Knee, ankle tendinitis taking 'a toll' on Nets' Joe Johnson

The Brooklyn Nets' highest paid player is physically ailing as his team battles for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. 

Swingman Joe Johnson has been dealing with tendinitis in his right knee and left ankle for much of the season and the injuries are starting to catch up to him as the year comes to a conclusion. 

"Obviously, a lot of minutes take a toll on you, but we all envisioned this team being pretty deep so guys won't have to log 40, 45 minutes," Johnson said, according to Roderick Boone of Newsday. "And obviously, injuries happen. I had a stretch where I was playing at least 42, 44 minutes a night. It just happens. But it's no gripe on my part. I try to do whatever I can to help this team win, but it takes its toll on you."

Johnson has logged under 30 minutes in each of the team's last two contests, a pair of losses. He watched from the bench as the Nets dropped an overtime contest to the Phoenix Suns on Friday and has scuffled recently as the team attempts to secure a playoff spot for the third consecutive season.

Brooklyn enters Sunday 11th in the lowly East, but remains within striking distance thanks to the inferior conference. At 25-35, the Nets are two games back of both the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, the two teams clinging on to the seventh and eighth spots in the East, respectively. 

Johnson's averaging 9.2 points and shooting 38 percent from the field over his last five contests. He's averaging 15.2 points in 58 games on the season, his lowest scoring output since 2002-03 when he was a member of the Suns. The veteran isn't getting to the line as much or shooting as adequately as he's accustomed to and his player efficiency rating is below league average for the second time in his last three seasons. 

Even with his struggles and decline apparent, the Nets will need to see a little more of the old Johnson as they fight to snag one of the East's last playoff spots.