James Johnson didn't start off the season on fire by any stretch, and he still hasn't played many minutes. He often looks a little lost as far as what he should be doing on the court on both ends [really building up my case aren't I], but until Tyrus is back, it's time to give Johnson a chance to start.
First, the Bulls primary issue this year so far is an inability to score. The offense is the worst in the NBA while the defense is among the best. Johnson adds a lot to the offense that Taj Gibson does not.
Johnson's got a bigger, wider body to set a pick.
Johnson's got a better jumper and longer range.
Johnson can drive to the basket to create.
Johnson can help run a fast break.
Johnson can generate fouls and free throw attempts.
Right now, the Bulls offense is getting murdered out there. Everyone is struggling to create, and while Gibson can hit some open mid range jump shots here and there, Johnson's going to shoot those just as well. Johnson's also going to give you some occasional three point range, and the ability to drive and cause some havoc. Quite simply, Johnson will create more spacing for the rest of the offense.
The fear? As stated at the beginning, there are times where Johnson is simply scary bad out there. He doesn't always know where to be on either side of the court and gets caught in a passive act of not knowing what to do. However, that's not going to go away by sitting on the sidelines. It's going to go away by playing 15-20 minutes a night every night. Now is the perfect opportunity to get those minutes in because the team has no depth with Tyrus out.
The Bulls could go with Joakim and Miller as the front line or put Hinrich in the starting lineup and slide Deng to PF. Both would yield a better starting lineup than putting Johnson in, and either is a better crunch time options. However, both lineups kill the team's depth leaving no one to come in off the bench with as Miller's not able to play big minutes, and no one wants Pargo as the only bench guard.
Gibson had a solid preseason and with Tyrus out, he deserved a shot. He's played hard. He's played as well as can be expected, but he hasn't played well enough. Johnson's a more talented player who's skills better fit what we need. He's got plenty of issues, and I admit that it may not work. However, it's time to try.
What's the risk? With Gibson you're only hoping to not get killed too badly. It's time to throw some responsibility at Johnson and see if he can grow into it. There's no simply no downside at this point.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: chicago bulls, james johnson, nba, start james johnson, Taj Gibson, Tyrus Thomas
You don't believe that.
Unfortunately, Mark seems to be speaking directly for coach Del Bimbo.
Vinnie is certain that if he starts Johnson, he will lose his job by halftime, so there is absolutely no shot that starting Johnson has ever crossed even a single hair that covers his mind never mind an actual brain cell.
The guy simply coaches scared.
Really? We would get killed at the start of every game. The guy couldn't stop a paperweight right now. Gibson has shown he can rebound and defend much better than Johnson...at least right now.
You do, however, have a point about now being the perfect time (until Tyrus gets back) to throw him out there and see what we got. I just don't think the ends justify the means right now. I think Johnson should, more realistically, look to absorb all he can this season and break out next.
I like the Idea. Not sure it will happen. But there is no excuse to at least give this kid some 10 to 15 minutes per game. I think it is a waste of talent.
It's good idea, but Bulls management would never do it
I agree wholeheartedly, He can play OKC's Jeff Green role. A 6'8'' F that can bang down-low and create space with his soft shooting touch which resembles Paul Pierce. Just shows the inconceivability of Vinny's bone-headed coaching style. I like Taj but he got murdered the other night against the bigger Pau. When JJ usually steps on the floor, nets are being torched within minutes. He can score.
PG: Rose
SG: Salmons
SF: Deng
PF: Johnson
C: Noah
Tonight would be a good match-up against the smaller Kenyon Martin. James Johnson will present problems.
He does look lost at times but part that disconnect comes from our leaders... Kirk Hinrich, Derrick Rose, and Loul Deng.
VDN- should try, at this point if JJ slacks off. He can always sub Gibson back in. They need to start thinking out side the box. If you are not producing you should be sitting on the bench!
Doug,
James Johnson is NOT a Power Forward. He's a Smal Forward.
With Luol Deng, the Bulls starting SF, playing as good as he has been, despite his lousy performance vs. the Lakers, you can expect JJ to continue coming off the bench. Sorry!
Have you looked at Johnson lately, he is clearly no "small forward", he looks like a baby sea lion out there.
Maybe if he plays some decent minutes, he can get rid of all that baby fat. Unless he has a life altering transformation, I don't like his body type as a predictor of the likelihood of his becoming a real NBA player.
BIGWAY:LMAO-"Have you looked at Johnson lately, he is clearly no "small forward", he looks like a baby sea lion out there."
I think because Gibson plays better Defense and he is an older rookie. Compared to JJ, which i don't agree with. JJ does have a huge size advantage over Gibson. Width wise!
Well this is easy...asking a guy who can't crack the 7-man rotation for a mediocre team, or at least stretch it to an 8-man rotation to start? Won't happen...and why would management have anything to do with that? James Johnson is clueless right now as to where he is supposed to be and what exactly he should be doing. He looks lost out there. So Vinny is bringing him along slowly...and perfectly. Taj is not playing that badly that you take a chance like that...it will cost the team wins. Taj is a lot smarter out there right now...
why do people think taj is such a smart defender? as far as i can tell he does one thing uniquely well among bulls PFs: when an opponent sets a screen, taj either stays with his man or commits to the perimeter player curling around the screen; he does not just stand in between like tyrus is wont to do. neevrtheless, taj fouls a lot (usually a product of being out of position), gets a fair number of defensive three second violations and has not yet realized that part of defending is boxing out opposing players for rebounds. maybe give jj a chance in portland, a game i think the bulls will get creamed in anyways.
I agree that we have little to lose by giving Johnson a shot. As I have already mentioned, Gibson has been exposed the past several games as simply not being man enough to start at power forward in the NBA. He may yet become a servicable rotation player, but he is not starting material.
Unfortunately, in the little time that Johnson has seen, he looks completely lost, actually disinterested. He just looks like a kid runnning around with a smile on his face and no particular purpose.
I don't know if this will change with more playing time or starting, but what have we got to lose.
I say start him and see what happens, if he doesn't cut it in the first 5 minutes, switch Deng to power forward, move Salmons back to his more natural small forward position, and bring in Hinrich.
I agree with Houston and MrHappy. JJ is a F that can play both slots. And to Houston, I guess I'm just too anxious to see JJ get extra minutes. It was obvious that JJ was lost in the later part of the Sacramento game but still, JJ needs to get them minutes before TT come back!
Doug, you are absolutely right, since that 18 point outburst, Gibson has been virtually useless, and we have been getting murdered right from the outset. He is not a physical player, doesn't block out, which is why his style allows him to offensive rebound, but he is not an effective defensive rebounder.
Johnson, at least has some ability to create offense for himself, which is more than we can say for just about anybody else on this team right now.
Of course in Del Bimbo's "offense" Johnson will only be allowed to stand in the corner and wait for the Bulls to pass the ball around the perimeter.
Johnson is a worse defender, worse rebounder and turns it over more. I fail to see how he's a better option.
What's the downside of playing J.J.?
VDN might do even worse and lose his job.
I sometimes wonder if coaches ever read these blogs. How would we persuade Vinnie to risk his coaching career and play J.J.?
"Hey Vinnie, I wasn't a fan of your coaching last year. But I'm respecting how you've motivated and taught the guys to play some Bulls defense. Impressive.
Self esteem and belief are everything in basketball. Look at how strong Luol Deng has returned to the game. Noah is another example of a belief made strong through success, hard work, and some more success.
Taj will accept anything you ask for the team, even giving up some minutes of playing time. That's why we like Taj.
Give James Johnson some more playing time and he just might help to give you a 3rd coaching season in Chicago.
Come on Vinnie, surprise the heck out of us and show your ability to adapt early in the season: find a way to give James Johnson some meaningful minutes."
So that's it. Hopefully VDN reads this blog.
Gibson's natural position is PF. Johnson's natural position is SF.
As I said before, the Bulls drafting of James Johnson and Taj Gibson was directed at Luol Deng's health and inconsistency, as well as Tyrus Thomas' immaturity and low basketball IQ.
Johnson is there for extra security or insurance when it comes to Deng. Gibson is there for extra security or insurance when it comes to Thomas. It's not the other way around.
I think JJ's early struggles are closely related to him playing on the perimeter. The guy is just not quick enough (offensively or defensively) to warrant getting regular minutes at the small forward position. He could be a asset if his shot was better, but that's not the case.
I always thought Johnson's best position in the league was going to be at the four. Sure, he's undersized at 6'8", but his body mass will allow him to move guys around in the paint. In limited minutes in the game against Denver, I was impressed how Johnson didn't allow Nene (who is pretty strong) to just push him around on the block. NTM, JJ has the ability to get his hands on shots better than I expected he could by looking at him. I think he could be a deceptively good shot blocker.
But the question at hand is should he start or not. My answer to that question is no way. But I think it would be wise to try to give JJ the bulk of his reserve minutes at the four. At the end of the day the Bulls have two options, IMO. Play James Johnson at the power forward position, or consider 2009 a throw away season for the guy, and demand he lose weight in the off season. I think the Bulls organization will choose the latter.
The Director of Scouting for the Bulls said James Johnson was a Small Forward. James Johnson, himself, said he is a Small Forward. VDN has done nothing but played James Johnson at Small Forward. Face it, he's a Small Forward, not a Power Forward.
By the way, what is the primary position for Gerald Wallace and Thaddeus Young? That would be Small Forward. Please don't try to make them more than they are either.
Doug,
Maybe this will make you feel better.
If you're 6'8'' and can handle the ball... you're a SF or F. In my opinion, he's a F because he can play on the perimeter and near the post. It don't matter but when people say he's a PF, it's a slap in the face because of his capabilities at the 3. You haven't seen him play enough if you list him at the 4. Sure, he played mostly on the post last year because Coach Gaudio wanted him there. Far as the freely tactics, that's James Johnson, people need a sense of humor because fans took the Chris Paul and James Johnson incident out of context - can't talk smack to the made guy, Paul. He also said something freely to Kobe, which made both of them crack up. I guess that's his personality, by the way, I'm sure.
He came out the same class as Derrick Rose[2007]. They had him listed as SF with Point Guard capabilities. He ranked sixty. He actually was ranked real low but Jeff Teague was at the bottom of the Top 100 recruits, ranking seven slots below and was the last to get drafted in that class. Rose came in at fifth.
Did the Bulls have questions about Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng heading into the draft, yes or no?
Face it, they drafted Johnson as coverage for Deng and Gibson as coverage for Thomas. Obviously you didn't see that then, so you aren't going to see it now. I don't know what else to tell you. It's right there in front of you.
Johnson is compleely lost when he is on the court. Gibson is composed. Is it the minutes or the maturity.
Gibson deserves to start but Johnson needs more minutes to get in to the flow. At least until Tyrus gets back.
Maybe Johnson doesn't show up in practice. Why doesn't he get more minutes while Tyrus is out? Someting is wrong, only Vinnie the trainee knows! Is Johnson lazy like No-Shot Noah......who took three (3) seasons to get in shape. Yeah, Noah is really improved but still needs to muscle up! Watch the good big guys push him away from the rim. Noah has improved beyond any ones expectations.......now he needs to lift all year long.
Doug, Klank off the rim Hinrich stinks when he isn't doing his clock eating circle dribble. Hinrich is not a starter! Did you see his TO to A ratio this year?????
Hinrich is a career back up, nothing more!!!!!!