Amir Johnson starting to look comfortable for Celtics
Players changing teams via trade or free agency is happening more than ever in today’s NBA, but Amir Johnson was the exception to that rule for most of his career.
The big man suited up for just two teams during his 10-year NBA career prior to signing as a free agent with Boston this summer. Six of those years came in Toronto, where Johnson helped anchor a stout Raptors defense during the past couple seasons.
The Celtics hoped the 6-foot-9 forward would provide the same kind of presence in their frontcourt, but the 28-year-old had gotten off to a relatively lackluster start on that front prior to Friday.
Despite being moved into the starting five after three solid games to start the year, Johnson’s minutes and production actually dropped off in the new role. He averaged a meager 4.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in those four contests and was benched late in games as he struggled to adjust to his team’s new schemes.
“It is [tough],’’ Johnson said of the transition. “Because you have your mindset just playing how we’ve been playing for six years. [Playing] that Raptors defense. Just to kind of transfer that and get the hang of it, it’s going to take time. It’s coming. It’s not going to happen in one day but it’s definitely coming along.’’
Johnson took a major positive step in that direction in Friday’s 106-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks, playing his best ball of the season on both sides of the floor. The big man posted season-highs in points (19), rebounds (8), assists (4), blocks (3), and steals (3).
Brad Stevens said he could sense the breakout was coming during the team’s pregame workout.
“He was going 100 miles an hour in our shootaround, so you could tell that he was really locked in and engaged. He was great the whole night on both ends.’’
Stevens later added: “I think he’s just getting used to us. The biggest thing is that he’s figuring out how we want to play, how to play off of each other. You know, our lineups have changed because of injuries and that’s a unique challenge for a guy like that who’s also just trying to figure it out all out. But defensively he gives us a presence in the paint; that showed itself true on multiple occasions today. I thought he was just really locked in, and his stats would suggest that.’’
Johnson’s progress on the defensive end is also giving Boston a strong backline presence that is allowing the team’s perimeter defenders to shine, according to teammate Jae Crowder.
“I told him tonight that’s the best defensive game I’ve seen him play,’’ Crowder said. “It helps me play even more aggressive on the perimeter and Marcus and Avery. It helps us, knowing we have a back end like that who rotates if our guy beats us. It helps a lot. It helps our whole team defense.’’
The performance may not mean much in the scope of a 82-game season, but Johnson getting comfortable in Boston is starting to make him look like the player that was advertised as: One of the best free-agent signings of the summer.
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