A-Mir Perfect Game

Against the Thunder on Friday night Amir Johnson proved he can be an asset for the Celtics in 2017.

For those of you who have been reading my articles, first up thank you, secondly you will be well aware that I have on many occasions expressed my opinion that Amir Johnson cannot be the power forward slash centre of an elite team and should be traded if the Boston Celtics are to threaten the might of the Cleveland Cavaliers. When the Celtics got him from the Toronto Raptors two years ago many cringed at the amount of money he was offered but Ainge was desperate, he wanted to make a splash and he was struggling to even get his feet wet. Since then I have watched on, as despite his tireless effort and positive attitude he has dropped passes, been overpowered by larger opponents and shown an inability to hit open shots.

Fortunately it seemed that Brad Stevens had finally heard my screams from the couch as in December his minutes have dropped dramatically to approximately 16 minutes per ball game. It appeared that Stevens was rewarding the hard working Johnson by letting him start the first and third quarter so his stat sheet could say starter but then giving the important minutes at the end of the ball game to either Jonas Jerebko or the even more undersized Jae Crowder who, despite his tenacity, makes Jerebko look like Shawn Bradley. In one game, he didn’t even play in the second half and lay forgotten on the end of the bench as the Swede started in his place.

So with all that in mind I hope it gives you an idea of how shocked and more importantly impressed I was with Johnson’s performance on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 26 minutes Johnson racked up 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and he was the only starter with a positive plus minus. But the statistics alone do not tell the whole story. He was dangerous in the pick and roll and when he received the ball he made good passes or finished strong at the rim. He also hit an open 3 pointer when the Thunder quite sensibly backed off of him. He was also relentless on the offensive glass and in his limited time on the court managed to grab three offensive boards which led to much needed points.

It wasn’t just his offense that was impressive, however, as he was extremely good on the defensive end. He was attacking passing lanes, anticipating passes and grabbing vital boards. He also did a very good job on the larger Steven Adams. Since signing his huge contract the gigantic Kiwi, Steven Adams, has done nothing but prove that all the money was worth it. He is a seven foot tall monster with flowing locks, a thick beard and tattoos covering his muscular arm. In fact he looks like he should be a warrior on Game of Thrones, not an NBA centre. This year though, it has been his impressive play and not his looks that have been most noticeable. With Russell Westbrook drawing sometimes all five defenders, Adams is reaping the rewards and is showing destructive power and a much improved touch around the rim. He has averaged 12 points this season and looked unstoppable with 22 points against the Wolves on Christmas Day. Against the Celtics, however, he was held in check and was only able to score a measly eight points.

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Even though the Celtics lost the game and found that even with two of the best defensive guards in the NBA that Westbrook is practically unstoppable, Johnson showed his worth. In fact, if Johnson can continue to play like he did on Friday and improve his box out just a little bit, Jerebko will have to get more comfortable on the bench because with an effective Johnson the Celtics may have found their best line up.

Before I apologize to Johnson and his family for my criticism, however, and anoint him as the Celtic’s best option at centre, I would like to see this kind of game a little more often. After all, one sunny day does not make a summer, especially in the heart of winter.

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In fact, against the Knicks on Christmas Day it seemed that any apology may be premature as once again he was forced to ride the pine in critical minutes. He gave up too many fouls, was unable to box out the large New York front court and was in a word; ineffective. But who knows, maybe the excitement of Christmas simply distracted him and he can continue to prove me wrong. For the Celtics’ sake, I hope he does.

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