Lucas: Repercussions Of Johnson's Absence

By Adam Lucas

1. Most unfortunately, you feel terrible for Cameron Johnson and his family. This is a player who tried extremely hard to get to play basketball at North Carolina, and didn't just leave his previous school—he left his hometown of Pittsburgh to come to Chapel Hill. Now, at the start of what should be a triumphant season for him, he's encountering a string of bad luck, with a neck injury keeping him out of the opener and now a knee injury.

2. After surgery this afternoon, it was announced this evening that Johnson will be out for four to six weeks. That puts his return right around the start of ACC play on Dec. 30 against Wake Forest.

That means that outside shooting could be problematic in some of the big upcoming games, including next weekend's trip to Stanford and the PK80, a home tilt with Michigan, a game in Charlotte against Davidson (a team that has started the year hot) and a game at Tennessee. Joel Berry II will play against Bucknell, which gives the Tar Heels back one perimeter weapon. But Berry will get even more of the defensive attention without Johnson.

3. But Johnson was supposed to be the designated defense-stretcher. It seems likely that in his absence, Kenny Williams will get more playing time. The junior shot 2-of-4 from the three-point line in the season opener and showed an encouraging ability to get to the rim. Roy Williams has also called Kenny Williams the team's best perimeter defender, so it's an opportunity for him to solidify that role early in the year. Even if and when Johnson comes back healthy, the Tar Heels can always use a player who develops a taste for shutting down the other team's best outside player. Johnson has more length than Williams, but Williams has a willingness to defend that can't be replicated. Brandon Robinson is another player who could see an increased role, but he'll miss tonight's game with a shoulder injury.

4. Without Johnson in the lineup, the middle will be a little more clogged for Carolina's developing big men. Defenses would not have been willing to leave Johnson alone; some of the Tar Heels' other shooters (Williams, Theo Pinson, Seventh Woods, Jalek Felton) will have to prove they're reliable threats before they carry the same reputation as the Pitt transfer.

5. The lineup rotations will be fascinating to watch over the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see if Carolina prefers to pair Berry with another point guard-type player (Felton or Woods) over the next month, or if Berry mostly runs the point with Williams at shooting guard, Pinson at small forward, Luke Maye at power forward, and one of the freshmen in the paint. Given some of Williams' and Berry's summer comments and some Carolina practices so far, it does indeed appear the Tar Heels intend to play Berry off the ball for a chunk of his minutes. The truth is, though, that until proven otherwise, when the shot clock is under ten and Carolina needs a shot, Berry is going to get the ball. And Williams strongly prefers to have at least one big man on the floor at all times, but could the Tar Heels occasionally go very small with Maye at center? We'll find out in the next few weeks.

6. For a team that already had numerous new pieces, it's a challenge to have such fluidity with the available personnel. Tar Heel fans were already well aware Roy Williams will use multiple lineups early in the season as he finds the right mix for conference play. His challenge now gets a little tougher while he is temporarily without one of his expected best scorers. The difference with Johnson is that he's a bit of an unknown. When Marcus Paige, for example, missed a few early season games, you knew exactly what you would get and exactly how he would mesh with his teammates upon his return. Johnson is a little more uncertain just because he simply hasn't played a game for Carolina yet. The rest of the Tar Heels need game reps with him on the court--now those will have to wait until December.

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

Jalek Felton

Cameron Johnson

Luke Maye

Theo Pinson

Brandon Robinson

Kenny Williams

Seventh Woods

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