NBA Draft 2019: Who should the Detroit Pistons draft at No. 15?
By Trevor Marks
3. Cameron Johnson, 6-9 wing, North Carolina
Selecting UNC’s Cameron Johnson with the 15th pick of the draft would be unexpected. It would be a reach, most likely, as he’s projected in the 20s by most respectable publications due to his age (23) and the limitations on offense and defense due to his average athleticism. He is, by and large, considered a late-first round pick, and will likely be picked in that range on draft night.
But ruling him out for the Pistons with the 15th pick shouldn’t be done, even if the odds of him getting selected here are slim. Last year, GM Ed Stefanski selected a pair of collegiate veterans with the team’s two picks in the second round, a two-year player in Bruce Brown and a three-year player in Khyri Thomas — he could potentially go the veteran route again, this time in the first round, given the team’s serious lack of shooting on the perimeter.
He’s an older prospect, but Johnson has a legitimate argument that he’s the 2019 NBA Draft’s best shooter, as he was absolutely prolific off the catch, off of screens and off movement as a fifth-year senior at North Carolina.
Coming off of offseason hip surgery that gave him added mobility and comfort, the 6-9 sharpshooter posted career-highs of 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.7 three-pointers per game on an electric 50.6 percent shooting from the field, 45.7 percent shooting from downtown, and 81.8 percent shooting from the free throw line.
If the Pistons want a shooter with the 15th pick, then the best one available (age ignored) is Johnson: He ranked in the 97th percentile off the catch (1.443 PPP, 49.7 FG%), 97th percentile on spot-ups (1.298 PPP), and 97th percentile shooting off-screens (1.444 PPP), knocking down an unmatched 46.3 percent of his 162 attempts (75 makes!) from NBA range as a senior. His athleticism doesn’t bode well for his potential as a multi-positional defender, nor a routine threat to attack the basket, but his lateral mobility is somewhat underrated and he can attack closeouts fairly well, so he’s not doomed in those areas.
Most likely, the Pistons will select one of the younger players available in the middle of the first round. But, with how unpredictable the draft can be, with surprise selections occurring every year, it shouldn’t be ruled out that the Pistons shock everyone on draft night.