The Brooklyn Nets were caught off-guard by a stunning medical revelation Thursday, as LaMarcus Aldridge, who instantly became a starter after joining the Nets via a buyout, announced his retirement from the game at the age of 35 due to an irregular heartbeat. Brooklyn will lean on DeAndre Jordan, Nicolas Claxton, and Alize Johnson to replace him.
The potentially most intriguing of the three is Johnson, who was signed to a 10-day contract after dominated with Raptors 905 in the G League. Johnson has averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 64% shooting since the Nets brought him on.
Johnson will undoubtedly see an uptick in minutes without Aldridge, as the Nets seem unwilling to let Blake Griffin play center for extended periods of time. This move sounds risky, but Brooklyn doesn’t have a ton of other options.
Johnson has proven that he can be a solid finisher at the rim and a pesky interior defender at times. Will that be enough to fill the huge void Aldridge’s heart just left in the middle of the Nets’ rotation?
Fun fact: Alize Johnson is shooting 71.9% from 2-point range.
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) April 11, 2021
How will Alize Johnson perform with the Brooklyn Nets?
Johnson’s best attribute is his motor and ability to run the floor. Johnson can handle the ball, if needed, while penetrating with ease and finishing at the rim. That effort doesn’t dissipate on the defensive end, one of the main reasons that he is able to consistently bang down low against much bigger and more experienced centers.
Aldridge was putting the ball in the basket in Brooklyn, but one of his main skills was the ability to distribute the ball and set up near the elbow. Johnson doesn’t have to be Nikola Jokic, but he should be able to keep the ball movement flowing as he tries to find one of Brooklyn’s three superstars for an uncontested look.
While this isn’t his main trick on the offensive side of things, he has also shown he can pull up from mid-range if needed to.
Johnson’s issues come with regard to his size. Luka Doncic plays point guard, yet is both taller and heavier than the 6-7, 212-pound Johnson the Nets will play at center. As well as he played against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Brooklyn’s loss, can the Nets really rely on him to replicate that over the course of a seven-game series?
Aldridge could at least throw his muscle around in the low post, while the smaller Johnson doesn’t have that luxury.
Aldridge wasn’t making a huge impact as a defender, but the Nets might be able to replicate what he did on the offensive end if Johnson gets extra minutes. His lack of great size and bulk could be a problem, but the Nets should be able to shoulder this burden if Nash deploys him in the right role.
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