Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson had a big game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, scoring a season-high 37 points (29 in the third quarter) with seven rebounds, five assists and one steal while going 10-for-14 from beyond the arc. After only topping 20 points in a game twice in his first 16 games, Johnson has now done so four times in his last eight games and is averaging 19.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in that span.
Playing against one of the league’s worst defenses on Monday night surely did wonders for Johnson, but what should fantasy basketball owners that have him on their roster expect going forward?
Johnson has always been a solid scorer throughout his career, with a 17.6 career points per game average, but his all-around production in points, rebounds and assists have been trending downward in recent years. Even after Monday night’s big performance, his per-game averages so far this season (16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists) are comparable to last season (16.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds).
Unlike many of his teammates, Johnson has played all 24 games for the Nets this season. But it is worth noting, leaving out the lockout-shortened 2011-2012 season, that he has not played all 82 games in a season since 2007-2008 with the Atlanta Hawks and at age 32 it’s reasonable to expect a few missed games as the season goes along.
Monday night looks likely to be Johnson’s high water mark for the season, other than games he’ll play against the 76ers from here on out I suppose, so now is the time for his fantasy owners to consider trading him at peak value. Monday night’s game is the primary selling point in trade talks for owners that choose to go that direction, but Johnson’s solid recent run is also worth noting.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24 or connect on Google +.
