Joe Johnson says Rockets not playing him in 2018 playoffs gave other teams impression something was wrong with him

Joe Johnson never wanted to take a year off from the NBA and says the Houston Rockets not playing him in the 2018 playoffs gave other teams the impression something was wrong with him.

Johnson appeared in 55 games with the Utah Jazz and Rockets during the 2017-18 season. Houston played Johnson just eight times in the 2018 postseason. The seven-time NBA All-Star didn’t receive any interest from teams last summer and found himself out of the league.

Joe Johnson just told @EvCoRadio and @LegsESPN on @SiriusXMNBA that he never wanted to retire after 2018 but when the Rockets didn’t play him in the playoffs, other teams thought something was wrong. Does that sound familiar @carmeloanthony

— Brian Geltzeiler (@hoopscritic) September 3, 2019

After winning the BIG3 MVP award and guiding his team to the championship this past Sunday in Los Angeles, Joe Johnson appears well on his way to getting a spot on an NBA team.

Johnson is reportedly receiving interest from the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Phiadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. Johnson has career NBA averages of 16.0 points in 1,276 games with the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Nets, Miami Heat, Jazz and Rockets.

It’s interesting that Johnson’s story is similar to Carmelo Anthony’s. Melo played in just 10 games with the Rockets last season before the franchise exiled and traded him to the Chicago Bulls.

Some believe Anthony should have taken the route Johnson did by playing in the BIG3 to show teams around the NBA he still has something left in the tank.

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