The mystery of Amir Johnson - why no amnesty talk for his terrible contract?

[CT2010]

I watched pretty much every game last season and have caught 3/4 of this year. I know Amir was struggling with back problems last year and this year I suppose he has more psychological issues. Even when he's healthy I'm not sure he's a $6.5M a year guy. He doesn't have that impact off the bench such as Barbosa.

I'm curious if he were to start whether he would get in quick foul trouble like the old days. I like his hustle and energy but his contract is too much considering the crowded PF spot.

I don't remember which thread it is in, but someone did a comparison or all the players making the same money as Amir, their stats, impact on the game etc. and Amir was one of the most effective players for the money.

[mcHAPPY]

I watched pretty much every game last season and have caught 3/4 of this year. I know Amir was struggling with back problems last year and this year I suppose he has more psychological issues. Even when he's healthy I'm not sure he's a $6.5M a year guy. He doesn't have that impact off the bench such as Barbosa.

I'm curious if he were to start whether he would get in quick foul trouble like the old days. I like his hustle and energy but his contract is too much considering the crowded PF spot.

He doesn't make $6.5M a year though.

2010-11: $5M
2011-12: $5.5M
2012-13: $6.0M
2013-14: $6.5M
2014-15: $7.0M

Considering he is 24, his production, the production of other big men within his salary range, and the fact he is just entering his prime, it is my opinion he has a very decent salary.

Regarding him starting, his ideal role was never to start. He has started due to injuries, match ups, or lack of talent on the roster - which will surely be addressed next year when JV arrives.

His impact of the bench this year has been minimal until the WSH game last night due to it corresponding with his recent struggles. However, last year in 18 games off the bench, here were his stats:

19.8 minutes
8.5 points
.583 FG% on 5.3 attempts
.891 FT% on 2.6 attempts
5.8 rebounds (3.1 offensive)
0.6 assists
0.9 blocks
0.6 steals
1.0 turnover


I disagree with the notion he doesn't have an impact like Barbosa off the bench.
I disagree with the notion his contract is too much given the crowded PF spot.

I think the only thing we agree on is the PF spot is crowded and some moves will be made before the start of next season.

[Regression]

^ I meant $6.5M, on average, for the next three years.

I probably sound like an Amir hater but I actually like him. I just don't think he fits well here. I wouldn't want to amnesty him as much as potentially trade him for a PG/SF. Paying $6.5M for a backup for a struggling team like Toronto that hasn't made it to the playoffs in x years is tough.

Next year we'll have Jonas at C and Bargnani at PF. Then you have Ed Davis whose younger and already has a bigger body. Amir can't play C because he gets in foul trouble too quickly.

I'm going to give him the benefit of the season. I know Raptors fan hate/love relationship after one bad/good game. I'm interested to see his stats after this season and then I can have a clearer opinion. Last year I was disappointed with his foul trouble issues... he was unhealthy with his back problems though.

Here's a pic of Amir and Kleiza from the Nets game I went to:



What is Amir doing here?

[Bendit]

I see a bandage on his thumb. And he is standing around with his team mates and best I can infer is these pics were taken during a timeout...though that is a guess. I dont get what you are implying...please explain...and the context and his history with the Raps.

[Puffer]

In the first picture, he and Jamal are listening to Coach Casey telling them how important they are to the team. In the second picture he is responding to Regressions suggestion that Davis has a bigger body, saying "Does he have guns like these? That's why that mofo can't hold onto a ball in the paint. Got no uppa body strength. Fool!"

[Regression]

^ lol

Bendit, they were just random pics.

[footarez]

Personally, I would like to see where everyone gets this "Davis has more potential" information from. Smaller frame, can't hit the basket from 15 feet out, doesn't run like Amir, doesn't get the loose balls, gets rebounds, but all last year and most of this he has been playing against bench players. Exactly what is it about him that makes everyone gaga about his potential?

Yes,me too. Where is this potential coming from... Talk to us about potential when you put him to guard the more talented front court players for a couple of years. Amir has been guarding the better offesnive STARTING big man for almost 2 years now - with good rebounding,GREAT fg % and great hustle plays that don't show up on the stats.

[Nilanka]

Davis does seem to have some pretty weak hands. He has a hard time accepting bullet passes, and gets stripped a lot in the paint. He definitely wouldn't make a very good wide receiver...

[Fully]

Amir has had more bad games than good ones lately but over the entire course of his career he's proven to be a high energy, efficient player who does a lot of good things that fall outside of the box score. He also appears to be a high character individual who connects well with his teammates. He's under the age of 25. He wants to be in Toronto. These types of players are much harder to find than some posters on this site make it out to be. The day the Raptors trade away Amir Johnson they will start looking for another player to replace these qualities.

For the camp who thinks we need to move AJ in order to clear up the 'clog' in the frontcourt we have, why not wait until JV actually arrives in the NBA and proves that he's ready for heavy minutes before we started trading away or amnestying (I mean really?) quality big men. You're falling into the Colangelo trap of assuming that Jonas' dominance of the league is a foregone conclusion at this point. Trading Johnson (or Ed Davis for that matter) would be beyond silly at this point considering that we have no idea how JV will transition to the league and we've been shorthanded in the frontcourt this season with Bargnani's absence from a lot of games.

[Regression]

Amir was efficient tonight but it's just too obvious that Amir and Ed cannot co-exist, especially with Jonas coming next year.