Following a 103-99 win on Wednesday night against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, James Johnson took to Twitter to express his unhappiness about his minutes.
"#Mood. Under-utilized," tweeted Johnson.
James Johnson played just over five minutes on Wednesday, not attempting a single shot while grabbing down just one rebound. On Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, he played just under seven minutes.
With Jonas Valanciunas out for about six weeks with a fractured hand, you would naturally expect Johnson to be getting more minutes. Hd could possibly be at the power forward slot due to his ability to defend with toughness and not be a total liability on the offensive end, being able to attack the rim with success. The Toronto Raptors could even go small with Johnson at the center position as he is more than capable of holding his ground.
Johnson, who started in three games this season for the Raptors due to DeMarre Carroll being sidelined with a heel injury, played exceptionally well for a player unexpectedly called upon. Johnson averaged 7.3 points, 5 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 50.3 percent from the field in 28.4 minutes as a starter, proving to once again perform when needed.
Johnson has been a very supportive teammate this season, being one of the more vocal players, cheering on the bench. The tweet seemed to be a "cry for help" from Johnson, a last-ditch effort to be more involved in the team's rotation.
Johnson later apologized for the tweet:
"My bad, just want more than anything to be a big part of something special for fans, teammates and coaches. #wethenorth."
In reality, head coach Dwane Casey needs to figure out a more reasonable role for Johnson or otherwise request to trade Johnson if his talents won't be utilized to the fullest.
James Johnson is averaging 13.5 minutes in twelve games this season for the Toronto Raptors. This is lowest amount of minutes he has averaged dating back to his rookie year in 2009.