Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey wasn’t thrilled with James Johnson’s post-game tweet, taking issue with his lack of playing time, following Wednesday’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, Casey says it’s not a big deal and won’t be a distraction to the team.
“We’ve texted,” Casey said Friday on Dean Blundell & Co. on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “Again, no big deal. There’s not going to be a formal get-together. He’s already apologized for it and it’s not going to change how we play or who we play or rotations or anything like that.”
Johnson received a combined 12 minutes of playing time over Toronto’s last two games, including just 5:28 against Cleveland, and the small forward has not exceeded 20 minutes of playing time in a game since Toronto beat the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 11.
Casey understands why the Raptors forward was emotional, but admitted he was a bit disappointed because he believed Johnson had a clear understanding of how he was going to be utilized this season.
“James does know his role,” he said. “I’ve told him numerous times about his role and where he stood in the pecking order.
“As a staff we have to continue to communicate daily to remind guys of their roles. It’s disappointing because we have some positive things going with the team but our guys are mature. They understand it. James is not a vicious young man whatsoever. Those things are going to happen with 15 young men in the locker room.”
Casey added that he’s a big fan of Johnson personally and believes he can be a valuable contributor as a utility man, but it’s going to be tough to find regular playing time for him in their rotation considering how well newcomers DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola and Bismack Biyombo have fit in with the Raptors.
“That’s his role at this moment,” he said. “(However) that can change with injuries, foul trouble, fatigue and as a professional he has to be ready.”
Otherwise, Casey is pleased with how the Raptors are performing early in the 2015-16 season and believes important defensive additions such as Carroll and Biyombo have helped provide the club with a more sustainable style of play.
“Last year we were shooting the crap out of the ball but that (style) is not conducive to playoff ball,” Casey explained. “We’re going to have ebbs and flows as the season goes on but there’s a substance to how we’re playing.”