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No one is panicking, but fans are worried. Is "Brooklyn's Backcourt" really that good? Is Joe Johnson worth what he's owed? When will he return to form?
Johnson has had an up-and-down start to his Nets career, but mostly down.
While he's averaging 14.9 points, not horrible for a new role with a new team, the underlying numbers are not so pretty. He is shooting 36.4 percent overall and 37.3 percent from deep. His career numbers are 44.3 and 36.8. The real issue is that he has been inconsistent. Just when you think he's finally untracked, as it appeared in the game vs. Cleveland and to a lesser degree with Boston, he regresses. In the last three games, he's shot 12-for-39 or 30.7 percent. That includes a 1-for-10 stinker vs. the Kings.
Stefan Bondy talked to both Johnsons, Joe and Avery, about the situation. "Every time he shoots it I think it’s going to in," Avery Johnson said. "You can utilize him in a lot of different ways... We’ll figure that out. He needs to touch the ball, and when he touches it, something good is going to happen ... I don’t want him passing up shots, even if he missed three or four in a row. Take the next one."
As for Joe, who admits being a bit hesitant, he's confident things will change. "I put a lot of this on myself. I missed a lot of easy shots down the stretch that I normally make ... "My teammates to put me in great positions to make big plays and I just missed a few."
- Johnson not shooting like All-Star in first handful of games with new team - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- From Iso-Joe to Ice-Cold-Joe Johnson - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- Brooklyn by the numbers - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- What’s up with Joe Johnson? - Vivek - Wages of Wins