WALTHAM, Mass. — Amir Johnson won’t have to wait long to get a shot at his former team.
The Boston Celtics host the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, the team Johnson spent the previous six seasons with before leaving for Boston in free agency this summer.
The 28-year-old veteran obviously became very close with his Raptors teammates during his time in Toronto. But now that he’s in Boston, he’s not afraid to use any intelligence he may have gleaned to help the Celtics against their Atlantic Division foe.
“It’s going to be big,” Johnson said after Thursday’s practice. “Just knowing their tendencies, knowing which way they like to come off the screen, knowing when they’re going to shoot the ball. It’s definitely going to be to my advantage.”
But getting a leg up on scouting won’t be the only thing on Johnson’s mind when he faces his old team for the first time.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of trash-talking between me and some of the guys,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Apparently both sides are on board with this plan of action, including Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan.
Toronto has a bit of a different look this season, as it unveiled new uniforms and brought in free agent swingman DeMarre Carroll. Johnson acknowledged this fact, but added the Raptors’ core remains the same.
“I think they definitely switched up the offense,” he said. “They’re definitely starting to move the ball from side to side. But still, their main guys are DeMar and Kyle (Lowry), so we just have to be prepared for what they’re going to do.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
