Joe Johnson is a former NBA star who finished his career ringless. However, he was the leading scorer for the Hawks for five seasons. He averaged 21.9 points per game. As a result, he was sixth on the Hawks’ all-time scoring list.
Johnson’s presence could help this young Celtics team. The team has been struggling without a leader in recent years. His presence can only be beneficial moving forward. The Celtics are still relying heavily on rookies to provide leadership. Johnson has not formally sought the role of a leader and isn’t trying to make himself a leader.
The two players have different styles, but both play a very physical game. In a recent game against the Boston Celtics, Joe Johnson was able to trip Paul Pierce with his handles. However, he still managed to score against his former teammate. Despite his injury, he won the game by 11 points.
In the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Paul Pierce led the Boston Celtics to a 66-win season, a 42-game improvement. However, the Celtics had a difficult time during the playoffs. They lost to the heavily favored Cavaliers in the first round, but went on to beat the Orlando Magic in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They finally reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the season ended, Johnson returned to the free agent pool, where he joined the Boston Celtics after a 10-day contract. While he did not get a lot of playing time with the Celtics, he remained a viable option for the team despite his age. However, there are some questions regarding his future as an NBA player. It is not clear whether he will stay with the Celtics or stay with the Phoenix Suns.
Johnson’s methodical and purposeful dribble earned him the nickname “Iso Joe.” He is one of the 46 players in NBA history who reached the 20,000-point mark. He currently ranks 43rd all-time in points scored. He played for 17 seasons, with his best seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
The NBA season of 2006-07 brought more development for Johnson. He averaged 25.0 points per game, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds. His field-shot percentage was a career-high 47.1%. As a result, he was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
The Miami Heat lost Game 3 to the Brooklyn Nets. Despite a blown lead in the third quarter, LBJ continued to score from everywhere on the floor. He scored from aggressive takes to the basket and wise post-ups on mismatches. In the fourth quarter, Brooklyn managed to pull within a narrow lead. But the HEAT responded by stepping up defense after Pierce’s three-point play. They held Brooklyn without a field goal for more than four minutes. They finished the game with a 13-point run.
If Ray Allen and Doc Rivers don’t sign with the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce could be available as a free agent. If the Celtics can’t sign Paul Pierce, they might have to look elsewhere. A lack of cap space could make signing him an impossibility.
