Raptors may need Johnson’s big presence
EASTERN CONFERENCE: Physical defender kept out of series opener, even as Wizards veteran Pierce thrived
TORONTO — Guarding players like Paul Pierce is not why Masai Ujiri signed James Johnson. Let’s get that out of the way.
That was a bit of a refrain after the Raptors’ overtime loss in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Washington Wizards, and it was not fair.
Pierce is not a player like Joe Johnson of Brooklyn, who torched the Raptors last season in the playoffs. The Wizards were not running plays for Pierce as often as the Nets did with Johnson. Pierce’s 20 points were mostly a function of how the Raptors defended Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal in pickand-roll scenarios. James Johnson was brought in to be a dominant isolation defender on bigger wings — like Joe Johnson, Carmelo Anthony and the like. Ujiri repeated as much before the post-season began.
“There are some games where we need his physical ability,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said on Monday, “and then there are some games where we don’t.”
“Matchups. I’m here for matchup problems,” Johnson added. “I’m here for the long season, when Kyle (Lowry) got hurt or DeMar (DeRozan) got hurt. Those were when I had opportunities to play a lot. I’m the fill-in. And I’m OK with that.”
A funny thing happened as the season progressed, though: Johnson has proven himself to be more than a response to a problem. He has developed into being a problem for the opposition, himself.
Johnson did not play in Game 1, and it was Casey’s decision. It was not new — Johnson did not play, despite being available, five times this season. He played fewer than 10 minutes eight other times. Despite a limited offensive skill set, there is ample evidence that says he should not be relegated to such a small niche.
The Raptors scored 108.9 points per 100 possessions with Johnson on the floor, slightly above their rate overall. They allowed 101.9 points per 100 possessions with him, well below their overall rating. He also had one of the best percentages finishing in the paint off of drives, and the best defensive rebounding percentage of any of the wings on the team by a comfortable margin.
There is a lot of context needed for all of the above — it is not just Johnson being individually awesome. But the Raptors have played effectively with him on the floor. It is clear he has more uses than just one. However, his flaws as a shooter and a help defender (he can be overeager) keep his job description brief.
He is a tricky player to slide in next to DeRozan because of his sub-par three-point shooting — Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez are more natural options — and the Raptors indeed struggled when the two shared the floor. Yet, they still had a positive net rating, thanks to stellar defence. The Raptors allowed just 97.3 points per 100 possessions when the two played together.
It is safe to say fans have noticed Johnson’s value. Before the team’s comeback to force overtime on Saturday, a segment of the crowd chanted, “We want James” in the fourth quarter.
“It gave me a warm spot in my heart. I got the chills a little bit,” Johnson said. “At the same time, I don’t want that to affect guys on our bench or guys that are playing in the game, distracting them from what they’re doing out there. It’s nice of them to do that. I really appreciate it. But cheer for the Raptors.”
Which brings us back to Pierce. The former Celtics star did a lot of his damage when he slid to power forward, instead of on the wing, where he started the game. That is when the game turned, with the Wizards taking control after the Raptors had started well in the second quarter. Casey said his top option to guard Pierce in that scenario was Patrick Patterson, and then Amir Johnson, followed by James Johnson.
James Johnson said he understood Casey’s logic: He is not as well versed in the playbook at power forward as he is on the wing.
“We have a smaller package when I go in,” Johnson said.
“When they’re stopping that package, you can’t really run more plays.”
“We can throw him out there. But now are the other four guys going to be lost if he doesn’t understand? So again, there’s a lot of factors that go into it,” Casey said.
“It’s not just putting one player in the game and saying ‘OK, voila, let it work.’ It’s a lot of things that go into that. So it’s not a backup quarterback controversy. James has been in this role the whole year and again, there’s going to be a time in place for him in the playoffs.”
As Casey said, Johnson’s role has not changed. It is how the coach prefers to use him. However, Johnson has shown he can do more. Given some of the Raptors’ weaknesses, he should probably be given the opportunity to do so, even if the Raptors sacrifice some perimeter shooting in the process.