Food for thought. Would James Johnson be a good/bad replacement for Trevor Ariza? Discuss, convince each other, FIGHT!
Who would win in a fight? Ariza, no doubt. Johnson looks like a fake tough guy. No way he could beat up anyone.
ot - am i the only one who thinksits crazy he rarely gets blocks while being a 6'8 defensive wing with decent athleticism? his career avg is .2 or .3. im not saying he should be like james johnson but its crazy how he doesnt block many shots at all.
Crazy as it sounds blocks are not an indicator of good defense. This is because the perfect defense will force the opponent to not even attempt the shot and pass the ball to other guys. Morever some players actually play worse defense so they can block shots, for example Marcus Camby could have played physical and forced his opponent to pass the ball outside instead he sits back and lets the opponent take the shot so he can block it. Sometimes he fails and the shot goes in and sometimes he is able to block it "with authority!" straight into the baseline where the enemy can try again this time much closer to the basket. But none of that matters since at the end of the game he will have lots of blocks and show how good he is defensively.
He’s a Tucker 2.0 at 6’9 with legitimately good ball handling and passing abilities. Main issue his is shooting as he shot considerbly worse then our worse wing last season in Moute. He’s not that comparable to Ariza, but he’d be a nice addition to our squad and replace a lot of Arizas missed defense.
Hakeem was so great at blocking shots while keeping it in play, allowing his teammates (or himself) to grab the loose ball and start the break. You don't see that anymore these days. Everyone wants to spike the ball into the stands like they're volleyballing ala Chase Budinger.
I don't know if you are joking or not, but Johnson is a black belt in karate and has fought in matches in mixed martial arts. I don't think he is a fake tough guy.
like i said, he doesnt have to block a ton of shots. im surprised after all the shots he contested he rarely gets any blocks.
Here's another thought: What would it take to acquire him, in the event that we actually take serious interest?
Would be glad to have him to replace the hole that Ariza left. Brings toughness and length for defense that Rockets needs. Would like him over Batum or Bazemore.
James Johnson wouldn't really be a replacement for Trevor Ariza. While both players are capable of guarding multiple spots by switching, that is about all they have in common.