Minnesota Sports Forum

Watching the GS/Miami game right, man I want a stretch four who can shoot, defend and create. I've heard johnson has had somewhat of a breakout year, he's showing it in this game. Hasn't shot great but love a guy playing the 4 that can grab a rebound and immediately push and run the break well and under control, he's shown that in this game.

It's amazing watching these teams run, and not just a fast break but execute a secondary break where guys fill lanes and move without the ball and GET the ball when they get open. I hate our break, we get the occasional "head man" break but nothing consistent. We get a rebound, usually 3 wolves fighting for an uncontested board and wait to give it to Ricky, so annoying.

I know Miami hasn't scored well this year but they look very comfortable playing at this pace. This is something I wish Wig was more comfortable doing, getting a board and more aggressively initiating a break. Btw, Waiters is my least favorite player in the NBA!

Lol shoot, defend and create. That's almost everything. Pick 2. The guys who can do all 3 are stars.

Haha. Good point. Well I don't know the metrics on Johnson defensively, but he's defended well tonight, shoots it and can handle. He's gonna get paid this off season but he's obviously not a superstar.

Belly has the general skills to be that type of player. Can he actually be good and consistant enough to do it? Idk despite some underwhelming traditional stats I think he has made a lot of progress compared to last year.

As for the Wolves getting out in transition it's been better recently. The problems to me are they aren't disciplined or doing the right things including fighting for a rebound like you said (they are one of the best rebound differential teams so that's good) and in general not running the right ways and just not getting down the court fast. It's bizzare they don't sprint more than they do espcially when you have a player like Rubio who will chuck it to you if there is a chance.

Edit:

Also if you want James Johnson he is a FA after this year as he signed a 1 year 4 million deal with the Heat last summer which I thought was a good value. I remember Cam wanted to sign him to a 3 year deal last offseason.

Johnson seems to be up and down through the years, so I'm not sure which James Johnson we would get if he were to come to Minnesota. And we don't exactly have the greatest track record of bringing the best out of veterans that come here....

Also, Miami is an odd team to envy. They are one of the few teams with a worse record than the Wolves and are 22nd in pace of play - not exactly speedsters. Perhaps it was just this game you happened to be watching.

Career year at 29 years old for a bad team... in a contract year during a crazy time of escalating salaries when he could make more money in the next 3 years than he has his entire career...

Beware. Just saying...

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Career year at 29 years old for a bad team... in a contract year during a crazy time of escalating salaries when he could make more money in the next 3 years than he has his entire career...

Beware. Just saying...

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is suggesting breaking the bank on this guy or giving him more than a bench role.

Personally I may prefer to sign a guy like Quincy Acy (for dirt cheap) who just made it back in the league on a 10 day contract when the Nets dumped Bennett who in theory should be the guy that James Johnson is now...at least. Here is an article that breaks down those 2 guys and Q guess what the Wolves got the career high percentage from 3 out of Bennett! Lol

http://www.hashtagbasketball.com/brooklyn-nets/content/quincy-acy-the-mirror-image-of-anthony-bennett

Also the original post could easily describe Towns in the somewhat near future.

I'm not saying sign him, just saying the wolves could benefit from a guy like this to play along side Kat.

monsterpile wrote:Edit:

Also if you want James Johnson he is a FA after this year as he signed a 1 year 4 million deal with the Heat last summer which I thought was a good value. I remember Cam wanted to sign him to a 3 year deal last offseason.

You are correct, monster. I thought he was going to be a value signing and he had proven that he was a capable player since his one year with Memphis and then two years in Toronto. His game seemed to have matured in my view. That's partly why I'm not all that surprised by the season he's having in Miami.

Johnson isn't a guy that would have changed our fortunes this season, but I think he would have been a steady, solid force off the bench. Wouldn't mind pursuing him this off-season either if the price is still right.