Spurs to Sign Alize Johnson: 3 Things He Brings to Roster

Johnson will now suit up for his sixth team in five seasons. What can he bring to San Antonio?

The San Antonio Spurs made a surprising move Tuesday, as it was announced by ESPN that the team came to an agreement on a one-year, $2 million deal with forward Alize Johnson, who is now set to play for his sixth team in five seasons. 

Further reports from San Antonio Express-News indicated that the deal would a non-guaranteed training camp deal. 

Johnson was drafted 50th overall in 2018 by the Indiana Pacers after a successful career at mid-major Missouri State. After just one start and 31 appearances with the Pacers, he's become a journeyman role player that's had stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and most recently, New Orleans Pelicans. 

He's career averages stand at 2.5 points, three rebounds, and 48 percent shooting as the season draws closer.

Clearly, his best stint was with the Nets in 2021, where he recorded a 20-20 game in April of that year. Against the Pacers, Johnson scored 20 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a Brooklyn win. At the time, it was the first 20-20 game in the NBA since Nov. 2018 and just the third in Nets history.

Brooklyn star Kevin Durant had some high praise for Johnson.

“I love everything about Alize,” Durant said in 2021. “Who he is as a person, his approach to the game, his work ethic, his story, his journey, everything about him. I want to see him do well out there. I can tell coming back to Indiana a place that drafted him that he wanted to come out there and play well."

Johnson now joins a rebuilding Spurs team as he tries to revitalize his NBA career. His spot on the team this season is far from guaranteed, but let's take a look at some of what he could bring to the table should make the final regular-season roster. 

Rebounding

Johnson's biggest strength lies in his ability to consistently position himself in the paint and out-hustle his opponent for the ball. It's not flashy, but this ability makes him a valuable depth piece. 

The Spurs were already the ninth-best rebounding team last season at 45.3 boards per game. Johnson, at 6-8, 212, now bolsters that area. 

On both ends of the floor, he's shown flashes of positive decision-making once he's secured the board. He's got quick strides and decent speed, which he can use effectively after snagging defensive rebounds to push the tempo quickly before finding the open man as the defense lags behind.

In March 2021, Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the Nets and posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assist, and two steals in his debut. A month later, he recored the previously mentioned 20-20 game. 

Rebounding prowess should never be overlooked and Johnson has proven that this is his No. 1 strength. 

Interior Finishing

Johnson's weakness lies in lacking any semblance of an outside jumper. But he has his ways of scoring when it's needed. 

With his primary strength of rebounding, Johnson gets most of his points off of second-chance opportunities, but he's also shown the ability to fill in the open spot on the block and finish off the glass quickly. 

Not a high-flyer, Johnson tends to overuse the glass when a simple dunk would suffice. Still, in his Nets debut where he scored 23 points against the Utah Jazz, he showed a unique floater-like push shot that had some surprising effectiveness against the outstretched arms of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. 

The game was a blowout in favor of the Jazz, but Johnson's ability to use this shot consistently makes up for his lack of perimeter skills and average finishing ability.

Overall, Johnson won't have the ball in his hands a ton if he makes the final roster in San Antonio. With the Spurs, his scoring will likely come as a result of being the open man available on the block if the guard or wing gets double-teamed. 

But don't be surprised to see him hoist his signature floater once he makes his Spurs debut. 

Overall Hustle

Aside from a spin move over his right shoulder that he uses in the lane, Johnson doesn't have much of an open-court dribbling package. 

But once he gets his head down, his straight-line speed has proven to be beneficial for him. His motor is clearly visible on drives to the rim, a positive sign that he'll show little hesitation to hustle on rebounds, get to the right spot in transition, and flashing to the low block. 

Johnson has yet to prove that this hustle can translate into productive defense, but under coach Gregg Popovich, he could be an interesting piece to insert if the going gets rough on that end for a Spurs team still in the growing stages.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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