chance to win.

How about his 22 points, shooting 6-for-8 on 3-pointers, during an 80-75 win over Syracuse last season? Is it reasonable to characterize that as impactful production in a win?

Or his 16 points, connecting 4-for-5 on his 3s, in the OT win over Virginia? That's already half our ACC wins last year.

Johnson is streaky. On 3-point attempts he was 0-for-Louisville last year. Zero hits in 10 attempts and just 2-for-15 on all FGs in those two games. Doesn't shoot as consistently as Gibbs or even Ramon. But let's not forget that he also had some remarkably strong shooting performances. I have to think Roy Williams wants him at UNC for some reason other than to troll Pantherlair members.
 
Yes, probably.




How about his 22 points, shooting 6-for-8 on 3-pointers, during an 80-75 win over Syracuse last season? Is it reasonable to characterize that as impactful production in a win?

Or his 16 points, connecting 4-for-5 on his 3s, in the OT win over Virginia? That's already half our ACC wins last year.

Johnson is streaky. On 3-point attempts he was 0-for-Louisville last year. Zero hits in 10 attempts and just 2-for-15 on all FGs in those two games. Doesn't shoot as consistently as Gibbs or even Ramon. But let's not forget that he also had some remarkably strong shooting performances. I have to think Roy Williams wants him at UNC for some reason other than to troll Pantherlair members.

I know the purpose of your post was to bring information in support of Johnson, but I believe even you are selling Cam short when you say he "doesn't shoot as consistently as Gibbs or even Ramon." In fact, one can make a case that he may be a more consistent shooter than either, if not just on par with either.

For his career, Cam is exactly a 40% three point shooter. If you take out the numbers from the RS season where he ended up redshirting (because of a shoulder that required surgery), Cam shot 40.4% for his RS Freshman and RS Sophomore years.

In Ashton's first two years, he shot 40.6% from three (and ended his career shooting 41%).

In Ronald's first two years, he shot 37.4% from three (and ended his career shooting 39.5%)

Another comparison is each players' sophomore year:

Ramon: 49-118 -- 41.5%
Gibbs: 78-199 -- 39.2%
Johnson: 78-187 -- 41.7%
 
This is a serious question, not trying to be a smartass, what exactly has he done at Pitt to be considered one of the best in the country? There were numerous games where he wasn't even the best on the court.

Is he considered one of the best because he is playing at UNC?

I really can't think of a time he was so impactful that it really gave us a win or chance to win.

There are players in recent Pitt history who have been the difference between crap and getting top seeds. Cam has only shown me solid rage but not always consistent, very thin and slightly fragile, and not the best dribbler.

I just don't see him being one of the best in the country unless you all think Pitt negatively impacted his development.

I'll let this year play out and see if it's him, Pitt, or UNC that determined him being one of the best in the country.

agree, not sure what people are smoking
 
Guess what in a yr or two we'll know whose right . For me his play needs to be at a much higher level than it was at Pitt and if he can elevate his play then maybe he has a chance .
What I find amusing is that no one really wanted Cam out of high school and now people are anointing him a future NBA player . KS has a roster full of guys just like Cam and he's the worst HC in the world !
You just continually miss the point. No point in discussing it further.
 
I know the purpose of your post was to bring information in support of Johnson, but I believe even you are selling Cam short when you say he "doesn't shoot as consistently as Gibbs or even Ramon." In fact, one can make a case that he may be a more consistent shooter than either, if not just on par with either.

For his career, Cam is exactly a 40% three point shooter. If you take out the numbers from the RS season where he ended up redshirting (because of a shoulder that required surgery), Cam shot 40.4% for his RS Freshman and RS Sophomore years.

In Ashton's first two years, he shot 40.6% from three (and ended his career shooting 41%).

In Ronald's first two years, he shot 37.4% from three (and ended his career shooting 39.5%)

Another comparison is each players' sophomore year:

Ramon: 49-118 -- 41.5%
Gibbs: 78-199 -- 39.2%
Johnson: 78-187 -- 41.7%


Yeah, DT, my memory of Gibbs may be unreliable. My recollection was that he was less streaky in perimeter shooting than Johnson but I think my recollection is wrong. I looked up game logs from the sophomore years of both Gibbs and Cam Johnson. Gibbs played in 34 games and Johnson 33. Turns out they both hit 50% or better in 14 games and hit below 30% in 13 games. So equal numbers of hot and cold games for both. As you pointed out, as sophomores they both connected on 78 3-point FGs but Johnson did it in fewer attempts.
 
Yeah, DT, my memory of Gibbs may be unreliable. My recollection was that he was less streaky in perimeter shooting than Johnson but I think my recollection is wrong. I looked up game logs from the sophomore years of both Gibbs and Cam Johnson. Gibbs played in 34 games and Johnson 33. Turns out they both hit 50% or better in 14 games and hit below 30% in 13 games. So equal numbers of hot and cold games for both. As you pointed out, as sophomores they both connected on 78 3-point FGs but Johnson did it in fewer attempts.
The difference is we were winning games and the off games didn't mean an automatic loss for Pitt.
 
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