One day before hosting the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens recalled planning meetings from early in the offseason, when the team’s brain trust packed into a room to hash out feelings on Amir Johnson.

“Amir’s name came up early and often,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after Thursday’s practice, “as a target that we all thought would really benefit our team.”

“Guys like that, there’s a reason he impacts winning,” Stevens said. “It’s not always easy to tell. But there’s a reason he does. And I thought he was really good last night. I thought he did a ton for us, protecting the rim, finishing, rolling, making a big shot when we were only up five. He had a good night.”

“He’s an active screener,” Stevens said. “He’s not just a big body. He runs and seeks out screens. He rolls to the rim quick, and you saw that he has a variety of finishes at the rim. He’s a good athlete at the rim.”

JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT ON RAPTORS DEPARTURE

“They did talk to me (in free agency), but they obviously chose a different route,” Amir Johnson told reporters. He added, “Every team goes through their ups and downs. I just think the organization wanted to make some changes, switch it up and see what they can do different. But we accomplished a lot together, winning our (division) two years — especially since our franchise player, Chris Bosh, left. We kind of grew as a team.” (NESN.com)