Joe Johnson Buyout And The Storylines Waiting On Him
By Josh Eberley
Johnson rolls into Oklahoma and kicks Waiters to the curb.
Despite the strong ties to Cleveland and everything playing with the Cavaliers offers him, I strongly believe the Oklahoma City Thunder are Johnson’s best option. The Joe Johnson buyout has the league buzzing, and the Thunder just make a ton of sense.
Think OKC should chase Joe Johnson. But adding a dude nicknamed Iso Joe to Thunder offense may make some heads explode.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 25, 2016
While Slater makes a comical point, it’s unlikely that Johnson would deter from the Thunder’s dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Johnson is currently fourth on the Nets in shots per game, and eighth in usage percentage. He’s not playing selfish basketball.
Like the Cavaliers, the Thunder would benefit greatly from a clutch knockdown shooter. Dion Waiters has been horrid for the Thunder and is playing entirely too many minutes for the franchise. Giving Johnson the 28.3 MPG that Waiters is averaging this season would be a massive upgrade for OKC.
In January, Johnson shot 47 percent from deep, the 12th best mark of all players attempting 25+ attempts. So far in February, Johnson is shooting 44 percent from deep, which puts him 23rd of qualified players. Those numbers place him above Westbrook and Durant.
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Johnson has some hop left in his step, where he decides to travel post-buyout could leave a mark on the 2016 playoff race.