Joe Johnson fighting through fatigue, suggests time off may be in order

There are a lot of things wrong with the Brooklyn Nets right now, and Joe Johnson's shooting slump isn't exactly paramount among them.

The team is 17-24, barely holding onto a playoff spot in the moribund Eastern Conference race and ranking in the league's bottom 10 on the offensive end of the floor. This despite paying three high-profile talents - Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez - more money than any other trio in basketball.

The play of Lopez and Williams has been more disconcerting than that of Johnson, and Williams is currently sidelined with a rib injury. Williams' injury and the team's struggles to keep the offense afloat have led head coach Lionel Hollins to lean heavily on Johnson, one of the team's only players capable of creating his own offense.

It's been a lot to ask of the 33-year-old, who is averaging 35.9 minutes and ranks 13th in the league in total playing time, tops among all players 30 or older. That appears to be taking it's toll, as Johnson is shooting 32.1 percent over his last six games, averaging 11.8 points despite heavy run.

Because he's being relied upon so heavily, Johnson doesn't think he's likely to get the rest he may need to rediscover his form.

"Obviously, maybe some time off would probably be needed," Johnson said on the weekend. "But at this point, we've got a lot of injuries, man, and we are still trying to find chemistry and it can't happen. So I'm fighting though it. I'm giving the guys what I've got."

What the Seven-Time All-Star has got remains important to the Nets, who are 11.2 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor than without. The team can ill afford to sit him out games if their focus remains on a playoff spot, but Hollins may be well served by scaling back his minutes some, tough as it may be when he hits the bench.