He was featured in an ESPN insider article yesterday:
NBA draft scouting reports: Three potential steals on the rise
Cameron Johnson | Sr. | 6-foot-8 | North Carolina
Player type: Sharpshooter
Made the drive to Chapel Hill for UNC-Pitt. Getting eyes on 21-year-old 6-7 wing and former Pitt Panther, Cameron Johnson, who is coming off of a 32-point performance against Clemson. Good size and shooting 38.7% from 3 on 7.6 attempts per-40 minutes.
Why the rise: Shooting and grander stage
The 6-foot-8 shooter has been on the NBA radar since last season, but his move from Pittsburgh to Chapel Hill as a graduate transfer has given him a bigger platform to showcase his skill level. Since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for the season's first 11 games, Johnson has averaged 18.6 points and 3.1 assists per 40 minutes, while knocking down 35.4 percent of his treys on 7.7 attempts. From a shot prep and mechanics perspective, Johnson is one of the best shooters in the country. He's always on balance with great feet and a quick release from catch to finish.
Johnson, who is a rare two-year graduate transfer after finishing Pitt in only three years, has a strong feel for the game and adds value as a passer when he's not put in shot-creation situations. He has done an excellent job of fitting into a talented Tar Heels team, which bodes well for his role player potential at the NBA level. Players with size and a shooting stroke like Johnson's usually don't last long at the college level, especially once they get in front of NBA teams in a workout setting. If Johnson helps North Carolina make a deep tournament run, he could see his stock continue to rise.
Still needs to show: That he can defend and finish
As a late bloomer who sprouted up toward the tail end of his high school career, Johnson is still growing into his body and thus becoming more physical. He lacks a degree of toughness on both ends at this stage, struggling to play through contact in traffic and not always using his size to his advantage on the defensive end. Johnson isn't an elite athlete or freakishly long, so his margin as a defender is thin. Playing both the 3 and the 4 for UNC, Johnson has struggled a bit to keep quicker players in front and doesn't quite offer a steadying force on the interior when at the power forward spot. His sound overall feel for the game and size at 6-8 should help him become a solid team defender in time, however.
Offensively, Johnson is a bit one-dimensional at this stage. He's limited to mostly catch-and-shoot jumpers and straight-line drives, and he has a lot of room to improve as a finisher when he does get to the rim -- 47.1 percent -- as he's mostly a below the rim player. Becoming a more comfortable ball handler and pull-up shooter (5-for-14) also will serve Johnson well. He has had an up-and-down season in terms of consistency, and finding more ways to contribute when shots aren't falling will play an important role in Johnson maximizing his potential. He isn't a lock to be a first-round round pick in 2018 or 2019 by any means, but he certainly has increased his stock by showing his NBA-ready shooting on a grander stage this season.
