10-08-2008, 05:12 PM
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 | Contributor | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicaaago
Posts: 10,675
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| Re: Amir will start at PF
Hollinger's player rating/ profile on Amir Johnson: Quote: 2007-08 season: Remind me again why this guy didn't play more? Johnson shot 55.8 percent, had the second-best rate of blocks in basketball, ranked in the top third of centers in rebound rate, and lost his minutes in the postseason to Theo Ratliff. Really.
Sure, he's a bit raw. Johnson was mistake-prone, with 10 offensive fouls and six illegal defense violations in just 769 minutes, and he wasn't always in the right spots on D. But he was also devastatingly effective, ranking 14th among centers in PER. There is absolutely nothing in his track record to suggest this was a fluke either -- his numbers from his previous two D-League seasons and his scraps of NBA time have all been outstanding.
Scouting report: Johnson is listed at 6-9 because that was his height when he turned pro out of high school, but he now appears to be 6-11 or even seven feet. He has a thin frame and still needs to add muscle, and he has no perimeter game to speak of -- last year he was 5-for-26 on shots outside the immediate basket area.
However, he's a freak of an athlete. Johnson has made at least one crowd-wowing play every time I've seen him perform, whether it be a flying swat or a soaring follow dunk, and despite his slender frame he's a superb rebounder. Right now his biggest issue is his propensity for turnovers, but otherwise he appears to be one of the game's top big man prospects, a Marcus Camby in the making.
2008-09 outlook: Johnson unquestionably needs to play more, but it's hard to see how he'll crack a rotation that includes Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Jason Maxiell, and Kwame Brown. OK, scratch that last part, but the first three guys will be difficult to displace. Somehow, the Pistons need to get this kid (he's still only 21) at least 20 minutes a night to let him develop, because game experience is probably his biggest need and he's shown he can run with the big boys.
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