NBA Summer League 2010: Nothing Exciting About Bulls' James Johnson
When the Bulls were courting LeBron James, James Johnson was part of the Bulls’ “strong supporting cast” that LeBron could work with.
Before the Bulls added Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, the cast featured mostly Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng (arguably). For some reason, one that I cannot understand, James Johnson was mentioned on and off as one who could help LeBron and the Bulls win a title.
As a heralded first-round pick for the Bulls, Johnson turned out to be a bust. The Bulls got lucky with their other first-round pick in Taj Gibson, who picked up Johnson’s slack in the front court.
Being the only Bull with a guaranteed contract in the Bulls’ summer league, Johnson failed to impress, again.
Over the five games, he scored 40 points. He went 2-for-14 against the Kings in their last game. He also racked up 32 fouls in that five-game span, proving his laziness (or just incoherency) on defense.
Someone entering his second year in the pros, especially after receiving generous minutes in his rookie season, should not have performances like that in the summer league.
His biggest highlights Vegas were when he had the ball and looked like he knew what he was doing. Other than that, Johnson most looked like a chicken without its head and didn’t move well off the ball. That's nothing new from last season with the Bulls.
As a rookie, Johnson came with a mix of tools that looked fitting in the Bulls' rotation. He just never knew how to use them effectively.
At times in his first season, he showed spurts of athleticism and his ability to score. Problem is, at times, he showed mind-lapses and lack of hustling.
Sometimes, his high motor was on; sometimes it was off.
Nonetheless, he’s best described as consistently inconsistent until proven otherwise.
Sure, Johnson dropped 25 pounds and has shown his commitment to a better work ethic as he’s hitting the gym more. He’s still not worth the high hopes.
The problem, for Johnson, is his confidence. There’s a lot of summer left, including training camp and the preseason. If he can fully settle into an NBA mentality, then maybe he can improve from the disappointments.
