James Johnson back with Indiana Pacers to provide wisdom and toughness

The Indiana Pacers brought back veteran forward James Johnson late last week. The 36-year old was with the Pacers for the 2022-23 season but had been out of the league for the ongoing campaign prior to last week.

Johnson was a vital locker room piece for Indiana last year. The young Pacers roster praised what he provided — his wisdom, advice, and mentality were valuable for the squad.

The blue and gold wanted those traits back, so they investigated re-acquiring Johnson. Indiana opened up a roster spot in mid-November when they bought out Daniel Theis, so they had room for the forward.

When the Pacers visited the Heat for two games in late November and early December, they checked in with the Miami-based Johnson. They wanted to see what the veteran had been up to and how he's been doing. It was a lunch meeting, and Johnson shared that it was nice to see head coach Rick Carlsile, assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, and president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.

They discussed things from last season that went well and poorly for the Pacers. "It was just an honest conversation," Johnson told AllPacers. In the end, it was determined that bringing the 15-year pro back made sense for the blue and gold. He's now back with the franchise.

"He helped us a lot last year. There was careful consideration to bringing him in for training camp, but there was 15 spots that were filled. Decided not to, knew that he was staying ready," Carlisle said of the process bringing Johnson back. With two-thirds of the season left, the head coach thought it was a good time to acquire the 2009 first-round pick again. "There's a presence he brings and a wisdom and a respect that was very helpful to us last year and I believe will be again."

Last season, Johnson averaged 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in 18 appearances. His contributions are more prominent off the court than on, though, and that should be the case this season as well.

He's back, and he played in Indianapolis for the first time this season on Monday night. Because he wasn't on the roster to open the season, he has a different locker than he used to.

Johnson played for over six minutes last night in a loss. He had one rebound, two assists, and a steal. He's approaching 10 total minutes this season in two appearances.

The veteran said he missed the players on the roster and was hoping for a chance to return but wasn't sure he'd get it. "I don't think I would have went back for any other call other than the Pacers," he said. Fortunately for the forward, the franchise he wanted to play for wanted him back.

The wisdom and leadership Johnson provides is already on display. During stoppages, he can be seen talking to his teammates one-on-one to provide them with tips or a mental boost. That's important for the Pacers, especially during a four-game skid.

"It'll be great. He's a great person, great vet. He's gonna bring a lot of energy and toughness to the team," second-year Pacers forward Kendall Brown said.

That toughness is a nice benefit, too. Johnson has a black belt and has done kickboxing in the past. An anonymous poll of NBA players last year revealed that Johnson is the player that others in the league would least like to fight. He gives Indiana a gritty element.

That timing is fitting. Indiana plays Memphis later this week — a city where they had a scary dust up last season. In early January, the Pacers will play the Bucks twice, and they just had a scrum with Milwaukee involving the game ball. 

The Pacers signed Johnson officially the day after that moment in Milwaukee, but that was just a coincidence. They had been communicating for weeks about a reunion. But Johnson didn't like what happened with the Pacers after their game against the Bucks last week.

"All those people, they don't know what transpired before all that." Johnson said when asked about the timing of being signed just after the fracas in Milwaukee. The agreement was already in the works. "When [the scrum with the Bucks] happened, I was upset. I called Tyrese [Haliburton] right away. I was upset. I didn't like it. I thought it was cheap," he said.

The veteran forward will provide a tough presence during Indiana's two games against Milwaukee next month. In general, though, he will be valuable all the time thanks to what he brings off the floor. He's happy to be back with the Pacers and will be worth every penny this season.