Rumour: Dwane Casey & James Johnson Did Have Another Falling Out

[DanH]

How can anyone know for sure if they weren't in the locker room?

The beat guys are around the team all the time. For months on end. They'd have a better sense than anyone except those in the locker room - and no one actually in the locker room is going to say anything.

[Mapko]

Woah. Makes sense. And the team was just allowed to go on a downward spiral?

Correction: Our "downward spiral" started after Portland game (last game of 2014) NOT end of Feb as this "alleged incident" occurred.

[Superjudge]

Meh. This story, or another, something was horribly wrong with that team. And I don't care what people say, James Johnson is a better player than his minutes showed.

[Mindlessness]

Meh. This story, or another, something was horribly wrong with that team. And I don't care what people say, James Johnson is a better player than his minutes showed.

You just disagreed with Dwane Casey and probably only Dwane Casey.

[Superjudge]

Yep.

But like I said, something was wrong. I'd love to have been in the room to know what it was. These are men, not kids.

[Mapko]

Well, by the sounds of the rumor, James Johnson stood up for a group on the roster who felt that the team was being coached improperly. The rumor implies there was a feeling of "us" against "them" inside the lockeroom. If you're enjoying your job but you then perceive the guy next to you resents you in someway because of your standing on the team, how do you think you're going to interact with that coworker going forward?

If you feel your boss doesn't appreciate your hard work, do you continue to work hard for him? Especially if there is a guy "just like you" who stood up and is now a martyr?



Sounds like players vs. coaches and players vs. players.

This of course is all speculation based on a couple happenings during the season and an unverified source who could be just stirring the shit out of amusement or some sort of perceived personal gain or both.

This (see bold) implies that JJ" led a rebellion against Casey & his "fav stars". You realize if this were a case, JJ would have been gone off the team within an hour.

[Axel]

This (see bold) implies that JJ" led a rebellion against Casey & his "fav stars". You realize if this were a case, JJ would have been gone off the team within an hour.

Unless there were equally important players (in Masai's eyes) on JJs side of the divide. Specifically, if JV sides with JJ, and Masai thinks JV is the future star of the team, I doubt Masai would trade JJ for standing up for JV and Co. If he did, he would basically have to trade JV on the spot too.

Not sure if any of this actually happened, but it is a complex situation and dynamic relationship that is far too complex to over-simplify.

[Apollo]

It's easy to fire a guy if he's a meat head and nobody like him. It's not so easy when it's a locker room leader presenting points that make sense to other guys on the team.

He might have been representing a group of guys, speaking on their behalf as well. Leaders do that.

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[rapfan10]

I really dont know if this is true or not but.... Why didn't JJ talk at the exit interviews yesterday? Could the management have held him back?

[Gman]

Damn and all the problem started about 2 month ago !!! It makes you wonder if JJ was not on this team and the dressing room was not the divided, we would have had better outcome !!!

Yes because all truth should be barred from the dressing room. Damn, JJ. Damn you and your truth telling. This team could have been so much better had it remained on course to baby it's faux all stars and...oh wait, that's what happened and we sucked. Thanks for playing...

[Gman]

Remember that James Johnson-Jeff Teague all star campaign on ig? Something must have really happened in the locker room that's not being shown on open gym. Well, at least it's still not as bad as Indiana's self-destruction last year imo.

Worse than Indiana's. Much worse.

[Gman]

If it IS true then you have a seriously good point. If JJ did cause a disturbance then it was a f*&**$ catastrophic one - and it changed a legit contender into the crap we see on the floor today.

All the critisism on Casey pre-all star break didn't mean sh!t. We were a legit contender, easily a team on the rise and no one could discount our chemistry. All the critisism didn't matter because whatever Casey was doing, IT WAS WORKING.

hmmmm Ive been trying to figure it out and maybe thats what caused our turn-around. Im a fan of JJ but f*#% him if it's true. Show him the door if its true.

Wow, you are starting to sound like somebody the Raptors would plant here to say crap like that. What you just wrote is complete and utter horse crap. If you actually think that and you aren't some kind of manipulative piece, than you're ridiculous. If the team had a closed door meeting where they are intended on airing out thoughts and concerns, the truth needs to be more important than egos. If it isn't than the culture of the team is failing. There is no question that Casey sowed the seeds of a star caste system on this team and that it ultimately destroyed this teams chemistry. If you don't believe that then you haven't been paying attention.

[Gman]

"deasn't mean he's a better player"...but wait, the stats say he is!! lol

dude you bring up stats to try to prove your point. Then when i show a stat thats true but doesn't mean jack on the court... all of a sudden stats aren't important to you?! exactly. SMH

Wow, how can you argue with this level of ignorance. Are you saying that all stats become flawed because one outlier stat that you pulled out of your ass seems dubious? Are you really suggesting that? Wow, that's the height of stupidity.

[Gman]

If this is true...and that's a big IF, than this is a greater testament to Casey's failure. Again, Phil Jackson and other great coaches have had to deal with players infinitely more loopy than James Johnson and not only did they nullify any negative effect they would have on the locker room, they found a way to pull the best out of them on the court as well. Apparently Casey can't do either. Epic Failure...if this really happened, then this convinces me more than ever that Casey needs to be fired and doesn't have what it takes to be a head coach of an NBA team. Part of the job is negotiating the tensions between the personalities that these volatile thoroughbreds have. It's an absolutely essential component of a great coach...so Casey doesn't have this either.

[OldSchool]

Wow, how can you argue with this level of ignorance. Are you saying that all stats become flawed because one outlier stat that you pulled out of your ass seems dubious? Are you really suggesting that? Wow, that's the height of stupidity.

No you dumbass. This was infact, part of a larger conversation. If you weren't involved then see your ass out the conversation and go act like a badass somewhere else. Im not trying to remember all the little points of that convo just to satisfy some dude on the internet who thinks he knows it all. Butt out

Unless you were involved in the convo and now you're just using another Screen name...youre still a loser if this is the case lol