Boston Celtics 2016-17 Report Cards: Amir Johnson

Despite falling into an uncertain role, Amir Johnson was a consummate professional for the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics have become a young, athletic team who love to shoot from beyond the three-point line. This left 6’9″ power forward Amir Johnson with a difficult choice: change his game or watch his role get changed.

Johnson’s second season with the Celtics was his twelfth season in the NBA. He is only 30 years old, but coming straight out of high school into the NBA Draft in 2005 put extra wear on his body. There is no denying that Johnson is now a slow, rarely intense player these days, but he still proved to be a crucial piece to the team’s front court.

Johnson played 80 games this season, starting 77, and delivered some noteworthy performances. On November 2nd against Chicago, he scored a season-high 23 points and went four-for-four from three-point range. He scored 17 points with six rebounds and five assists against Oklahoma City on December 11th.

More from Chowder and Champions

Though the team as a whole struggled while Al Horford missed early games with a concussion and Tyler Zeller struggled through a sinus infection, Johnson remained a steady player. He averaged 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds while Horford was out, helping to at least keep his team in games.

The Good

Keeping with the changes around the league, Johnson both took and made the most three point shots of his career. He shot 40.9% from three, or 27 of 66, despite it taking him ten seconds to load up, set himself, and release a shot. He had a generally good shooting season, despite not taking many shots. Johnson shot 61.2% from two-point range and 67% from the free throw line.

Johnson’s best quality this season was his attitude. He only played 20.1 minutes per game, so he often fond himself on the bench talking to the young players and showing genuine enthusiasm whenever his teammates made great players. He never once complained about his role or his minutes, he never publicly asked to player more, and he never criticized the coaching staff for benching him at times. He was never the Celtics best player, but he certainly proved to be one of the best teammates.

The Bad

Johnson had one of the worst rebounding seasons of his career, averaging only 4.6 per game, below his already low career average of 5.4 per game. He has never been a big scorer, but again, his 6.5 points per game were his lowest since 2009-10 when he scored 6.2 per game. The difference is that Johnson only started five games in 2009-10.

After twelve years of basketball, Johnson has clearly lost some defensive intensity. He can no longer keep up with quick point guards who get inside the paint and he can no longer box out stronger centers to at least allow a teammate to get a rebound. These issues became so apparent for the Celtics that Johnson initially lost his starting spot after the team lost their first two playoff games to Chicago and eventually fell out of the rotation for most of the series.

Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

Final Grade

Despite his playoff benching, Johnson continued to be a great teammate and strong veteran presence for a young team. His performance on the court earns a C, since he did contribute solid minutes at times and was a healthy body when the Celtics were in desperate need. His performance off the court deserves an A, though, considering he never once complained about his role and his often changing status.

Johnson’s initial contract with the Celtics was for two years and $24 million. He was the Celtics most expensive player until Horford came along and the fact of the matter is that he is no longer worth $12 million a year. After twelve years in an extremely physical league, Johnson’s body is losing steam quickly.

Next: Boston Celtics draft news: Markelle Fultz had bad shooting day during workout

The Celtics could certainly find a younger upgrade for Johnson this offseason, but his locker room presence will be missed.

Home/Boston Celtics