Amir Johnson
Amir Johnson isn’t the sexy choice for the Lakers. He’s the least salacious option available.
If Dwight Howard’s a surly dragon and Joakim Noah’s an aged horse, then Amir Johnson’s a friendly donkey.
That’s not insulting. Donkey’s get a bad rap, but the “almost horses” are magnificent animals. Donkeys are steady, extremely hard-working, and typically very friendly.
Amir Johnson’s stats don’t stand out. Last season he averaged 4 PPG, 3 RPG, and 0.3 BPG while playing 10 minutes per contest.
Despite Johnson’s lack of name recognition and flashiness, he has the qualities that the Lakers urgently need from their backup center;
- He’s never suffered a major injury.
- He’s a great locker room guy.
- He’s a solid defender.
Amir Johnson’s the polar opposite of Dwight Howard. He doesn’t try to get highlight blocks or dunks. Instead, he plays an excellent brand of position defense, never missing an assignment.
Amir Johnson’s also different from Joakim Noah. Noah loves to go for steals on defense, which sometimes leaves his team in the lurch. Johnson doesn’t care about steals; he’s always in the right place at the right time.
If the Lakers sign Amir Johnson, LA fans won’t cheer, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll give the Purple and Gold a defensive-minded center who can play 12 to 15 minutes per game with little chance of missing time due to injury.
Amir Johnson is easily the Lakers best option for the backup center position next season.