Joe Johnson playing through knee and ankle tendinits
The fatigue that Joe Johnson spoke of fighting off last week is more than just some general malaise.
Johnson is playing through tendinitis in his right knee and left ankle, the seven-time All-Star revealed Saturday. That doesn't mean he's planning on taking any time off, clearly realizing his importance to the Brooklyn Nets.
"I've been playing with both of them, and been pretty banged up for probably about the past month and a half or so," Johnson said. "We don't have time to have guys sit and rest, like some other teams do. We just don't have the roster for that, so I just have to play through it."
Even with Johnson, the Nets have barely stayed afloat, falling to 18-26 and ninth in the Eastern Conference. Johnson's numbers have suffered with a heavy load on his shoulders - and knee and ankle - but the team's 25th-ranked offense would be woeful without his ability to create his own shot.
| Joe Johnson | Up to Dec. 30 | Since Jan. 2 |
|---|---|---|
| MPG | 35.0 | 36.7 |
| PPG | 16.6 | 13.1 |
| FG% | 45.8% | 36.2% |
| 3FG% | 39.8% | 29.0% |
| RPG | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| APG | 3.9 | 3.5 |
It's a somewhat unfair situation for the 33-year-old to be in, but that's what he makes $23.2 million for. It's possible he'll get shut down or be given time to rest if the Nets fall further out of the race, but with the way the East works, it will be some time before Brooklyn feels comfortable enough out of the chase to make such a call.