Let's Be Real About Chris Johnson

http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/5/12/5708798/chris-johnson-has-a-feel-good-story-but-he-might-not-stick-with-the-boston-celtics-nba


Chris Johnson has a feel good story, but he might not stick with the Boston Celtics
By Kevin O'Connor  @KevinOConnorNBA on May 12 2014, 8:00a



Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
(Don't shoot the messenger)


Just let me apologize ahead of time: Sorry, I'm not convinced that Chris Johnson will be on the Boston Celtics' roster next season. I mean, I enjoy feel good stories, I like pictures of cute baby animals, and I certainly begin and end each day with a smile, but at heart, I will always be a realist.

Sometimes being a realist means that I'll be the only person in the room that thinks something differently than everyone else; that might be the case here. I'm used to it, which is why I'm writing about it.

When I watch and play basketball, I appreciate nothing more than someone who goes out and hustles, and plays every game like it's their last. Chris Johnson is that player, which is why it's especially hard for me to believe the things that I do about him.

Johnson's a solid player but I'm not convinced that he'll ever be anything more than just that: "solid." He hustles as hard as anyone else in the NBA; in fact, he tied for fourth in the league with an average speed of 4.6 miles per hour, according to SportVU. But let's be honest: what else does he consistently bring besides hustle?

"Well, Chris Johnson lit it up from three-point range." At least, that's the way most people remember it, but he only caught fire for spurts. Consistency has been a problem for Johnson going back to his college years at Dayton, where he'd go for long droughts with his shot.

Chris Johnson 3PT Splits

Games----------3PT%
1 to 10---------45.9%
11 to 20--------29.6%
21 to 30--------37.0%
31 to 40--------22.2%

That was exactly this case this season with Boston. Johnson shot 45.9 percent in his first ten games with the Celtics and won over the hearts of fans, and that love remained unconditional considering the hustle never stopped -- but the scoring did.

Johnson then shot 29.6 percent from three over his next ten games, before getting hot again and shooting 37 percent over games 31 through 40. Of course, he continued the trend and capped off his season shooting 22.2 percent in his final ten games.

There are plenty of streaky shooters in the NBA, but my concern is in the fact that I don't think that he brings enough to other aspects of the game if he's not scoring the ball. Johnson does play hard, but he's a below average defender. Often times he'd get beat, especially when put into the pick-and-roll or run through screens -- his lean frame is simply too lanky to handle the abuse of NBA bigs.

If Johnson wants to stick in the pros, he'll have to increase his overall production as a three-point shooter. Some of the league's great "3-and-D" players like Wesley Matthews and Danny Green are both consistent, and even if they aren't hitting shots, they make an impact on the defensive end of the floor.

At this point, Johnson doesn't do that. Maybe he'll come back next season as stronger player, but we can only go off from what we saw this past season. And at this point in the 24-year-old's life, I look at his body and don't see that much room for additional muscle.

And it's funny, because Jeff Green gets ragged on all the time for being inconsistent, yet Chris Johnson is glorified and some even think he could start someday. Perhaps, it's because he has a smaller role than Green, but calling him a "potential starter" is quite simply unfair to him. Those expectations are far too high for a player that will likely never even reach "3-and-D" status.

Chris Johnson is a role player, and a solid one at that, but if the Boston Celtics are competing for a championship, it's difficult to see him as anything more than the 10th or 11th man off the bench. He could come to training camp better than ever next season, but even he doesn't, at least he'll be remembered for providing fans with smiles during a bleak 2013 season.



bob
MY NOTE:  I knew his 3pt production dropped way down, which is why I was so happy to see him run to the rim and slash in the final 10 games of the season or so, as opposed to running to the corner.  Yes he hustles like crazy and that's why, if you re-read the Game On threads, you'll see his name mentioned a lot even if it's not because he scores.  He just seems to be around the ball, doing stuff that isn't going to show up in the boxscore.  Having said all that, though, there's something to what this guy is writing.  At 6'6", he needs to be able to spend more time at 2, and his ball handling isn't that good.  Some people have pooh-poohed the idea of Jeff Green playing 2 because of his ball handling.  Well, CJ's is worse.  Everybody on a 25-win team is vulnerable and available for the right price/upgrade, E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y, and Chris Johnson is going to have to prove in summer league and camp that he isn't just a one-hit wonder.


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Bob,

It's certainly a fair article. I think at least some of Chris' many mentions on the Game-on Thread were occasioned by the fact that our hopes for him were so high that we may have been unusually eager to recognize his every good play.

While his three-point shooting was inconsistent, improving on a shooting touch can occur through hard work, as long as the touch is there in the first place. But what bothered me most, as Chris' tenure with the Celtics grew, was his inability to finish at the hoop. Time after time, he'd drive and get stuffed or mishandle the ball or just plain miss the shot...to the point where the only way he could score in penetration was to get fouled. So, although some of us wondered why he always got sent to the corner like a bad boy, there was little question that corner threes were a huge percentage of his arsenal. And, when your main weapon is an inconsistent one, you're pretty much earmarked as a fringe player at best.

The only thing that surprised me in the article was the contention that Chris is a "below-average" defender. I felt he was an above-average defender with the potential to exceed even that level. In fact, it was mainly his defense that kept me from despairing when his shot was not working. On a number of occasions, I thought the primary reason Brad kept Chris on the floor, even in crunch time, on a number of occasions was because he was doing the best job of any Celtic in defending a hot SG or SF of the other team.

One thing about 10 day contracts is that they force quick decisions on management's part. During his two 10-day contracts, he was shooting lights out. I wonder whether, if there were such things as 20-day contracts, he'd still be with the team.

I really like the kid, and I appreciate his athleticism. But, IF he were to stay with the team, I believe he'd benefit from an extended stay in the Developmental League to upgrade his shooting consistency and his ball-handling/slashing ability.

Sam

Every team needs a guy that flat-out hustles. Chris Johnson is that kind of player, but his inconsistent offensive production may be a thorn in the side of his NBA career.

He probably should spend time in the D-League, but on the other hand, nothing prepares one for the NBA like the NBA itself.


KJ

Nothing wrong with having a guy like Chris Johnson on the end of the bench.

Johnson is what he is, the piece seemed fair to me.

BTW, Sam I think Johnson has already spent the best part of two years in the D-league.

I think he'll be on the Celtics next year myself, because
1) we're a 25-35 win team

or
2) Ainge hit the jackpot and added TWO top NBA players and we need low priced end of bencher (see Johnson).

I can also see him bouncing around the NBA for a few seasons, before he heads overseas for some more coin.

Chris Johnson is a guy that will be on the cheap, he knows the system, and you know he will always give full effort.

Let's see what he does after a full summer.



KJ

kdp,

I think you're right. I have no idea what king of coaching or objectives for improvement he received. Hopefully, this season, the Celtics roster will include more players with specific and permanent roles. Where Chris fits into the system will help determine whether he's an appropriate end-of-bencher for the Celtics or would benefit from more time specifically spent with the Celtics DL affiliate.

Sam