This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When you think of the Jazz, Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and George Hill stand out, and for good reason. They have been Utah's three best players.
Quietly, though, Joe Johnson has emerged as a guy who is important to the team's success. When he signed with Utah in free agency, the expectation was for him to play a backup wing role, which he has done effectively.
But heading into Saturday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Johnson's become a viable option at power forward, allowing the Jazz to go small around Rudy Gobert with shooters and playmakers.
"I think a lot of the time, we have to be careful with five-man lineups," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "But obviously, with Joe, there's noise there. When you watch us with Joe at the four, we obviously function well with him there."
Functioning well with Johnson at power forward may actually be an understatement. Utah's offensive rating when Johnson is playing there is 116, which would lead the NBA. The Jazz shoot 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range when Johnson is their power forward.
In Wednesday's road win over the Houston Rockets, arguably the single best win of the season for the Jazz, Johnson made his first start at the four, with usual starter Derrick Favors out.
The offense the Jazz produced was striking. The Jazz shot 54 percent and made 12 of 31 from 3-point range. They still missed open looks, and they turned the ball over 16 times. But the offense was easy to come by. The Jazz produced wide-open shots, and it was just a matter of being able to knock them down.
For Johnson, this is the first time in a long career he's played at the four exclusively. He dabbled at the position last season when he went to the Miami Heat after a trade deadline buyout from the Brooklyn Nets. But he started his career as a shooting guard. The game is different for him now.
"I think playing me at power forward keeps the floor spaced," Johnson said in late February. "It gives the offense another ball-handler and creator. It takes the pressure off Gordon and Rodney [Hood] and George. But it is different. A lot of times, I'm guarding a bigger guy. I have to know the plays and different reads. But I don't mind. I just want to be on the court."
Johnson at power forward creates a balancing act of sorts for Snyder. Favors has earned the right to be the starter, and to play starting minutes. And for as good a shape as Johnson is in, he's still 35 years old. So Johnson is playing 22.7 minutes a game, his lowest total since 2001-2002, his rookie season.
Snyder's done other things with Johnson. He played 23 minutes in the win against the Rockets, and those minutes were all played with Gobert, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA. And Johnson responded, scoring 16 points in those 23 minutes, and hitting the key 3-pointer that put the game out of reach.
Favors is the unquestioned starter going forward. But Johnson's been a part of Utah's closing lineup for a significant portion of the year. As long as he's healthy, Johnson should play a key role for the Jazz come playoff time. After all, he's got more than 100 postseason games on his resume.
"He's a real calming factor on the floor," Utah forward Joe Ingles said. "He's important for us to stretch the floor. Defensively, he can guard point guards through power forwards. He just makes things easier out there for a lot of us."
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder
P At Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City Tipoff • Saturday, 1 p.m. MST
TV • ROOT
Radio • 1280 AM; 97.5 FM
Records • Utah 41-24; Oklahoma City 36-29
Last Meeting • Oklahoma City 109-106 (Feb. 28)
About the Jazz • The Jazz are currently leading the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. The top four teams get home-court advantage in the first round. … The Jazz are 10-15 against .500-or-better teams this season. That is the worst among winning teams in the NBA. … Utah has won four consecutive games and six of eight since the All-Star break. … Jazz center Rudy Gobert has had at least one blocked shot in 34 consecutive games. … Utah is 13-1 this season when it scores at least 110 points
About the Thunder • Oklahoma City is 25-6 this season when Russell Westbrook records a triple-double. … Rookie power forward Domantas Sabonis came off the bench for the first time in his career in Thursday's win over San Antonio. … OKC snapped a four-game losing streak with its win over the Spurs. The Thunder also moved into the sixth spot in the Western Conference. … If OKC defeats the Jazz, the Thunder will own the head-to-head tiebreaker should the teams finish with identical records.