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Report Card: Amir Johnson

By Kevin Nimmock

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With the Toronto Raptors’ 2014/15 season finishing sooner than predicted, it is time to start looking back at the team’s players, head coach and general manager. We at Raptors Rapture present our 2014/15 report cards. Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks as we analyze each piece of the current team.

Amir Johnson entered this season as Toronto’s truest veteran. No one on the roster had spent more time in the city than Johnson, who was entering his sixth season in Canada. His tenure with the Raptors is indicative of his enduring talent, effort and quality production, considering the high turnover of players the team has experienced in its short 20-year history.

To put it simply, Johnson has been special. Over the past six seasons, he has averaged 8.8 points and 6.3 assists per game, earned through tireless effort. He has never been the most skilled player on the court, but he has always worked the hardest, stretching his physical gifts to their absolute length. This season was the start of a sad decline for Johnson, who may be near the end of his NBA glory days. He still has plenty of time left, but likely not at his old heights.

Johnson earned 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, which is a considerable regression from recent years. Last year, he tallied 10.4 points and 6.6 assists, with similar numbers the year before. His effort and grit was still  impressive, but he struggled in some key areas of team need.

As a rebounder, Johnson has never been incredible. Still, this was his worst year as a glass eater since joining the team in 2009, when he recorded 4.8 rebounds per game. The Raptors were a poor rebounding team this season, and Johnson is rightfully responsible for a large portion of that blame. As the team’s starting power forward, he needed to be better.

Offensively, Johnson had another good season from the field. He shot an impressive 57%, which helped him stay engaged on offence. He isn’t exactly a dynamic scorer, with a largely nonexistent post game and little interest in spreading the floor with 3-pointers. Instead, Johnson works hard to get in the right place at the right time, scoring through timely put backs and graceful cuts to the hoop.

His offence has always worked in Toronto. He won’t takeover many games, but he almost always contributes. Unfortunately, his high-effort play has worn out his ankles throughout the years, leaving Johnson with far less hop and speed than he used to possess. His ankle problems will only do more to limit his game as he ages and losses a lot of his athleticism.

On defence, Johnson is typically solid. He didn’t have it in him this year to will the Raptors into being decent defensively. The team stunk on D, and Johnson provided little relief. He once again played pretty well as an individual, keeping opposing power forwards at bay during one-on-one situations and switching quickly during defensive sets.

Overall, Johnson had another decent season in Toronto, though he was a little worse than seasons prior. If the rumours are true, Johnson will be missed next year when he moves to other pastures. That being said, it is probably time to move on in lieu of a better rebounder.

Defence: B

Offence: B-

Overall: B

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