Joe Johnson is currently locked into the starting rotation, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN reports. "I doubt Joe will be coming off the bench this year," coach Lionel Hollins said. "I don't think we have anybody to put Joe in a position where he'll have to come off

Johnson is currently locked into the starting rotation, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN reports. "I doubt Joe will be coming off the bench this year," coach Lionel Hollins said. "I don't think we have anybody to put Joe in a position where he'll have to come off the bench. But if that should happen, we'll talk about it and deal with it, but I envision him being a starter."

Analysis:

Johnson faces sparse competition in order to retain his position in the starting lineup. Coach Hollins doesn't believe Markel Brown or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will leapfrog Johnson throughout training camp. However, Hollins left open the possibility of anyone coming off the bench, stating, "If we need somebody to be on the bench that can give us a little better balance then we'll consider that, but that's not something I'm thinking about right now." Even though Johnson played the ninth most minutes in the NBA last season, he scored 14.4 points per game, his worst mark since the 2002-03 season, and attempted 4.2 three-pointers per game, his lowest mark since the 2003-04 season. Statistically, Johnson performed better with Deron Williams on the court, but he used offensive more possessions when situated next to Jarrett Jack, setting up an interesting regular season dynamic.