These are three questions that the New Orleans Pelicans need answered by guard AJ Johnson this season.
The New Orleans Pelicans traded away Jordan Hawkins to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this offseason. In that deal, they received former first-round pick AJ Johnson.
Johnson was a questionable first-rounder at the time, but the Milwaukee Bucks loved the potential. He hasn't had any real NBA production to this point (4.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 77 career games).
The Pelicans will likely have him for just this season. There is a team option they could pick up for $5.5 million before October 31, but that would be shocking, given that it would essentially just be the same thing they just did with Hawkins. Johnson hasn't shown enough to show that he could be worth it, but he is still just 21.
There is also a chance that New Orleans cuts ties after training camp, given such little roster space, though he does have the benefit of his contract being guaranteed, so things would have to go very poorly over the next couple of weeks.
As they watch him through camp and the season, there are a couple of things that he could do to win people over. Here are some questions he will need to answer for the Pelicans this year:
Is there still hope for the three-point shot?
New Orleans really can't afford to play someone else who doesn't shoot the ball well, especially not a guard. Johnson has career shooting splits of 35.7/24.5/85.7. That high free-throw rate should suggest that he can eventually turn his shot around, but his only real efficient stretch was 20 games in the G League a few years ago when he shot 41.9% on 4.7 attempts a night. The volume has been there when he's given chances at the NBA level, but the consistency has not.
Is he a playmaker at the NBA level?
Given that he is listed at just 175 pounds, the Pelicans aren't likely to expect much out of him on defense outside of speed. That means he needs to offer as much as possible on offense. He showed flashes as a rookie with five games of at least six assists and a career-high of eight. Last year, though, there wasn't much to write home about.
Is he worth the investment?
At the end of the day, Johnson just needs to show New Orleans something that makes him worth keeping around. It's clear that this team is more interested in winning right now than building for the future, and Johnson isn't someone who would help them in that regard. What is something that makes the team want to pass on Kobe Bufkin or Caleb Houstan for an additional offensive boost?
