National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz 2016-17 season review: Joe Johnson

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:09 p.m. ET

Fansided, Adam Coffman/FanSided via Hoops Habit

2017 NBA Playoffs

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Johnson had some big plays in big moments for the Utah Jazz this year. How should the front office and fans look back on his season?

Look back on the Utah Jazz's season that was, and you'll see Joe Johnson's name associated with many of the high points, particularly in the postseason when the stakes were the highest.

From his game-winning floater in the team's first playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers to his 28-point outburst three games later, Johnson came up huge in key moments time and time again.

Of course, this was just what the Jazz had in mind when they signed him, as his veteran experience made him an important asset to add to a youthful roster.

Johnson put up career lows in games started (14) and minutes per game (23.6), but still managed to average 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.

His contributions should ultimately depend more on how the team did in the intangible areas he brought expertise in, but his own individual performance carries some weight as well.

We'll look at the strongest and weakest elements of his play, as well as what the outlook is for Johnson's future and how it intertwines with the Jazz's.

Feb 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) dribbles the ball past /Washington Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Jazz won 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

When he started his career, Johnson functioned mostly as a shooting guard, which led to him serving as a ball-dominant wing for his prime years with the Atlanta Hawks. However, the NBA has changed since then, and his 6'7″, 240-pound frame is now best used as a combo forward.

He's not as quick as he used to be, but Johnson is still an elite-level knockdown shooter, nailing 41 percent of his triples last season. While other Jazz power forwards like Boris Diaw or Trey Lyles struggled with their shot, he remained consistent, particularly with the all-important corner three, where he hit 44 percent of his attempts.

In addition to his prolific outside shooting, Johnson also managed to create offense through his drives to the basket, mostly taking advantage of larger and slower defenders. This was especially useful in late-clock situations when the Jazz offense bogged down.

According to Synergy, Johnson scored 0.877 points per possession as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll, which ranked in the 69th percentile league-wide. He also placed in the 75th percentile in terms of playing off of dribble handoffs.

As mentioned previously, Johnson's foot speed doesn't allow him to stay with creators on a full time basis, but he is quick enough to switch onto guards in a pick-and-roll setting where other bigs would fail.

With opponents' only other option being to go at Rudy Gobert, this severely limits the impact that point guards can have against the Jazz.

Johnson is short for a traditional power forward, but makes up for it in post-up situations with his solid base and awareness. This is doubly important as it takes away one of the main schemes offenses will go to when playing against small ball.

Apr 23, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) and Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) celebrate after a Johnson three point basket during the fourth quarter against the LA Clippers in game four of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah Jazz won the game 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Weaknesses

Although he excelled in the areas most demanded of him by the Jazz, Johnson does become a liability in the offensive areas he's not physically primed to preform in, which tend to be those usually covered by big men at his position.

When he plays as a power forward, Johnson isn't too apt at setting screens either on ball or off, which can limit the Jazz offense as far as variability goes. This in turn holds back others who function better in a more movement-heavy offense.

He also can't post up in any situation aside from a mismatch, leaving the brunt of the paint work to be done by Utah's centers.

Given that Johnson actually fares better when matched up with traditional bigs due to the factors mentioned previously, it shouldn't be a surprise that he runs into trouble facing a similarly-situated combo forward.

Defending in isolation was a major downfall for Johnson last year, as he allowed 1.03 points per possession in such situations. Similarly, he ranks in just the ninth percentile defending against off-ball screens on the perimeter.

He only missed four games on the season, which was the third-least on the roster, but one element of age-related decline is the absence of consistency that accompanies it. Johnson's game is fairly hit-and-miss already, so coming into a game out of rhythm could seriously tank his impact that night.

Jan 20, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Joe Johnson (6) and center Boris Diaw (33) react in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Moving Forward

Heading into the 2017-18 season, Johnson should be set up to perform the same function as he did this year, although with slight tweaks in the minutes he's allotted or the units he shares the floor with.

He has one more season on his two-year, $21.5 million deal signed last summer, after which he'll be an unrestricted free agent. At that point, he'll also be 36 years old, placing him very near to retirement age.