SunnyBaller
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What do you mean? Sarver loves his team of only wing players , I bet they'll resign oubre then get a couple more just to back up the other 4Oubre is gone. Count on it. There is no way they draft a wing if Oubre stays.
What do you mean? Sarver loves his team of only wing players , I bet they'll resign oubre then get a couple more just to back up the other 4Oubre is gone. Count on it. There is no way they draft a wing if Oubre stays.
A worse day than the trade down for Calvin Pace (who was at the grocery store when his agent called him in shock) and SKILLET Hands. I don’t see any upside to this day other than an empty arena to show management what we think. Ridiculous
Most disappointed I’ve ever been on draft day.
I'm not sure if this passes up the bender draft for me buts it's pretty damn close. Its amazing that after all these years of disappointing decisions they still find new and creative ways to dash all my hopesThis is the most disappointed I've ever been in a draft.
I actually had some hope for Len. He had some upside. This guys upside is one dimensional shooter. Let’s hope he at least huts that.The Len pick had me foaming at the mouth...
This is was right there though.
Although, after having some time to breath, I do think this guy has a chance to be a decent rotation player. Low low bar.
I never really had that hope for Len.
Johnson might be fine, but the Suns could have had him 20 picks later. What you do in that scenario is identify teams in the player's target range, ask if they want to move up, and see what kind of deal you want. You don't spend a $2 draft pick on a 59c banana just because you really want the banana.
Then metaphorically, because you spent your last $2 bucks on a banana, you took out a loan from a friend for $5 so you could buy a McDouble because you didn't buy an actual point guard meal to being with.
I actually had some hope for Len. He had some upside. This guys upside is one dimensional shooter. Let’s hope he at least huts that.
Loser: The Suns
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Rumormonger: Your 2019 NBA Offseason Tracker
News, innuendo, and analysis—updated daily by our NBA staff
Before the draft even began, the Suns made two trades. The first deserved a thinking-face emoji—Phoenix, suddenly desperate to get rid of the three-year, $35 million remaining on TJ Warren’s contract, traded him and a second-round draft pick to the Pacers for cash considerations. The second was more interesting: The Suns traded the sixth pick to the Timberwolves for Dario Saric and the 11th pick, which seemed like a great move to add value. Then they used the 11th pick to draft Cam Johnson.
Johnson is a sharpshooter, but that’s about the nicest thing you can say about him. He’s already older than Devin Booker (who has already played four seasons!), will be 28 when his rookie contract ends, and wasn’t invited to the green room Thursday because he wasn’t expected to go until the late first or second round. Numerous teams reportedly took Johnson off their draft board because he’s had injuries to both of his hips. None of this sounds good! But according to Woj, Suns VP Jeff Bower has always wanted Johnson and now finally got his guy. So, it’s all good guys, nothing to see here.
In all seriousness, Johnson is a winner for rising and getting his, and Phoenix made a smart move in trading for the 24th pick and drafting Ty Jerome, but even if the Suns take the cap space they created (they already eliminated some of that by taking back Aron Baynes in the trade with the Celtics) and sign D’Angelo Russell in free agency, they just can’t seem to get out of their own way:
11. Phoenix Suns - Cameron Johnson, F, North Carolina
Grade: D
Johnson is the oldest player expected to go in the first round and simply doesn’t have enough upside to warrant a pick this high. He’s arguably the best shooter in this draft class, as a 6’8 forward who shot 46 percent on threes in his fourth year of college ball. He doesn’t offer much else outside of his shooting, though. Johnson lacks the physicality to make an impact defensively and will also struggle to finish through contact in the NBA. He also doesn’t create much off the dribble.
The Suns still don’t have a point guard, though it’s possible they target someone like D’Angelo Russell in free agency. Paired with Mikal Bridges, the Suns now have some shooters on the wing to surround Devin Booker. It might sound good on paper, but Johnson is simply too one dimensional to get picked this high.
24. Phoenix Suns - Ty Jerome, G, Virginia
Grade: C+
Jerome is a 6’5 guard who lacks quickness, but is a high-IQ passer, an elite catch-and-shoot three-point threat, and a feisty defender. He has the size to play either backcourt spot but should be groomed as a point guard in Phoenix. Jerome may not be able to run with Deandre Ayton in transition but he gives Phoenix another shooter in this draft when added with Cam Johnson. The Suns are going all-in on players with great positional size and shooting ability who lack NBA athleticism.
Phoenix loses major points for trading a 2020 first rounder that is only top-7 protected. In a vacuum, Jerome would earn a B grade. This is simply too much to give up for a player of his caliber at this spot in an underwhelming draft.
11. Phoenix Suns (from Minnesota): Cameron Johnson, F, North Carolina
The Suns have suddenly become conservative with their lottery picks. A year after they traded up to no. 10 to take Mikal Bridges, an experienced wing with a proven 3-point shot, they took a similar type of player in Johnson, a fifth-year senior from North Carolina with one of the best 3-point shots in this year’s draft. Johnson isn’t as good defensively as Bridges, but his size (6-foot-9, 205 pounds) should at least allow him to survive on that end of the floor. Johnson will have an immediate role in the NBA, which means he is a pretty safe bet to give them solid minutes off the bench, even if he never ends up as a high-level starter. He hasn’t shown the ability to do much on offense beyond shoot, but he won’t need to if he’s playing with Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell, the latter of whom they may target in restricted free agency.
Grade: B
24. Phoenix Suns (from Philadelphia via Boston): Ty Jerome, G, Virginia
It’s not hard to figure out what the Suns were trying to do in this draft. Johnson and Jerome are two of the best 3-point shooters in this draft, and they are far more experienced than many of the other players taken in the first round. There’s an obvious trade-off to selecting older players: They may not have the upside of some of their younger peers, but they should be able to contribute right away. No one questions Jerome’s skill. He has great size (6-foot-6, 194 pounds) for an elite shooter who ran point on a team that just won the NCAA championship. The issue is whether he will have the athletic ability to beat his man off the dribble and survive on defense. The good news for Jerome is that the Suns will be so bad on defense that he could hardly make it much worse.
Grade: B
11. Timberwolves - Cameron Johnson, Forward, North Carolina (proposed trade to the Suns)
Well, this is unexpected. Johnson is actually headed to Phoenix along with Dario Saric for the rights to draft Jarrett Culver at No. 6, which begs the question… Did the goats make this pick? Johnson was largely projected as a late first-rounder in most mock drafts.
I actually like Johnson quite a bit. I thought he would be an excellent selection for a team in the early 20s as a player who could come in and help right away. He's probably the best shooter in the draft, and he has positional size. He's able to get his jumper off over most defenders. There's a ton of value in that alone.
But Johnson is also already 23 years old. He's a limited to non-existent on-ball creator. He's skinny and almost certain to struggle defensively at the next level. He also has an extensive injury history and had reportedly been flagged by multiple teams for those injury issues. His best case scenario is a 3-and-D combo forward.
Phoenix, a team drastically in need of a point guard, passed up the chance to draft a good one at No. 6 in Coby White in exchange for a fine role player? This selection is frankly awful.
Grade: F
24. 76ers - Ty Jerome, Combo, Virginia (proposed trade to Suns)
Boston acquired this pick from Philadelphia in the Matisse Thybulle deal, and the Celtics are sending it and Aron Baynes to Phoenix for the Bucks' 2020 first-rounder.
I suppose at least the Suns have prioritized shooting in this draft, landing Cam Johnson at No. 11 and Jerome here. The Virginia guard has the ability to play on or off the ball and should fit well in lineups with Devin Booker as a shooting threat while Booker initiates the offense. It's tough to imagine Phoenix ever developing a coherent defensive scheme with those two on the floor at the same time, though.
I like Jerome a lot as a rotation piece, even if he likely won't be a starter at the NBA level. His shooting and high basketball IQ should play well.
Grade: C+
11. Phoenix Suns (via Timberwolves): Cameron Johnson, G, North Carolina
This is an extreme reach for the Suns, who are grabbing a player most teams expected to be available in the 20s here at No. 11 after trading down from No. 6. This is hard to explain—Johnson is one of the draft’s best pure spot-up shooters, but he’s already 23 years old. It feels like the Suns are drafting for need here, and this is an extremely high juncture in this draft to do that. Phoenix would seem to be trying to accelerate its rebuild, but this decision is questionable, given the way this draft seemed slated to fall. The choice itself makes some sense, but the execution here is the issue I have. Grade: D–
24. Phoenix Suns (via 76ers): Ty Jerome, G, Virginia
Phoenix has had a bit of a puzzling day at the draft, ultimately maneuvering out of No. 6, down to No. 11, and then coming back here at No. 24 to get this pick from Boston, who had just acquired it from Philadelphia. This is much better value than Cam Johnson at No. 11, and the hope is that Jerome’s impressive shooting, intangibles and basketball savvy turn him into a viable role player. He fits well with Devin Booker as a potential long-term rotation piece. Grade: B+
11. Phoenix Suns: Cameron Johnson, F, North Carolina (from Minnesota)
Analysis: In one of the night’s biggest surprises, the Suns selected the 23-year-old Johnson after trading down five spots. A proven shooter who hit 46 percent of his three-pointers last season at UNC, the 6-foot-9 Johnson will be expected to contribute immediately for a Phoenix offense that ranked 28th in efficiency. Given that this is his first draft as Suns GM, James Jones will face scrutiny for taking a player who didn’t receive a green room invite and who is older than Phoenix’s franchise guard, Devin Booker, who is entering his fifth NBA season. — Ben Golliver
What he brings: The 6-foot-9 forward is a master of using screens and spacing to his utmost advantage. The senior astonishingly scored more than 1.4 points per screen and cut — per Synergy Sports, those rates ranked within the 97th and 89th percentile of DI, respectively — and Johnson was at his best using body control, sharp cuts and angled positioning to keep defenders off-balance before he launched into his shooting form. Johnson doesn’t look like instant offense, but his offensive rating ranked 15th best in the nation this past season, as there was little defenders could do to break Johnson from settling comfortable into his shooting rhythm game after game. — Matthew Giles
24. Phoenix Suns: Ty Jerome, G, Virginia (from Boston via Philadelphia)
What he brings: An ultimate competitor, the 6-foot-5 guard blends a pass-first instinct (assisting on a third of Virginia’s buckets) with a knockdown perimeter game (Jerome connected on nearly 40 percent of his threes during his UVA career). The junior is versatile and crafty, and he thrives slicing through the lane and using his body’s position and footwork to get shots up over taller defenders: per Synergy Sports, Jerome scored 1.24 points per guarded catch-and-shoot jumper, which ranked in the top 80 of all DI players. The Celtics sent center Aron Baynes to Phoenix in this trade. — Matthew Giles
You must be registered for see images attachPhoenix Suns: Cameron Johnson, SF, North Carolina - F Grade
GULP... I get it that this guy can shoot the rock, but I had him as a borderline first-round guy, so Johnson going No. 11 is wild to me. I don't see him as anything more than a role player/bench scorer type. Guys like Douyoumba or Nassir Little have way more potential at the forward position. If I was Phoenix, I would prefer staying at No. 6 and having Coby White over Dario Saric and Johnson any day of the week.
You must be registered for see images attachPhoenix Suns: Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia - B Grade
The Suns need a point guard, and Jerome does a lot of things on both ends of the floor that can help a team win games. He can run the point or play off the ball and could develop into a really solid bench piece in the desert.
No. 11: Cameron Johnson to Phoenix Suns (via Timberwolves)
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Chuck Burton/Associated Press
The Phoenix Suns must be desperate for shooting. Cameron Johnson, taken 11th overall, can supply that in spades, but good luck getting anything more from him.
He is the anti-upside prospect of this class. His college career spanned five years and two schools. His 23rd birthday is already behind him, meaning he's older than Devin Booker and Ben Simmons. In other words, any flaws in Johnson's game—his handles and athleticism are suspect—are unlikely to be corrected. It's a strange investment for a club that appears nowhere close to the playoff picture.
But his lethal long-range shot is a safety net, both for his career and the Suns offense, which, it's worth noting, finished 28th in three-point makes and 30th in three-point percentage last season. With good size (6'8½") and better understanding of off-ball movement, he's the early favorite to pace this class in spot-up splashing. This past season, he buried nearly three triples per night at a 45.7 percent clip.
The Suns had enough frontcourt clutter that they effectively salary-dumped TJ Warren onto the Indiana Pacers earlier Thursday, per Wojnarowski. Johnson just crowds things again, only with far fewer scoring tricks up his sleeve.
Grade: D+
No. 24: Ty Jerome to Phoenix Suns (via 76ers)
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Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
It finally happened. The Suns actually addressed the point guard position. Sort of.
Phoenix, which acquired this pick from Boston, per Wojnarowski, again opted for (relative) safety with Ty Jerome, who makes open shots, delivers on-target passes and limits mistakes. He has the IQ of a steady role player, provided his physical limitations don't get the best of him.
The 6'5½", 194-pound guard sees plays before they happen, and he has the ball control to run an NBA reserve unit right now (5.5 assists to 1.6 turnovers this past season). He's a smooth outside shooter and capable pull-up threat.
While energetic and instinctive on defense, he heads into battle with underwhelming natural tools. His 6'4" wingspan is shorter than his height, and his burst appears to be in slow motion alongside elite athletes.
If he can handle his defensive assignments, he'll help Phoenix. But why do the Suns feel like they're shopping for finishing touches when their 40-124 record over the past two seasons suggests they're in dire need of more difference-makers?
Grade: C-
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: SF Cameron Johnson, North Carolina
This pick was made by the Suns, who traded 6 for 11 and Dario Saric. The Suns did this because they've got all this youth. Johnson's a guy who's as ready to play. But what a stunning move. No one expected him to be this high. Johnson was not even one of the 24 players invited to the official draft green room. This is wild to me. Grade: D
24. Philadelphia 76ers: PG Ty Jerome, Virginia
The Suns traded up into this spot, and they did so to take the point guard that they passed up earlier when they passed on Coby White to trade down. Jerome's the best point guard left. He has a great head on his shoulders on the court and won a national title. We're talking about a 6-5 guard who can play either backcourt spot, dribble, pass, shoot and defend well. Grade: A
guys, just because he was ranked by some people late in the first a couple weeks ago does not mean that's where Johnson was on everybody's current draft boards. I'm sorry but no way he would have lasted 20 picks later. I'm not saying I love this at all, but some of these assumptions are either just flat out incorrect or based on empty air. If you keep repeating something enough it doesn't make it true even if it does work in politics.
I feel a little bit better now that I am not angry and I looked up these guys. I like that they added three shooters who can probably contribute something. Ty Jerome looks really interesting. He can shoot, pass, and defend. He also appears to be very good at running pick and roll.
I turned the TV off when they announced the pick.
More than just one bad pick. An entire day of disaster. I can’t remember a worse exhibition of management in the Valley since I have been following sports in 1987. They could have done nothing, drafted a bust and done better
More than just one bad pick. An entire day of disaster. I can’t remember a worse exhibition of management in the Valley since I have been following sports in 1987. They could have done nothing, drafted a bust and done better
I agree this is the worst day in Az Sports offseason, it's an epic dumpster fire