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Joe Johnson Will Shine For Brooklyn Nets This Season

By Dylan Hughes

Oct 20, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson (7) controls the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Hollis Thompson (31) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson (7) controls the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Hollis Thompson (31) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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With Paul Pierce in Washington, Joe Johnson has a chance to shine for the Brooklyn Nets.

What do you think of when you hear the name Joe Johnson? Clutch? Great scorer? Great shooter? Even underrated? I’d say those words would work in describing Johnson, who is a lot older than people may realize as he prepares to begin his 14th season in the NBA.

With the LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony’s of the world, Johnson seems to be forgotten about more often than he should. When talking about the best shooting guards in the league, many place Lance Stephenson, Klay Thompson, and even Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant over Johnson despite injuries in the past few seasons. Stephenson and Thompson are blossoming into some of the best young talent in the NBA. Wade and Bryant, when healthy, are still deadly killers from mid-range. What about James Harden and Bradley Beal? Yeah, they’re pretty darn good as well.

There are a lot of good shooting guards in the NBA. You could say all of those mentioned above are better than Johnson. The problem? We forget about him. His clutch shots among other things are forgotten, for no good reason, really.

This season, however, Johnson has a chance to make everyone realize (or remember) “Hey, this guy’s actually pretty good”.

Before last season’s 15.8, Johnson hasn’t averaged less than 16 points per game since his sophomore season as a Phoenix Sun. That season was also the last time Johnson has averaged less than 30 minutes a night, and the last time he’s shot less than 42 percent from the field. The point? Joe Johnson is a really good basketball player.

With Paul Pierce out of the equation, Johnson will once again be the brightest star on his team. And I’m saying that as he will share the court with Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.

And yes, I purposely didn’t say Kevin Garnett.

Even at 36 last season, Pierce could have been considered the “go-to guy”. I mean, he is The Truth, right? With a long resume of clutch shots, it’s hard to blame anyone for passing him the rock with the shot clock winding down. Johnson had his fair share of clutch shots (earned the nicknames Joe Cool and Big Shot Joe because of this), too, and having two clutch shooters on the same team was a pretty good problem to have.

Oct 22, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) warms up before the start of the game against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) warms up before the start of the game against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

But now, Pierce has ditched Brooklyn after one season to help tutor John Wall and Beal in the nation’s capitol. For Johnson, he’s never had a better opportunity.

Even though Johnson’s numbers compared to Pierce’s may say he was the go-to guy, there are no questions who it is now. Johnson took about three more shots, on average, than Pierce last season, and averaged about two more points per game. Still, Pierce was considered (for good reason) the bigger name, the bigger star.

With Pierce gone, Johnson will have to help lead the Nets into the playoffs. I don’t want to say carry the Nets with Lopez and Williams still starting, but there’s no question it will be a dogfight to make it into the playoffs. If Johnson fights off the Knicks and Pacers among others trying to steal away a bottom seed in the Eastern Conference, he will get nothing but praise. In order to do that, though, he must prove himself the star some don’t consider him to be.

In Pierce’s absence, as I mentioned above, Johnson will be the guy, no doubt about it. He will get the shots at the end of the game, and based on what he’s done at the end of games, that’s a really, really good thing.

If I were to place expectations on Johnson this season, I’d say he needs to at least meet his career average of 17.5 points and 4.2 assists per game. While Johnson needs to play a little more selfish, creating more for his teammates can only help Brooklyn’s chances of winning games, and thus making the playoffs.

I’m not saying Johnson needs to be some sort of savior or superstar player for the Nets this season. He just needs to step up to the plate and and simply play his best basketball, because the Nets are going to need that this season after not doing much to improve in the offseason.

Johnson doesn’t need to be special for Brooklyn this season, but I think he still will be. He seems like the type of player that loves to prove himself and do big things in big moments. I see plenty of game-winners and 30-point games in Johnson’s future.

As for predicting how the Nets play as a whole this season, that’s virtually impossible. It’s hard to tell if Lopez will be able to stay healthy and anchor down low for Brooklyn, and as far as making the playoffs, well, that’s up for the basketball gods to decide.

Even if it’s just out of your peripheral vision, keep an eye on Joe Johnson this season.

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