Brooklyn Nets: Quarter Season Review

Joe Johnson

Statistics: 22 GP, 35.0 MIN, 11.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 36% FG%, 28% 3P% 9.69 PER

One word to describe his season: Old

Joe Johnson is old.

It’s a fact the Nets are having a hard time grasping, and understandably so. The 34-year-old has been a consummate professional throughout his NBA career, and that hasn’t changed since he joined the Nets in 2012. His game, which seemed to defy age for years, had been solid as he entered his 30s, earning an all-star appearance in 2013 (his age 32 season) and producing clutch shot after clutch shot with ease.

Some players see their game decline gracefully (see: Tim Duncan), and others see their game fall of a cliff (see: Kobe Bryant). Unfortunately for the Nets, Joe Johnson seems to fit the latter.

A career 44% shooter and 37% shooter from three, Johnson is shooting just 36% overall and 28% from three, dramatic decreases from his career averages. He’s also averaging his lowest point total since 2003, just 11.3 points per contest.

If the Nets were going to be at all successful this season, they needed Joe Johnson to decline with grace. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. Yet, the rarely injured forward still shows up to play night in and night out, and still shows flashes of a reliable crunch time scorer. He’s still a likable guy, but his play has clearly seen a drop off. He’s just old.