North Carolina Tar Heels: All Eyes on Johnson and Paige
Recent North Carolina Tar Heels players Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige are just a day away from seeing where they will start their professional careers.
Tomorrow becomes a big day for the North Carolina Tar Heels and the two seniors that they are watching in the NBA Draft. Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige will not be green room invitees but they have a good chance to get drafted in the sixty odd picks that are available.
Johnson’s stock has gone up and down depending on who you talk to. Most mocks still have Johnson going in the first round between the 18th pick and the end of the round. Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has Johnson going to the Charlotte Hornets at the 22nd pick while Chad Ford of ESPN has him falling entirely out of the first round.
The things that Johnson has going for him at this point in the process are his athleticism, rebounding, and potential rim protection. Unlike some of the other players on this board, it is easy to get an idea of what Brice can do for your team. Some teams are wary of that, looking instead for potential in other prospects that may never arise.
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The territory looks a little bleaker for Paige. While there are several teams for whom Johnson makes sense, Paige will be looking for a team to like him somewhere in the second round of the draft. He will be offering himself as a backup or emergency point guard. He should be able to sell his decision making while his clutchness may not come into play considering his limited role.
Lurking at the bottom of the draft are the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks. The Nets could use lots of things, so Paige could end up there like J.P. Tokoto ended up on Philadelphia’s roster late in the second round.
The Hawks are rumored to be shopping Jeff Teague to promote Dennis Schroder into his spot. That would open a backup or third string point guard spot further down the line that Paige might fit into.
If not, then Paige will at least get the opportunity to choose his own destiny as an undrafted free agent. The Draft will go down tomorrow night.