Chris Paul on Cam Johnson’s 3-point contest snub: ‘That’s a problem’

The Phoenix Suns seemed poised to have a dog in the fight in the form of forward Cam Johnson when it came to the 3-point contest over All-Star Game weekend.

But when the lineup of players competing in the shootout was released this past week, Johnson’s name was nowhere to be found.

For a player posting a top-3 3-point shooting percentage in the NBA at 42.9%, there’s certainly some head scratching going on within the Suns organization.

“You would think with our team being No. 1 in league it would be nice to get some more representation from our team,” point guard Chris Paul told reporters ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Not to take nothing away from the other guys. … He’s second in the league and he can’t get into the 3-point contest? That’s a problem. That’s crazy. I don’t understand, somebody gotta help me understand.”

Of the eight participants in the 3-point competition, only Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Luke Kennard (43%) currently has a higher shooting percentage from long range.

Johnson on the other hand, wasn’t among those shocked when the list dropped, having gotten a heads up before the reveal.

And though he would love to participate, he’s content with contributing to the top team in the NBA any way he can.

“What can you say, right? You just try to prove on the court,” Johnson told reporters Thursday. “The biggest thing for me is to keep making them in the games. That’s way more important.

“Of course I wanted to do it but just gotta keep grinding, keep getting better and keep making more I guess,” he added.

Through 51 games played (10 starts), Johnson is averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists over 26 minutes of play. He’s shooting 45.6% from the field.

The Suns take on the Bucks at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for all the action.

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