What a nice little surprise Armon Johnson is turning out to be

Ah.

I'm not a Sessions fan. That would explain the disconnect.

I will say that what I've seen of Armon's shot doesn't scream "YIKES!" at me. Perhaps he has revamped his shooting? His shot looks fluid, which is half of the battle for getting a consistent shot.

 

I agree, it has a nice arc, he has decent form and he doesn't appear to have any weird hitches in his stroke. I kind of wonder why he had so much trouble from the college line, maybe he shot too many contested 3s or something?

 

A lot of his 3's in college were pull-ups in transition.

 

So would you say he was a better catch and shoot guy? I'm just trying to wrap my brain around why his long ball was so poor, when his shot actually "looks" OK.

 

still too small of a sample for me to judge, he's had some really bright moments and some really rookie moments - all up, its enough to make me think once he learns the nba game he could easily be a serviceable pg for us

 

Much better in the flow of the offense. From the games I remember watch Nevada, which was about a handful, he was always pushing the ball.

 

So did Avery Johnson. That AJ didn't have any elite tools, just like "our" AJ, but that tear drop in the lane made him pretty effective. And our AJ looks to be a much better defender.

 

That's kind of an interesting comparison, really. Armon is a lot bigger (by 4 or 5 inches, at least) and longer. Avery only had a couple of years as a high-assist PG. But despite not being an elite passer and despite having no perimeter shot and despite being short, he made it 15 years in the NBA on determination, hustle and that shot.

 

I'm going to say something that on its face is audacious, but I would ask you to think not about the player he turned out to be, but the player he was his rookie year. The player Armon Johnson really reminds me of as a rookie is...Terry Porter. The toughness, the hard-nosed D, leadership qualities, not a great outside shooter but a decent runner, okay on the break, not terrific court vision but crafty getting to the hole.

What took TP to the next level was his work ethic. He worked on his passing, running the break and his three point shot. Let's hope our new courtside reporter takes him under his wing.

 

Agree with comparison Maxie, and from what we have heard is has an incredible work ethic and is constantly questioning the vets for their knowledge

 

Armon at his young age can successfully split a double team and can either drop a shot, or find his open teammates on the wings. That, in itself, is a skill that few rookie PGs have.

I didn't really care much about this guy, but he's turning out to be a keeper. (And his outside shot isn't that bad either. He doesn't have any noticeable hitches nor does he have an awkward release).

 

All that matters this season for Armon is getting some playing time and getting his feet wet in this league. I can live with his mistakes. We're not winning a championship this year with the current situation of the team anyways.

He is starting to get consistent minutes and that will only help Armon. So far this season the ONLY thing I've been looking forward to in these games is seeing Armon play. I don't even mind his turnovers because they're usually with the intension of getting a teammate involved. He just has to get smarter and that only comes with experience.

 

Preach on Max!

 

That's funny I was just thinking the same thing the other day when I was watching Adam Bjadskfksdln and Terry Porter on trailblazers.tv. You're right, its not so much the style per se but rather the hustle, drive and work ethic. But it would not surprise me at all if AJ ended up with the same kind of game and we can only pray that he ends up having the same impact as Porter.

Nice call Maxiep. Repped.