Joe Johnson is nearing 40, and spent all of last season out of the NBA. As the six-time All-Star prepares for his return with the Detroit Pistons, though, his new team seems to have hardly noticed signs of aging or wear and tear. But just because Johnson plays much younger than his age suggests doesn't mean he's immune from a little ribbing related to his long deliberate style of attacking offensively.
Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, for instance, has already come up with a new nickname for Johnson: “slow cooker,” a nod to his impressive one-on-scoring ability – and perhaps a dig at his fading athleticism. Not that Johnson is worried about it either way, though.
“I think it's interesting. I don't gripe or groan about nicknames,” he said, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “I”ll let you guys deal with it how you want to deal with it; I just play.”
Dwane Casey seems to be expecting Johnson to play a significant role for Detroit, which needs all the shot-creation it can get behind Blake Griffin. The Pistons' coach was impressed by what Johnson showed during offseason practices.
“My main concern was Joe getting up and down and he showed that he can still run the floor and still be athletic,” Casey said last week. “He has it, even at (38). He’s not a 40-minute player anymore but we don’t need him for 40 minutes. We need that experience from a guy like that who can bring it at the end of games and close games.”
Johnson last played in the NBA with the Houston Rockets in 2017-18, averaging 6.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 22.0 minutes off the bench.
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