Dave Johnson did not have to slip quietly into town, and for that he could be grateful.
Fairly or not, he will be best remembered in Portland for his activities off the court. His part in the Salt Lake City scandal, in which four Portland players were investigated but never charged with sexual misconduct involving underaged girls, marred Johnson’s first year in the NBA.
Drafted 26th in the first round out of Syracuse, the Blazers had high hopes for Johnson. The Bulls would have drafted him if Portland hadn’t. “We were very interested in him,” says General Manager Jerry Krause. “We tried to trade up to get him.”
The 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pound swingman signed a three-year guaranteed contract with an option starting at $500,000. But Johnson played in just nine of Portland’s first 24 games and was disappointed he wasn’t given a chance to prove himself.
“There were times, as the 11th man, when I didn’t even get to practice much,” he said. “It just wasn’t a fair opportunity.”
Then came the Salt Lake affair. The Blazers levied “significant fines” against four players and suspended Johnson and Tracy Murray. Johnson didn’t acknowledge involvement at the time and never publicly showed remorse. Now he says, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Privately, Blazers coaches said Johnson couldn’t cut it offensively and that his athleticism had not developed into enough productivity. Was part of it a carryover from the Salt Lake incident?
“I heard a lot of reporters saying that,” Johnson said. “I definitely didn’t think it was because I wasn’t talented enough.”
Krause said he was thrilled Johnson was available. The Blazers must pay Johnson $650,000 this season and $800,000 next year, with the Bulls paying him the league minimum $150,000 and guaranteeing it this season. Johnson, who just turned 23, was the youngest NBA player last year.
“He’s a fine athlete,” Krause said. “I liked him as an athlete, and what I’ve seen of him, he should develop well. In the summer league, he shot very well.”
Johnson did little weight training with the Blazers, and Krause thinks that doing so will improve his overall play.
“There’s a feeling you get about kids,” Krause said. “Some kids you hear things about and you meet him and he’s very different from what you heard. I really wanted to draft him, and if I had a bad feeling, I wouldn’t have.”
Johnson made his first Bulls appearance Tuesday in Seattle, playing three scoreless minutes. “I felt really comfortable out there,” he said. “I’m anxious to do whatever I can for the Bulls. I really want to prove I can play here.”
– After the big buildup about Portland’s Harvey Grant going head to head with twin brother Horace for the first time, Harvey sat out Thursday night’s game against the Bulls with the flu.
As a member of the Washington Bullets, he missed four of the last six meetings against his brother’s team. Said Horace: “Looks like he has the Horace flu again.”
