JaJuan Johnson

[Celtics4ever]

I think he has a way higher ceiling than Walter.  He already has a better shot and better vertical.  Can we give the kid some preseason time before we trash him and see what he does to his body in the off season.   I am sure it is harder to train and learn during the season.

[clover]

I think JaJuan is very much a tweener at the NBA level.  He doesn't have the bulk to be PF, but he's not quick enough to be SF.  Unfortunately, he doesn't look to have the frame to put on enough weight.  He's fairly strong already, but battling in the post is as much about mass and center of gravity as it is about strength, and he's just not thick enough.  

We'll see how he develops.  If he becomes a good help defender and a passable man defender, then he'll probably score enough to be a net positive in his time on the court.  There are certainly a lot of things to like about his offensive tools, and 6'10" players with his athleticism aren't common.  So let's hope he figures it out and contributes next year.  

I think the greater concern with 3J may be brain speed, not foot speed.  He's actually pretty fast on the court.

[mmmmm]

Somebody asked how big Marcus Camby was when he entered the league:  6' 11", 220LB (pre-draft measurements from DraftExpress.com).

JaJuan was measured at 6' 10" (w/shoes), 220lb.

Some other notable skinny big men and their pre-draft measurements:

Kevin Garnett  6' 11", 217
Chris Bosh    6' 11.5", 225
Amare Stoudemire  6' 10", 233
Detlef Shrempf  6' 9", 214
Larry Nance    6' 10", 205
Rashard Lewis  6' 10", 190
Kevin Willis  7' 0", 220
P.J. Brown   6' 10", 225
Dikembe Mutombo  7' 1.25", 228
Lamar Odom   6' 10", 220

and many more ...

I am SOOO not worried about JJ's weight just yet.

The kid has ridiculous physical skills.  He has a great college pedigree.  He just hasn't had a legitimate chance to show anybody whether that can translate to the NBA.

He was buried 3+ deep at the PF position (KG, Bass, Wilcox were all ahead of him on the 'regular' depth chart and even Pierce when we 'went small').  On a playoff contender in a bizarre season that had almost zero time for training and development.   So its not surprising he got no minutes. (By comparison, E'Twuan was by virtue of playing both the 1 & 2 and bcause of injuries to Bradley, Ray, Dooling, et. all, was actually a bit closer to the frontlines.).

I think JJ will be fine.  But we won't know for sure until he gets a chance.  Let's wait at least until he's had a real Summer League and full training camp before we decide what his future will be.

[IanMello]

What's so tough with Johnson is that he still looked completely lost, even at the end of the season.  You just don't expect that with a guy who stayed in school.

That is both a good and bad sign.  On the bright side, it really does give me hope that its not just a matter of him being overmatched, and there is a chance that, once the head figures it out, the body will be there.  And where he does have the excuse of the fewer practices, and shortened training camp of the shortened season, there is enough reason there not to completely write him off. 

But, on the other side, it really makes me question whether he will ever get it enough to be a quality NBA player.  I don't think he is talented enough to make it on his talent alone.  He needs to be able to think the game, and so far, that has been a big issue.

I haven't seen a player as lost, for as long as Johnson has been since Leon Powe (who was completley lost for his first year and a half...and even beyond that was slow on his rotations).  Powe eventually figured it out, and maybe Johnson will too.  But, unfortunately, I don't think we will know what we have with Johnson until he figure it out.

Spot on.

Couple that with him being a "mouse in the house" every time he steps on the court against real NBA talent and you have a serious problem.

To me he's a bust of a pick until he shows me something, anything to make me believe he has the size or talent to play at this level.

[More Banners]

Somebody asked how big Marcus Camby was when he entered the league:  6' 11", 220LB (pre-draft measurements from DraftExpress.com).

JaJuan was measured at 6' 10" (w/shoes), 220lb.

Some other notable skinny big men and their pre-draft measurements:

Kevin Garnett  6' 11", 217
Chris Bosh    6' 11.5", 225
Amare Stoudemire  6' 10", 233
Detlef Shrempf  6' 9", 214
Larry Nance    6' 10", 205
Rashard Lewis  6' 10", 190
Kevin Willis  7' 0", 220
P.J. Brown   6' 10", 225
Dikembe Mutombo  7' 1.25", 228
Lamar Odom   6' 10", 220

and many more ...

I am SOOO not worried about JJ's weight just yet.

The kid has ridiculous physical skills.  He has a great college pedigree.  He just hasn't had a legitimate chance to show anybody whether that can translate to the NBA.

He was buried 3+ deep at the PF position (KG, Bass, Wilcox were all ahead of him on the 'regular' depth chart and even Pierce when we 'went small').  On a playoff contender in a bizarre season that had almost zero time for training and development.   So its not surprising he got no minutes. (By comparison, E'Twuan was by virtue of playing both the 1 & 2 and bcause of injuries to Bradley, Ray, Dooling, et. all, was actually a bit closer to the frontlines.).

I think JJ will be fine.  But we won't know for sure until he gets a chance.  Let's wait at least until he's had a real Summer League and full training camp before we decide what his future will be.

A couple of SF's on the list, though.

I like him penetrating and finishing.  If he can come off a curl like Pierce but get to the lane, he'll have a fine career whatever size he has.

I'd like to see him play more, just for my own amusement, and have them running plays for him.