2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 3.0, Atlanta Hawks Pick #8 & #10 After Lottery
By Chris Guest
#23. Utah Jazz — Cam Johnson
The Utah Jazz were swiftly ousted in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs by a hungry Rockets team that came a few missed triples away from pushing the defending Champion Golden State Warriors in the next round.
Just like last year, the Jazz had an extremely difficult time scoring against the disciplined and eminently switchable defense of Houston. With only one consistent shooter on the team (Joe Ingles) and only two consistent creators (Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio – both of whom can’t shoot), the Jazz lacked scoring punch – instead relying on a stifling defense to win games.
Of course, when you have the best defense in the league per Cleaning the Glass as well as the presumptive choice for Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert, you don’t need to worry about offense that much.
However, with legendary knockdown shooter Kyle Korver aging gracefully yet swiftly, the Jazz should prioritize a knockdown shooter in the 2019 NBA Draft. Enter Cam Johnson out of UNC.
Johnson’s scoring in college was excellent, and his penchant for knocking down triples would greatly benefit Utah. Per The Stepien’s shot chart, Johnson shot 46.3 percent from NBA three-point range.
KenPom’s profile of Johnson also paints a rosy offensive picture: Johnson was 35th in the country in true shooting percentage (64.8%), 31st in three-point percentage (45.7%) and a lofty 15th in offensive rating with a robust 129.0.