Blazers Rookie Armon Johnson Shows Progress in NBA D-League

February 9 2011 Last updated at 05:02 PM ET

Trail Blazers rookie Armon Johnson wasn't exactly looking forward to being assigned to the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede, but now with five games under his belt, the young point guard seems to be getting as comfortable.

His play last night -- perhaps the biggest reason that his team was able to come from behind and win -- seemingly made Johnson a bit less discouraged about developing his game while biding his time in the D-League. Earlier this week, in an interview with The Oregonian's Molly Blue, Johnson noted that he was trying to make the best of his time with Idaho.

"I'm just trying to embrace it," Johnson said. "I'm doing my best to embrace it and just be positive about it."

Though it's tough to tell how positive his attitude was on the inside, he certainly looked like he was embracing his role with the Stampede on Tuesday night.

Playing in frigid North Dakota with a 10 p.m. start time due to travel issues, Johnson came off the bench to score 22 points, grab seven rebounds and dish five assists in 29 minutes against the Dakota Wizards. In five games with the Stampede, Johnson has averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 assists while making an outstanding 64 percent of his attempts from the field.

Though Johnson has typically been playing alongside the incumbent point guard Cedric Jackson -- the current starter and three-time NBA call-up last season (San Antonio, Cleveland and Washington) -- he was handed the reins of the offense for the majority of the fourth quarter as Jackson fouled out after just 18 minutes of court time.

Upon subbing for Jackson with just over a minute left in the third quarter with the Stampede trailing, 83-75, Johnson went to work. Following a pair of nice drive-and-kicks to assist on 3-pointers by Lance Hurdle and Blazers training camp invitee Seth Tarver, Johnson was able to help pull the Stampede to within two points going into the final quarter.

The point guard put through 10 more points in the fourth, the majority while slicing left from the top of the key and finishing at the rim with layups, while running the offense and playing solid enough defense to allow the Stampede to outscore Dakota 38-23 on their way to the 121-108 comeback victory.

"It's fun to get some minutes. It's fun to be playing in games, competitive games," Johnson told The Oregonian. "There are good teams down here in the D-League. No disrespect around here."

Johnson had some pretty good players across from him in last night's game, too, as Dakota's point guards are former first-round pick Javaris Crittenton and former Blazers call-up Maurice Baker. Johnson, Jackson and Tarver held them in check, however, limiting the pair to a dreadful 2-of-18 shooting performance and 12 combined turnovers.

The Stampede next play against the Sioux Falls Skyforce in a back-to-back beginning Friday evening before returning home from the three-game road trip.

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