Nick Johnson is Back in Action!
Nick Johnson is starting a new adventure in the NBA D-League as a part of the Spurs Organization.
On December 28, 2015, the Austin Spurs announced they picked up Nick Johnson from the available player pool, and he was able to join the team in time for the Spurs road game against the Santa Cruz Warriors last night. Johnson wore the number 31 on the back of his jersey in the first game the Spurs have ever played at the AT&T Center. The Spurs beat Santa Cruz 111-92,
Nick Johnson played 24 minutes in his debut with his new team scoring 13 points, making three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. To see pictures of Johnson doing his thing tonight, click here.
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Nick Johnson was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 2nd round (12th pick, 42nd overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft. The stacked Rockets and their coach at the time, Kevin McKale, never seemed to give Nick a chance to play, the team made it to the NBA Semifinals and lost to the Golden State Warriors. While in Houston, Johnson was teammates with NBA Veteran and former Arizona Wildcat Jason Terry.
Head coach Kevin McHale was fired early this season for no apparent reason other than possible player complaints. Serves him right for not recognizing talent when it is right in front of his eyes.
After his rookie year, Johnson was traded by the Houston Rockets to the Denver Nuggets organization earlier this season. The Nuggets released Johnson six pre-season games into the 2015 season.
After all, Johnson was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in addition to receiving Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and First-Team All-Pac-12 honors in his junior year. He averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.1 minutes in the 38 games he played at the University of Arizona.
Ryan McCallum, ProjectSpurs.com, is energized by this move by the Austin Spurs and positive about Johnson’s chances to get onto the San Antonio Spurs roster:
"His [Johnson] acquisition now makes the Austin Spurs guard depth a real factor for the D-League, pushing the roster to seven guards. For the San Antonio Spurs, it provides yet another point guard with NBA experience to the coach Gregg Popovich’s pool.The Spurs continue to maximize their relationship with their D-League affiliate in Austin. Fans should pay attention to the roster for the Austin Spurs, as they will surely see several of those players donning NBA jerseys in the years to come."
McCallum explains how important the Austin Spurs organization is to the San Antonio Spurs, ‘No NBA franchise has used the D-League better than the San Antonio Spurs. The modus operandi of the Spurs usage of the Austin-based affiliate is more fluid than any draft-and-stash scheme. The Spurs leverage the D-League to allow players to get professional minutes with a mindset of growing that talent, versus allowing them to languish at the end of a stacked NBA bench (i.e. Ray McCallum).’
Apr 2, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Nick Johnson (3) shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Charlie Villanueva (3) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Along with Johnson, the Spurs also acquired Tim Hardaway Jr from the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club (NBA Team) by “assignment” under the flexible assignment rule. Also, the Spurs recalled guard Ray McCallum from the Austin Spurs.
The Spurs D-League team is the team to beat, and Nick couldn’t be in a better place to show the league his basketball chops. This team is stacked and primed to win the D-League championship.
In related news…earlier before the season start, Rockets assistant coach and former Wildcat Matt Brase was promoted to head coach of the Rockets D-League team the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Brase’s team is working on a five-game winning streak and is currently sitting at 10-6 in the Southwest Division. The Austin Spurs, with a 13-3 record, are in first place in the same division.
Brase was Johnson’s Rockets coach last season. Now the two will be competing against each other. So catch a Spurs vs. Vipers game near you.
Related Story: Rockets D-League Team, The Vipers, Names a Wildcat as Their New Head Coach!
We wish all of our former Cats much success!
BEARDOWN!