A Joe Johnson Game Winner
There’s no questioning that Joe Johnson has been an impressive addition to the Utah Jazz roster this season. Even if he didn’t score a single point or log a single minute, his mere veteran experience and locker room presence would provide an important boost for this Jazz squad.
Yet he’s done much more than just be a vocal leader, he’s also been a solid contributor on the court, especially by helping the Jazz reach their current record amidst so many injuries. In a career-low 22.3 minutes, Johnson is still averaging 8.3 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from deep.
Even those numbers are misleading, though, as Iso Joe has had some big impact games and come through with clutch shots in several key moments.
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However, I have to admit that despite his age I was hoping to see a little more out of Joe Johnson this season. Clearly, he’s likely saving some of his gas for the playoffs, but Utah signed him largely to be a dominant late-game presence as he is known for his ability to take over when the stakes are highest.
Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as a cold-blooded scorer, capable of knocking down game-sealing shots in the final seconds. Below are a few examples from his days in Brooklyn and Atlanta:
Knowing that Joe is capable of such, I can’t help but think it’s only a matter of time before we see him knock down one of those huge shots in a Jazz jersey. Johnson has been great for this team, but this season still needs some Iso Joe heroics in the form of an ice cold, game-winning dagger.
He still has plenty of time to continue to prove his worth on this Jazz team and hopefully that time extends into a playoff run, but once the right situation presents himself, I fully expect the Jazz to look to a proven clutch performer in Joe Johnson to go out and cap off a victory for them.
And a game winner like that would be a great touch to this incredible season and even more fully solidify the move of adding Joe Johnson to the Jazz roster.