Slam Magazine is counting down their annual top 50 NBA Players, and coming in at number 45 is none other than Brooklyn’s $23 million religious trailblazer, seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson.
Joe Johnson, no. 45: A #SLAMTop50 fixture, Johnson is money in the clutch http://t.co/DEVm77nbRD pic.twitter.com/0JWMPckzEU
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) September 25, 2014
Per SLAMonline’s Evin Demirel:
As disappointing as Brooklyn has been relative to the fortunes sunk into its roster, it would be much worse had Johnson not in the first round of last year’s Playoffs led his Nets to a Game 7 win at Toronto. Joe was pure bitcoin in the fourth, uploading half of his team-high 26 points including 11 straight Nets points in a four-minute span… At times, it seems like steady offense from Johnson may be the only sure thing Brooklyn has coming over from last season.
Johnson’s rank has been steadily on the rise towards exclusion from this elite group. In 2009, Joe was 20th, then down to 18th in 2010, back up to 22nd in 2011 and 2012, then slid down to 40th after his first season in the black and white, and now he’s down to an all-time low for him, 45th.
Johnson’s teammate and backcourt mate Deron Williams came in at No. 49 on this list.
Will this be Johnson’s last time being featured alongside the NBA’s best? Will Deron Williams even crack the non-existent SLAM Top 100 next season?
Media Day is tomorrow and training camp follows after on Saturday, so we’ll find out this year.
SLAMonline — #SLAMTop50: Joe Johnson, no. 45
