<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Shortly after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Amir Johnson pulled up to Detroit Osborn High in his new black Bentley coupe, stepped out and headed to the main office to read the morning's announcements.</p> Johnson was at Osborn for a Read To Achieve event and to support the Detroit Public Schools' Count Day. Johnson, 20, is not even three years removed from high school.</p> "It feels like it was just yesterday," he said outside a classroom. "I'm glad they picked me for this."</p> Now more than ever, the Pistons are pushing Johnson in the community and, soon enough, onto the basketball court.</p> Johnson, who made a name for himself in the NBA Developmental League, is months removed from signing a three-year contract worth about $12 million to remain a Piston. He has appeared in only 11 regular-season games in his two-year career, but the Pistons see an abundance of potential in Johnson and expect him to start playing meaningful minutes.</p> In return, Johnson wants to show the Pistons that they have made a smart investment in him, both on the court and off.</p> "They started me off slow last year and I'm glad they moved to bigger stuff," Johnson said of the community relations events. "And I'm just happy I have the opportunity to help the kids."</p> Johnson has been a busy young man this summer.</p> His off-season included a trip to China, where he appeared in a charity basketball game with Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, ex-Spartan Paul Davis and others against Yao Ming and the Chinese National Team.</p> Johnson's agent, Bill Duffy, who also represents Nash, Anthony, Paul Davis and Yao, approached Johnson about the mid-September event, which he called a "lifetime experience."</p> "It seemed like we became a family because it was basically all of us together," Johnson said. "We knew each other's language. I got to know a lot of the players. I definitely got their numbers. I'll see how they're doing during the season."</p> Back in the states, Johnson has worked hard to improve his strength and his perimeter game.</p> He has played in the Las Vegas Summer League as well as at home in Los Angeles, and has worked out at the Pistons' practice facility and in Chicago with Dwayne Wade, Quentin Richardson and other NBA players.</p> "I was everywhere, just trying to get my game better," Johnson said. "I was just kind of getting a feel of everybody so when I get in there and play it's nothing new to me."</div></p> Source: Detroit Free Press</p>
Three years is a pretty low risk investment. Essentially they added a high first round pick in terms of years and dollars, but they have seen him and worked with him for 2 years already.</p>
I think its a good contract and if you deem it a risk, it is one that you have to take. Amir has a ton of talent and at the end of this contract could become a very good player for the Pistons. If not, they just let his contract expire and it wont hurt the franchise at all.</p>
We have been told that Amir is the real deal, its just that he was in Souix Falls for the last 2 years. Hopfully Flip will play him this year.</p>
What risk is there? The kid absolutley dominated the NBDL, and almost posted a triple double in his first game with meaningful playing time in the NBA, among a couple other impressive NBA performances. I think its a bargain for the teams sake.</p>
