Tyler Johnson
This dude, man. It is hard to know what to say about Tyler Johnson. He has been all over the place both literally and figuratively.
He started off the season as the backup shooting guard to Devin Booker. Then he started as point guard when Ricky Rubio was suffering from back spasms. He has also played a fair amount as backup point guard when Rubio was healthy. Now he has found himself out of the rotation, hiding under a hoodie on the bench.
Overall, Johnson is having the worst statistical output of his career outside of his rookie year. He has been the subject of trade talks, and–let me rephrase that–his contract has been the subject of trade talks.
Johnson is in the final year of a very lucrative contract that will pay him $19.25 million this season, which puts him squarely into the category of vastly overpaid.
Williams may be sitting him because he knows he will likely be on the move soon, and doesn’t want him to continue to play poorly and hurt his trade value.
Then again, he might just be that disappointing. His numbers:
6.5 points per game
2.2 assists per game
1.8 rebounds per game
$19.25 million is a lot of money to sit on the bench, but if the production isn’t there, it is hard to justify playing a man simply because of his salary.