James Johnson Is Providing The Indiana Pacers With More Than Just On-Court Value

James Johnson has only played 58 minutes for the Indiana Pacers this season. His on-court impact has been small for the franchise. But it has been needed, and it pales in comparison to Johnson’s off-court impact for the blue and gold.

Johnson signed with Indiana this offseason on a non-guaranteed contract. His spot on the team wasn’t promised — he had to earn it in training camp. And he did, both thanks to good training camp performances and veteran capabilities.

Since then, he has only proven his value. Johnson has only appeared in six games, and he’s only played more than 150 seconds in four of them. But in those four appearances, he has a positive plus-minus in all of them, and the Pacers are 4-2 when he plays. His toughness and defense have been a boost for the team.

Half of his opportunities to play have come against the Brooklyn Nets, his former team. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle likes that Johnson knows the tendencies and sets from his previous team. Either way, whenever Johnson has checked in for the blue and gold, the team’s tenacity changes. Everything is done with a bit more force.

“James Johnson tonight comes off the bench, and he was a man’s man out there. That was great to see,” Carlisle said after a game against the Brooklyn Nets last week. “It just got to a point in the second half where we needed some real attitude and some real force and some veteran know-how… he came in and he was awesome. He was great on defense, and offensively he just makes the game flow.”

That’s what Johnson does for the Pacers. He came in against San Antonio early in the season and gave Indiana key minutes, which cut into the lead. He’s done it a few times against the Nets, too, and provided toughness against the Lakers earlier this week. On the court, Johnson has given the blue and gold plenty.

But Johnson’s true value comes off the court. Throughout the season, multiple Pacers players have lauded Johnson’s ability to keep the team together in the locker room and be a leader. On a young team, that is needed.

“He’s amazing. He really helped the team get together… that’s the kind of guys you need,” center Goga Bitadze said of Johnson. Bitadze and Johnson have worked together after practices on ocassion, including some three-on-three sessions.

Johnson has played on several NBA teams, and the Pacers are his tenth different franchise. He’s been on winning teams and losing ones, and he’s made the Eastern Conference Finals in the past. Essentially, he’s seen it all in the NBA.

The Pacers have exceeded all expectations this season at 12-8. But they are in a new era and growing every game. Johnson spent time on Kings, Timberwolves, and Pelicans rosters that were improving but not yet competing. He’s been in this situation before, and he knows what a team like the 2022-23 Pacers need.

“I know my role on this team. We have great players, we’ve got great scorers,” Johnson said earlier in the season.

A few players have specified that Johnson has been an effective glue guy in the locker room and on the bench during games. He knows what just to say, and he has a good relationship with Rick Carlisle dating back to their time together in Dallas.

“He doesn’t let things slide,” veteran guard T.J. McConnell said of Johnson. McConnell is another excellent vet for Indiana, and even he had uplifting things to say about the veteran forward’s leadership. “Usually, there are guys that let things go. But I feel like he feels like he owes it to us that we’re not going to create any bad habits here.”

That strategy is paying off. The Pacers are a tight-knit group, and Carlisle recently said that the team’s superpower is its connectivity. Johnson played a big part in that.

The 35-year old noted that the Pacers are closer than some other teams, and that is a necessary part of their strong start to the season.

“A lot of people [in the NBA] fake like each other… I feel like we don’t have that on this team,” Johnson said of the Pacers. “I really think that we respect each other’s work ethic…. second off, we’re vulnerable enough to tell somebody else when they’re wrong or when we can hold each other accountable. And that’s just a whole different level of relationship.”

Holding others accountable is something that McConnell noted that Johnson does well. The veteran forward practices what he preaches. That’s why he’s been so valuable for the Pacers off the court, and when combined with his on-court boosts, James Johnson has been a needed piece for this young Indiana team.