The Brooklyn Nets are entering this season in a great place, talent-wise. They kept their big three together and are hoping that they will all sign long-term extensions with the franchise. This is the third season for both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, while this will be the first full season for James Harden.

The three stars are surrounded by great players, veterans such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, and Paul Millsap, to name a few. They also added Patty Mills to help with the guard rotation and bench scoring. The Nets seem well-balanced and poised to, hopefully with healthy stars, seriously contend for the title.

However, one offseason addition has been overlooked. James Johnson joined the team as a free agent, as somewhat of a Jeff Green replacement, and he might be the key for the roster.

James Johnson, when looking at his numbers, will not impress you. He averages around 7.9 points per game, with average shooting splits of 47.5/30.4/68.6. He also does not contribute a lot in terms of other stats, with career averages of 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. However, what he does on the court cannot be visible by numbers.

The most apparent reason why the Nets signed Johnson is not the most obvious one. They have a ton of forwards, with Griffin, Millsap, and Aldridge. Johnson used to play small forward, but as the league has gone smaller, he was moved to the power forward position. Additionally, the team has a ton of veterans and a lot of players who have more relevant experience than Johnson. After all, he never made a run to the Finals nor won a title.

However, he has something most of these other players do not have – toughness. In the 1990s, the role of enforcer and player protector was a coveted one. Guys like Bill Laimbeer, Charles Oakley, Dennis Rodman earned their paycheck not only through their strengths on the floor, but also through playing tough and, sometimes, a bit dirty. They were intimidating figures who instilled fear in the opposition.

Johnson, not to disrespect his basketball abilities, is that kind of player. It is rougher now, where the rules are different. The NBA, in an effort to make the league less aggressive and more marketable, cracked down on fights, altercations, and tougher defense in the last two decades. Thus, there are fewer players like the three mentioned above.

However, Johnson, while not nearly as aggressive as the aforementioned players, is what this era of NBA constitutes as an enforcer. Not only is he an 11-year veteran in the NBA, but he also comes from a family renowned for martial art skills. According to Mavs.com, Johnson and his whole family have black belts in karate. He has a 20-0 kickboxing record and a 7-0 MMA record.

Obviously, he should not use these skills in the court. However, it is a different energy on the team when the players know that they have a bodyguard of sorts. Irving, Harden, and somewhat Durant are easy targets for players that might want to intimidate them. Either they are of smaller stature, like Irving or Harden, or they are lanky and do not look intimidating or tough, like Durant. Any team with Johnson ready to go any second will be much more protected and the opposition will think twice before starting a brawl or a scuffle.

In terms of pure basketball, Johnson can still help out. Jeff Green was key for the team last year, stepping in when the team needed him most. Johnson is not that talented offensively and it would be difficult to ask him to carry the same load as Green. However, he can still be a valid defensive contributor and might even start alongside at power-forward, to give that defensive stability to a team that really needs it.

The Nets added some serious fodder this summer. As mentioned above, NBA veterans who are ready to fight for the championship at the twilight of their career, such as Millsap, Aldridge, and Mills. While all the focus was on them, the addition of such an intimidating figure and a defensive rock such as Johnson has gone unnoticed. Everyone is hoping that Johnson will be that key figure in their quest for the championship, earning his first in an 11-year career.

Defensive role players and enforcers never get the credit they really deserve. However, that does not stop them from doing their job. In terms of these two things, the Nets got possibly the best of these two categories – Bloodsport, as he is colloquially known. While the offensive talent will make them fun to watch, it will be great watching Johnson stare down any opposition player that even dares to look at one of his teammates in a wrong way.