Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft: Matisse Thybulle rises, Sixers grab scorer
69. . F. New Orleans Pelicans. Cam Johnson. 8. player
Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft — 8. Cam Johnson, New Orleans Pelicans
Who better for New Orleans than Cam Johnson, who spent his second NBA season as a major contributor on a Finals team. The Pelicans need to surround Zion Williamson with winning players, and there is no doubt Cam Johnson — who many bemoaned as the 11th pick on draft night — is a worthy choice.
Last season, Johnson coalesced into the perfect modern role player. He only shot 34.9 percent from deep, but that’s a slightly misleading number. His stroke is pure, and he shoots a lot of them. At 6-foot-8, he’s a rangy defender with multi-positional utility, and he does a lot of the little things offensively — as a screener, cutter, and passer — to influence winning, even if he’s never going to be a go-to option.
The Pelicans need to put as many 3-and-D players on the roster as possible. Johnson is a perfect complement who can either start next to Zion and Brandon Ingram, or anchor the second unit. He doesn’t have the highest ceiling of players in this range, but his floor is a proven championship-level player.