If Johnny Cash played basketball: shooting guard, rated 77

Johnny Cash as a basketball player: scouting report

Johnny Cash built his sound on a rhythm so simple and steady you could set a clock by it, the boom chicka boom of the Tennessee Two. That is how he would play shooting guard: no wasted motion, no flash, every possession played straight down the middle. His basketball IQ is the top mark on his card and his playmaking is next, so he reads the floor calmly and makes the simple pass that keeps the offense moving.

Before music he served in the Air Force in West Germany as a radio operator copying Soviet Morse code, a job that rewarded concentration and quick reactions. On the court that becomes a guard who hears the play call through the noise and reacts first. His athleticism and defense are both solid, so he can guard either backcourt spot, and his shooting is reliable without being a featured weapon. He recorded live albums inside Folsom Prison and San Quentin, and a player that comfortable in a tough room will not be rattled by a road crowd.

Rebounding is the weakest spot, so pair him with a big who owns the glass. Everything else on his card sits close together, which makes him useful almost anywhere on the perimeter. He moves to point guard with a small drop, and small forward costs only a touch more. Draft him in the middle rounds as a dependable starter who will not hurt you anywhere and quietly makes the right play. Late in his career he found a whole new audience with his American Recordings albums, and that same adaptability makes him a guard who fits any lineup you build around him.

Plays like A steady, unflashy guard who plays every possession straight

Put Johnny Cash in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting five and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.