UNC Basketball: Experience and confidence benefitting Cam Johnson

Entering his third season in the NBA, former UNC basketball standout Cameron Johnson is looking to continue improving his overall game.

The 2021-22 NBA season was quite the learning experience for former UNC basketball standout Cameron Johnson and the Phoenix Suns. In his second season, Johnson helped the Suns make their way to the NBA Finals, but the path there was certainly not easy for the former Tar Heel.

Known for his above-average shooting ability, Johnson got off to a stellar start to the season. Prior to the All-Star break, Johnson was shooting 38 percent from three-point range, and served as a steady contributor mostly in a reserve role. However, Johnson was unable to sustain his shooting success in the second half of the season.

While dealing with a right wrist injury, Johnson’s shooting percentage dropped seven percent. The 25-year-old former first round pick struggled throughout April and May, only shooting the ball at a 30 percent clip.

For a player whose game revolves around his shooting ability, losing that shooting touch for a stretch will affect his overall play. His struggles, along with the wrist injury, made the Suns sit Johnson out for the final six regular season contests.

The rest paid dividends for Johnson, who played a pivotal role in the team’s playoff success. In his postseason debut, the former Tar Heel was lights-out, as he knocked down 50 percent of his shots while averaging 8.2 points per game off the bench.

In a recent interview with Arizona Sports Bickley & Marotta, Johnson noted how the rest prior to the postseason was crucial to his followed success:

"“Giving the wrist some time to heal and getting back in the gym and just repping it out and finding some success behind the three-point line was very important to me during the playoff stretch.”"

Unfortunately, the Suns went on the lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. However, Johnson has used the game footage to help improve his craft, as to see what worked and didn’t work for him during that series.

For a young player in the league, the playoff experience should prove to be beneficial for Johnson. The former Tar Heel believes that seeing the playoff atmosphere will help him grow as a player moving forward.

"“To be able to play in that environment I think is the biggest thing for me,” Johnson said. That knowledge [and] that experience I think will benefit me in the long run and just goes a long way in building comfort on the court and understanding where plays come from and how things happen.”"

With the NBA season starting in just a few weeks, don’t be surprised if Johnson takes an even bigger step in his development. If you see him performing at a high level, make sure you give some credit to his past NBA experiences, as well as his improved confidence in his shooting ability.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Cameron Johnson, and the UNC basketball program.