Dakari Johnson shaking off Thunder rust with G League games
The three-on-three games are heated.
The Thunder holds them behind closed doors, at the end of practices. The participants — typically Oklahoma City players who aren’t seeing major rotation minutes, though some coaches also are involved — have been known to leave with cuts and bruises.
“It gets real competitive,” center Dakari Johnson said.
But it’s not enough for Johnson.
The 7-foot rookie center spent his Sunday afternoon suited up for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, posting 16 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes during OKC’s 103-98 loss to the Memphis Hustle.
It was a change of pace for Johnson, who’s logging most of his minutes with the Thunder late in blowouts. Mostly, he’s at the end of the bench studying his NBA teammates and waiting for his next opportunity.
Johnson has started five games for the Thunder this season when injuries have sidelined starting center Steven Adams. But Johnson’s most recent starts came on Dec. 16 and 18.
Since then, Johnson has played in seven of 16 Thunder games, averaging 2.6 minutes.
So Johnson — who spent his first two professional seasons in the G League — said he spoke to his agent about getting some minutes with the Blue, and the Thunder coaches and front office were on board.
He played for the team on Jan. 12 at the G League Showcase in Mississauga, Ontario, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds against the Long Island Nets. Sunday’s game against Memphis was his second of the season with the Blue.
“It’s good to watch, but it’s also good to just stay fresh,” Johnson said. “Whenever I have a chance to play these games, it’s really important just to keep my wind up.”
Johnson doesn’t go to the G League with any specific instructions, he said. The games are mostly about his conditioning and shaking off game rust. The strides he’s making this season are mostly at practice with the Thunder.
“When we play three-on-three, I just try to be mobile in guarding the pick and roll and being able to guard the perimeter,” Johnson said. “Nick Collison helps me a lot. He talks to me throughout the games when we’re watching.”
But it’s not the same as getting up and down the court.
“The three-on-three way play, it’s still good, but there’s nothing like staying in game shape and getting some wind,” Johnson said. “The coaches wanted me to come down here also. So it’s been great.”
The ‘Q’ is for quality
Paul George had one of his best games in a Thunder uniform on Saturday, scoring 36 points on 12 for 19 shooting in the Thunder’s 148-124 win against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
That he did it at Quicken Loans Arena perhaps should come as no surprise.
Over his final two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, George played four regular-season games at The Q and averaged 27.7 points per game on LeBron James’ home court.
In a pair of playoff losses to the Cavaliers last season in Cleveland, George averaged 30.5 points.
“I think it’s really a matchup that I like,” George said. “It’s just more locked in, more in tune, just to be much more efficient when playing against the best in LeBron. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s the energy The Q provides, their fan base makes for a great road court. It just feels good here, feels good to shoot.”