UNC Basketball: NBA Draft profile of North Carolina wing Cameron Johnson
By Trevor Marks
NBA Comparisons
Justin Jackson, Kevin Huerter
One of the more common comparisons floating around for Cameron Johnson is his fellow Tar Heel alumna, Justin Jackson (2014-17). It makes sense, and I’ve even noted as such. They’re both tall, wiry wings with average athleticism that had similarly productive stat lines while excelling under Roy Williams in their final collegiate seasons: Johnson’s per-40 stats were 22.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 3.6 three-pointers; Jackson’s were 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.3 three-pointers.
They played similar roles and went to the same school, which are the main driving factors for everyone making this comparison, but their team-friendly play-styles are legitimately similar. Essentially, Cameron Johnson is if Justin Jackson could actually shoot (which many people thought he could do, hence why he went 15th in the 2017 NBA Draft).
Atlanta’s Kevin Huerter is another fine comparison, as he’s an equally tall (6-7) wing with a narrow build and above-average IQ on both ends of the floor. He’s a superior athlete and is far younger, but they profile to have a similar impact on the floor, albeit Huerter’s upside is significantly higher (as in, he projects to be a long-term starter, while Johnson profiles best as an important bench player). Johnson will likely be better off defending two-guards in the NBA, which is similar to Huerter as well.
Really, if you want to compare Johnson to a number of NBA players, past and present, that were notable three-point shooters and OK defenders, then that makes sense.