‘They love him’: Former Missouri State star Alize Johnson makes strong impression on Pacers

Alize Johnson always knew he would have a “Welcome to the NBA Moment” when the Pacers selected the former Missouri State star with the No. 50 pick in last June’s draft.

But he wasn’t expecting it to come from his own teammate.

In a preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies in October, Johnson went up for a rebound along with teammate Domantas Sabonis. The two hit some traffic on their way up for the board, and while Sabonis wound up with the ball, while Johnson took an elbow to the head from his teammate.

‘At least I got it over with,’ Johnson thought of his NBA orientation while getting off the floor.

While his playing time in the pros has been sparse as a rookie, Johnson has made his presence known within the organization. The 6-foot-9 power forward has played sparingly with the Pacers but has been the team’s star player on its G-League squad, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, alongside former Missouri guard Jordan Barnett.

In 31 G-League games this season, Johnson has averaged 19.2 points and 13.5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. Johnson doesn’t have a guaranteed contract for next season but is expected to be part of the Pacers’ plans after emerging as a double-double machine as a rookie.

“They love him,” Happy Waters, Johnson’s agent, told The Star. “The Pacers are really deep at that position. The coach, usually gives the nod to veteran players. They really like Alize, he’s been giving a few shots here and there. He’ll be there next year two as well and he’ll fit in the rotation. It’s been a really good experience. He came from a system that’s different from what they run. He’s had a really good rookie year.”

Johnson has played in 12 games for the Pacers with three regular-season games remaining and has been taken under the wing of NBA veterans Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison and Tyreke Evans, who have taught him about the inner workings of the association.

From splitting time between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Johnson can make the two-hour drive on Interstate-69 in his sleep. And he has learned that his situation isn’t unique as a late-second round pick.

“(The veterans) have been talking to me and giving me some knowledge on how some things work,” Johnson told The Star. “They have to go some of the adversity I’m going through now in terms of playing time.”

Johnson played his last two years at Missouri State after spending the first two at Frank Phillips junior college in Texas. And it’s fair to say he’s seen a steeper learning curve than NBA prospects who played at Power Five schools.

After averaging 15 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a senior at MSU, Johnson thought his impact on the boards would be his best shot at carving out a niche in pro basketball. In his preseason debut against the Grizzlies, Johnson had eight points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, which proved to be a sign of things to come with him in the G-League.

“Rebounding translates; he also plays so hard and hustles so hard,” Waters said. “It’s all the little things he does also. I think his shot has to be better. For the (No. 50 pick), he’s done pretty good.”

While Johnson was only at Missouri State for two years, he retains a strong connection with his alma mater even after the firing of his former coach Paul Lusk.

Johnson had some former teammates surprise him at the Pacer’s game in Oklahoma City on March 27 and visited with first-year coach Dana Ford shortly after getting drafted.

“The coaching staff seems bought-in,” Johnson said. “They’re going to work really hard. I’m extremely excited to see how that plays out.”

Johnson’s role with next year’s Pacers team will likely be determined over the summer. Young and fellow forward Bojan Bogdanovic are both entering free agency. More minutes could be headed Johnson’s way, should they sign elsewhere.

Time will tell what Johnson makes of his NBA career, but he thinks the Pacers did him a favor by splitting him between the G-League and the NBA. He has had plenty of chances to learn which aspects of his game translated well from college.

Instead of sitting on the bench in the NBA, he played a lot of minutes in the G-League, where the competition is comparable to, if perhaps not quite equal to, the NBA.

“Playing in the G-League and being able to compete against guys trying to make the league is competitive,” he said. “Both leagues are competitive. The NBA playing against talent is just as good as you. Being able to compete against both levels is great for my development.”

With his rookie year nearly in the books, Johnson said he’s already excited for summer league and another chance to impress the Pacers brass for long stretches.

And when rebounding, he’ll be ready for the elbows.

This story was originally published April 4, 2019 at 4:49 PM.