Atlantic Notes: Bennett, Fisher, Celtics, Knicks
Anthony Bennett doesn’t regret having become the No. 1 overall pick in 2013, but in encouraging him to move past that, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri hinted in comments to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he can envision keeping Bennett beyond this season even if he doesn’t make a leap this year. Toronto signed Bennett to just a one-year deal for the minimum salary when the team brought him aboard last month.
“We look at giving Anthony an opportunity to actually grow and be a player,” Ujiri said. “It’s not a one-year thing here. It’s going to take time. All that No. 1 pick and all that stuff, we had a conversation with him. Let’s move on from that. Now it’s about how you become a very good NBA player, which we all know he can be.”
See more from the Atlantic Division:
- It was Derek Fisher who was the victim when Matt Barnes reportedly attacked him, but the Knicks coach invited scrutiny when he skipped practice to travel 3,000 miles away, ostensibly to see his children, and wound up at the home of Barnes’ ex-wife, opines Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The missed practice and the distraction brought upon his team will make Fisher’s job performance a more common subject for criticism this season, Isola believes.
- The first-round picks that the Nets, Timberwolves and Mavericks owe them and the playoff appearance from last season signal that the Celtics would be well-served to put more of an emphasis on winning this year, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald argues. Bulpett points to this summer’s moves as evidence that the C’s feel the same way.
- The Knicks formally hired Mike Miller as the coach of their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Miller, who’s not the player by the same name, is a former associate head coach at Kansas State. Isola first reported in August that the move was close.
Top Bloggers: William Lou On The Raptors
Anyone can have a blog about an NBA team, but some set themselves apart from the rest with the dedication and valuable insight they bring to their craft. We’ll be sharing some knowledge from these dialed-in writers on Hoops Rumors in a new feature called Top Bloggers. As with The Beat, our ongoing series of interviews with NBA beat writers, it’s part of an effort to bring Hoops Rumors readers ever closer to the pulse of the teams they follow. Last time, we spoke with Anthony Puccio of SBNation’s Nets Daily. Click here to see the entire Top Bloggers series.
Next up is William Lou, who is the NBA News Editor at the Score and a contributor at RaptorsRepublic.com, which is part of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network . You can follow William on Twitter at @william_lou and click here to check out his stories. You can also follow Raptors Republic at @raptorsrepublic.
Hoops Rumors: A number of the Raptors’ offseason moves appear to have been made with the intention of improving their defense, which was ranked No. 23 overall in the NBA last season. Do you think the team succeeded in this goal?
William Lou: The Raptors’ defense suffered last season because they had a roster of weak defenders that couldn’t keep up with the demands of their aggressive style of defense.
As for the roster, GM Masai Ujiri definitely improved his team’s defense by bringing in three plus defenders in Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, and Bismack Biyombo, while jettisoning two minus defenders in Lou Williams and Greivis Vasquez. In doing so, Ujiri addressed his team’s two biggest weaknesses from last season: perimeter defense and shot-blocking.
However, it’s fair to question how much effect those newcomers will have on a Raptors’ defense that still employs the same head coach and the same core players. Early word out of training camp suggests that the Raptors might switch to a more conservative style of defense this season, which would especially minimize the defensive shortcomings of 23-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas. But until the team learns its new defensive scheme, it remains unclear as to whether an improvement has been made.
Hoops Rumors: The offseason additions of DeMarre Carroll and Bismack Biyombo appear to be tied directly to the team’s new defensive agenda. What do you think about these deals, and will Carroll’s performance live up to the level of his contract (four years, $58MM)?
William Lou: It’s a bit of a tired trope this offseason, but it’s true: the rising salary cap makes almost every deal signed this summer seem palatable. That especially applies to a player like Carroll, who was rewarded handsomely for posting just two productive seasons in the league to date, but it’s a fair price for a solid starter once the cap rises over the next two seasons.
Biyombo will make the room exception, which hardly dents the bottom line. The more interesting player is Carroll, who went from earning $2.5MM last season, to becoming the highest paid player on the Raptors.
Carroll was signed to strengthen an area of weakness for the Raptors. Terrence Ross’s inconsistency, lack of development, and defensive shortcomings made him a liability, so Ujiri opted for a two-way player like Carroll to nail down the starting small forward position. The Raptors needed someone to check the bigger wings and stretch four-types that gave the team fits on defense last season. Expect Carroll to reprise his role in Atlanta: He’ll guard the toughest wing assignment while serving primarily as a spot-up shooter on offense.
Hoops Rumors: The Raptors didn’t put up a much of a fight to retain reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams this summer. Was it a simple matter of retaining cap flexibility, or was the team, which reportedly viewed Williams as a locker room distraction at times, simply trying to improve its chemistry? Who will make up for Williams’ production off the bench this year?
William Lou: There wasn’t any issue with Williams’ persona. He was an adored presence in the locker room, and despite his burgeoning popularity after Drake released “6 Man,” Williams is actually rather soft-spoken. The reason that the Raptors let Williams walk is because Ujiri wanted to sign two-way players who held up their end of the bargain on defense. Williams was a tremendous offensive weapon off the bench, but he couldn’t guard his position. There’s also a thought that Williams was let go because he played too much individual basketball — which, to be fair, was exactly the role that was asked of him.
Hoops Rumors: The addition of former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, who reached a buyout deal with the Timberwolves, certainly aids in GM Masai Ujiri‘s stated plan to add more Canadians to the roster. What do the Raptors hope to get out of Bennett this season production-wise? Do you think returning to his native country will jump-start his career, or will there be added pressure to perform well in front of his countrymen, so to speak?
William Lou: Realistically, no team can expect anything from Bennett, who struggled mightily in his first two seasons in the NBA. The former No. 1 pick needs to firmly regain his health, before making the leap toward becoming a contributor for a playoff club. But given that he was a former No. 1 pick, and the not-so insignificant detail of his nationality, the Raptors chose to take a flyer on Bennett for one year at the minimum. Given those terms, there’s hardly any cost, and if Bennett makes good on his promise, the Raptors will have netted themselves a young, useful contributor on the cheap. Moreover, power forward is something of a weak spot for Toronto, with every other position in the starting lineup spoken for. It would take a lot for Bennett to overtake Patrick Patterson or Luis Scola (the early favorites to land the start), but shoring up depth at a position of weakness can’t hurt.
Hoops Rumors: There was some uncertainty about whether the Raptors would bring back coach Dwane Casey for the 2015/16 campaign after the team was swept in the first round of this year’s NBA Playoffs. How stable is Casey’s job? What will be the largest determining factor if he is to return for 2016/17?
William Lou: I’m not in a position to speculate over Casey’s job certainty, but I can tell you that he’s entering the last guaranteed year on his contract (there’s a team option for 2016/17). As for Casey’s goals for next season, improving the defense and winning a round in the playoffs should be a must. If the team comes up short in either endeavor, finding a new head coach to lead this core would be a logical move.
Hoops Rumors: What are your thoughts on the four-year, $64MM extension that Jonas Valanciunas signed this offseason? Will he become the franchise player that the team hopes he can be, or will his athletic limitations prevent him from living up to his new contract?
William Lou: Valanciunas’ contract will effectively pay him to be an above-average center, a level that the young Lithuanian has already achieved through his first three years in the NBA. He’s durable, he can shoot, he’s a good rebounder, and he’s tremendously efficient finisher around the hoop. However, the jury remains out on Valanciunas’ potential to develop into a superstar. He certainly has the tools, but he’s still best deployed as a situational player. He lacks the versatility in his game to truly dominate.
Here’s what I mean by inflexibility. On offense, Valanciunas is only good for an easy bucket in the post, or for a bit of scoring out of the pick-and-roll, but he’s a woeful passer and he can’t shoot, which makes him a liability when he doesn’t have the ball. On defense, Valanciunas is a decent rim protector when he camps out in the paint, but he lacks the foot speed and the awareness to function against smallball lineups. In order for Valanciunas to reach the next level, he needs to become a well-rounded player that can function in many settings. Otherwise, it’s too easy to for other teams to play matchups to run Valanciunas off the floor.
Hoops Rumors: Finally, it’s prediction time. Looking into your crystal ball, give us your best (educated) guess on how the Raptors’ 2015/16 season will turn out.
William Lou: The Raptors take a step back offensively, but personnel and system changes lead to a top-10 defense. As a whole, the Raptors win 48 games and finish fourth in the East. In the playoffs, the Raptors defeat the Wizards in seven games before being swept by the Cavaliers in the Conference Semifinals.
Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Raptors, Hawks
Kristaps Porzingis‘ shooting ability has Knicks assistant coach Kurt Rambis comparing the lottery pick to Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. “He might be a combination of both of them just because he can do so many things,” Rambis told the team’s beat reporters on Monday. “You guys haven’t seen it yet and probably all of it won’t come out for three or four or five years, either. He’s got to grow up, mature, develop, get stronger, get used to the NBA game. But he already understands basketball.” Rambis anticipates that opponents will have to craft their defensive gameplans around the team’s rookie power forward because of his “effortless 3-point range,” Bondy adds.
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- The Raptors’ unheralded free agent signings of veteran power forward Luis Scola and center Bismack Biyombo could pay large dividends, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca opines. Both are expected to play key roles off Toronto’s bench, as coach Dwane Casey values Scola for his experience and durability while Biyombo could anchor the second unit’s defense, Lewenberg continues. “His [role] is to be our defensive captain,” Casey told Lewenberg. “I think his talking, his shot blocking, his protecting the rim is off the charts.”
- Lamar Patterson has made a strong impression on his Hawks teammates as he battles for the 15th roster spot, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kent Bazemore have all singled out Patterson as having an impressive camp, Vivlamore continues, but the 6’5” shooting guard faces competition from Terran Petteway, Earl Barron, DeQuan Jones, Edgar Sosa and Arsalan Kazemi.
- Tobias Harris is showing better accuracy on 3-point attempts above the break, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The Magic’s starting small forward became an above average 3-point shooter from the corners last season and wanted to improve in other areas around the arc, Robbins continues. He hit an above-the-break 3-pointer in the team’s preseason opener and showed that shot again in an open practice on Monday. “I think it’s a big weapon, and I think it’s only going to help our spacing on the court to extend that range out,” Harris said to Robbins. “It’s something that I’ve been working on all summer and I’m going to continue to work on.”
Southwest Notes: Butler, Ajinca, Green
The Spurs weren’t the only NBA team interested in Rasual Butler when he signed with San Antonio last month, as a Western Conference suitor lurked, but the 36-year-old finds there’s “no place better to be than here,” reports Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. Butler’s contract is non-guaranteed, but he has a line on a regular season roster spot, according to coach/executive Gregg Popovich, as Young notes.
“He’s a seasoned pro in a sense that he knows himself, he knows what role he can play,” Popovich said. “He’s at a stage in his career where he just wants to be a part of something that’s just positive and good. He obviously can shoot the basketball. If he couldn’t shoot, we wouldn’t be talking to him. You got to have a skill to play. For all those reasons, he’s somebody that’s got a great shot to make our team.”
The Spurs have 13 fully guaranteed contracts, seemingly leaving two available spots on the opening night roster. See more on the Spurs amid the latest from the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans backup center Alexis Ajinca will miss the next four to six weeks because of a right hamstring strain, the team announced. New Orleans committed a four-year, $19.5MM deal to Ajinca this past summer, and the team is without any other natural center to play behind Omer Asik, with the possible exception of Anthony Davis. The injury could bode well for power forward Jeff Adrien, the only big man without a fully guaranteed salary on the Pelicans.
- Jeff Green says he was frustrated with the lack of a consistent role with the Grizzlies following the midseason trade that took him to Memphis, but he’s optimistic about this year, and coach Dave Joerger is expecting a breakout season, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal details. Green is set for free agency this coming summer after picking up his $9.2MM player option this past June. “It was tough to not be in one role. One day I’d start, one day I’d come off the bench. I was playing the 3 and the 4. It was tough,” Green said. “It’s hard to do. There’s only a few players that can really do that. I’m thankful to be in that position to be able to do that. But when you come onto a team halfway through the year, having to do that is tough because you never get a grasp of what you really need to do for the team. This year, I have an open mind. It doesn’t matter what position I play, I’m going to give it my all.”
- Cory Joseph started for the Spurs most of December last year and wound up seeing only 22 total minutes during the postseason. A similarly occasional place in Sacramento’s rotation has trade acquisition Ray McCallum willing to embrace the same stop-and-start playing time with the Spurs, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News chronicles. Joseph snagged a four-year, $30MM deal with the Raptors this past summer, and McCallum is due for restricted free agency at season’s end.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Celtics
Terrence Ross is entering a huge season because he has not received a contract extension and while the Raptors could offer one, it is more likely that they decide that they would rather pay more for a sure thing next summer than less for an enigma now, Eric Koreen of The National Post writes. Ross would need to display more consistency this season to drive up his market value, Koreen writes. That might be more challenging this year, Koreen adds, because DeMarre Carroll essentially took Ross’s starting spot and now Ross will be counted on to provide an offensive spark off the bench.
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Perry Jones, who was once considered a can’t-miss lottery pick, understands his long-term future in the league is at stake right now with the Celtics, especially considering how prospects like Anthony Bennett have been cut loose lately, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Jones, whom the Celtics acquired from the Thunder, is not guaranteed to make the regular season roster, Washburn adds. Jones’ best opportunity, according to Washburn, would be at small forward.
- David Lee is eager to play in Boston this season following his trade from the Warriors because he is a fan of the Celtics‘ history and tradition, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald details.
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Jerami Grant, who was drafted 39th overall out of Syracuse, and JaKarr Sampson, who went undrafted out of St. John’s, are two players surprisingly expected to make an impact defensively for the Sixers, Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News writes.
Central Notes: George, Robinson, Hoiberg, Rose
Paul George still doesn’t sound like a fan of his new position or the Pacers‘ new lineup, tweets Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana is experimenting with George as its starting power forward, a move brought on by David West signing with San Antonio and Luis Scola going to Toronto. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for a four spot,” George said tonight after Indiana’s preseason opener. “I don’t know if this is my position.” George also implied that he’s not the only Pacer unhappy with the strategy. “It’s not just myself,” he said. “The four other guys out there, it’s an adjustment for them. We’re all talking (Twitter link). … A couple other guys are uncomfortable with how we’re going to run it. It’s new to everyone (Twitter link).”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Pacers president Larry Bird says he tried for a year to acquire Glenn Robinson III, according to Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star. The 21-year-old caught Bird’s eye during a preseason game last year as a member of the Timberwolves. Robinson played just 21 games in Minnesota before being cut in March, but the Sixers claimed him on waivers before the Pacers could grab him. He signed with Indiana this summer. “He sees something he likes in me, and it makes you feel good,” Robinson said. “I mean, he’s Larry Bird.”
- Veteran guard Kirk Hinrich tells Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald that new coach Fred Hoiberg is bringing a faster pace and more relaxed atmosphere to the Bulls. It’s a drastic change from Tom Thibodeau, who was known for his intensity and his grind-it-out style. “Fred’s really calm,” Hinrich said. “He teaches. He’s a very good teacher, makes his points, but he’s calm.”
- Derrick Rose will learn the Bulls‘ new offense from home while he recovers from a facial injury, McGraw writes in a separate story. Rose had surgery this week after fracturing an orbital bone below his left eye during Tuesday’s practice. He is not expected to resume basketball activities until October 14th. “We’re going to actually get over there and watch some film with him today, because again, we’ve added new sets, new things,” Hoiberg said Saturday. “So we’ll get him caught up by a couple of coaches going over and seeing him at his house.”
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Lopez, Jones
After enduring another year of change, the Sixers are optimistic that they are headed in the right direction, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With training camp wrapping up today, Philadelphia has just four healthy players on its roster — Nerlens Noel, Hollis Thompson, JaKarr Sampson and Jerami Grant — who participated in the 2014 camp. Even though the turnover has been constant since he took over, third-year coach Brett Brown sees hope. “I think the culture is trumping the talent right now,” he said. “I feel like the system of coaches knowing what we all want, what I want. The system of what we do with recovery, how we travel, how we eat, how we act. I think that is trumping the improved talent that we have.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Frontcourt newcomers Bismack Biyombo and Luis Scola are eager to fit in with the Raptors, according to Eric Koreen of The National Post. Both players signed free agent deals in July, with Biyombo receiving a two-year, $6MM contract and Scola agreeing to one year at about $3MM. “I’ve gone from one coach to another one and this and that,” Biyombo said of his experience in Charlotte. “Those are not excuses. But I think over the past four years, I was able to learn a lot of things within those ups and downs. And that’s helped me to grow as a player, and more than anything as a person. Being here lets me show the other side of me.”
- Brook Lopez is adjusting to a new point guard after the Nets bought out Deron Williams‘ contract over the summer, writes Matt Mazzeo of ESPN.com. Lopez, who enjoyed his first offseason in four years without rehabbing an injury, is trying to develop chemistry with Jarrett Jack. “Each point guard takes getting used to in that regard,” Lopez said. “It’s just seeing what they like to do, what they benefit from doing and let them play to what makes them successful.”
- After three disappointing seasons, Perry Jones hopes to break through with the Celtics, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The former Baylor star never established himself in Oklahoma City and was traded to Boston over the summer. “The biggest benefit is he’s a positionless player in a positionless league,” said coach Brad Stevens. “And so to me, Perry needs to soar with the strengths at the position he’s at.”
Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Knicks, DeRozan
Knicks coach Derek Fisher is focusing on his squad’s intangibles and professionalism, rather than lament the fact that New York didn’t land any of the top names in free agency, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “Character, professional mindset,’’ Fisher said when listing the team’s strengths. “You’re not in the NBA if you’re not talented. We don’t have to get into who’s talented. The character of our group and the way we’re approaching what’s going on daily, those are going to be the strengths. We’ll have rough nights, rough stretches. We have the beginnings of at least a group able to handle some of the adversity and setbacks that come with a long NBA season. The basketball part will take care of itself as long as we become a team. We have the type of guys that are interested in being a team.’’
When asked if the professionalism he was speaking of was an improvement over last season’s team, Fisher said, “It’s just different. Until the season starts and we figure out who we are, you can’t really say it’s better. But it’s different. We’re all different. Teams have different strengths and weaknesses. The strength of this particular group is not in having what people consider the sexy names or guys who didn’t come play with our team, but guys who truly want to be here. I think it’s going to help us.’’
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers owner Josh Harris admits that while he wishes that his team was further along in its rebuild, he is content with the progress that is being made, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I think we are making progress,” Harris said. “I’m an impatient person at heart. I would rather get to the end point as fast as possible. But at the same time, the goal is still the same goal: to be an elite extremely competitive team that goes deep in the playoffs. But at the same time, there aren’t shortcuts to it. So you have to react to the realities . . . I certainty wish it was going faster. But at the same time, I’m happy with the progress.“
- Since being acquired at last season’s trade deadline, Isaiah Thomas has been the Celtics‘ best player, and this coming season will provide him with an opportunity to take the next step toward being recognized as one of the top players in the league, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes.
- DeMar DeRozan is eligible to opt out of his current deal with the Raptors and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he is adamant about wanting to focus on the coming campaign, and not his next pact, Eric Koreen of The National Post relays. Discussing the wealth of questions he receives about next season, DeRozan told Koreen, “I hate that, honestly. I never speak about it. With me, I’ve always been that one player: I’ve been loyal. I’ve been every single thing you can think of here. I think people don’t understand how much pride I take in playing [in Toronto]. A lot of times when I do get asked that, it kind of frustrates me. Everyday I wake up, I take pride in being the longest Raptor here. People bring up third or whatever in franchise scoring — there is so much stuff like that.”
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Smith, Bargnani, Scola
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is not known as a vocal leader, which is something that he doesn’t intend to change, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “I lead in my own way,” Anthony told Begley. “I will speak up from time to time, but that’s just not who I am, that’s not my personality.” Anthony’s leadership takes on other forms, like him organizing offseason workouts in Puerto Rico back in August, Begley notes.
“That’s definitely leadership,” teammate Lance Thomas, who participated in those workouts, said. “Him putting us in a position where we can start the season before the season starts is big time. Getting to know everybody on the squad, everybody becoming familiar with each other, it’s important.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers allowed Ish Smith to depart via free agency this summer despite him being the team’s most productive point guard last season, because the franchise wanted to develop its younger players, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News. “It’s hard to deny that Ish was good for us,” coach Brett Brown said. “We decided to go younger and try to uncover somebody that can be with us for a long time, maybe because of the age aspect, and I support the club’s decision to do that. We’ll all be better able to make more accurate assessments in a month or so. Nobody’s really jumped ahead of the pack yet.“
- After missing a total of 191 games over the last five seasons, Nets offseason signee Andrea Bargnani‘s goal is to remain healthy for a full campaign, Roderick Boone of Newsday relays. “The main thing I’m looking for is being healthy, and being on the floor and contributing to the team’s success,” Bargnani told Boone. “I just want to be a part of it. We have a great group of players and I want to be on the court. I want to be able to help them. Sitting out, obviously, was very frustrating and so I really don’t want to do that again. I just want to be healthy and stay on the court. That’s it.“
- Luis Scola is looking to be more than just a mentor to his younger teammates on the Raptors, and he feels that he has plenty left to contribute on the court for his new squad, writes Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun. “I am sure my experience can help but I also believe I can help on the court as well,” Scola said. “To me if I am helping I am happy in whatever aspect of the game. If it’s in the court, outside the court, or both or in the locker room, all those things would be welcome to me.” The 35-year-old inked a one year deal with Toronto back in July.
Atlantic Notes: Williams, Jerebko, Johnson
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov declined to discuss Deron Williams when asked about the team’s former player by reporters, but he instead took the time to praise the team’s projected starting point guard, Jarrett Jack, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I will say in that way that we have a great leader at point guard in Jarrett Jack,” Prokhorov said. “All the league knows what Jarrett is about.” Prokhorov then added, “I will say that I discussed all the player moves with [GM] Billy [King], and I signed off on all of them.” Williams and the team reached a buyout arrangement back in July.
Prokhorov also admitted that his expectations for the team have changed, but he did note that he was pleased with the overall direction of the franchise, Bontemps adds. “I think Billy has made great deals to give us top players, and if the stars [had aligned] correctly, we might have seen better results,” Prokhorov said of the team’s all-in moves in the past. “But we are still committed. We have a younger, more athletic team, and we have great flexibility to go on.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- When asked why the Knicks‘ roster is so frontcourt heavy, coach Derek Fisher said that wasn’t the initial intent, but the team was surprised that center Kevin Seraphin was still available late into the free agent signing period, and he was too good to pass up, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal relays (Twitter links).
- Jonas Jerebko‘s versatility as a player should allow him to maintain a prominent role for the Celtics despite their overcrowded frontcourt, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The 28-year-old forward re-signed with Boston over the summer on a two-year, $10MM deal.
- The Raptors will miss Amir Johnson, who’d served as a mentor to DeMar DeRozan since the shooting guard entered the league, Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun writes. “Once you are somewhere with a person for that long that you have a long history with, that is definitely tough to replace,” DeRozan said. “It takes time to get that back and gain that back from an individual. That’s a big part of it. But we’re going to miss a lot without him. Just his attitude and demeanor, being a great guy and a great teammate, that rubs off on people. He will definitely be missed.” Johnson departed as a free agent and signed with the Celtics this offseason.