Usually a big proponent of Kevin Johnson, but surprised to see him being argued over peak Chris Paul. 1994 WCSF G7 was on nbatv last week, and I broke down the game. Summary below the quoted text:
1st Quarter: KJ fairly idle on the outside on the first few trips. Then he gets around a high screen and misses an open 20 footer. Barkley is drawing double teams (Ocs). KJ with a nice drive in delayed transition to score Phoenix's first FG 3:30 into game. Robert Horry is just raining 3-pointers to start.
KJ went at Smith a few trips later, but was totally bogged up by him. He finally gave it up after losing his dribble near the paint. Houston is running and gets a layup off a miss because of it (nice outlet by Smith to Max).
KJ misses an open OC by Barkley's double from 17. Hakeem with a ridiculous 80-foot outlet off the miss and Max beats KJ down the floor (mistake by Johnson). A few trips later, KJ and Barkley run a 2-man game and leads to a Barkley bucket.
Barkley strips Horry after it looks like a blow by. This is interesting, because it's exactly what Barkley did in the 86 Philly game they replayed earlier in the week. Yes, I'd say Charles Barkley had good hands on defense!
KJ uses a little screen to a step on Smith but misses the runner near the rim. Barkley is nursing some small injury and not moving well at all (pulled groin). Later in the Q, KJ around a Chuck screen and fouled going to the rim. Houston running again with a great outlet to Elie for a 3-point play. Hakeem is all over the place on defense.
KJ with a sweet pullup right over Cassell to start 2nd. Hakeem leaves the game with Hou +12 (37-25), Barkley and KJ on the court for Pho. Another Barkley OC sets up a missed 3. Thorpe goes to work for Hou and misses a jump hook. KJ attacks Cassell and scores on a crazy spin. Cassell scores off a curl pick from 18. Barkley OC sets up a Klein airball. Dream back in.
Barkley doubled and an OC on a layup to Ceballos. KJ pullup misses over Cassell. They continue to double Barkley but can't always find an open look off the pass. KJ OC sets up a Barkley 3 on a delayed transition drive and kick. KJ (OC) drive and kick sets up missed open Aigne 3. Other end, KJ falls alseep and is backdoored for a layup by Cassell. Houston running some more (Max is too fast for Majerle.)
KJ isoed on Cassell and gets by him...only to be inhaled by Hakeem. Then Cassell blows right by KJ in transition for a layup. 47-31. KJ with a sick blow by of Cassell on a cross for an and-1 (delayed transition). Pho going small lineup with Green-Barkley-Majerle-Ainge-KJ. Barkley double (OC) finally leads to an Ainge 3 hit. Hakeem going to work against Green though (2 straight scores). Barkley again double (OC) to Ainge for 3 against the clock. 51-40. Barkley hits a delated tran 3 to cut it to 8. KJ doesn't recover off a Dream double (OC) and Cassell gets an open layup. Chuck hits a crazy high fade over Horry. Cassell airball over KJ from 12 and Chuck with an amazing 70-foot outlet to Majerle for a layup. 53-47 at half.
Dream fades over Klein to start 3rd. KJ off a screen is blocked by Kenny Smith leading to a runout and open Max 3 (miss, Oreb). Horry backdoors Chuck for a layup on the inbounds! KJ drive and dish (OC) to Majerle for made 3. Hakeem scores against a double. Barkley OC to KJ who misses 18-footer. Hakeem doubled (OC) to Smith missed 3. Barkley doubled (OC) to Klein misses open foul line J.
Then Hakeem just shows off. He literally dribbles back to the 3-point line on Klein on a clear out and gives him a nasty dream shake, finishing with a hook. Then he's triple teams and still scores. Hakeem doubled (OC) to Max for 3. Barkley doubled out of TO for an OC layup to KJ. He then misses a fade on the baseline over Thorpe.
KJ hits a 19-footer off an Ainge OC. Smith drills a jumper over KJ (who sort of gave him the look by sagging off). KJ a ruthless drive in delayed tran and is fouled (3rd on Dream). Pho going with that small lineup a lot. 72-68. Hakeem doubled (OC) to Cassell for 3. KJ drive and sets up Green (OC) make. Barkley scores off a scramble/steal to cut it to 1, 77-76. Elie misses a drive on KJ. Cassell drives on KJ to set up Horry (OC) for 3. Big Shot Bob. 80-76 as Barkley dribbles out clock to end period.
Barkley goes to work on Horry to start 4th with a score. KJ draws a foul on Sam. Dream fouled by Green on a move, called on the floor. KJ hits a nasty stepback over Cassell after Cassell scored on an o-reb near KJ. Dream scores against Green in single coverage. KJ misses pullup over Sam next trip. Hakeem with a fade against Green (30) to put Hou up 90-80.
KJ drive around screen and dish (OC) to Ainge miss 3. KJ then drives off O-REb and scores at rim nicely. Pho has gone with this lineup for basically the whole second half! Chuck fouled in backcourt in tran. Barkley OC sets up Green missed 3 on double. Cassell hits the key shot of the game against the clock – a 3 after another possession of totally wasting the clock.
KJ isos on Sam and drives right, is fouled. He goes by him again for an OC layup to Green. 93-87. KJ holding his arm now. Out of TO, Dream scores deep on Green. KJ drive left and sets up Ainge for 3 (OC). KJ dribbling a lot next time down, finally drive and kick to Green (OC) from 19 against clock (miss). KJ misses an open 17-footer around a pick. KJ draws a foul splitting the D – makes both Fts. Dream with an answer dunk around Green (he traveled). KJ misses a pullup 3 on the other end. Chuck draws an Horry foul on upfake (makes both). 99-94 final minute. Barkley misses a desperation 3 down 7 to end it.
Summary: Barkley 12 Opportunities Created (OC) 5 fouls drawn (FD)
KJ 8 OC 4 FD 1 helped jumper, 1 helped layup
Hakeem 6 OC 3 FD
KJ was relatively idle for much of the early parts. Barkley had everything run through him in the post. Johnson did some damage in transition or delayed transition, but other than a 2-man game he ran with Chuck a few times, KJ rubbed off a few screens but otherwise had little to do with the offense.
As the game progressed, especially in the 4th quarter, KJ ramped up his aggression, when he had 4 of his OC and went hard to the basket frequently. He started shooting more quickly/frequently too (some bad shots). His defense wasn't great throughout the game, as he had two notable errors/breakdowns.
Phoenix finished at 100.9 Ortg in this game, well off its average (112 ORtg, 1st in NBA). How much of that had to do with Barkley's lack of mobility from the groin? He certainly didn't look entirely right. KJ had 25 and 11 (many perfunctory assists) on 50% TS, Barkley 24 and 15 on 57% TS. The key to the game, arguably, was the noticeable difference between Pho in 93 and 94...namely no agile Oliver Miller and Richard Dumas, so they played the same small lineup the whole second half to keep up with Houston's speed and, presumably, to space the floor on offense. Only Ainge really came through (5-10 3's) and Green was hung out to dry against Olajuwon.
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This is one game, but I find it instructive because it reflects my impression of Johnson, which is that he's a really good offensive player but he's more of a borderline QB-ing PG. He can carry the load, create, drive and dish, etc. but that wasn't his MO the whole game. Sometimes, he just played 1-on-1 ball, and he did it quite well. But he's not quite Chris Paul.
Ah, but he played with someone like Barkley, you say. Sure, that's a fair point. But when have we heavily rewarded players for what might have been? (Nash in Dallas with Dirk, for eg) And in this game, Barkley was clearly hobbled with a groin and KJ really didn't carry more of the load. He tried to make a few moves around Smith/Cassell, but a number of occasions was bottled off or became stuck by picking up his dribble.
All this begs the question, what happened in games KJ played without Chuck?
There were only 4 in 1994, and he averaged 19.0 pts (56% TS) and just 6.8 apg to 4.3 TOV. The average DRtg of those 4 teams was 107.6, and Pho posted a 113.4 ORtg.
If we expand that to the 93-95 period,
KJ played 13 games without Barkley, and he averaged 18.5 pts (53.6% TS) 7.8 apg 3.6 TOV. In those 13 games, Phoenix's estimated ORtg was 109.5, but their average opp DRtg was 108.4 (+1.1). This was a team in those 3 years that otherwise went +5.3, +5.4 and +6.2 in relative ORtg.
(Btw, KJ's lineups in those games were Miller-Green-Ceballos-Majerle with Elliot Perry making an appearance. Klein, Manning, Person and Tisdale all play in 95.)
