Houston • Quin Snyder doesn’t worry about Joe Johnson.
Utah’s veteran forward has earned the trust of his coach. Snyder knows Johnson has seen every scenario on the court during a long and illustrious career. And in his first year with the Jazz, Johnson distinguished himself as a hard worker and someone who could be counted on for offense in tough situations.
So, Snyder won’t worry about Johnson’s progress after coming back from a lengthy absence due to a wrist injury. He just wants Johnson to find a nice rhythm.
“He hasn’t played for a good chunk of the season, so hopefully that keeps him fresh,” Snyder said. “I just want him to get back and get into a groove. The thing that makes Johnson unique is his ability as a playmaker. So I just want him to get back and get comfortable.”
Partially because the Jazz hardly have any healthy big men left, and partially because Snyder wants to get Johnson minutes, the power forward was put into the starting lineup Monday night against the Houston Rockets. It was the second consecutive game for Johnson as a starter, as the Jazz went small in the wake of losing Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors on Friday night.
Johnson struggled against Boston, scoring three points and taking just three shots. He looked a bit better on Saturday night, scoring eight points and handing out three assists in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But he looked like himself against the Rockets. He scored 12 points in the first half, and shot 5 of 8 from the field. More importantly, Johnson was making his normal assortment of moves, knocking down mid-range shots and getting to the basket off the dribble.
“I just want to get comfortable out there,” Johnson said on Saturday night. “Hopefully, the more I play, the better I feel. It’s obviously very good to be back.”
Mitchell open to participating in dunk contest
Jazz rookie guard Donovan Mitchell said he would be open to participating in the slam dunk contest at All-Star weekend. Those invitations aren’t ready to go out, but odds are Mitchell will be involved in All-Star weekend in some capacity. He’s one of the best rookies in the league, so he’ll likely be in the rookie-sophomore game.
Udoh making an impact
In two games as a starter, Jazz center Ekpe Udoh is averaging seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and 3.5 blocked shots. He has an 8.3 block percentage, which would lead the NBA if he qualified.
