ATLANTA – Amir Johnson is no stranger to being part of teams that make deep playoff runs.
Drafted in the second round by Detroit in 2005, Johnson’s first two seasons ended with trips to the Eastern Conference finals.
Back then, Johnson was along for ride when the playoffs rolled around.
Today, he’s one of the players Boston is counting on to steer them in the right direction against Atlanta, beginning with Game 1 of their series tonight.
This type of playoff series is why the Celtics were willing to sign Johnson to a two-year, $24 million contract this past offseason. The deal includes a team option for the second year. And while Johnson had a solid, but far from spectacular, regular season, a strong showing in this series will go far in improving the likelihood that Boston will pick up the second year or that he will have done enough for another team to be willing to offer him an eight-figure salary as the Celtics did last summer.
Johnson’s role in this series is so vital because of the one man – Paul Millsap – who has brought down a reign of terror on the Celtics consistently in the regular season, in which the Hawks prevailed in three of the four matchups.
Against the Celtics, Millsap has averaged 22.5 points and 10.3 rebounds, with his scoring average against Boston being higher than it is against any other team Atlanta played at least four times this season
“He definitely plays well against us,” Johnson told CSNNE.com. “With me guarding him, I just have to take the initiative of trying to shut him down. Everybody on this team has a job to do. I take it personal myself to be one of those guys that shuts him down.”
While Johnson said he doesn’t feel any added pressure to perform well in the playoffs, he does embrace the fact that his level of responsibility is light years beyond what it has been in previous playoff series.
While in Detroit, Johnson did not play in the postseason as a rookie or in his second season, when the Pistons advanced to the conference finals in each of those seasons. In his final two seasons with the Pistons, he appeared in 11 playoffs games primarily as a guy at or near the end of the bench.
Johnson had a more prominent role in Toronto, but again was not considered one of the keys to their chances at a long postseason journey.
Having been in the postseason in various capacities as a player, provides him with a perspective that should bode well for both him and the Celtics.
“Just not being nervous or scared of the bright lights; understanding it’s a whole new season,” Johnson said. “Every game counts. To win, you have to play with a lot of integrity, just impose your will on everything, doing what it takes to win.”
And against the Hawks, it will require the Celtics to do a much better job in defending Millsap.
Knowing how well Millsap has played against Boston, Johnson understands all eyes will be on him often in this series.
And while it is different than the postseason role he has had with previous teams, it’s an envious position to be in for a player who loves to compete.
“Knowing my game and knowing I play hard, I know what to do,” he said. “Round one, Round two, no pressure.”
Johnson added, “This best shows what kind of player you are, what kind of team you are. Everybody pays attention to the postseason; paying attention to detail, understanding where your basketball IQ is; knowing the plays. Taking the extra step... there’s a lot of stuff that goes into the postseason. It is win or go home.”
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