Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson’s D has been strong, too
Much of the discussion about Joe Johnson’s season has focused on his offensive surge since Al Horford went down. And rightly so: In 11 games without Horford, Johnson has averaged 21.2 points per 36 minutes with a 55.9 true shooting percentage (by the way, his 54 percent TS mark for the season ranks fifth among shooting guards playing 30-plus minutes).
With Al sidelined, Joe has made 87 percent of his free throws and 40 percent of his 3-pointers and has eight games of 20-plus points and two with 30 or more. Like all things Hawks lately, those numbers come with the caveat of competition: Since Al went down, the Hawks have faced just three opponents ranked in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency: Minnesota, Portland, and Philadelphia. Still, Joe is balling.
But Johnson’s defense has been overlooked even thought the best available objective evidence suggest he’s also having a very good year on that end of the court.
According to Synergy, Johnson has allowed just .71 points per possession, ranked No. 42 among all players. (Synergy had him allowing .93 points per possession in 2010-11 and .89 in 2009-10). This season Joe has been very good when defending in isolation (.56 ppp allowed, ranked 13th), against screen-roll ball-handlers (.69 ppp, ranked 33rd) and chasing his man off screens (.69 ppp, ranked seventh). Joe’s only defensive weakness this season, according to Synergy, has been defending spot-ups: .94 ppp, ranked 113th.
Opponent PER tells the same story. According to 82games.com, Johnson’s foes at shooting guard have posted a paltry 8.6 PER and small forwards have managed just a 12.6 PER. (The opponent PER is ugly when Joe has been at point guard but that has only been a couple minutes, according to 82games.) Last season Joe’s opponent PER was 11.6 at shooting guard and 12.9 at small forward; in 2009-10, those numbers were 15.3 and 14.4, respectively.
Joe’s on-court, off-court numbers at basketballvalue.com also are positive. The Hawks have allowed 6.24 fewer points per 100 possessions with Joe on the court. And it doesn’t appear as if his strong numbers here depend on having Al and Josh Smith behind him: Joe has been part of strong defensive units that featured Zaza Pachulia or Jason Collins at center and even one lineup with Vladimir Radmanovic at power forward.
If you want to pick at nits, you can use the same “weak opponent” argument for Joe’s defensive matchups. The Hawks have faced six shooting guards who are top 15 in PER: Dwyane Wade, Kevin Martin, MarShon Brooks, Mike Miller, Sundiata Gaines and Danny Green. Of those players, Martin (27 points on 20 shots) and Brooks (36 points on 26 shots in two games) had strong scoring games against Joe (though that’s not to say Joe was solely responsible).
Also, Joe hasn’t been able to maintain the flashes of strong defensive rebounding he’s shown. Then again, he’s raised his block rate from almost nothing last season to something this year and has also increased his steals rate a bit.
I think it’s accurate to say Joe has been excellent on offense but also very good on defense this season. Of course he’ll have to do both when the competition stiffens and stakes are higher but, so far, he’s raised his level of play just like he said he would.
Notes
- Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports adds the Lakers to the list of suitors for Kenyon Martin and echoes earlier reports that Martin is seeking a large role for a contender. Adam Zagoria reports that Martin is expected to make a decision by the end of the week. I’m guessing Martin also is looking for money because of my oft-proven theory that guys are almost always looking for that above all else (and Martin just lost money with his Chinese adventure). The Clippers, Knicks and Spurs can offer more than the minimum. The Hawks can, too, but likely won’t because it would mean paying the tax.
- I haven’t heard anything to indicate the Hawks are making a bid for Chris Kaman. Reports indicate New Orleans is looking for a first-round pick, a quality young player and cap relief. Surely that price will come down as the deadline approaches but I don’t see the Hawks wanting or needing to make a deal like that. Kaman can help them because he’s a good post defender and rebounder when healthy, but at what cost for a three-month rental? Plus, the Hawks won’t do a deal that adds salary and they still aren’t sure if/when Horford will return this season.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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273 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
February 2nd, 2012
10:04 am
“My dude, Jordan Hill had 6 pts and 10 rebs in 23 minutes against the Spurs last night. His last 5? 9.5 pts and 9 rebs in 19 minutes per game.”
I noticed this too. Dude has been crashing the boards with a vengeance ever since Houston declined his option. I think he’s too skinny to defend bigger centers, but considering the Hawks’ depth issues at C, they sure could use him.
hawks_4_life
February 2nd, 2012
10:05 am
As a kid the first basketball game I saw was Hawks vs Bulls in the 80s and Dominique was going off in the game with crazy dunks. My love affair never changed, yes the first team I saw playing. Granted I couldve easily been a Bull fan if Jordan went off but as faith had it I became a Hawk.
Ken Strickland
February 2nd, 2012
10:10 am
Right around the Philly loss, I stumbled upon the Feb schedule and I had the same sinking feeling of doom and gloom most of you are now having. But a funny thing happened between then and now. We lost AHorford, and as a result, both starters and bench rose up. We are a better team now than we were then, and we’ll be a much better team when Horford returns.
JJ is playing lights out, Teague is not only playing better and more consistently, he’s making it look so easy. Josh is playing better, especially on DEF, and he’s hitting his shots, especially in the clutch. Marvin is finally coming out of his shell, and not only with his scoring and rebound, but with his consistency. During that time TMac was missing gms and was inconsistent as well due to back issues. But now he’s balling and having a definite impact on the team.
Pargo struggled early with his shot and ball handing, but he’s really stepped up since the loss to Philly and started hitting his shots. WGreen couldn’t hit the backboard with his shot back them, but he’s been hitting shots from JJ range lately and consistently producing on both ends of the court. IJohnson has settled down since that time. He’s drawing more charges on OFF, and committing fewer charges and fouls on DEF.
VRad is the only player getting consistent mins that hasn’t improved his production. In fact, it’s fallen off, but he hasn’t hurt the team. Before this month of over, I predict Hinrich will have he legs under him, which is when his shot will return. We are now equipped to weather this schedule, and I predict we’ll either go 10-3 or 9-4. We have too many weapons that are playing quality ball on both ends of the court to faulter. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ray
February 2nd, 2012
10:11 am
@ Joe is the man
Trying to call people out cause they have no swag just stop it man, and actually the word you’re really looking for is Swagger.
Plus last year Joe was not balling he was actually playing very poorly. This year though he’s finally beginning to step it up, and that’s great for him and us.
Ray
February 2nd, 2012
10:24 am
Well Tonight’s game is big if we win this and the Philly game we might finally get or excuse me The Hawks might finally get that recognition they deserve and rightfully so.
If we beat both the Bulls and Heat again they have no choice, but to respect us at best.
Soullrenaissance
February 2nd, 2012
10:31 am
If we lose to Memphis – we will get no national respect and the ’semi-buzz’ that Sekou is generating on his NBA blog will fizzle. We gotta take care of business tonight. Which I believe we will do.
Melvin
February 2nd, 2012
10:33 am
I became a Hawks fan when I saw Spud Webb in the Slam Dunk competition. Following the Hawks that season is when I discovered The Human Highlight Dominique Wilkins who became my favorite player of all time. I’ve been a loyal Hawks fan (who don’t believe in having a 2nd team crap) every since.
Melvin
February 2nd, 2012
10:34 am
Doc,
Forget Wilt’s stamina, I want to know how he kept count of all those women?
O'Brien
February 2nd, 2012
10:35 am
Ken S,
I agree that there should not be doom and gloom because of the February schedule. I think we’ll be ok at home. My reservations is for when we play teams above .500 on the road. Those games are where we struggle.
Hopefully guys will continue to step up.
I still think we need another big, because we dont know when Horford is coming back. And if he doesnt come back for the playoffs, we will be playing ZaZa and Collins the majority of the minutes at center.
As is, we can still make it to the second round (imo). But if we want to make it to the ECF, I think we need another legit big in the rotation.
Ray
February 2nd, 2012
10:38 am
@ Soullrenaissance
You are correct Hawks need to take care of some serious business tonight Memphis might be 11-10, but history says they are still dangerous as a team. They lost Battier, but still got a lot of nice pieces.
O'Brien
February 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
I became a Hawks fan when I moved to ATL in the mid 90’s. At that point, I adopted all the ATL professional teams.
Ken Strickland
February 2nd, 2012
10:46 am
I have a question I want to ask. But first, I want to say that we can forget about all of the rumors of us signig Kenyon Martin. He’s looking for a bigger contract than anything we’d offer him in order to recoup the money he paid to buy out his Chinese contract. So, my question is, WHAT ABOUT RESIGNING FORMER HAWK RMORRIS? He’s a legit 6′ 11″ and is a very smooth and very effective postup scorer.
He’s not a big rebounder or DEF presence, but neither is JCollins. He would be a perfect compliment to Collins, and could certainly be an asset against teams without a strong physical presence in the middle, like the Heat or Bulls. Twin can handle the physical centers that would give Morris trouble, and Morris could handle the quicker less physical centers that would give Twin trouble.
And let’s face it, in the playoffs, it would be a plus to have a good halfcourt OFF with inside scoring potential. Unlike his previous stint with the Hawks, he’d be playing with a functional PG and in an actual OFF system, which might allow him to be more productive. We’ve already seen how our vastly improved perimeter DEF has benefitted our interior DEF. Even though we’re shorthanded at Center and PF when it comes to size, we’ve yet to have any foul difficulty. I seriously believe he’d provide us with considerably more production, potential, versatility and depth than Stackhouse. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF THE IDEA?
Hawks Fan Down Under
February 2nd, 2012
10:52 am
Tonights game is a big one. Its just the type of game the Hawks would lose. So hopefully they are a better team than the last few years, which I think they are. It also seems that the team isnt riding Josh’s emotions as much. This can only be a good thing.
In regards to a big man..we have a logjam at PF with Josh and Al…and we need a C so it’d make sense to try and move one of those guys for a defensive minded C. Doubt this club has the ability to do that however.
The thing that gives me most hope is that in this compacted season there are numerous title contenders. Anything could happen. Hopefully the Hawks happen!!!!!
Hawks Fan Down Under
February 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
and its true about Philly. They need to be tested on the road before they are the real deal. Cant wait to play them after the Grizz. Pay back time!
kwooden
February 2nd, 2012
10:57 am
Personally, I’m hoping for Horford to come back right before the Playoffs opposed to hoping we find or trade for another Big. I do think we could really use the Chris Kaman of 2-3 years ago, but I don’t want to pay a lot for the hurt Kaman of last year. Kenyon is good, but we need a consistent backup center and Kenyon is more of a Josh Smith SF/PF. For right now Collins needs to play a lot better. He can use his body well enough on the defensive end, but he needs to do the same thing on the offensive end. He gives up to many offensive rebounds and does not work inside on the offensive side of the ball. If Collins can play like a competent basketball player for 10 mins a game, I think we’ll be OK, but if he can’t we need to make a serious move.
GO HAWKS!!
Ken Strickland
February 2nd, 2012
10:57 am
Oh yes, I became a Hawk fan when I moved to the ATL in DEC of 1974. Anyone that remained a Hawk fan during those times can really appreciate how well the team is playing and progressing now. Those were the times when fans went to see certain players rather than the team, because the team sucked. We were happy to see our Hawks upset teams like the Lakers, Trailblazers, Supersonics, Celtics, 76ers etc. Hoping or expecting the Hawks to make the playoffs was fantasy basketball before fantasy basketball existed.
So you can forgive me if I don’t get all bent out of shape and start trashing the team, GM and owners for the team regularily making the playoffs, getting a high seed, winning 1st rd series, but not advancing beyond the 2nd rd.
wordsmithtom
February 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
Always thought Morris would eventually “get it”. He has an offensive game. I’d rather have him than an extra guard, assuming Kirk regains his full use of shoulder motion.
Kirk’s first game back he issued 7 dimes….and that with a still bumm shoulder. What would the Lakers or Knicks do for a backup PG who could issue 7 dimes….EVER.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
11:14 am
Playoffs defense steps up tremendously! That’s why perimeter guys like Jamal get shut down as you advance! You got to have an inside presence to score the ball to keep the D honest!
If Sund does not address this front line by playoff time its gonna get ugly…..
All NBA maybe back but what do you expect from a guy who had limited offensive skills before the injury..He’s basically a more polished version of Noah….He does not have the talent to impact the game offensively from the post..
Sund get Help man..C’mon…
Nothing mechanical bout this offense…
Bar has been so low for decades round these parts….Time to raise it…
Rufus1
February 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
“So you can forgive me if I don’t get all bent out of shape and start trashing the team, GM and owners for the team regularily making the playoffs, getting a high seed, winning 1st rd series, but not advancing beyond the 2nd rd.”- Ken…Amen
Winning is better than losing.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
11:23 am
After pistol Pete died it was found out during the autopsy that he had a 3 Chamber Heart!
Normal human hearts have 4 chambers..The docs were astonished he survived into his 40’s with a major birth defect like that! And to have played professional basketball too? Amazing……
Nookah
February 2nd, 2012
11:23 am
Greetings Hawks fans!!!
Man this is nostalgia day, a blog within a blog. I became a Hawks fan in ‘88 a year before I moved to ATL from the good ole’ Jah-Mek-Yah (Jamaica) to attend GSU. I was a big Nique fan and had my heart broken in that epic Boston series. However, I have never waivered and always supported the Hawks. Of course over the years I have been very frustrated but always hopeful and keeping the faith in my team.
This blog is a “virtual” documentary. I learn so much about basketball here especially from the regulars such as KenS, vava, Najeh, doc and so many more.
I am no longer in the ATL but remain a big fan of all things ATL, Hawks, Braves, Falcons, you name it I support it. That’s a testament to the great time I had when I was ther. I do still have family there by the way so I ain’t giving up on my allegiance.
Nuff respect!!!
Go Hawks!!!
doc
February 2nd, 2012
11:26 am
melvin, the story is stilt had an abacus on him at all times. never knew when the urge might hit.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
Randolph Morris averages 8.2 fouls per 36 minutes for his career. If this number gets cut in half, he can help the Hawks. But where’s the evidence that this has happened?
There are more reliable options out there. The Hawks need shot blocking more than scoring out of a backup big man anyway, and Morris doesn’t provide that.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
11:31 am
Wilt the Stilt said he slept with over 15 THOUSAND WOMEN. Not 10 Thousand… Huh?
Betcha over 95% were dime pieces! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
doc
February 2nd, 2012
11:35 am
slimjr, no, pistol died due to a blockage of his one single blood vessel to his heart instead of the normal two with one dividing within millimeters of entering the heart. a widow maker condition to the extreme.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
11:38 am
Oh okay Doc, thanks for the correction Sir..
Rufus1
February 2nd, 2012
11:52 am
Kenny Smith, on NBA TV stated,
“once you go around the league, they start to figure you out”…
I think the Bulls and the Heat are being solved by the better teams.
If the Bulls don’t get offensive rebounds or DRose doesn’t score 30pts,
they lose.
The Heat have trouble with good PG’s and they can’t beat the zone.
The Bulls have lost 5 in a row to above .500 teams..Just FYI
Rev in Tampa
February 2nd, 2012
11:55 am
When I picked the Hawks to go 8-5 a couple of days ago, tonight’s game was one of the losses. Memphis is a young, athletic team with some scoring punch from their bigs.
I hope the Hawks active defense shows up tonight or it could be a very frustrating time on the blog this evening.
Rev in Tampa
February 2nd, 2012
12:04 pm
On the topic of sports reminiscing, but not necessarily regarding the Hawks…
I grew up in Palmetto (just above Newnan) and we would go to the Braves games from time to time without really planning to go. My dad would come in from work and annouce that we were going to the game. It only took a half-hour to get there since only 5,000 were attending the games.
But one night my dad came in and said, “Let’s go see if Hank hits it tonight.” As it turns out most of Atlanta had the same idea and we were stuck in traffic forever. When we were walking through the gate the cheer went up and the man taking the tickets said, “Hank must have just hit it.” I barely missed history.
But I was there when Phil Niekro was suddenly announced as the starting pitcher instead of Pascual Perez. We later learned that he was lost on I-285.
STRETCH
February 2nd, 2012
12:05 pm
Nookah,
glad to hear that cause in these days when so many fans jump on band wagons whenever it comes rollin thru.
Also remember being a fan back in the late 70’s coached by Hubie Brown with Tom McMillen, Tree Rollins, Terry Furlow, then on to the early 80’s teams coached by Mike Fratello when they added with Eddie Johnson, Mike Glenn and Wes Matthews. They really took off in the later part of the 80’s with Nique, Doc, Spudd, K Willis, Antoine Carr, Scott Hasting, Levingston, Battle and Wittman.
That team right there had what it took to win it all and if not for some shady officiating at the Boston garden they would have probably won it all! Man i hated the Celtics for a long time after that game.
But im over it now. I really love the make up of this team, but im hoping they get some more frontline help though.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
12:08 pm
Hey doc, we think Wilt was big strong? Go Google this Giant Roman Emperor named Maximinus Thrax from 235 AD..
Dude was said to be 8′6″ and had gargantuan strength and speed…Could out run horses for starters!
Could lift grown men with one hand out stretched…
You probably already know this but man kind has de-evolved not the other way around…
The powers that be have suppressed so much information and technology from the masses…
wordsmithtom
February 2nd, 2012
12:08 pm
Slimjr, I bet most of them were Lisa Left Hand
Not even Soloman could do what Wilt claimed to do.
STRETCH
February 2nd, 2012
12:08 pm
Rev,
That is going to be one of the achilles heals for them when they face teams that have active bigs that can score the ball.
doc
February 2nd, 2012
12:16 pm
slimjr, it was probably a pitutary disorder with increased hgh production, lie our own example andre the giant. trouble is it has many deleterious effects on the rest of the organs as well as the bone. kind of like barry bonds, too, except his bones had already closed so only his head grew.
Rev in Tampa
February 2nd, 2012
12:30 pm
“kind of like barry bonds, too, except his bones had already closed so only his head grew.”
Wow. I thought it was Barry’s pride.
W.R. Terrell
February 2nd, 2012
12:37 pm
IT’S TIME! The HAWKS can say it all in this Homestand. They have had a day of rest, suroundings are comfortable and they know the rims. The fans are with you. Joe, make your moves man, see it and go, you are playing like an ALLSTAR. Marvin it’s SHOWTIME cause you been showing up. NOW IS YOUR TIME!. You have health, atheleticism and skills (Hotdamn).
JOSH, clean the boards, block those shots like no one has ever seen before cause that’s your strengths and your STARDOM, screw the jumpshooter crap man. Your game of FAME is controlling that LANE, snatch those rebounds and let other teams FEAR your name. IT’S SHOWTIME for you too. (Hotdamn)
Zsa, Zsa, your lil shot in and around the key is key, especially, if you keep dropping a good percentage, which will make your inside game all the stronger. You feelin it man, you bloking shots and BANGIN and you making other teams take notice, that’s good, real good. You gettin that RESPECT. IT’S SWOWTIME!. (Hotdamn)
Jeff…Just keep on keeping on, your’re the floor leader and you got some STALLIONS, run those BADBOYS. The gifts of a good team is coming together and you’re a very strong part of that. “It’s yo thang, do what you wanna do, you know the folks, you gotta SOCK IT TOO”. IT’S SHOWTIME!
(Hotdamn. Kirk, welcome back, its always good to have a “consumate”‘ pro ready to go.
TMAC, Isee yo legs coming back and that’s a fact. I think you gonna scare the poo outta teams, they see it coming, Willie Green, hahahaha you’re playing mean so keep bein obscene with the BOTTOM of the net, Janero, I know you rarin to go, cause it’s in yo flow when you runnin that floor, Vlad you’re back home no doubt in my mind that you gonna get it on, The TWIN, holding up your end, it’s UNDERSTOOD that if needed you will step right the fug on it STACK I see you foamin at the mouth to show em you’re back and I truly believe you are, nice to have you as a HAWK annnnnnndddddddddd IVAN who still is arrivin and that’s a damn good thanggggggggg cause you craftin yo game. IT’S SHWOTIME! (Hotdamn)
Hopefully a lot of you fellas will get to the arena a few hours early, take a coupla hundred shots and get that feel. Can’t be great if you wanna wait.
Section 303
February 2nd, 2012
12:43 pm
The Hawks can win the East. I do not believe for a second that Miami and Chicago are, as Brent Barry said, “head and shoulders above everyone else.” How could anyone come to that conclusion. Their either star gazers (Miami) or just wanting to nutsuck on a team from a big market (Chicago).
Hawks start a run against good teams for almost the rest of this month. Time to find their inner “eff” you mode and win these games. Will demand they get the credit they deserve from the media.
And, I know it does not matter what talking heads say, but the continued lack of credit the Hawks get is really starting to annoy me. Hawks do not even get mentioned when talk of “contenders” comes around.
drmaryb.[*_*].
February 2nd, 2012
12:52 pm
Jumping in here, and at a quick glance I see we are going down memory lane. I love that.
So off topic here but, is it just me or does it seem Josh has lost interest in dunking the ball?
doc
February 2nd, 2012
12:53 pm
we can talk the talk but these guys have to walk the walk. 3-6 is not crawling.
Dawg
February 2nd, 2012
12:53 pm
Morris with all of his shortcomings would help us more than having the extra guard.
Geemack
February 2nd, 2012
12:54 pm
@Sections 303
When you lose to the Miami Heat at home in 2 overtimes without D-Wade & LBJ…it’s hard for anyone to take you seriously. The Hawks are playing well though.
Geemack
February 2nd, 2012
1:01 pm
Sections 303
I put all my buddies on notice before the season started that the Hawks would play in the ECF. If Chicago is the best team in the East, then I think the Hawks are better. However I do think Miami is a bad match up for the Hawks.
Geemack
February 2nd, 2012
1:03 pm
drmaryb.[*_*].
So body needs to tell Josh that nasty dunks gets you votes for the All-star team….ask Blake Griffin.
ajc
February 2nd, 2012
1:12 pm
hate to be a little downer but I don’t recall all of these other fans’ screen names on this blog, seems like when you start winning poof the boat starts packing, at least that will eventually happen with the media
Najeh Davenpoop
February 2nd, 2012
1:17 pm
“When you lose to the Miami Heat at home in 2 overtimes without D-Wade & LBJ…it’s hard for anyone to take you seriously. The Hawks are playing well though.”
What if you lose in regulation twice to the Bucks without Andrew Bogut, or lose in regulation by 16 to a team missing both its starting centers?
That Miami loss was a bad loss, no doubt, but the Heat and Bulls don’t have blemishless records either.
I don’t think the Hawks can beat them in a playoff series with the current big man rotation, but the difference between those teams and the Hawks (or the Sixers for that matter) is not that huge.
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
1:28 pm
3-6 against the winners does not spell elite.. 6-3 does..You earn respect.. Atlanta Hawks still have work to do to get it!
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
1:31 pm
BEAT OKC,LAC,HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO,LAKERS,DALLAS…BEAT THESE WESTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS AND YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A CONTENDER THAN PRETENDER..
YOU HAVE TO EARN IT….
Slimjr
February 2nd, 2012
1:33 pm
THE HAWKS FRONT LINE AS PRESENTLY CONFIGURED KEEPS THEM FROM BEING A CONTENDER…
drmaryb.[*_*].
February 2nd, 2012
1:38 pm
Healed!
“Plus last year Joe was not balling he was actually playing very poorly. This year though he’s finally beginning to step it up, and that’s great for him and us.” -Ray-
________
Uggh … Plus, Mr. Johnson was hurt last year, had surgery, was supposed to be out 2-3Months. But, the warrior returned in 10 days from elbow surgery to his shooting arm. Let’s not leave out such a KEY fact.
Keep it Real.
Rufus1
February 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
The Bulls have lost 5 in a row to teams above .500….Are they “contenders”?