Atlantic Notes: C. Johnson, Raptors, Barnes, Embiid, Maxey

As Nets forward Cameron Johnson waits to see if he’ll be traded, he’s finding himself at the top of opposing teams’ game plans, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A string of injuries, along with last week’s trade of Dennis Schröder to Golden State, has forced Johnson to take on a larger role in Brooklyn’s offense. Utah was the latest team to adjust its defensive approach, trapping Johnson repeatedly on Saturday while forcing him into six turnovers and a 2-0f-9 shooting night from three-point range.

“The one thing — obviously good job on them for blitzing CJ — but six turnovers to five assists, it’s not good enough,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “The intentions were good, he was throwing the pass to the short roll. It was just the execution was not good. For the most part, he knew what we’re supposed to do, he’s just never been in that position. Every time Cam Thomas has been blitzed, we’ve got a clean execution out of it. If you turn it over every time, or a lot of times you got blitzed [it’s bad]. In the second half, he was better, but those turnovers, for sure we paid for it.”

It may be a short-term problem, as Johnson is considered likely to be moved before the February 6 trade deadline. The Thunder and Kings are among the teams that have reportedly expressed interest, and Lewis states that Johnson’s production and a contract that takes up just 13% of the cap make him the team’s top trade asset. In the meantime, Fernandez wants his players to do a better job of adjusting to the new defensive looks.

“We should have known how to space the floor versus blitz, especially the middle of the floor,” he said. “For the most part, when we executed right we had the shots that we wanted. Obviously, turning it over is not what we’re supposed to do, and we’ve got to be better.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

• Late-game execution continued to be a problem for the Raptors in Sunday’s four-point loss to Houston, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Toronto led for much of the night, but had too many empty possessions with the game on the line. The team could use Immanuel Quickley, who is recovering from a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, and Koreen states that he was able to take part in Saturday’s practice, although he wasn’t cleared for contact. Koreen adds that finding a player who can create his own shot should be a priority in the draft, noting that Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper may be more proficient in that area than projected top pick Cooper Flagg.
• A lethargic performance from Scottie Barnes could be a cause for concern, contends Michael Grange of Sportsnet, although Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic attributed it to rust from recent injuries. In his second game since returning from a sprained ankle, Barnes had six points on 2-of-15 shooting and launched unsuccessful three-point attempts on his first seven shots. “As you can see, he’s not being himself,” Rajakovic said. “He’s banged up, he got hit in his hip the last game, [there’s] his ankle and there’s been a couple of things bothering him. He’s still not himself, he’ll be better.”
• Lack of cohesion has been a big factor in the Sixers‘ slow start, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Joel Embiid is expected to play tonight against San Antonio, which would mark just the fifth time this season he’s been on the court alongside Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Maxey is on the injury report with an illness, but he’s listed as probable to suit up, Pompey tweets.