Jared Cohen
With all of these draft picks, does Phoenix’s own Nick Johnson fit for the Suns draft class of 2014?
100% yes and I think would be a great selection for the Suns at number 50 in the second round if he is still available. Johnson, a one time player for Highland High School, fits the mold of what the Suns are looking to accomplish with this new regime. Ryan McDonough likes to talk about how their team is position-less and they don’t hinder who they go after or who they play based on what position they are supposed to be playing. Nick Johnson is a combo guard who played both the two and the one while at Arizona. He is capable of playing both especially when the team is out in transition. He can play the same role that we saw Goran Dragic play with this team last year as a player that once in a while brings the ball up (when Eric Bledsoe is in the game), pushes the issue on the break and can shoot the ball well from the outside.
Johnson can also be a big factor on defense. He has the quickness to guard any point guard and also has developed the strength over the last year in Tucson to be able to handle shooting guards at the next level. Above all, I like the hometown aspect that Johnson possess and believe with the way he plays the game and the way he carries himself both on and off the court, he can be a hometown favorite for Suns fans just like he was for Wildcat faithful.
Career highlights: In 2014, he was named a first-team All-American by the Sporting News, NABC, USBWA and Wooden Award, as well as a second-team honoree by the AP. A finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Robertson Trophy and Wooden Award. Seventh U of A player to earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. Named First-team All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He started 38 games to tie the program’s single-season record and played 1,255 minutes to rank fourth on U of A’s season history and he finished his career ranked 24th on U of A’s scoring list with 1,333 points
Strengths: Shooting, jumping, defending and explosiveness on the fast break
