In today’s news, Jason Kidd opened up a about his offensive strategy at the end of close games. Also, the NBA is nearing an decision that will take the 2016 All-Star Game north of the border.
Kidd expects Nets to use Johnson as closer
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports Nets coach Jason Kidd expects to call plays for Joe Johnson at the end of close games in the upcoming season. 
Despite the Nets’ acquisition of Paul Pierce — a Hall of Fame clutch player in his own right — Kidd remains confident that Johnson is the star who should have the ball in his hands to finish games.
“If you’re into analytics, you look at Joe Johnson as the clear-cut guy taking the last-second shot,” Kidd said. “He was 9-for-10 with 24 seconds or less. So that would be your guy who is the closer.”
Johnson shot 90% for the season in the closing seconds of tight games (three points or less).
Still, as Kidd knows extremely well from his playing career, most final plays finish differently from how they were originally designed:
“But the game of basketball is such that you draw up a play for one player, most of the time it doesn’t end up with that one guy taking the shot. He creates a problem, which results to one of teammates getting a wide-open look. Make-or-miss, it’s the right basketball play,” Kidd said. “For us, it’s about making the right basketball play at the end. But if you’re looking at stats, which a lot of you people do, Joe Johnson’s name comes first. … He’s a guy who delivers. He loves that stage at the end of having the ball and making the right play.”
2016 All-Star Game heading to Canada
According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors are closing in on a deal that will bring the 2016 All-Star Game to Toronto. 
2016 will mark the 20th anniversary for the Raptors organization. The team has been actively pursuing the 2016 All-Star Game as a way to kickstart a rebranding effort for the entire organization.
“Clearly the 2016 All-Star Game is a flag in the sand that we planted with the NBA. It is a must-have in my opinion and it will be the centerpiece of how we rebrand this,” said franchise CEO Tim Leiweke.
The rebranding of the Toronto organization has already commenced. The team, desperate to ditch its association to NBA futility, is reportedly considering a nickname change in the near future. Leiweke is also considering an alteration of the team’s color scheme.
