The LA Clippers are reportedly working out Joe Johnson, but signing him doesn’t really make sense with the way the roster is currently constructed.
Per ESPN’s Mark Spears, the LA Clippers, among others, are reportedly working out forward Joe Johnson. While the 38 year old has shown flashes of his former Iso Joe self in the Big 3, his fit with the Clips just doesn’t make sense.
Let’s start out with the roster. In what seems like a first for this franchise, the team has an abundance of wings. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are the obvious first two that come to mind, but Landry Shamet, Lou Williams, Maurice Harkless, Patrick Patterson, Rodney McGruder and possibly even rookie Terance Mann will see time at the two or three position during the season.
By my count, that’s seven guys who will be playing on the wing. Yes, you can argue some such as Leonard, Harkless and Patterson may play some small ball four, but that’s a moot point. There is depth needed at other spots such as the center and point guard positions. Why not look to fill a hole there instead with the final spot?
Now, let’s look at Johnson. He’s 38. You know who else is that old in the NBA?
- Vince Carter – 42 years old and on the bench for the Hawks in a mentor role
- Jamal Crawford – 39 years old and still without a team this season
- Udonis Haslem – 39 years old and seemingly never retiring from the end of the Heat bench
- Kyle Korver – 38 years old and providing some shooting in Utah
- Pau Gasol – 38 years old and likely providing spot bench minutes in Milwaukee
That’s it. That’s everyone in the league this season that will be 38 years or older. Only two of them, Korver and Gasol, look to get any sort of actual playing time.
“But age is just a number, Ryan!”
Well, you’re right. Except it really isn’t. Let’s not sit here and act like Joe Johnson put up some impressive numbers when he was last in the NBA. Johnson last appeared during the 2017-18 season for the Houston Rockets. He played only 23 games with them, putting up a paltry 6.0 points per game on 38.1% shooting. Keep in mind, this was in a Mike D’Antoni system which favors offenses heavily.
Don’t forget, his nickname is Iso Joe, so it’s not like he’s providing a ton else. Playmaking? Nah. Defense? Ha. What you get at most is someone who can get buckets. That’s not a bad thing, but again, there are guys already on the team who can do that at a more effective level.
After all this negativity, I will say this: I’m not 100% against a Joe Johnson signing. He can help on load management nights and maybe will be revitalized for one more run at a championship ring. However, I think there are better uses for that final roster spot as the team heads into the season.