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OKC Thunder: Signing Joe Johnson Is A Must

By Austin Denean

Feb 23, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) tries to get past Portland Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson (9) during the second half of the game at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) tries to get past Portland Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson (9) during the second half of the game at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won 112-104. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Joe Johnson was released by the Brooklyn Nets today, and the Oklahoma City Thunder should be the team to pick him up.

Multiple reports indicate that the Brooklyn Nets have waived former All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson.

According to those reports, there are several playoff teams that have already begun to pursue Johnson, which includes the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have been searching for a solid two-guard since they sent James Harden to Houston, and Johnson could be the final piece to the puzzle.

After a cold start to the season, Johnson’s shooting splits picked up after the New Year. In the month of February, Johnson has scored 13.2 points per game on .482/.441/.880 splits.

Johnson isn’t capable of shouldering an entire team’s offense anymore, but he is able to create his own shot and score efficiently. A career 37.1 percent three-point shooter, Johnson would also space the floor for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

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Since dealing Harden, the Thunder have been unable to get anybody capable of filling the void he left. OKC has tried to rely on third-tier players like Anthony Morrow, Kyle Singler and Dion Waiters to fill his shoes. They took it a step further by trading for Randy Foye at this year’s trade deadline.

All of these players have the potential to be nice role players, but expecting anything more than that wouldn’t be realistic. Even though Johnson has passed his prime, his ceiling is still higher than anybody else the Thunder have on the roster.

If the Thunder could sign Johnson for the veteran’s minimum, their rotation would be more versatile. Coach Billy Donovan could use Johnson in a small-ball lineup with Durant at power forward, which could be used to match up against the Golden State Warriors in a playoff series.

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Johnson’s ability to handle and distribute the ball would also be an upgrade over the current two-guards on the roster. For his career and this season, Johnson has averaged just over four assists per game, which is more than any of the other options OKC has.

He is also one of the most reliable players in crunch time, which will be a valuable resource during the playoffs. Johnson has a plethora of playoff experience as well, which is more than can be said for Foye, Waiters and Andre Roberson.

Inserting Johnson into the rotation would create a lot of flexibility with rotations and make the Thunder stronger on the offensive end. Opposing defenses would no longer be able to sag off whomever the Thunder put next to Westbrook in the backcourt.

Out of all the teams interested in Johnson’s services, none of them need him as bad as the Thunder.

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