Lewenberg: Unheralded Johnson fuels Raptors comeback over Magic Nobody quite knew what Greivis Vasquez meant when he called teammate James Johnson "spicy" after practice on Monday. Spicy? "Well spicy in a way that, you know... everyone knows he's a little crazy," Vasquez explained, or at least tried to, Tuesday night. "But personally, I love his craziness."

Josh Lewenberg TSN Raptors Reporter Follow|Archive

TORONTO - Nobody quite knew what Greivis Vasquez meant when he called teammate James Johnson "spicy" after practice on Monday.

Spicy?

"Well spicy in a way that, you know... everyone knows he's a little crazy," Vasquez explained, or at least tried to, Tuesday night. "But personally, I love his craziness."

Johnson, in his second stint with the Raptors, was brought back to fill a very specific and often unglamorous role, a role that doesn't often lend itself to the spotlight. But it did on Tuesday.

With under 10 seconds remaining, the Raptors up by two, Orlando's Luke Ridnour delivered the ball to Tobias Harris in the corner. Harris, like most of the Magic, had Toronto's number for most of the evening. Long and versatile, the forward had already scored 23 points to go along with his game-high 13 rebounds and five assists.

Harris put the ball on the floor and darted towards the middle of the key before launching what would have been a game-tying bucket over the outstretched arm of Johnson.

It couldn't have been defended any better. As the Raptors' defensive specialist strutted back to the bench, moments after making the biggest stop of the night, he pounded his chest.

"You need someone crazy in the locker room," Vasquez insisted following Toronto's 104-100 comeback win at the Air Canada Centre. "He's not afraid to fight for you or anything like that. He'll die for the whole team."

With the Raptors off to their best start in franchise history - also improving to 5-0 at the ACC, matching their best home start - Johnson has been one of their most consistent, albeit unheralded contributors.

His length, athleticism and natural ability have never been questioned but bringing him back was considered to be a gamble for Masai Ujiri, Dwane Casey and company. Would he buy in? Would he accept a minimal role on offence to be the team's designated lock-down defender?

"Most of the time, defence is what wins the game," said Johnson, who scored six points on four shots, grabbing a team-best 10 rebounds. "Our shots weren't falling. We started getting some stops. Stops led to us getting to the rim more instead of us just settling for jump shots."

Riding high after a pair of convincing victories this weekend, the Raptors came out flat, allowing Orlando to score 32 points on 58 per cent in the first quarter. Defensively, there was little to no resistance. The Magic were getting whatever shots they wanted, living around the rim and draining wide open threes - they were 12-of-25 from long distance on the night.

The Raptors opened the fourth quarter down by 11, with five subs on the floor. Johnson calls them "the White Squad", a nickname originally coined by Patrick Patterson. Not the catchiest moniker, but give it a chance. There's actually an interesting meaning behind it.

When the second unit takes on the starters in the practice, the five reserves always wear white. The bench group embraces the competition. Individually they each know they could start on many teams around the league. Collectively they know they can give the starters a good run.

"White Squad always gets it done," Johnson boasted. "Pat celebrates by yelling 'White Squad.' And we all chime in with it."

On Tuesday, that unit changed the game. With all five reserves on the floor, Toronto opened the final quarter on an 11-0 run to erase the deficit and pull even with the Magic. Patterson scored nine of his 12 points in the frame, Lou Williams eight of his 14, giving the Raptors the spark the needed offensively.

But Johnson was the unsung hero with his defence and rebounding.

"We don't under-appreciate what we does," Patterson said. "As far as us in this locker room, we know what he brings to this team. Although he doesn't put up tremendous numbers like Kyle [Lowry] and DeMar [DeRozan], his impact is just as valuable as theirs, game in and game out. We all know it. We all see it every single day in practice, we see it out there on the court. So for the world to finally truly see JJ like that, I'm hoping he gets a lot more recognition."

"He was huge," Casey added. "That’s his role, that’s what he does. That’s why we signed him back, he can guard one through four and probably some fives."

Vasquez compared Johnson to Tony Allen, an elite defensive stopper they've both played with in Memphis, Vasquez as a rookie in 2010 and Johnson last season, three years later.

"I’ll take that all day," Johnson said, informed of the comparison. "I love Tony Allen. I learned a lot from him. I’m just trying to bring that over here and take that over here."

It's still early and a lot can change when adversity hits but so far, so good. Johnson has embraced his role on defence. And being labeled "spicy"? "Crazy"?

"I accept that role, too," Johnson joked.

Different look, same result

When the most pressing piece of news to come out of morning shoot-around is a spirited debate surrounding the merits of sleeves on NBA jerseys, things are probably going pretty smoothly.

Honouring the Canadian Armed Forces, the Raptors debuted an old look, with a new twist, on Remembrance Day. Tuesday marked the first of two scheduled games they would sport camouflage jerseys, similar to the ones they've warn in past years but with the addition of sleeves.

The NBA has experimented with sleeved uniforms in recent seasons, to widespread criticism from players who are mostly set in their ways.

"Yeah, it does [make a difference]," said Patterson, who had just learned he and his team would be wearing the sleeved jerseys Tuesday morning. "For those guys who aren't comfortable wearing sleeves on their jerseys, for those guys who have broad shoulders, large muscles on their arms, it tends to get tight, real snug."

"So a lot of guys are uncomfortable with it," he continued. I wish I had known ahead of time that we were wearing those because I had no idea. It's for a solid cause and I believe we're doing it for the right reasons but at the end of the day, I don't like sleeves."

More than fashion, Casey was concerned with the bottom line.

"I'm game for anything," said the Raptors' coach. "I'm about winning. If we win with 'em, we can wear bikinis if we have to."

"The purpose of it is great - Remembrance Day, honouring our fallen soldiers and the military, so it's good. I think I'm a little old school though as far as the jersey style is concerned but that's not in my department. If [Patterson] doesn't like 'em, I don't like 'em. They're the ones who have to perform with them on. And some guys are superstitious and some guys have to have a certain feeling with the shoulders. That's something that's out of our control."

Not everyone was so outwardly opposed to the new look, however. Johnson pointed out that they are used to practicing with shirts, instead of jerseys, and didn't anticipate a noticeable difference, though he did reserve the right to change his opinion should he go on to have an off night.

In the end, it's safe to say he wasn't complaining.