NBA Toronto Raptors

James Johnson Has Been A Great Addition To the Toronto Raptors

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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the Toronto Raptors‘ recent defensive struggles, one player who has played an vital role — defensively and offensively — and has also become a fan favorite is James Johnson. The sixth year player out of Wake Forest College played for the Raptors during his second and third season in the NBA, but was not what the Raptors needed in a player. After playing for the Sacramento Kings for a season, and then the Memphis Grizzlies, he signed with the Raptors at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. To say the least, he has been an outstanding pick up by Toronto’s GM Masai Ujiri.

Sixth man Lou Williams has been talked about since the Raptors’ hot start to the season, scoring a career high, hitting game winners, and getting Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. But the success Johnson has been having with the team has been highly overlooked, especially by those unfamiliar with Raptors games. You might have seen him in several highlights this season for some amazing dunks (or his postgame reaction to his dunk on Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond) but that is not the only thing he brings to the team.

First off, Johnson was brought to Toronto for his lock-down defense, and boy, can he defend. He led the league in blocks from the three-point line last season, and he is continuing to do that this season. Players tend to underestimate his quick bouncing ability and make the mistake of shooting when Johnson doesn’t seem to be close, however, his athleticism allows him to quickly  jump and swat the ball. The Raptors had trouble guarding shooting guard Joe Johnson in last years playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets, and were forced to bring in Landry Fields, who managed to do a decent job on Joe Johnson. However, if they had a player like James Johnson, it would have made things a lot easier.

The recent struggles Toronto has been having on defense is not man-to-man guarding, it’s defending as one unit — like they have in the first portion of the season. Patrick Patterson can defend, Terrence Ross and Chuck Hayes are all great defenders, and with James Johnson in the mix to help with any one-on-one defense, it shouldn’t be a problem. He has played good defense on Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James – at least as much defense that can be played on James.

The best part of Johnson’s intimidating defence is being able to guard practically every position. With his quick feet, he can keep up with most guards and he is strong enough to guard the post position. He has demonstrated this by switching on pick-and-rolls and managing to stay with the player. With 1.24 blocks per game, Johnson is tied for ninth in blocks by forwards, third in small forwards.

Johnson might not be the primary, secondary or even tertiary scorer on the court for the Raptors, but he is capable of putting the ball on the floor and knowing when to take advantage of the other team. He is averaging a career high in field goal percentage at an astonishing 58 percent, and scored 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and had 10 boards to go with that. Johnson has matured from his first stint with the Raptors, knowing when it is okay to take it to the rim and allowing Kyle Lowry and Greivis Vasquez to give him the ball when necessary. By not forcing shoots or making bad shot selections and letting the points come to him, his effectiveness on the court gradually increased.

Overall, Johnson has been one heck of an addition to the growing Raptors. His defensive presence gives the team hope on one-on-one situation, and his offensive effectiveness is a pleasant surprise. Watching a Raptors game, one can see how he has helped the team even without making big numbers on the stat sheet, even if it is just his energy.

Abdikarim Hashi is an NBA writer for www.Rantsports.com. You could follow him on Twitter @GoldHashi, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. 

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