Here are three thoughts from the Nets’ 113-102 loss to the Hawks Wednesday night in Atlanta:
1. Anyone who doubted Joe Johnson’s ability to still take over games, or thought he was trying to make excuses about how much pain he’s been playing through, should be silenced now.
Johnson went into great detail following Saturday’s blowout loss in Utah about how he’s been playing through tendinitis in his right knee, as well as a left ankle issue, and how the only thing that will improve his condition is rest – which won’t come until the All-Star Break, when the Nets have 10 days between games.
But the postponement of Monday’s game in Brooklyn because of the threat of Winter Storm Juno gave Johnson three full days between the game in Utah and the game Wednesday in Atlanta, and it showed. Johnson dominated, finishing with 26 points – including going 3-for-6 from 3-point range – and looking like the player who was an All-Star candidate through the first two months of the season.
Johnson is never one to complain, and because the Nets are banged up he’s not going to sit out before the break, even though he should. But Wednesday’s game should be a reminder of what Johnson’s capable of when he’s playing at close to full health.
2. Nets coach Lionel Hollins made an interesting decision with his starting lineup, inserting Alan Anderson for Bojan Bogdanovic. It made a lot of sense. Anderson had an uncharacteristically strong offensive game – he finished with 15 points and six assists in 36 minutes – but his bigger value could come at the other end of the floor.
Because neither Bogdanovic nor Sergey Karasev is a strong defensive player, whenever either one of them has started next to Johnson – as they have for the vast majority of this season – it means Johnson has to be the primary wing defender in addition to his offensive responsibilities.
Having Anderson out there to take on one of the opponent’s better scorers allows Johnson to take a break at times. It also allows Bogdanovic, who is much more of a scorer than Anderson, to be more aggressive with the second unit.
Hollins should consider keeping this lineup, especially with Johnson playing through his knee and ankle issues.
3. Yet another reminder of how much the Nets need Deron Williams to return from his fractured rib cartilage: How sideways things went when Darius Morris was in the game.
The Nets were a minus-5 in the 38 minutes played by starting point guard Jarrett Jack and minus-6 in the 10 minutes played by Morris, who finished 0-for-6. That brings Morris to minus-50 in 159 minutes over the 12 games since Williams initially suffered the injury on Jan. 4.
While the Nets have continued their season-long struggles with Jack on the floor from a metrics standpoint, Morris is a flat-out liability. Morris didn’t ask to be put in this position, of course, but he’s not taking advantage of the opportunity.
The Nets are nearly seven points per 100 possessions better when Williams plays this season than when he sits. It’ll be hard for them to get their season turned around until he’s back on the court.