Hawks at Wizards . . . AKA Will (Should) Joe Johnson Go?
Will Joe take his ball and leave? Do you want him to go? (Zach Wolfe, Dimemag)
New York media have their eye on J.J. Meanwhile THHB (now over at Peachtree Hoops) says you can have J.J. with his old, expensive, ball-demanding self.
First, the New York stuff. J.J. went through the media wringer there like all big-name (he is, right?) free-agents-to-be. Speculation was that Johnson’s history with Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and agent Arn Tellem’s relationship with Donnie Walsh could lead to J.J. signing with the Knicks.
Johnson didn’t say he won’t leave the Hawks and there’s no reason, financial or otherwise, for him to do so. He told reporters he’d have no problem playing in New York and was open to seeing what other teams have to offer. But he didn’t give many hints about his intentions.
“Everybody (in New York) makes so much of it because (of) D’Antoni,” Johnson said. “Me and him got a good relationship. That is always going to be kind of scrutinized and everybody wants to know what’s what. So we’ll see. I don’t know what is going to happen, to be honest with you.”
One thing that gets lost in the Johnson speculation is that Tellem approached the Hawks about an extension last summer. That indicates a desire for Johnson to stay, right? If Tellem really was trying to steer J.J. to New York why would he do that? Plus, i’ve always thought it’s a bit paternalistic when it’s suggested agents influence players to that degree. Tellem works for J.J., not the other way around.
Anyway, the Hawks offered a four-year deal in excess of $60 million but Johnson decided against it at the last minute. He’s gambling that he can secure a more lucrative deal from the Hawks or another team as a free agent. During All-Star weekend Johnson, who is making nearly $15 million this season, said he would “love to” re-sign with the Hawks.
So depending on when he’s asked and how deeply you want to read into it, Johnson either wants to re-sign with the Hawks, would welcome a move to New York, isn’t interested in a rebuilding franchise or really truly doesn’t know right now (my vote).
“That all can wait until when the season is over and we have completed what we are trying to do here,” Johnson said. “I am trying to not let none of that be a distraction to me or my teammates and just have fun like we’ve been doing.”
It’s not been so fun for THHB. Well, maybe it has, but he (it?) says Joe needs to go because of age, money and usage rate. THHB’s reasoning is sound but, in my view, premature.
If the Hawks make it to the Eastern Conference finals and make a good showing with J.J. as the centerpiece, and the Hawks believe they really are close to breaking through, would (could) they let J.J. go and turn it over to Josh, Al and whatever talent they can acquire in a sign-and-trade? Doesn’t it happen all the time in the NBA that true contending teams overpay for centerpiece players they know will be in decline during the back end of the deal for a shot at winning it all?
And isn’t that one of your frequent complaints about ASG, that it doesn’t spend the money to go for it? Somehow I don’t think it would go over too well if the Hawks let J.J. go after a strong postseason run and say “Well, we were close to the Finals but we have to manage our finances, Joe is getting old, he needs the ball too much and so we wish him well. Here are some new players.”
Of course, if the Hawks flame out in the first round or get handled again in the second with J.J. jacking up iso jumpers then please refer back to THHB’s take and forget I ever wrote this.
– Coincidentally, here is my Iso-Joe update after 17 games of tracking: 38 possessions, 37 points, four misses by teammates, one turnover, and three offensive rebounds by teammates. The production has dropped off lately to .97 points per possession for Iso-Joe. If extrapolated out for the entire season and compared to the league offensive efficiency rankings season (which I know really shouldn’t be done but I’m doing it anyway ), those numbers would put fourth quarter Iso-Joe somewhere in T-Wolves and Nets territory (but check my math on that, non-mathematically challenged blog people)
– I looked back at a post from Hawks blog legend Sekou from back around the time the Hawks were considering an extension for J.J. Man, things have changed these last few months. His blog people (a few of them still my blog people) were dang near begging for a deal to get done. Not so much anymore.
– Humor me for a minute, blog people, while I relate my little tale.
The Hawks visited the White House this morning. I somehow passed the background check and made the list, too. Sweet. Hopped in a cab (which really was one of those shady car service deals without a meter) to head over to Hawks’ hotel so I could get on their bus. Tell the driver the name of the hotel, he asks me for the address. Tell him the address, he starts punching it in a GPS.
Me: “Um, you know where it’s at, right? It’s a major hotel.”
Him: “Sure, no problem!”
There’s a bunch of traffic, so I ask him if there’s a way around it. “Sure, no problem!” It takes us 10 minutes just to double back to where we just left. Eventually we run into construction and even more traffic than before. The driver is blasting French talk radio and the annoying GPS voice is loudly barking directions that the driver isn’t following. It’s loud, we are barely moving and I’m shook, thinking I’m going to miss my chance to meet the President of the United States of America because of an incompetent cabby.
We get to the hotel 50 minutes after leaving, 10 minutes too late for me to catch the Hawks’ bus. The guy tells me it’s $25 when it was $15 for me to get to my hotel from the same point. There’s a cop right there, so I didn’t argue (but I also didn’t tip). I hop the subway to the Verizon Center to wait for the Hawks’ shootaround. I tell Washington Post Wiz beat writer Michael Lee about my adventure, he says the cab ride should have taken no more than 10 minutes, 20 tops with traffic.
Eventually Hawks PR man Arthur Triche texts me that shootaround is canceled. I asked if the team met the president, scared of the answer. Triche says they didn’t because the president was in policy meetings. So it turns out I didn’t have to find that driver and choke him, I am not in jail and I’m still your beat writer.
– Talk amongst yourselves, Hawks fans.
MC
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135 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:25 pm
^^ None of that gets eaten, but anything about the Hornets’ star point guard or that team’s potential financial situation does.
Sleepy
March 11th, 2010
9:27 pm
Najeh any posts mentioning people who have unpaid subscription fees to the AJC gets eaten .
********** needs to pay up if he wants to get mentioned around here
drmaryb
March 11th, 2010
9:29 pm
Najeh
I feel you. Maine. Same here with certain names… I dare not mention. This blog has. A Beat-Cop!
Makes u want to just Fire One Up for real!
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:29 pm
Tough game Sat Vs Detroit! lol
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:30 pm
Chris Paul and James Posey for president
drmaryb
March 11th, 2010
9:31 pm
Najeh
I feel you. Maine. Same here with certain names… I dare not mention. This blog has. A Beat-Cop!
Makes u want to just Fire One Up for reall!
They should just block certain people.
VenomSpitter
March 11th, 2010
9:32 pm
Marvin has 3 rebs!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO seriously thats awful
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:34 pm
In other news, nice to see the Hawks get a win. Out of respect for northcyde and AJ, instead of complaining about the unimpressive margin of victory or the fact that the Hawks failed to put away the Wizards early (the way the Magic are doing to the Bulls), I will post the following: Gumdrops. Sugar plums. Larry O’Brien trophies. Candy canes. Unicorns. Rainbows.
That is all.
Watch McGee
March 11th, 2010
9:35 pm
What u guys think about McGee, he would fit perfectly for the Hawks like i’ve been sayin when he wasn’t gettin any playin time
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
9:35 pm
Najeh,
I like it, but wouldn’t Joe (and Tellum) have a say in who we could S&T with?
And if so, would they CHOOSE to go to N.O.?
But, otherwise, it works for me.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:36 pm
“What u guys think about McGee, he would fit perfectly for the Hawks like i’ve been sayin when he wasn’t gettin any playin time”
Yeah, he would, but the Wizards would have to be complete idiots to trade him within the division without receiving someone really good in return.
In fact they are pretty damn stupid for not playing him more up to this point in his career, period.
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
9:37 pm
LOL Najeh!
drmaryb
March 11th, 2010
9:41 pm
Astro Joe 550 PM Post
Nuff Said!
Blue-Ray! Where are you?
I posted you up on your blog today but my shot was blocked by the Blog Po-Po.
It was titled:
BEAT COP turns BEAT WRITER – Has Pen Will Travel
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:43 pm
woody post game lol
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:44 pm
Yeah, the question of whether Joe would accept that is a big question, as well as whether the Hornets are desperate enough to trim payroll to consider that move. But I think it would make sense for them to at least consider it. And depending on how high in the lottery the Hornets end up picking, they may actually benefit from making that move, if they can land a legit big man like Favors and a good complementary piece with the Hawks’ pick.
ILL-logical
March 11th, 2010
9:51 pm
To be charitable, well the Wizards certainly were, this game will not go into the Hall of fame but a win ,especially after the current run of road game give aways by the hawks,is a win.
Andray blatch with 10 more pounds and some COACHING from an Antonio Davis type coach would look good in a Hawk uniform;especially at $3 million a year for next season. If all he had to do was run,rebound and block shots the turnovers would be cut down-and the man can put the ball in the hoop.
BTW, did anyone notice that Josh played about 7 minutes at the 3 tonight.
AG
March 11th, 2010
9:54 pm
The Good: Any Hawks win is good. Woody did a little coaching. Taking his superstar out with under 2 minutes in the third and not putting him back in the game until under 8 minute mark. Also used Teague in 4th quarter and actually rode a hot bench player (ZaZa) a lot longer in the 4th
The Bad: Game was two close. The under two minute execution was horrible as they Hawks settled on the jump shots. To be an elite team, you must make your free throws.
The Ugly: The Hawks are not a fundamentally strong rebounding team. I watched on many occasions they just did not box out. Also, a lot of times the Hawks are almost under the basket, therefore cannot pull down the rebound. Lastly, not nearly physical enough. When that kid kept jumping and dunking in the lane, somebody should have knocked him on his a$$.
AG
March 11th, 2010
9:58 pm
Maybe I missed it, but waiting on MC to tell us how Bibby and Teague do against each other in practice. If he is out doing Bibby, he needs to start. A few years ago, Woody started Royal Ivey the first seven minutes of every game and after the half. Why not do the same with Teague to give him burn with first unit. It will give Bibby a chance to close games.
Also if we would have drafted CP3 or DWilliams, Woody would have ruined them.
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
10:03 pm
LOL @ Najeh
You can say quite a few positive things about this game, without solely focusing on the negative ( like 75% of the posters do ).
Try it. It won’t kill you. You can start with Crawford’s stellar performance tonight.
As for the Magic, they’re simply doing what we did to the Bulls. Not impressed at all.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
10:06 pm
Sautee, you overlooked the number 4 and the word “consecutive” in my previous post.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
10:08 pm
“You can say quite a few positive things about this game, without solely focusing on the negative ( like 75% of the posters do ).
Try it. It won’t kill you. You can start with Crawford’s stellar performance tonight.”
To be real, I only woke up at halftime and I was drifting in and out, which is why I’m not making any specific observations — positive or negative — about the game.
You should consider yourself lucky you weren’t around on these blogs when HB Ando was posting though. I think he would have made your head explode with the negativity.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
10:09 pm
And yeah, in fairness, the Hawks did destroy the Bulls too — one of the few games they have played since the All Star break where they looked like a team that can really compete in the 2nd round — and they did it with a healthy Derrick Rose. I seem to remember saying quite a few positive things after that game.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
10:10 pm
Najeh, you need to stop watching professional sports if you’re into subjective rankings. College football starts in another 5 months. But hey, if you’re tracking all of the poor quality wins of Orlando, Cleveland and Boston along with the Hawks, have fun. I guess you’ll have to do that until the college AP polls start up again.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
10:13 pm
I wonder what our RPI ranking is… are we still on the bubble? Will we be invited to the big dance? Oh wait, this is the Hawks blog… not the COLLEGE blog. My bad!
One road win from matching last season’s total.
Ree Roe
March 11th, 2010
10:23 pm
Sloppy game for us tonight…the tweets MC had seem appropriate to describe the game. Sloppy, uninspired, lack of focus at times, but we still won. I’m still not seeing why yall want Teague to play so much…dude has NO confidence in his shot & isn’t a smart defender. It seems like most of yall want Teague to start just b/c he’s not Bibby & b/c he’s fast. Teague isn’t impressive to me…he’s adequate at times, but he doesn’t need this crazy spike in minutes yall are talkin about.
-REEvel in Roe!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
10:27 pm
“But hey, if you’re tracking all of the poor quality wins of Orlando, Cleveland and Boston along with the Hawks, have fun. ”
First of all, y’all assume I don’t like seeing the Hawks win, which is not true. Of course I like seeing them win, and squeaking by crappy teams counts the same in the standings as beating up on good ones. Like I keep repeating over and over though, squeaking by crappy teams doesn’t say much for their ability to improve on last year’s postseason performance. If they can flip the switch and play up to their potential when the playoffs start, great. Until then, a prolonged period of squeaking by bad teams, blowing leads, being unable to solve zone defenses, etc. makes me worry whether they can pull that off.
Secondly, why does it always come back to what other teams are doing? Of course many other teams are probably suffering through the same inconsistencies as Atlanta, and their fans have every right to be dissatisfied. Boston is going to get their asses kicked in the 2nd round too, the way they are playing now. They have the exact same record as the Hawks, and national TV analysts are trying to figure out what’s wrong with them. Why should we accept just goodness when their fans are allowed to expect greatness?
Finally, I think it’s hilarious that I’ve become the spokesperson for negativity on this blog. I remember back when HB Ando used to post here and preach doom and gloom, if you were willing to sort through the millions of unnecessary commas he used in every sentence. Now that was real negativity.
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
10:30 pm
AG . . . . Do you honestly believe that Teague is outplaying Bibby in practice? Honestly?
Good game Bibby. Nice to see you play with a little more confidence tonight. Big shot he hit toward the end of the game, to give us a little cushion.
JJ had to grind again tonight. Hot in the 1st half, cold in the 2nd. Still managed 18 pts and a team leading 5 assists and 7 rebounds.
Horford has his way tonight pretty much. Other than the rebounding, nice game from him.
But Jamal Crawford. That dude heated up big time and destroyed their reserves. If we can get that in the playoffs, we’ll definitely steal a few road games.
Had to grind tonight, with the lack of rebounding and poor transition defense ( which is becoming one of our biggest defensive problems ) . . . but we got the job done on the road.
Hawks have now won 16 road games, tying their road win total of last year. Hopefully, they can get 6 or 7 more road wins to close the year.
We’ve also won 7 out of our last 10 games.
Scoop
March 11th, 2010
10:32 pm
This team will crumble without JJ at its center. He is the focal point offensively and, along with Smoove, defensively as well. Woodson’s whole defensive philosophy is predicated on switching our athletic wings on p&r’s. Without JJ who is 6-7 at sg, that goes out the window, as in all likelihood the replacement would be much smaller.
Currently, our offense revolves around JJ and the infamous iso-Joe. Without him, we might be forced into iso-Marvin which could be trouble.
Also consider the clubhouse. Joe isnt very vocal, but I promise you the players follow his lead. The reason why I love supporting this team is because of their athleticism/excitability, high IQ, and most important their high character ( i.e. Smoove’s recent gesture). Joe exemplifies all of this. Without Joe the identity of this team would crumble.
Blake
March 11th, 2010
10:40 pm
It will be a struggle now to win 50 games.The hawks have already lost to many stupid games in the 4th quarter!
Nirmental
March 11th, 2010
11:03 pm
I so over this ….Is he going is he staying,I really dont care and its getting old. If he goes we have the cap space to sign another player who could give us 20 a night no biggie
Mcgee -I been wanting him in a hawks uniform for 2 years now -they wont trade him ….
One more thing -I dont care how well bibby shoots or mentors -the man is straight horrible on D, Give Teague more minutes i dont care if he has no shot i’ll take his speed and D anyday over the leader of team dime…..
Grown men with possee’s are so lame
I hate the pigs too, police for u suburbanites……
Geemack
March 11th, 2010
11:49 pm
From JJ perspective leaving and teaming with one of the elite players puts him in a postion to play for a title in the prime of his career.
Signing with the Hawks for a max contract seals the deal that he may never play for a championship.
From the Hawks perspective losing JJ sets this franchise back 2 or 3 years, and keeping him assures you a few more 45 to 50 win seasons, and 2 round playoff exits.
If I’m JJ…I would leave and be a Robin to Dwade or LBJ’s batman to experience the joy of playing the ultimate prize.
Mystikal
March 12th, 2010
12:18 am
Love Joe Johnson’s game but really we are never going to get past Orlando in a 7-game series without a true bigman (no offense to Big Al). I want an athletic 7-footer on the hawks; there may only be a few to go around, but i want one. DeAndre Jordan, Javale McGee, Andrew Bynum, and even up and coming Hassan Whiteside are guys i’m talking about. None of them are all-stars, but Dwight didn’t start out that way. Why would other teams wanna give that up you say? For a top-10 2 guard they may loosen their grip. Sure this sounds crazy, but which is harder to come by in this league, an athletic 7-foot center or a shooting guard that can give you twenty a night? We have that in Jamal Crawford. Plus we are still a young and growing team. You put any of these guys next to a Horford at PF and that’s a true frontline, expecially with Josh Smith at the 3.I’m just lookin at the big picture cause 3 or 4 yrs from now when we still can’t get outta the second rd ppl are gonna be calling for Joe’s job. Is that crazy enough for ya?
Josh Wilkins Jr.
March 12th, 2010
5:40 am
Joe is losing a bit of foot speed that correlates with perimeter defense. That’s why you don’t see him dashing to the rim like most of his peers.
If he was our Ray Allen to the Celtics, it’s no problem because well they beat LA for the trophy. But it’s max Joe along with needing an upgrade to 1. pg play 2. perhaps an upgrade at sf 3. Most definitely a capable back up center/starter.
jc_dawgs
March 13th, 2010
6:32 pm
I think this situation is rather simple. The Hawks have gotten better every year and that includes performance in the post season.
So…we know they improved this year….again….during the regular season. So for me….its simple.
If the Hawks go more than 2 rounds in the playoffs….they need to give it there best with trying to keep Joe.
If the Hawks fail to go beyond 2 rounds in the playoffs….the Hawks should stick to there guns and offer Joe a take it or leave it type of offer.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 19th, 2010
9:54 pm
………………aint that was our best look