JaJuan Johnson has earned KG’s trust

Jajuan johnson looking on
A lot of people have high hopes for JaJuan Johnson.  Maybe that's because, physically, he resembles one of his new teammates.  His jumper has a certain visual similarity to a certain intense, vocal teammate who shall remain nameless in this sentence lest people think I'm comparing their overall abilities. 

Ok, fine, I'll say it:  He's a big, lanky guy (6'10", 220) whose high-release jumper is farily accurate from 15-17 feet.  Visually, he reminds you of Kevin Garnett out there.  But he does so in the same way as passing some guy on the street and saying "he kinda looks like George Clooney."  You're not comparing abilities… you're just saying they look similar. 

But the hope, someday, is that JaJuan Johnson's game will remind people of KG's as well.  And who better to learn that from than Garnett himself?  But we know the window to get in good with KG is about as wide as the Death Star's thermal exhaust port.

Well call JaJuan Johnson "Luke Skywalker"… because he nailed it.

It may seem minor, but JaJuan Johnson appears to have already earned the trust of Kevin Garnett and that's huge for him moving forward. Garnett only gives newcomers one chance early on to take his guidance and rookie Johnson appears to have passed the test. "Kevin is clearly taking JaJuan under his wing. You guys have been around — he gives you the one shot and if he thinks you’re paying attention, he spends the year around you, and you can see JaJuan obviously has passed the test," said Rivers. "Which is good news for everyone, because it makes it a bad year for that guy." 

I cannot stress how huge this is.  JJ's got potential but he needs a lot of work.  There is no one better than KG when it comes to teaching the ins and outs of the game.  Good for JJ for passing that "test"… but anyone who has really paid any attention to Johnson during the offseason isn't surprised.  He's got the right attitude.  Let's hope the tutelage pays off.

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