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When the Rockets sign-and-traded Courtney Lee to Boston, the Rockets received two major assets back from the Celtics, the early second rounder from Charlotte and JaJuan Johnson. Some knew Johnson best for not being MarShon Brooks, but others were intrigued by his potential.
Count me firmly entrenched in the second camp. Johnson struggled to break through for consistent minutes on an older Celtics squad and could flourish if he can get consistent playing time in Houston.
Though I am bullish on Johnson's prospects, I must say I am no expert. Thankfully, Jeff Clark of Celticsblog was kind enough to join The Dream Shake to discuss him. Here's what he had to say about Johnson's game and his future:
JaJuan Johnson (affectionately called JJJ in Boston) seems to have a lot of talent and a few limitations that he'll have to get over to be an effective contributor in the NBA. He's got very nice touch from the midrange (though his release is pretty slow and deliberate - so he better be wide open). He's got offensive talent but needs to be more assertive. I thought it was rookie jitters in his limited minutes last year but then when he didn't step up in the summer league it raised the concern another level. You could make the excuse that summer league is a guard's league, but that didn't stop Sullinger and others from having solid summers.
He could use a few extra pounds but he's always going to be rail thin. So don't expect to see him banging with the bigs on the block. Perhaps he could work on his weak side defense and fit in that way, but the jury is still out on his overall defensive upside.
Essentially he has to focus on maximizing his length and minimizing his lack of bulk. If I had to project his career, I'd hope for an upside of "solid rotation" guy who plays a finesse game. On a good team he could fill in well off the bench. On a bad team he might not have much value except as a trade chip.
Many thanks are in order to Jeff for joining us today for this. If you have the time, check out Celticsblog, it's one of the best team blogs on the net.
Jump for the best links from this weekend!
Rockets Stuff
Houston Rockets' Jeremy Lin Visits Parents' Homeland Of Taiwan - ESPN
Jeremy Lin is on his first world tour as a Rocket.
UConn's Jeremy Lamb Back In State, Speaks To Kids - Hartford Courant
Don Amore has some great quotes from Jeremy Lamb on his fit with Jeremy Lin, and more.
Lin Says Not Aiming To Succeed Former Rockets Star Yao Ming - The China Post
Jeremy Lin discusses his goals, his heritage during his visit in Taiwan.
Looking Back
Top 10 Signings Of The Offseason | The Hoop Doctors
Rob De France on the ten best signings of the last month.
Five Years Later: How The Kevin Garnett Trade Changed The NBA | Lakers Nation
Always fun to look back at situations like this and wonder "what if?" Andrew Ungvari with the story this time.
Around The League
Johnson Reflects On Time In Boston - ESPN Boston
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston has the story on JaJuan Johnson's "just business" attitude to the trade. Hat tip to Jeff Clark of CelticsBlog for the find.
LeBron James' Late Rally Puts U.S. Men Past Lithuania - ESPN
The AP's story on the United States' struggles to pull away from Lithuania.
Kyle Lowry has started a juice business | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports
If you follow Lowry on Twitter, you'd be familiar with Lowry's latest business venture, the tasty looking Famjuice.
Report: The NBA Blocked Kevin Garnett’s Soccer Investment
Andrew Greif on why Kevin Garnett couldn't buy a stake in Roma. Also, an excellent picture.
Rockets Video Of The Day
(via JalenTV)