The last time basketball players Brice Johnson and Reggie Bullock were on the same team, North Carolina made it to the round of 32 in 2013. Since then, the former Tar Heels have seen their careers evolve in unexpected ways.
Bullock is in his fifth season in the NBA and has grown to be a consistent contributor for the Detroit Pistons. Johnson, of course, has struggled to enter the rotation during his time in the pros due to a variety of factors, including recurring injuries and a roster with a deep front court.
Having played only 12 games in his first two NBA seasons with the Los Angles Clippers, Johnson was involved in a massive trade on Monday night that sent him, Blake Griffin and Willie Reed to the Pistons in exchange for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a collection of draft picks.
In his limited minutes, Johnson averaged an unremarkable 1.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.3 blocks per game in his first two seasons as a pro. While the beginning of Johnson’s professional career has been off to a rough start since being picked in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, there is still hope for the former All-American.
Heading to a situation where the majority of minutes in the front court will be logged by Griffin and Andre Drummond, Johnson will still have the opportunity to be a quality reserve for a potential playoff team, only having to compete with the likes of Anthony Tolliver and Eric Moreland for backup playing time.
Conversely, Bullock is putting together the highlight season of his career so far. He is averaging career highs in points, assists, steals and minutes this season. Bullock has started 24 of 34 games for the Pistons and he has taken full advantage of this extended playing time.
He's had to recover from several nagging injuries during the first two months of the season, but he has averaged 11.6 points per game since returning on Dec. 10. In the past three games alone (one against Oklahoma City and two against Cleveland), Bullock has scored 16 points, 14 points and 22 points respectively, showcasing an instinctive ability to put the ball in the basket. Bullock also has the third highest 3-point percentage in the NBA at 45.1 percent.
Playing in his fifth season with his third team in the NBA, Bullock has had to endure a lot of turmoil over the past couple of years due to hampering injuries as well as the tragic death of his sister in 2014.
