The Toronto Raptors might not have had the best season to this point, but Raptors 905 coasted to one of the best records in the curtailed G League season, even earning a playoff birth. Without the performance of Alize Johnson, that would’ve been impossible.
Johnson, a former second-round pick of the Indiana Pacers who spent the early parts of his career shuffled between the big league club and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Desperate to avoid the G League doldrums again, Johnson had a dominant time in the Gubble, only for the Raptors to choose his battery mate over him.
The Raptors selected the big man with a higher offensive ceiling, as former first-round Henry Ellenson earned a 10-day contract with Toronto. Not only is Johnson not joining the Raptors, but he’s leaving for a division rival in the Brooklyn Nets, making Toronto’s almost impossible playoff push much harder to actually pull off.
Masai Ujiri’s unwillingness to bring Johnson onto the pro roster has helped out their rivals, as the Nets have signed Johnson to a 10-day contract. He will join the Nets, suddenly overflowing with power forwards after the Blake Griffin signing, once he passes COVID-19 protocols.
Free agent F Alize Johnson is signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets, pending passing of protocols, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 22, 2021
New Nets player Alize Johnson could’ve helped the Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are currently the worst defensive rebounding team in the NBA, and Johnson’s 13.4 rebounds per game would certainly help in that department. Johnson also piled up 16.6 points per game on 57% shooting on the offensive end during the G League season.
While Johnson is just 6-7, his verticality and ability to leap for rebounds have clearly not impeded his ability to both be a force in the paint and make a few jump shots from midrange whenever he gets the ball outside of the paint.
While Ellenson and Aron Baynes are the only Raptors players over 6-9, Johnson appears to be a more natural solution to their issues of late, as his speed and mobility could help him fit in with Toronto’s lightning-fast offense. Brooklyn will likely use him as a small-ball center, which is the ideal role he could’ve filled with the Raptors.
Johnson could’ve wiggled into the new bench rotation, while Ellenson has played in just two games, most of which were mop-up duty when the result was determined. Ujiri shouldn’t be run out of town for what might be a largely inconsequential move, but Johnson would’ve been a better short-term Band-Aid.