He states "My teammate E'Twaun Moore just decided to play in Italy; I'm definitely supporting him, I've been with him for a long time now and I'm just really happy for him," said Johnson. "I don't think I'm going to head to Italy... or anything like that. I'm definitely waiting it out. I think the biggest thing for me is working on my body and just trying to get better from there.
"Johnson said he's using the downtime to study film and mentally prepare himself for the season.
"Right now I'm just anxious," said Johnson. "I'm ready to meet all the guys, get acclimated in Boston and things like that. That's the part I'm really missing out on."
* As Moore prepares to join his Italian league team later this month, the Northwest Indiana Times talked to a local player agent about his experiences in Treviso:
European player agent Dave Maravilla, a 1982 Lake Central grad, recently returned from the NBA Euro Camp in Treviso. He said Benetton will be a good fit for Moore even though it has experienced hard times, financially, and has eliminated the million-dollar contracts it once handed out like candy.
"It's still a good job. It's still Benetton. I think it'll be great for him," Maravilla said. "He's going to experience European basketball at its best... More important for E'Twaun, he's got a chance to really step in and be an impact player. They'll be counting on him to contribute." INFO FROM ESPN
Sienna, Milano and Rome are the premier Italian teams with Benetton in the same conversation.
"Without a doubt, E'Twaun's going to have to bring his 'A' game to compete over there," Maravilla said. "He'll be challenged every game, every day in practice."
Moore also talks a bit about the hardships of the lockout and how it's delayed his NBA dream. Moore notes, "Getting drafted by the Celtics was a huge step for me in going from college to the pros. I'm still trying to soak it all in. But I still feel I'm an underdog and have got to prove myself at this next level."
Espn.com
The NBA lockout is a nightmare for many drafted rookies. While the lockout is in place, the rookies can not meet with their coaches or have official team practices.
ReplyDeleteThey will not have a chance to prove themselves with their new teams in training camp because training camp will likely not occur. And there is also the possibility that there will not be a season next year or, if there is one, it could be shortened.
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It began at 4:01am EDT on July 1, 2011. During the lockout, teams cannot trade, sign or contact players and players cannot access NBA team facilities, trainers or staffs. The lockout will be effective until the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) reaches a deal with the NBA owners.
ReplyDeleteJaJuan Markeis Johnson (born February 8, 1989) is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played collegiate basketball at Purdue University. During his sophomore season, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a junior, he was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a senior, the Consensus-All American was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
ReplyDeleteBoston Celtics
ReplyDeleteJaJuan Johnson was drafted by the New Jersey Nets as the 27th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics along with a 2014 second-round pick for the rights to MarShon Brooks.