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
Tim Tebow's Tears
March 11th, 2010
5:28 pm
Should never take crap from cab drivers
Rufus1
March 11th, 2010
5:28 pm
Don’t Go Joe!!!!!!!
Hawksgirl
March 11th, 2010
5:34 pm
white house! lol please dont get locked up
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
5:37 pm
LOL . . . you’d been better off walking.
As for the JJ issue, like I said, let everything play itself out. No need to even be talking about that right now. And I would guess that the drop of production in ISO-Joe, correlates with his 37% Fg shooting in his pas 5 or 6 games.
But without ISO-Joe, we’re not winning huge playoff games. The playoffs are where the stars take off and show what they bring to the table.
Let all of this play out, and see where we’re at once the season is over.
clarkekent
March 11th, 2010
5:39 pm
Joe johnson is a all-star not a superstar. i would trade/exchange/ any means created – move him for D-Wade. he would get eht key to thet city ..that Atlanta and Majic. superstars “WILL” there team to victory via defense or offense. Joe is not aggressive offensively. he shoots to many floaters and fade-aways in the paint which allows the REFS not to make a call. he does not get to the free-throw line for the same reason. he rarely makes a key defensive play or stop for this team. his defense is good but not great. But with all that being said he still is one of the better SG in the league and if the Hawks can’t upgrade they need to keep him. A coaching chnage is needed more than personnel
anderson jones
March 11th, 2010
5:45 pm
I will be at the game tonight. Will be interesting to see what the turnout is as this is a make up game. Gotta hope the defensive effort starts to pick up because transition defense is this team’s ceiling.
Rufus1
March 11th, 2010
5:45 pm
Joe dominates the ball, because of the offense we run…and Woodson has based his job on keeping Joe happy. Woodson’s offense appears to be designed for a PG play maker(Billups, D. Williams)…Joe is a scorer(Kobe, Carmelo). That is Why I am confused with his inability to develop a PG.
I believe Woodson is coaching for his job, that is why Teague isn’t getting playing time…BUT I THINK TEAGUES LACK DEVELOPMENT, WILL ULTIMATLY COST HIS JOB..
PS..Teagues minutes are starting to look like AC Law’s.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
5:50 pm
It feels like we have Joe on “secret-double-probation”. We’re monitoring his iso plays, we’re tracking his late-game efficiency, we’re auditing his vegetable intake and we’re examining his dental hygiene. But hey, we’ve enjoyed so much winning basketball in the past 10-15 years that we have every right to expect nothing short of perfection from our players.
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
5:51 pm
SMH . . . it’s like the AJC is trying to run the dude out of town. Has ANYBODY written a positive piece on JJ the entire year, despite this being one of the top 5 Hawks seasons since they’ve been in Atlanta?
And no one can still name a realistic replacement to JJ, other than to let Jamal take control. For all of you that want JJ to go, tell us who you want to replace him? And no, we can’t get the top free agents this summer, because we don’t have enough money.
So who do we go after? Or better yet, what GOOD player ( i.e. – Crawford, Smoove, Horford ) do we trade, in order to get that star caliber guy here?
darrell starks
March 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
Yes we must keep joe but you still have 2 have a superstar in order 2 win a title period, for all you cats trying 2 explain something 2 please tell me something i dont no.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
5:53 pm
It’s too obvious huh? @ astro
Joe's place Joe speaking
March 11th, 2010
6:07 pm
Hey Michael Cunningham what would the hawks look for if Joe leaves? You mentioned a sign and trade I’m assuming with the knicks, Really? Who do they have that would compensate for Joe? Only thing would be the draft picks but wouldn’t that be rebuilding if we are trading OUR superstar for draft picks?
Hawk n the Ham
March 11th, 2010
6:07 pm
The wait and see game for JJ in the playoffs will be interesting. Last year he was a No Show, but that is highly related to being just dog tired at the end of the season.
What I think will be interesting on the wait and see, will be Jamal in the playoffs. The man is a scorer, and finisher. It will be his first time with a legit playoff team. Jamal may be the hungriest player on the court come playoff time. Crawdaddy is my ‘wait and see’.
bigdave
March 11th, 2010
6:09 pm
i dont see how the Hawks can benefit by losing Joe.. re up and continue to make progress.. however, our scheme/coaching needs to be adjusted, modified, etc.
Michael Cunningham
March 11th, 2010
6:10 pm
@ northcyde and astro joe: hey, i think i hold J.J. in higher regard than most of my blog people (which is kind of weird when you think about it). in fact i started tracking the isos because i didn’t want to just say it’s the worst thing ever without at least making some kind of honest attempt to analyze it objectively. it was working very well until lately and i said so.
to me, the bigger issue when talking about a max or near-max deal is Joe’s age. that’s why i think how close the Hawks get to the promised land this postseason will be key. if they think they can take it to the next level with him playing at or somewhat below his current level, they may have to do it.
Michael Cunningham
March 11th, 2010
6:12 pm
@ Joe’s place: i haven’t looked at it too closely yet because there’s so much that will happen between now and then. but, as you say, i doubt it would be the Knicks or any other team that has picks as their most attractive chip(s).
clarkekent
March 11th, 2010
6:26 pm
FA- list i can think of:
LBJ – player option
Ray Allen
Raymond felton
Rudy Gay – player option or restricted – not sure
D-wade – my choice/give him the key to the city – majic city and Atlanta
Micheal Redd
T-mac
manu
Chric bosh – player option like LBJ
boozer
and of course joe johnson
VenomSpitter
March 11th, 2010
6:30 pm
Hopefully Joe is gone. I’m sick of him. Ball Hoggin menace
SWAT Native
March 11th, 2010
6:33 pm
People should remember that Joe (or Lebron, Bosh, D. Wade or any of the others) would be a fool from a negotiation perspective to say that he only wants to resign with Atlanta and would not consider other options. For example, I personally believe that Lebron knows he’s going to resign with Cleveland and keeps wearing those NY hats just to keep the Cav’s guessing and to force them to build as strong a team around him as possible so that he won’t have a reason to leave. Just like Ilgauskis was “impressed” by the Hawks, but ultimately went back to Cleveland. And anyone that thinks that the Hawks would be better off without Joe is just plain wrong.
NCBravesFan
March 11th, 2010
6:35 pm
Well I agree that it’s too early to be talking about this, but it’s hard to kick the AJC for raising the issue when Joe addresses “the question” with the NY media. Joe needs to shut up about that stuff and play – especially since he’s the team captain!
Play hard and show leadership on a young squad – that’s the best way to increase your market value, Joe!
Jo Bling
March 11th, 2010
6:43 pm
Signing Joe Johnson to a max deal would be a mistake. Woodson has burned him out over the last three years with excessive minutes, and now, at this critical point of the season where we had a chance to keep the pressure on the Magic, JJ has hit the wall yet again. This was the year Joe was supposed to be nice and rested with fresh legs after the All-Star break. Instead, he looks like he’s really struggling. I think four years at $60 million sounds about right, but it’s going to take more, possibly a lot more. Tough decision for the GM if Joe really wants to stay here and we have a chance to match an offer. That’s why Mr. Sund gets the big bucks. He’s had a lot of time to think about this one.
The Grinch
March 11th, 2010
6:53 pm
Does Joe run iso-Joe, or does Woody? Woodson is the most unimaginative, underwhelming, uninspiring, underachieving person imaginable short of Charlie Brown that could be running this talented young team. What’s happening to Teague is a crime both he and AC Law should sue Woodson for in civil court and win. If he’s still here next year it won’t matter if JJ is or not.
eturn
March 11th, 2010
6:55 pm
Joe must go!!!!!
eturn
March 11th, 2010
6:56 pm
And send Woody with him
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
6:59 pm
“But hey, we’ve enjoyed so much winning basketball in the past 10-15 years that we have every right to expect nothing short of perfection from our players.”
But AJ, wasn’t it Joe HIMSELF who said he wanted to join the “elite” players?
If those are his own expectations, why should the fans expect less?
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:04 pm
Nique is talking about Josh’s nimbers.
bigdave
March 11th, 2010
7:07 pm
FIND MINUTES FOR JOE SMITH!
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:08 pm
Hawkz mac’n on da first booty, wazzup.
bigdave
March 11th, 2010
7:09 pm
lets get it..!!
go Hawks, and Tech…
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:12 pm
uncontested layup for Miller.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:13 pm
layup for McGee
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:14 pm
Josh will never learn to give up the ball and he will get it back
bigdave
March 11th, 2010
7:14 pm
find Bibby, find a basket…
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:14 pm
layup for Blatch
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:18 pm
ducked in on that one Marv and drew the foul.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:19 pm
power move by Al
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:20 pm
should have said Marv drew the fowl. lol
Watch McGee
March 11th, 2010
7:21 pm
for the longest i’ve been saying we should have gotten McGee when he was just rotting on the bench, not saying he is an allstar, but dude is legitimate 7ft, runs like crazy and has athletic skills with nice defense to boot, he easily would average at least 10pt 8rbs a game, just would fit the Hawks nicely, but oh well
Watch McGee
March 11th, 2010
7:24 pm
someone said that Joe is burned out, what about Wade, that guy is a great player but i see a crash and burn kinda like Iverson because of the punishment he takes with his style of play and minutes he plays
Ree Roe
March 11th, 2010
7:26 pm
I agree with northcyde…who are our replacement options if we don’t get Joe? I believe Joe will resign, but do we have a backup plan at all if he doesn’t? And anybody who believes we’d be better off without Joe is an idiot. There I said it. Go Hawks
-REEsplendently Roe!!!
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
7:29 pm
@ MsDee
As fans, that is what we expect out of players. That they play hard every night and show maximum effort. But once again remember, this is the NBA. An 82 game season grind in a 5 1/2 month span. Just about every team in the league has an off night ( see Boston vs Memphis last night )
But the Hawks this year, at least at home, have been stellar. They may have played 5 bad games at home all year in which they simply laid down. The other 27 games were either great, or they went down to the wire and we won on most occasions.
MsDee . . all I can tell you is to not fall for the okey-doke being tossed around on this board. Don’t let a 1 – 3 record vs the Knicks lead you to believe that we can’t perform in the playoffs. Remember, this is what we’ve done so far this year:
* swept Boston
* swept Portland
* swept Utah
* swept Houston
* won 2 of 3 in Texas
* play Cleveland toe to toe, even though we lost both games
* battled a red hot Dallas team that we should’ve beat
Don’t let the “negative Nancy” bloggers and sportswriters lead you to believe that the Hawks are closer to collapse, than they are to getting to that next level. Don’t let them “yeah, but” their way into diminishing those wins. And don’t believe for one second that a 1 – 3 record vs the Knicks is more important than a 4 – 0 record vs the Celtics.
And don’t let the perception that this team doesn’t play hard, sway you from the fact that we’re 66 – 17 in the past 2 seasons at home.
This team is DEFINITELY worth spending money on to watch.
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
7:32 pm
LOL . . a little overzeaous in that home record. We’re 55 – 17 in the past 2 seasons at home.
Still a stellar 2 year home record.
Omar
March 11th, 2010
7:34 pm
The Hawks would be wise to get rid of Woody, he is the problem with this team, he calls the plays, he has no creativity, and he is a defensive coach so all he knows is ISO
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
7:38 pm
Somebody sounds like they are whistling past the graveyard. LOL!
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
7:45 pm
Josh AND Al w/o a reb so far. NOT a good sign.
J.J.M.
March 11th, 2010
7:46 pm
here we go again
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
7:49 pm
That Woody is very creative, he let Josh play SF for one possession….
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Speaking of graveyard, this board sure is inactive tonight. I guess when JJ and Horford start messing up, the comments will flow freely.
And we’re actually 56 – 17 the past 2 years at home.
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Horford AND Josh are already “messing up” if that includes having ZERO rebounds between them.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
new lob to Marvin against the zone. don’t see that too often.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:56 pm
for a defensive coach and team the Hawks give up way too many uncontested shots at the rim.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
7:57 pm
when will Josh learn to give the ball to the guard?
Watch McGee
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
please tell me who do we replace Joe with, rarely do you hear any big names saying how much they want to play in Atlanta, so beware what you ask for, bet these were the same people sayin lets get rid of Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock, and you saw how long it took to get back to the playoffs
eyebrows
March 11th, 2010
8:02 pm
northcyde
Also 22-17 over the last 39 games. Looks like we’re back to where the Hawks were for most of the 90’s…. good enough to win the 1st round, out in the 2nd
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
8:02 pm
Good substitution by Woody to keep Al from his 3rd foul.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
8:06 pm
Sautee, some may argue that 4 consecutive All-Star appearances is pretty elite. When was the last time this franchise enjoyed that kind of streak from a player?
Hawks vs Harry Potter
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Hawks need to do a little more getting fouled and a little less fouling.
Birds are 1-4 in the area, Potters are 10-11
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Marvin with the dagger at the halftime buzzer…LOL
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
8:08 pm
marvin for president!
Chamwa
March 11th, 2010
8:08 pm
Consider it a blessing you missed out on meeting Obama. You should thank the cabbie!!
Ree Roe
March 11th, 2010
8:09 pm
QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK
-REEalize it’s Roe!!
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
8:12 pm
AJ,
Just going by the words of “the man”.
northcyde
March 11th, 2010
8:21 pm
Eyebrows . . . your perception of the Hawks and some long term record, can be framed any way you want to. I went through all of this earlier in the week.
If you go back a mere 6 games more, we’re 28 – 17 in our last 45.
If you skip over the 6 out of 8 game loss stretch, we’re 19 – 11 in our last 30.
But to paint the Hawks in a negative light, one must find the worst stretch of the season to cite.
That’s exactly what I was trying to explain to MsDee. The negative fans will always go negative, to discredit what this team has done so far this year.
A loss tonight, and the bloggers will REALLY go on suicide watch, with their FIRE WOODY picket signs.
But a win means that we’ve won 7 of our last 10 games, and 20 out of our last 31.
Let’s see if the Hawks can get their rebounding problem solved tonight, so that we can get a win.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
8:26 pm
Duck it’s a airball!
Ree Roe
March 11th, 2010
8:29 pm
What happened to Joe’s right eye? Looks like he just got back from a sparring match
-REEal Roe!!!
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
8:30 pm
NICE lead from Joe to Al
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
8:37 pm
The man said “elite” and the coaches in the Eastern Conference said “elite” 4 consecutive times. Where’s the disconnect?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
8:37 pm
We’re still on this topic?
Joe Johnson is not perfect and is not a superstar. He is, though, still one of the top shooting guards in the league, and the Hawks would have major problems if they let him go without an adequate replacement.
I’m all for letting him go if the Hawks can get Wade. Seeing as how that’s next to impossible, the Hawks’ best bet is to keep him.
For those of you worried about how good Joe would be at the end of a six-year contract, don’t be. If the Hawks’ offense progresses as it should, by the time Joe’s new contract expires, the offense should be in the hands of Smoove, Horford, and Teague (or the Hawks’ true PG of the future, if Teague doesn’t work out). At that point, Joe would be playing more of a complementary 3-point-specialist type of role.
Of course, what is preventing the Hawks’ offense from progressing as it should is Woody’s inability to run any sort of real offensive scheme. Ultimately that has a much more likely chance of holding back the Hawks than Joe Johnson’s weaknesses.
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
8:42 pm
The MAN said he’d like to JOIN the elite. That’s a little different from making the All-Star team, unless you think of Horford as an “elite” center.
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
8:44 pm
This is Sloppy game..
Sekou K. Smith
March 11th, 2010
8:47 pm
I need some grane beans and fried chicken! MC u in? Ha
Sleepy
March 11th, 2010
8:49 pm
seriously they are just gonna start hack a josh …………
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
8:50 pm
Man, Crawford knows how to bait guys into fouling him while attempting 3pt shot…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
8:55 pm
This is pretty weird… every time I have mentioned the New Orleans Hornets’ backup point guard on this blog over the last two weeks, my post gets eaten. Let’s see if this message gets through…
Wabe
March 11th, 2010
8:56 pm
Woody took JJ out with 41.1 seconds left in the 3rd. Let’s see how long he keeps JJ on the bench. I’ve found that Woody tightens up way too quick and gets his starters into the game with the 1st sign of a momentum-swing. This is sometimes appropriate, but more often than not, it just seems he’s set at getting his starters back in the game just for the sake of having them in the game.
Let’s see how long Woody goes before getting the bench back in the game. I’d want him to wait until about the 7 minutes mark. That allows our starters to rest and be a bit more fresh coming down to the final few minutes.
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
8:57 pm
Iso Duck?
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
8:58 pm
Hawks reserves cause Wiz to call a timeout!
joBjo
March 11th, 2010
8:59 pm
ride the bench, Woody.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:00 pm
“People should remember that Joe (or Lebron, Bosh, D. Wade or any of the others) would be a fool from a negotiation perspective to say that he only wants to resign with Atlanta and would not consider other options.”
Co-sign. This can’t be said often enough for the next few months. I’m tired of people trying to turn every word these marquee free agents say into a possible clue into their future. It’s all a negotiating ploy. Any definitive statements they make can and will be used against them in the court of public opinion and at the negotiating table.
Wabe
March 11th, 2010
9:00 pm
The bench seems to be BUILDING the lead and have things under control. There’s no reason not to let them play out a couple of more minutes. When we get to the 4th quarter, you’ve got to have you’re starters primed for the final few minutes of the game, if we’re in a tight game. In these types of games, the head coach is responsible for having his starters in good shape come the last 5 minutes of the game. However, with Woody, it seems we play the entire 4th quarter out as if we’re in the final few minutes. He tightens up, the players tighten up, the ball stops moving, and we go one on one.
Sautee
March 11th, 2010
9:01 pm
Najeh,
I’ll try……Collison, Collison, Collison.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
I’m still trying to figure out why I’m not allowed by the blog system to mention the names of anyone on the New Orleans Hornets’ roster. Still trying to re-post something related to them and trying to remove “offending” material. This is like the 6th or 7th time this has happened to me now in the last two weeks and it’s weird so I’m trying to figure it out.
J.J.M.
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
choke
drmaryb
March 11th, 2010
9:10 pm
Gurls what’s up with all this iso-crap moaning & bia-tching? Shut Up!
This man makes $15 MIL every 12 mos. Who do you want taking that shot? – Marvin or Josh?
Ask Doc Rivers & Paul Piece why they – qoute “Fear they FEAR iso-Joe!”. Go back & read their qoutes after their second azz-whippin?
You can’t stop Joe with game on the line! Pick a different tune… Puh-lease!
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
9:10 pm
Acie is getting some playing time tonight b/c Rose got hurt in the 1st half…
robert
March 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
Joe Johnson is having another meltdown at the end of the season. He’s garbage every year after the break. He’s trying his best to shoot us out of this game against the WiZards (a must win). We keep crawford, lose Joe blow and pick up a PLAYMAKER. Jeff Teague looks good to me but Woodson, our sorry ass coach, won’t play him. Teague makes a great steal in the paint, gets fouled and then gets benched for Mike Bibby a.k.a. the most useless point guard in the league. COME ON
robert
March 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
ANOTHER JOE AIRBALL OFF A WIDE OPEN LOOK!
Sleepy
March 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
ref getting extra instruction on the point spread for tonight damn nba ……….
VenomSpitter
March 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
If the hawks choke this 1 away I’m gonna throw up
J.J.M.
March 11th, 2010
9:14 pm
lmao@bibby
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
it seems like teams know they can hang with us, and i forgot who mentioned it but we are the least respected Winning team in the league, i have always felt that way
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
Basically what I’ve been trying to post for the last 15 minutes is that if the Hawks want to pursue a future without Joe, one of the few believable ways they can do this without slipping in the standings is if they offer something along the lines of Joe, Jeff Teague, and a first-round pick for the Hornets’ superstar point guard and their overpaid ex-Celtic’s contract.
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
9:17 pm
Poor Horford. He picks up a ton of fouls trying to defend guards. Bless his heart..
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:19 pm
cosign Najeh, thats not a bad idea at all. I mentioned that before too.
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:19 pm
Paul and Posey
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:20 pm
Yeah, but too bad I can’t post why it’s not an entirely unrealistic idea, because the system keeps eating anything I try to say about that trade.
Wabe
March 11th, 2010
9:21 pm
Do you blame JJ?
I was watching 1st and 10 the other day and I remember Skip Bayless said Kobe’s been clocking “suicidal” minutes, claiming he should be going 40 minutes a night. That got me thinking, how often do we see JJ and other Hawks starters clock 40+ minutes? I think both JJ and Josh clocked 40+ minutes against the Knicks.
Wabe
March 11th, 2010
9:22 pm
Just to edit that last post, Skip Bayless said he * SHOULDN’T * be clocking 40+ minutes a night.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
9:24 pm
Ass
Vagina
Sex
killa
March 11th, 2010
9:24 pm
why do the hawks get nervous at the end of the game, and not execute? if they lose they will say the same thing, and Woody will say i dont know why we just stood around.
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