Johnson unhappy with limited number of shots
Vivlamore reporting from Philips Arena, the day after the Hawks’ Game 4 loss to the Celtics.
A day later, Joe Johnson was at loss for words about the Hawks’ embarrassing Game 4 loss to the Celtics that has the team on the brink of playoff elimination.
His one-word answer to a question on his number of shot attempts spoke volumes.
Johnson took just eight shots in Sunday’s 101-79 loss to the Celtics, who are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 5 Tuesday at Philips Arena.
“I don’t think they are doing anything different defensively on me,” Johnson said. “I think it’s just, basically, getting an opportunity to touch the ball. That’s it.”
When asked if he was not happy with his touches, Johnson answered with a simple, but emphatic, “No.”
Here is what some others had to say about Johnson’s lack of shots in Sunday’s game:
Larry Drew: “We run a lot of things through him. He’s got to be more aggressive in working to get his shots and we have to be mindful when he hasn’t had a shot in one or two trips down the floor we’ve got to get him the ball. All the things that we do run, and we do run a lot of things where we do go through him, I give Boston a lot of credit on how they have defended him. Collectively, while they are out there they have to get him the ball more. Just watching the film in flying back last night there were a number of situations where we could have just made one extra pass and the extra pass would have been to him. We’ve just got to be a little bit more mindful to make sure he is getting touches.”
Jeff Teague: “We’ve got him the ball in Game 3. He got a lot of touches. Last night, they took us out of our stuff and made it difficult to get him the ball. We will try to make a conscious effort in Game 5 to get him the ball and make sure he makes plays for us.
“He is our go-to player. Eight shots is not enough, especially in a playoff game for a guy who can play like him. We’ve got to make sure we get him the ball.”
Al Horford: “Joe is our main guy. We go to him. We has to get us going offensively so he needs to go out there and be an enforcer and make his presence felt. I don’t think my shots or Erick Dampier’s shots are affecting him. I think Joe needs to be aggressive. He needs to go out there and score the ball. That’s when we are at our best when he does that.”
This will be the subject of today’s story for the print edition. You can read the entire story online later. However, feel free to leave your comments on Johnson and his thoughts here.
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358 comments Add your comment
Geno
May 7th, 2012
11:35 pm
Scoop is dead on
Luke Cage
May 7th, 2012
11:36 pm
Well peeps another work night is in the books, GAME ON fellas, don’t know the outcome but one things for sure is that good ole Marv will give me a laugh!! Peace Out.
Slimjr
May 7th, 2012
11:37 pm
As a Hawks fan you have to be out right embarrassed by that performance last night on National TV…What a debacle! A travesty! A piece of Trash…..
And then to listen to that diatribe on Inside the NBA calling out this sorry organization like this ish was expected due to its history?
Heads should roll…….
Naw this bar is low…
The streak will continue indefinitely….
The players already know this series is ova…Do you?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 7th, 2012
11:38 pm
We get murdered by what should’ve been 40 last night and this guy is blaming the refs.
LOL! Am I reading this wrong?
najah dappenfart
May 7th, 2012
11:41 pm
We realize from this series its not a coaching issue until the last 2 minutes. Fire the Spirit!
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 7th, 2012
11:43 pm
There was one play last night after BOS scored, Smoove dribbled up, it seemed like he was going to call a TO, didn’t, did some behind the back BS, and turned it over. Game was over after 3, not 6, minutes
Slimjr
May 7th, 2012
11:46 pm
Rod from College Park
May 7th, 2012
3:35 pm
“All the things that we do run, and we do run a lot of things where we do go through him, I give Boston a lot of credit on how they have defended him. Collectively, while they are out there they have to get him the ball more.”
“Coach Drew,
Why are you giving Boston a lot of credit for how they are defending Joe? More than half of this blog knew how Boston was going to defend him before the series started. Tell Joe to stop playing like a wuss, and start attacking the way Paul Pierce does. Stop dribbling to go no where, and make your move as soon as you catch the ball. Stop blaming the team, and start blaming the 100 million dollar man.”
Rod, this assistant coach is in way over his head…Like Wade Phillips he needs to go back to his strengths! Assisting, not leading….Either you got it or ya don’t..
Larry Leisure does not have it……..
Geno
May 7th, 2012
11:49 pm
bob rathburn would do ah better job coaching!!!… Lol.. But I would like to see domnique give coaching a try… Restore some pride and heart back into this organization… And it was embarrasing to see this better yet to be apart of the citu wbile charles and kenny run there mouth…. Josh smith messed the game up in the 1st quarter… He wanted to be hero but did nothing but turn the ballover… Teague jobis to demand the ball to run the plays… Tracy AND joe should be demanding the ball…
Slimjr
May 7th, 2012
11:51 pm
As a head coach you sit down with your lead dog and look at film for weaknesses in the opposition and discuss ways to exploit those weakness.. Get your star to buy in then the rest will follow…
Larry, Greyhound is ready
TROLL PATROLL
May 7th, 2012
11:52 pm
Slimejr: Drew did a good job all year …All players look like wussies with 3 players on ‘em.! LOL Wade Phillips? wth?Keep on a Trollin…………..
bigdave
May 7th, 2012
11:59 pm
Joe better start going in depth whith his answers cause dudes going in… I don’t think Joe is saying we lost b/c he didn’t get enough shots, I simply think he answered the question asked in typical Joe fashion. However, competitive fire is lacking.
Slimjr
May 8th, 2012
12:16 am
doc
May 7th, 2012
10:43 am
“what did you guys expect form the predictably unpredictable hawks?
entertaining as a piece of glass in your foot? heh heh”
Ouch!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
12:28 am
“But I would like to see domnique give coaching a try”
Lol
Geno
May 8th, 2012
12:31 am
Whats funny about that poop?
TROLL PATROLL
May 8th, 2012
12:34 am
Sorry
Geno
May 8th, 2012
12:35 am
If doc can do it….. Im sure domnique could too… Oan… Since no one is standing up for the hawks against the media maybe us fans need to start making posters with heart felt comments…. The fans let this team down by not showing up at the games….
SteveW
May 8th, 2012
1:04 am
AJ – I guess we’ll just have to disagree (again) on that one. I saw Teague as ready last season, as a preventer of blowouts, as excelling when given the opportunity, and he has proven this correct since starting in the playoffs last season.
Again, just say – “I don’t like Jeff Teague” – It’s liberating – tell yourself the truth. You expect more than a middling PG as the 8th PG drafted in a particular draft? Our problem was our 2 guys we were playing at Point last season were way below middling as PG’s – and hence, we were getting blown out in historic fashion.
Amazing how all that stopped when Teague got in the game, and got his time.
Comparing Teague to a #1 Pick and an MVP? What kind of bar do you have set for Teague – elite?
Can’t you be happy with the best PG, besides some time Bibby gave us right after he got here, that we’ve had since the last century? And he’s 23, with crazy athleticism, averaging over 15+pts per game in every playoff game he’s ever started – and Played every game in a crazy compressed season? Finished Top 10 in steals?
What are you wanting out of Teague realistically? DRose?
Like I said, we’ll just disagree – and when he does good, which is most of the time – your quiet as a Church mouse on this blog – at least about him.
SteveW
May 8th, 2012
1:10 am
DRose in that ATL series had games where he shot 10-27, 11-27, and 12-32. Had 8 turnovers in one game. Of course Teague could average 29.8, or close to it taking that number of shots per game.
But what would JJ and Josh say?
But I’m not sayin’ he’s as good as DRose – he’s not. But it’s not that difficult to average 29.8 per game averaging over 25 shots per game.
SteveW
May 8th, 2012
1:13 am
AJ – But I guess we can agree we want the Hawks to beat the Celts tomorrow – Go Hawks!!
Grandad
May 8th, 2012
1:27 am
grandmaster JeJe (GM)
‘` LOL @ Grandad blaming the refs `’
ahh, The hilarity of it all when a cretin does not comprehend
a simple dissemination of a poster`s view.
Not enough that said quarter-wit disagrees;
`tis fact the oaf doesn`t even know to wit he thinks he`s disagreeing.
My previous post was about the series as a whole.
Anyone who has follows my narrative would know that.
However, when a polecat wishes to stink;
he has but to spray.
As is the case with those who bear an agenda.
Manifestly undaunted,
G-dad
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
1:29 am
K-Mart and Reggie Evans make such a huge difference for this Clippers team, which otherwise would probably be pretty soft. Both players could have been Hawks — K-Mart when he flirted with the Hawks back in February, and Evans if the Hawks hadn’t used that roster spot on Vlad.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
1:31 am
“Whats funny about that poop?”
Aside from the fact that he offers nothing of value as an analyst — not a good sign if you want to be a coach — players like him, who relied on superior talent and athleticism to succeed, tend to make the least effective coaches. Look at Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas for example. The best ex-player coaches, with some exceptions, tend to be the ones who made the most out of limited talent and athleticism.
Rusty
May 8th, 2012
1:49 am
Atro Joe if I’m not mistaken I thought that KH was defending Rondo for most of playoff not JT.
Buddy Grizzard
May 8th, 2012
2:04 am
Geno, I suggest that you go talk to your local high school basketball coach and ask them what they think about Dominique’s analysis. Don’t take our word for it. I think there’s a general consensus out there that there are few people in broadcasting who know less about basketball than Dominique Wilkins. He knew how to shoot, he know how to dunk. Didn’t know how to defend or pass or win anything of significance. Knew how to run the best coach in Atlanta Hawks history out of town then lose in the first round with “players coach” Bob Weiss.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2012
2:12 am
If the Hawks wanted to reach into their franchise history to find a coach to restore pride and heart to the organization, they should have signed Doc Rivers when they had a chance.
PD
May 8th, 2012
2:27 am
Been a huge Hawks for a while now……………hate to say it. They suck! Blow this team up! Get rid of Joe and Marvin any way you can. These guys have blown so many chances to lead/win this series. Totally unprofessional group of players!
PD
May 8th, 2012
2:38 am
Najeh Davenpoop when K-Mart came to Atlanta to observe the team play some random team. They had another one of their classic “low-energy losses at Philips.” This guy is a vet and does not want to waste his career with guys who have tendency to disappear in ball games.
Woody is gone…..Hawks fans! Who y’all gonna blame now? There is something terribly wrong with this team to still come out with no motivation in big games. And Joe Johnson your just selfish, express your frustration during the game when it matters.
STOP DIVIDING YOUR LOCKER ROOM!
Man in Black
May 8th, 2012
2:45 am
They are keying on Joe – others need to MAKE SHOTS – your in the NBA – make a shot.
Rusty
May 8th, 2012
3:11 am
AJ JT is the best pg since Mookie. You tend to sound like LD. What kind of BS is grandpa sprounting,what a dreeb Nique would be a much better coach than LD He always had a lot of heart for the game & he certainly knows the game.
northcyde
May 8th, 2012
3:46 am
Interesting to see how this is being spun in ATL.
Once again, people are mad at JJ because he told the truth. And one of the things that people are forgetting, is that it was the TNT crew that made a huge deal about the number of shots JJ took in that game. They were the ones that talked about how he “only” took 8 shots.
Even when Reggie Miller talked throughout the broadcast of the game, he was mentioning it.
So it was only natural for C-Viv to address that issue directly with JJ. And he answered it honestly. And now people are mad at him . . again.
Unfortunately, C-Viv’s query ( along with JJ’s answer ), may have lit the “Mission Impossible” fuse that might explode right in Philips Arena.
Let JJ start out cold in this game . . say 1 – 6 FG, and watch how the fans react to it. If they start booing, like they did in the Orlando series in 2010, this team could flat out implode again.
It would not only make the Hawks and their players look bad, it would make the fans look bad as well. I remember going to Game 3 of that Orlando series in 2010, and how quickly the crowd turned on the Hawks with the booing. The game was nowhere near over yet, and people were booing the Hawks in the 2nd quarter. By halftime, the boos were loud as hell.
Then JJ makes his infamous comment after Game 3, and the fans were out for blood in Game 4.
It’s bad enough that you may see 5,000 LOUD Boston fans in Philips later tonight, but if the Hawks fan themselves turn on the team, that would be a travesty to witness.
bigdave
May 8th, 2012
4:37 am
Joe starting out cold is unacceptable.
Geno
May 8th, 2012
5:07 am
Local highschool coach?..lol.that was pretty funny..but not that funny… I say dominque because he is one of the 50th greatest players of all time.. He was also a Great Leader on the court..doc waas a good player but he wasnt great.. Boston responds to doc because of his rep, so would the hawks if the nique…
Geno
May 8th, 2012
5:10 am
*they had nique
2 Chainz
May 8th, 2012
6:19 am
That Game 4 was almost as embarrassing as drmaryb’s DUI mugshot
Buddy Grizzard
May 8th, 2012
6:20 am
I say a high school coach because they know something about coaching. You obviously know nothing about coaching. Dominique was left off the 50 greatest players list because he was not a great player. He was a stat-obsessed one-way player who NEVER WON ANYTHING. That DOES NOT equal greatness.
Buddy Grizzard
May 8th, 2012
6:22 am
“Great” leaders lead their team past the second round.
Just Joe
May 8th, 2012
6:25 am
Obviously, Joe needs more than 8 shots per game, but that doesn’t mean that we need more iso. We need actual offensive sets to run, and more importantly, we need more fast break opportunities.
These Hawks are shooting 38.5% from the field against the Celtics. Joe, Marvin, Hinrich, Pargo, and Ivan are all below that mark for the series. In addition, the team is at a 1.1:1 assist to turnover ratio. Too much one on one play. Ball handling is just awful. Boston is good enough on defense to really expose our poor offensive philosophy.
Since our beat down of the Bulls on January 7th, when playing Boston, Miami, or Philly, we have only scored more than 90 pts just once, and that was against Boston’s backups on April 20th. IMO, it’s a combination of the make up of the roster and mediocre coaching.
Clean house......and start with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith
May 8th, 2012
6:30 am
It’s comical that we should care what Joe thinks. It was a horrible decision to ever resign him. A stand around offensive threat – really!
Start over, clean house, keep 3 players – basketball minds only apply to name them!
STRETCH THIS YO BOY
May 8th, 2012
7:28 am
Almost nobody but Jeff Teague drives the lane to score. Once you drive you can finish or kick it to a perimeter shooter. The offensive scheme is the main problem with the Hawks. They just run the half court offense and take long jumpers. The people in the old folks home could defense that kind of offense…
O'brien
May 8th, 2012
7:44 am
Joe Johnson’s touches, a word picture by Bret LaGree
Remain stationary
Receive the ball
(beat)
Dribble laterally to or away from the basket
(second Boston defender arrives)
Take contested jump shot or pass to teammate Boston purposely leaves open.
Lagree failed to mention to wait until there is 8 seconds or less left on the shot clock. And the teamate left open is usually Josh, who never met a jumper he didnt like.
Ray
May 8th, 2012
7:51 am
Still what has Joe Johnson actually done at all?? That’s the 120 mil dollar question I’m talking about the entire regular season and these playoffs.
Looking back at his stat line he’s only showed up in maybe 12 games at best, and only about 3 counted for anything, Guess who did show up JOSH SMITH when it really counted you guys talking about getting rid of JOSH that will hurt more in the long run than a short run getting rid of Joe will only hurt in the short run cause we can draft another SG that’s not as selfish as Joe and probably make it farther.
O'brien
May 8th, 2012
7:52 am
From ajc.com;
The Hawks have counted on their bench all season, a luxury in the lockout-compacted NBA schedule.
The reserves have not been a factor in the playoff series with the Celtics through the first four games. It is part of the reason the Hawks find themselves trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Marvin Williams, who started Game 3 in the absence of Josh Smith (knee), has made just 5-of-23 shots (.217) in the series. Pargo has made just 6-of-21 shots (.286) and Willie Green has made 6-of-13 shots and only one 3-pointer. Ivan Johnson has converted 5-of-16 shots (.313) and played just 6:26 in Sunday’s Game 4 loss.
The Hawks bench combined to score 17 points in the 83-74 Game 1 win. Reserves scored just 14 in the 87-80 Game 2 loss and 25 in the 90-84 Game 3 loss..
Paging Rod from CP, who predicted all season long that the bench would not be productive in the playoff.
More from ajc.com;
“They have not been able to make shots,” Drew said. “We rely on our bench a lot to give us some type of offensive energy. We have guys who are capable of making shots. We have not made shots. That is one of the things that hopefully [Tuesday] night, we can get one or two guys to get on a little bit of a roll.”
When coach Larry Drew has gone to his bench, the Celtics have often countered by keeping at least two of their top three players — Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo — on the floor. This has led to some match-up problems..
Can somebody explain to me what is LD’s infatuation with the bench? The Celtics are winning, but it is not because of their bench play. LD needs to focus on how to get his stars (Josh and JJ) easy shots, and how to get the team to play defense. Stop worrying about bench production.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 8th, 2012
8:05 am
Gdad,
You are blaming the refs for this series.
LOL!!!
Must be the only person in he city
Little Richardd
May 8th, 2012
8:25 am
2nd tier team with a 1st tier salary cap. Last 4 years we have paid a lot to do a little. What will change next year? We are getting older so maybe 3rd tier with 1st tier salary cap.
Rod from College Park
May 8th, 2012
8:39 am
“Paging Rod from CP, who predicted all season long that the bench would not be productive in the playoff. ”
More times than not, in life, you get what you pay for. Marvin and Joe would be exceptions.
TROLL PATROLL
May 8th, 2012
8:42 am
enter your comments now
TROLL PATROLL
May 8th, 2012
8:44 am
Larry drew did a great job all season.
TROLL PATROLL
May 8th, 2012
8:44 am
Rick Sund is a great GM.
A little birdie
May 8th, 2012
8:46 am
Enter your comments here
Ray
May 8th, 2012
8:48 am
Forever in a day it will still remain Falcons>Braves> Georgia Tech(not a fan of)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hawks way back in the back.
Difference between these four teams 3 are willing to make moves necessary to compete for a NC one will tell you we like our core.
I tell you right now if the Falcons fail to even just get a playoff win this year how much you want to bet the GM and Coach Smith are both gone. Maybe even Matt Ryan is gone I like the guy, but after 5 years don’t want to turn into the Cowboys.