Injured Joe Johnson Calls Himself a ‘Decoy’

A bout of plantar fasciitis has slowed Joe Johnson down considerably in the Playoffs. The Brooklyn Nets guard considers himself just a decoy heading into tonight’s must-win Game 6 in Chicago. Per the NY Post: “If the Nets were in the middle of the regular season, as opposed to one loss away from their season being over, Joe Johnson wouldn’t be taking his customary place in the starting lineup tonight alongside Deron Williams in the Nets’ backcourt because of a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. ‘Probably not,’ Johnson said after yesterday’s practice. ‘Probably not. When it first came about in February, we tried to rest it as much as possible, but obviously it wasn’t enough time. I’m just giving them everything I’ve got at this point.’ […] The only way Johnson was able to play in Game 3, a 79-76 Nets loss last Thursday, was to get a cortisone shot in the foot. He finished that game with 15 points before scoring 22 — including 14 in overtime — in the Nets’ 142-134 triple-overtime loss in Game 4 on Saturday. […] ‘I’m kind of out there on one leg, honestly,’ said Johnson, who scored 11 points in Game 5. ‘I can’t push the basketball if I get a rebound, and I can’t run pick-and-rolls. I’m basically just a decoy, a spot-up shooter. I can’t really do a whole lot. Like I told Deron and Brook [Lopez], I’ll be the bailout guy. If you get in a sticky situation, just try to find me.'”