Big Dog’s not barking
Johnson roles with mid-series change
WALTHAM — Big Dog was getting up shots after practice yesterday, taking turns with Al Horford as Celtic assistant coach Jay Larranaga and director of player development Kenny Graves looked on and offered guidance.
Big Dog didn’t get to go out and play in Game 4 of the playoff series against the Bulls, but, like most canines, he’s loyal and, thus, wants to make certain he’s prepared if the opportunity comes again.
And when it comes to losing his long-held starting job after the second game of this series, well, don’t expect the Big Dog to bark. In fact, being smart in addition to big, he’s all for it.
“Hey, we won, didn’t we?” Amir Johnson said. “That’s what matters. I’ve got no problem with this at all.”
After falling behind 2-0 to the Bulls, coach Brad Stevens stepped outside the box and reached for Gerald Green, who hadn’t started all season and hadn’t even played in Game 2, and Johnson was the collateral damage.
Johnson had started every game but three this season after being placed with the first five in the fourth game of 2015-16. One hundred and sixty-one times out of 167 games as a Celtic, he heard “from Westchester High School” in the introductions before tipoff. Then he came off the pine in Game 3, playing six minutes in the 17-point win in Chicago that got the Celts back on track. He didn’t play at all as the C’s evened the series Sunday in Game 4 at the United Center.
The Celts needed to free up the middle and force Robin Lopez to guard Horford. Green would give the offense an extra shooter to further space the court. Stevens made the move. “He just told me,” Johnson said yesterday. “He said, ‘ We’re going to start G,’ and I was like, ‘ OK.’ I’ve been around long enough to understand situations. Twelve years in, I’ve been on every side of this, from not playing to coming off the bench to starting. I’ve played every which way. So my attitude is just, hey, whatever it takes to win the game, I’m down for that. And coach knows what he’s doing. That’s why we’re the No. 1 seed. Our coaches have this stuff down pat.
“I even asked coach throughout the season, you know, when we would lose a couple games. I’d say, ‘ Coach, would it be better if I came off the bench?’ I asked him that during the season. But he stuck with me in the starting lineup. But that’s my mindset. I’m thinking about what we can do to get a win, and it doesn’t matter if it’s with me or not. That’s my attitude. If we’re winning games, it doesn’t matter if I’m starting, coming off the bench or not playing.”
As he approaches his 30th birthday (May 1, if you’re considering a gift), Johnson is appreciative of his longevity after being taken in the same 2005 draft that produced Green.
“I think that’s what’s kept me in the league for so long,” he said. “People know I’m playing for the team, no matter what situation I’m in.
“Something like this is no problem. My main thing is just to be ready when my name is called.”
And it’s not like the Celtics are the only team in these playoffs to have turned their fortunes around by making a radical move with the starting lineup. After falling behind the Bucks, 2-1, the Raptors sat Jonas Valanciunas, giving up eight inches in height to go with 6-foot-4 Norman Powell.
Johnson was on the example even before we could mention it. When the discussion turned to a verbal “this is the way it goes sometimes in the NBA” shrug, he was on it.
“Sure,” Johnson said. “Take a look at the Toronto series. They took the big fella out of the middle and put Norman Powell in, and Milwaukee got matchup problems with the floor spread.
“With us, it just gives a lot more room to operate for our guards. You can just tell how much better it is. This way, they can’t pack the paint in. There’s room for (Isaiah Thomas) to drive. Gerald’s taking wide-open 3’s. I mean, it’s just a big difference.
“It takes (Lopez) away from rebounding, and that way our guards can come in and get offensive boards or whatever. It just makes the game a lot faster, and gives them trouble.”
But it would seem after getting killed on the glass in the first two games that taking out a big guy would be counterintuitive.
“It does,” Johnson said. “Who would have thought just by going smaller it would help our rebounding? They still outrebound us, but we’re able to go down the floor and make shots.”
And Big Dog can still make a contribution, even if he doesn’t get to remove his warmups.
“I’m just talking and keeping guys focused,” he said. “I think between me and G, we’re the most talkative on the bench. We’re keeping guys locked in, always giving guys handshakes, making sure nobody’s head is down when they make a mistake — even cracking jokes at a critical time of the game.” Jokes? Any good ones? “It’s not like a knock-knock joke or anything like that,” Johnson said. “It’s just cracking on something I see on the court. I might crack a joke or two just to keep guys relaxed. I feel like that’s what a good vet does. I’ve been a part of great teams, and I know how their mannerisms are and how they act during crunch time. I kind of learned from that.” He also learned to get up his shots after practice.
“I’m always ready,” Johnson said. “You never have to worry about that. The Big Dog is always ready.”