Hawks should consider trading Johnson, not Smith
Sorry, Mr. Johnson. But you just haven't measured up in the playoffs, unlike that guy behind you. (Kent Johnson/kjohnson@ajc.com.)
Almost every player on the Hawks’ roster is either at the end of a contract, or near the end of a contract, or on somebody’s, “Let’s drop-kick this guy out of town,” list.
Josh Smith doesn’t have a contract issue. That tells you what category he fits in.
But if you really believe the Hawks need to shake things up this off-season and possibly trade one of their starters, don’t look at Josh Smith. Look at Joe Johnson.
People, this isn’t even close.
This week’s Countdown . . .
10: Ordinary Joe: 2-for-18 in playoffs
Joe Johnson is a three-time All-Star. I felt I needed to get that out there right away because it seems like any time somebody criticizes Joe Johnson, one of his defenders screams, “He’s a three-time All-Star!” But this is business and these are the facts: Joe has one year left on his contract. He just completed an awful post-season, during which he played one good game and 10 generally crummy ones. In last year’s playoffs, he went 1-for-7 against Boston. This is not what you want from a guy who’s supposed to be your best player, especially when the game’s matter most. It’s certainly not what you want from a player who should be your leader but seldom acts like one. Or acts like he wants to be one. Joe’s one of those quiet guys who just wants to do his thing, whatever his thing is. But that’s not good enough here.
9. Sund has some difficult decisions
General manager Rick Sund just completed his first season. I’m not suggesting that his first makeover would be a failure if he doesn’t trade Joe Johnson. But it’s something he should look at. Just tweaking this roster may not be enough to get this team to the next level. With Johnson turning 28, chances are we’ve seen the best he has to offer. His skill set would be valuable on the trade market to elite teams that are looking for a complimentary player to round out their roster. He potentially could fetch a lot in trade. It’s worth exploring. Here’s why:
8. Team’s core is smaller than you think
Yes, Josh Smith can be maddening. But he has talent, upside and youth -- and he outplayed Johnson in the playoffs. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com.)
I hear a lot about the Hawks’ having a great core of players. Don’t know about that. But if that’s true, here’s how I would list the guys to build around: 1) Al Horford (absolute); 2) Josh Smith (probably); 3) Marvin Williams (maybe). Johnson is not a core piece. Chances are, he’s out the door next year. Mike Bibby might be gone already. Yes, Smith is maddening. But he remains by far the most talented player on the roster with the most upside. The Hawks’ greatest nightmare would be dealing him and then seeing him turn into a human wrecking machine with another team and under another coach. He scored 26 points in Game 4 against Cleveland. He certainly outplayed and outscored Johnson in these playoffs. You don’t trade Josh Smith. He’s a difference maker. Even if sometimes the difference is for the other team.
7. Lights! Camera! Ethiopia?
It sounds like a set-up line. “So there’s this heavyweight fight in Ethiopia . . .” But it could be true. Spoke to Evander Holyfield and there’s a chance his next fight could be against some guy named Sammy Retta July 25 in Ethiopia. The bout would be part of a celebrity fundraiser for AIDS research and would pay Holyfield $1 million, which is about $1 million more than anybody else is offering him to fight. Manager Ken Sanders said officials from the potential event have been phoning him for several weeks and seem serious about it but he still puts the chances of it coming as “50-50.” Holyfield and Sanders are going to Ethiopia Saturday for four days on a promoter’s tab to check it out. Meanwhile, Holyfield is still upset that, “They keep making me get back in line.” We explain . . .
Some local residents begin construction on an outdoor boxing ring in Ethiopia.
6. WBA: “Nothing to see here. Move along.”
Holyfield is 46. I don’t even ask him about retirement any more. But he probably was robbed in his last bout for the WBA title against Nikolai Valuev, losing a disputed majority decision in Zurich. Holyfield filed a protest. With boxing sanctioning bodies, this generally is as successful as the mafia’s court of appeals. Holyfield: “They said they had 10 judges look at tape. Six voted for Valuev and four voted for me, and that was it. They said, ‘Well, we looked at it.’” But Holyfield said the WBA all but assured him he can fight the winner of the Valuev-Ruslan Chagaev fight, which is May 30. The potential fight in Ethiopia shouldn’t be an issue. The opponent, Retta, is listed as a 35-year-old cruiserweight with a record of 18-3.
5. Layla Kiffin (Did that hook you in?)
Here's Layla Kiffin, standing with two unidentified schmoes.
The Knoxville News ran a story on the Kiffin family, but I’m pretty sure it was just to provide slobbering male SEC football fans with a photo gallery that includes several pictures of coach Lane Kiffin’s wife, Layla. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. By the way, did you know that there’s now a Facebook group that’s called, “Our Coach’s Wife is Hotter Than Your Coach’s Wife”? It already has 5,790 members. If you’re a Facebook member, here’s the link.
4. Roger Clemens is innocent
Not really. But he says he is. Again. There’s a new book out, “American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens And the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime,” and Clemens felt the need to go on the radio again and claim that everybody is lying and he’s innocent, and that he wouldn’t think of taking drugs because his father and brother died young of heart attacks, and, “It would be suicidal for me to take any kind of dangerous drug.” Several syringes are expected to offer rebuttal testimony in the coming weeks.
3. Hey, Jim: Tony Cole still has eligibility left
Tony Cole: inmate.
I realize this covers a lot of judicial proceedings, but Tony Cole might be the worst human being ever given an athletic scholarship at Georgia. If you missed the latest, Cole, who lit the grease fire that helped eventually bring down Jim Harrick and the Georgia basketball program in one of the most embarrassing scandals in NCAA history, is in Cook County (Ill.) jail and just got into a fight with another inmate. The Chicago Sun Times reported that Cole told a corrections officer: “This is how you run this jail? I am going to call my people and I am going to call the press.” Hah! Wait. Is this where Jeremy Schaap comes in?
2. Anybody got Jesse on speed-dial?
Just a little reminder of Tony Cole days in Athens. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com.)
Cole is in prison (lately) for violating terms of his parole. Something about a protection order of a former girlfriend whom he is accused of punching. He also is being blamed for the forced resignation of the Chief Financial Officer in Cook County, which the more I read about it makes Clayton County government look like nirvana. The CFO, a woman, hired Cole for a $61,000 a year government job despite his past criminal convictions and twice bailed him out of jail without telling anybody. During one recent court appearance, Cole, according to the Sun Times, said, “My whole case needs to be looked at,” and then turned to a reporter asked that they summon the Rev. Jesse Jackson to help him. Yeah. That’ll happen. If you want to get caught up on the miserable life and times of Tony Cole, here’s a helpful link.
1. The new fight scene
If Holyfield’s fight in Ethiopia falls through, I believe Somalia and Yemen have recently built casinos and are looking for a draw.
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288 comments Add your comment
Astro Joe
May 12th, 2009
3:11 pm
Exactly how many guys are readily available who can score 30 points when they are faced with double teams AND have to guard the opposing players best perimeter player and facilitate most of the offense? Look, if there is a team out there willing to trade away their player that has proven that he can do all of that, by all means, go get him.
kent
May 12th, 2009
3:14 pm
yall josh haters kill me, the man out perform joe in the playoffs. help side defense and rebrounds. look at the d#mn box score who had the most points for our hawks. when espn commentators showed our lost to Cleveland what players they show side by side. lebron and JOSH SMITH. AND IF THEY DO TRADE SMITH I DA%N SURE WANT WATCH A DAMN GAME. ONLY THE GAME JOSH COMES BACK AND SH#TS ON US WITH BLOCKS AND DUNKS AND ALLEYS.
Steve Brown
May 12th, 2009
3:18 pm
If you were to just watch Josh Smith play and not follow the ball you wouldn’t want him on your team. Dumb plays, lazy, doesn’t box out, sleepwalking, etc., really a joke of a player. Not a winner , a whiner.
Joe Johnson is real pro that any team would like to have. Get a clue for our sake!
steve
May 12th, 2009
3:26 pm
We could trade Joe for Isaiah Rider – wait, we already went thru that 10 years of hell. Let’s just re-sign everybody, get a legit Center, draft well and see where we end up. It is not time to blow this team up – yet. Keep Woody also. I like where we are, a couple of more pieces and we could definetly be the big dogs!
Arkansas Braves fan
May 12th, 2009
3:26 pm
U can go ahead and trade Joe if u want..but unless u add Kobe or DWade u are not going to beat Lebron and Company. Is Joe overpaid? probably, is he a superstar? no! Have the Atlanta Hawks become a formidable basketball franchise since he arrived? Hell yes! U trade Joe u don’t get better! He makes everyone better on his team, and the Hawks I believe go backwards without him. He is more a Scottie Pippen than a Jordan. He is what he is… a good NBA basketball player, not a Lebron, Kobe, or Wade.
Brendan
May 12th, 2009
3:34 pm
Okay, what I don’t know about basketball could fill a warehouse. But some “common sense” things do occur to me. When I read Schultz article suggesting that Joe Johnson be traded, I didn’t think it was a terrible idea. I’d just want to be sure the Hawks weren’t snookered, hoodwinked, bamboozled and flimflammed in the deal. GM Ric Sund “seems” like a capable GM. I don’t really know, however. He’s too new. But he has to be BETTER than Billy Knight. But I digress.
Admittedly, I don’t know enough about basketball to know what a GOOD TRADE FOR JJ would be. Any ideas out there? It would help me to evaluate Jeff Schultz’ article. But here’s the other thought that came to me. Why not re-sign Joe Johnson? I think a re-signed JJ would help the GM to bring in more talented free agents. Are basketball players “washed up” at 28? I don’t know. I don’t know enough about basketball to have formulated an opinion about that. All I know is … I’d like to see the Hawks continue to move forward, than to REGRESS again. It’s been a long time since the Hawks won a playoff series. And it’s been a while since they made back-to-back playoff appearances. I don’t especially want to see Atlanta headed back to the lottery draft because they started losing all their key players to free agency, or via trades, especially if it’s because of a lack of spending on the part of the ownership. If it’s working for Atlanta, why not try to keep it going? In the NBA, are you allowed to PROACTIVELY re-sign a guy, 1-year ahead of schedule? If so, why not proactively approach JJ and see if a deal can be struck to keep him? If he says, “I won’t re-sign here.” Then trade him, but make dang sure nobody else knows Johnson won’t be back. Thoughts?
Okay, one last thing. Sorry, I had to do this. I didn’t want to, though. But here goes. JOE JOHNSON is the whole reason the ownership is in the mess it is. What does trading him say, then? Does it say, “Well gee, Belkin was right all along. Maybe we should get rid of this guy?” Or, does re-signing JJ validate what the Spirit Boys were trying to do all along? If JJ really is this valuable of a commodity, that it sent the ownership into a 5+ year tailspin, maybe they’d better hold on to him? Thoughts on that, as well.
Old Atl
May 12th, 2009
3:43 pm
Bottom line, this roster is lacking mental intelligence for the game. Meaning, despite all their talent and abilities, it means nothing if you never can control your game from a mental stand point. That’s why they’re constantly turning the ball over, constantly taking bad shots and etc…. Joe Johnson is just an excuse for you all to blame for this lackluster squad. Josh Smith complains too much after most plays. Al Horford is still making rookie decisions. Bibby is only good for offense only no D. Marvin Williams is having physical problems that will eventually end his career early. Zsa lacks fundamental knowledge about the game despite his innocent efforts. All said and done, Joe is not a bad player, not great either, but worth keeping but not worth the money of an all star. Joe take a paycut and you can stay. Oh yeah, we need a big center.
Fish2774
May 12th, 2009
3:46 pm
I don’t think Joe’s the problem. The problem is the Hawks need a big man in the middle. Let’s say a Stoudamire who becomes a free agent this year. This would allow Horford to far back into his true position as a power forward, and give us a look like Bibby, Joe, Josh, Horford, and Stoudamire while Marvin is your six man.
One of the biggest problems is not enough ball movement and to much man to man. They are not creating space and don’t rotate the ball enough to create open shots. This is something coaching has to implement in order for them to be successful. But, it’s to earlier to shakeup an up and coming young team.
Terrence Mooron
May 12th, 2009
3:48 pm
I can’t believe that this guy really thinks that trading away the best player on the team is justified by the fact that the guy had a “poor” playoff showing because he couldn’t score 40 against constant double teams.
The Hawks can’t afford to lose any of thier current roster- if they had a couple more pieces (another big, maybe a back-up point) they’d be a legit championship contender.
But yeah, let’s trade the best player on the team because we couldn’t beat the best team in the league with half of our roster injured.
This is the kind of knee-jerk reaction I would expect from a frustrated woman, not an AJC columnist. Must need some page hits.
Jones
May 12th, 2009
3:49 pm
Why think it has to be one or the other? There are very few players who can carry a team; the Hawks should build around BOTH JJ and Smith. Without the injuries they would have looked better against Cleveland, which is where they should be at this stage.
Also, it is true that Lebron and D-Wade face double-teams, but there are only a few players in the league like that. It’s crazy to think that unless someone can play through double-teams and carry your whole offense like Lebron then you should trade him.
It’s also unfair to complain about Horford “milking” his injury. He rolled that ankle badly and it’s to his credit he tried to come back so soon. I thought he’d be out for weeks.
Jones
May 12th, 2009
3:52 pm
I totally agree with Terrence.
Another thing: you almost never get fair value when trading all-star caliber players in the NBA.
They need to get Joe some help, not trade him.
Interestingly, Schultz does apparently want to build around Flip Murray (see his later comments). He was a decent piece off the bench, but way too eager to shoot and reluctant to pass in the playoffs. You want to trade Joe and build with him?!?
Miles D
May 12th, 2009
3:54 pm
Enter your comments here
Gregory Moundine
May 12th, 2009
3:59 pm
If we rid of Joe Johnson, go pickup Chris Bosh from Toronto. Again, I say again, Go pickup Chris Bosh from Toronto. If we keep Joe Johnson, go pickup Chris Bosh. He will and is the real deal. I emailed Falcons after playoff lost and told them to pickup strong tight end. I did not say Gonzalez, but I stated most Championship teams has excellent tight ends. I say here go get Chris Bosh from Toronto. The guy played at Georgia Tech and will be Happy in ATL. DO NOT LET PAT RILEY and the HEAT get this guy!
Greg Moundine, United States Army
FlipWilson
May 12th, 2009
4:00 pm
I believe the Hawks should trade Marvin Williams and Zsa Zsa Pchulia for Chris Paul or Gilbert Arenas, depending on which GM agrees to the trade. If we acquired either of those talents along with Antonio McDyess the Hawks would be ready to win a championship. Easy Fix.
CurleyNeal
May 12th, 2009
4:03 pm
Dont trade Joe Johnson because he is undoubtedly the greatest player to ever play in the nba from what Ive seen him do. Ive never seen anyone with better talent than Joe and thats not taking anything away from Magic, Larry, Micahel, LaBron, Kareem, Wilt or even Russell. Joe is better than all of them and I would take Joe Johnson on my team any time or any day.
Mitch
May 12th, 2009
4:03 pm
I’m sorry, Jeff, but I have to disagree with you here, for several reasons.
First, didn’t think Hawk team achieve it’s goal this year? Yes, they did not play well against the Cavs, and losing two in a row on your home floor in the playoffs to end the season, is a big disappointment. However, there is a guy named Lebron James who had much to do with that. Simply put, the guy is unreal. He’s better than Kobe, and better than Shaq was in his prime. If I had to predict, I would say that the Cavs right now have to be the odds on favorite to win the 2009 NBA title.
Why should this team trade away one of its core guys, when we made progress each year? Last year, it was “Make the playoffs”, and we did that. This year, it was “Win a series”. We did that. To me, this team seems right on schedule. Maybe next year, we’ll have 50 plus wins, and a trip to the Eastern Finals. Not completely unrealistic, considering how this team has improved over the last couple of years.
I say, keep Joe Johnson. Keep the core, and improve the bench somewhat.
I hope that the Hawks don’t do anything radical to “blow up the team”. They have become one of the better teams in the NBA, and it would be a shame for a team that was a laughingstock merely two to three years ago, and has made progress every year, to panic, and trade a core guy who is still a good, young player.
Mitch
John
May 12th, 2009
4:04 pm
Trade Joe? That is ridiculous. For Lebron or Kobe? Who do you want to get for him? Joe is not a superstar, but there are not too many in the league. I know the Hawks looked bad in playoffs, but did you expect them to win the Finals? I am sorry. I have been watching all of the Hawks games for 10 years and have stuck by them throughout the tough times. I am not about to want to trade their best player because he played bad in a series against the potential world champs. He wanted to come play here when no one else did. If we did not have Joe this year, we would not have made the playoffs. There is no way. Adding three or four scrubs that we could get for him would not change that. What the Hawks need to do is not resign Bibby and find some way to get a PG that can actually handle, penetrate, and pass. Our problem is that Bibby can not create easy buckets for anyone so Joe has to go one on one, or usually one on two. I think Joe and Josh are the two you have to build around. They can compliment each other.
Jeff Schultz
May 12th, 2009
4:05 pm
DEAN, OTHERS: I know there’s a lot of debate about Woodson. But I would be surprised if something happens there, given the team’s win total and playoff wins. Here’s the only caveat: Woodson has one year left on his contract and sometimes that becomes a difficult matter for one side or the other.
FRESH: The last story we ran on the Atlanta Spirit case by our Kristi Swartz was March 7. In short, the judge sent everybody away for two months before bringing the attorneys back for final arguments, which actually is imminent. His decision could take several weeks after that. But even then, there could be appeals. Probably not the answer you wanted.
BORN2BUZZ: Don’t know if I’m as fast as Speedy, but I know I’ve played almost as many games as him here.
JWILLI20: The bench players thing is a common criticism of Woodson. But on Acie Law, we won’t really know where the fault lies, or if there is fault, until (and if) Law develops under another coach or with another team. In other words, it may be him. And, fact is, he’s been hurt way too much.
JULIUS MAINOR: Thank you. Yes, fact is, every good player has been doubled at some point in his career, and some get doubled all the time. That’s no excuse for not making plays.
TRUE HAWKS FAN: Joe Johnson has carried this team? How? To what?
TRUTH: Hey, I’ve missed you. Where you been? KFC ran out of the grilled chicken, by the way.
Jeff Schultz
May 12th, 2009
4:09 pm
JONES: Don’t twist my words. Flip is a piece off the bench. Joe is a starter. I’m not putting them on the same level. Fact is, Wade gave Flip props during the first-round playoff series about him being the difference in that series.
PaulWinchester
May 12th, 2009
4:21 pm
I can tell from reading the BLOGS today that fans are angry and are looking for a scapegoat to blame for the Hawks losing shamefully to the Cavs. Joe is partially to blame but he is not the sole reason for the Hawks loss to the Cavs. The entire team is to blame. So if there is a scapegoat it is the entire team, all the coaches and the entire management all the way up to the owners. IT IS NOT JOE JOHNSONS FAULT WHY THE HAWKS LOST.
Dan
May 12th, 2009
4:25 pm
. Most important see what we can do to get Hasheem Thabeet out of UConn….maybe offer Childress and something else to get up in the top of the draft…..How about this Hasheem Thabeet Center..Horford Power Forward…Josh Smith small Forward….Marvin Williams Shooting guard and Joe Johnson point guard….
The Truth
May 12th, 2009
4:48 pm
When you consider the team salaries, I think the Hawks have gotten great value from this current roster.
[(Consider this NBA salary list)/ http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm
New York Knicks have the highest paid team roster in the NBA (rated #1 out of 30 at $94,842,168 and they didn’t make the payoff. They should be the joke of the NBA not the Hawks.
The Cavaliers is rated #3 out of 30 at $91,650,943 and they are the top seed in the payoff. This may explain why they are a top contender for the title this year. It’s all about the Benjamin.
The Hawks are in the lower tier group at #22 out of 30 at $68,012,332. They were 4th seed in the playoff and they advanced to the second round. In fact, of the second round teams, the Hawks had the lowest paid roster. You could say that the Hawks have gotten the must mileage out of this current roster. I guess from this prospective, us fans should have nothing to complain about. The owners should be laughing all the way to the bank no matter what they say publicly about financial condition.
As for Joe Johnson Salary of $14,232,566, that is comparable to the following “Super Star” salaries at $14,410,581 a year:
Chris Bosh
Dwayne Wade
Camelo Anthony
Lebron James
Now asked yourself, does he belong in this group? You be the judge. He is certainly our best player relatively speaking. Joe Johnson can coexist on this team if he is paired with the right “Batman and Robin” combination where he is the “Robin”. We would need to pay the “Batman” on our team from Mike Bibby’s current salary of up to $15M/year. For $15M, we could get a lot of value. Consider these available players (just to name a few):
Lamar Odom
Ron Artest
Hidayet Turkoglu
Charlie Villanueva
I know some fans have a love fest with our current roster, but there is a lot of value on the market these days. If Sund plays his hand correctly, he could bring some great additions to this team to coexist with Joe Johnson minus Mike Bibby.
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
Ayanna, You must know Joe!!!! That’s For sure! Ha Ha Ha Ha
Reggie Reg
May 12th, 2009
4:53 pm
Joe definitely wasn’t himself in the playoffs, but they shouldn’t trade him. Please trade Marvin Williams!!!!! While he’s a nice enough guy, he simply has not produced for the Hawks. Josh Smith is talneted, but he’s a head case and looms as a potential liability to the club. While he may be a premier defender and dunker, his shooting style sucks bad!!! Who taught him how to shoot???? ZaZa is a bench player and we need a big guy in the middle and a player just like Flip who isn’t scared to take it to the hole or shoot with wreckless abandon. Flip has heart and he is a true baller. Joe was passing up easy shots because he lost his swagger and confidence. I barely recognized his game. He has to learn to play through the double teams the same way Lebron and Kobe does…he’s good enough. Lots to do in the off season..let’s see what happens…
Jones (born & raised in ATL)
May 12th, 2009
4:54 pm
Joe Johnson is bottom line a 3rd option case closed comparin him to Josh you crazy!!! Josh is the only defensive presence we have people alter they shots because of him, they try to stop us from running because of him they crash the boards because of him, they get back on transition because of him. Joe is average he may have been tired or hurt that never stopped anyone else who made that kind of money. Josh is emotional so he argues with the refs Lebron said something to the refs and frown everytime they got a call agaisnt him whats wrong with caring. He doesn’t get along with Mike woodson alot of yall say he needs to go and bring in a new coach so if josh wants to win and run I would argue too and fight for what I believe in. Joe just plays ball no emotions, no fire, just be as quiet as possible. NO ONE CAN ARGUE THE FACT THAT JOE DOESN’T HAVE THAT KILLER INSTINCT AND FOR THE MONEY HE IS GETTING AND HIS ROLE TO THIS TEAM AND COACHING STAFF HE SHOULD BE !!!!!!!!!! But teams dominate and Joe has never taking the game over on offense or defense except last year agaisnt Boston 1 game after Josh did !!!! CASE CLOSED. Also this is a running team Josh,Harford,Marvin,Flip,Mo,Law,Mario,Bibby but Joe is a half court player slow it down grind it out,post up. Scream at Josh for taking wide open jumpers, complament Joe when he doesn’t take wide open jumpers I’m confused
Keep it Real
May 12th, 2009
4:54 pm
Just like fake Atlanta fans, soon as the the team has a little success they want to start being fake gm’s. Joe has been consistent and the only talent in the league that wanted to come here, the rest of the cats was drafted here. Previous to Bibby coming, the defense around the league was to double team Joe. I know Joe didnt have a great post season and he admitted it but you get rid of Joe, we gonna have another 10 years of not making the playoffs.
I wish the bandwagon fans stay on the bandwagon and stop giving all this advice. Schultz pull up your articles 5 years ago where you didnt say anything good about the Hawks!!!
Its not like we going to get something in return to win the championship, is phoenix gonna take joe back for amare!
Same cats down on Joe, gonna be all on his back next year watch
JustinGriffin
May 12th, 2009
4:58 pm
Dont trade Joe Johnson. He is the heart and soul of the team. Joe wasnt himself in the playoffs but he is still JOE JOHNSON (an absolutely fabulous player) and certainly one of the most underrated players of our generation. I think JJ is better than Kobe and LaBron and I wouldnt trade Joe for anyone.
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
4:59 pm
Joe is what we thought he was!!! mediocre!!! When The hawks signed JJ, on day 1, the whole world was is shock that the hawks made a player that would be a good compliment into the role of a superstar, & a Franchise Player $84mil wow!!!. Joe is Good, but he is not a Leader of a team. I’m not saying get rid of him either, but lessen his role! Josh Smith, Has alot of talent, but he HAS to go out everyday this off season hit the weights, and shoot 1,000 JUMPSHOTS WITH A SHOOTING COACH, then he will be a Superstar! until then, Josh needs to only drive to the basket!
JB33
May 12th, 2009
5:00 pm
Josh Smith can jump; he can rebound when he feels like it. At the game last night, the abundant Cleveland fans (don’t even get me started) were cheering every time Smith shot a mid range jumper. He has no heart (has to do with coaching), and we should not base the franchise around a freak athlete with no true basketball skills. Foremost, we need a coach…
Marcus
May 12th, 2009
5:02 pm
I hope we keep Joe Johnson. People there are only 3 SUPERSTARS in the NBA Kobe/ Lebron/ D. Wade. There are on a level by themselves, and these types don’t grow on trees. Joe is a Excellent player. How soon we forget when Joe Johnson and Josh Smith trashed the World Champion Celtics last year in “The Highlight Factory”.
When the season started and we looked at the Roster most people thought the Hawks had the 6 or 7th best roster in the EAST. We finished 4th; We got 10 more wins than the year before; We won our first playoff series in 10 years. The Hawks are still my team. If you want to jump off the bandwagon so be it.
Arkansas Braves fan
May 12th, 2009
5:03 pm
The Hawks have vastly improved folks. They were a 4 seed, behind 3 great teams…thats an acomplishment for this franchise in itself. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cavs don’t lose a game untill the finals. So everyone take a deep breath! This franchise is going forward not backwards…who is mostly responsible for that? Joe Johnson!! You people have a short memory..Joe was subpar in the playoffs, I will give u that, but Joe has been clutch in big games for most of his career! So back off! U think Lamar Odom would make this team better with his addition minus JJ..Crack kills!
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:04 pm
KEEP IT REAL, Joe only came to atlanta for the money! no one else offered him as much or matched the stupid $84 mil that the Hawks is paying him!
Hawks fan
May 12th, 2009
5:04 pm
Well written by someone who knows absolutely NOTHING about basketball.
Consider the real facts about JJ and the season: Joe finished 4th in NBA minutes. Woodson rode Joe hard during the regular season in order to get the 4th seed and home court for the 1st round. During the season you could see that he was tired but did he complain…Not at all. What you saw was the sign of a true professional. Give the man the proper rest during the season and he would have had something left for the playoffs. Jeff, you are focused on playoff results but you completely ignore how you got there. Do you really think the Hawks would have made it this far without JJ? Give the man his credit. We finally have a playoff team and you want to send the guy packing. Do you remember a few years ago when we couldn’t get any free agent to come here? Now, we have a team that other players (veterans) will want to be a part. Let’s enjoy and appreciate the 2009 season!
akintu
May 12th, 2009
5:05 pm
I was having this discussion with my Dad and Uncle this weekend on my way to Falcons training camp, and it’s a discussion that must be had.
The first thing is admitting a couple truths.
1. This is our ceiling with the team we have, we are a forth seed that will make it past the first round only to be run out of the gym by the 1 seed, that is all…improving the bench wont change this so some drastic measures are necessary not to fall into a place of mediocrity. and yes 4th seed is better than not making the playoffs at all but lets be honest, the goal is a championship and this team can’t get us there.
2. While Mike Woodson isn’t a great coach we’ve improved under him every year that he’s been our coach…you can’t sanely argue that point, our record proves it…my issue with Woody is that in the half court set me have no offense it’s basically a one on one matchup at all positions. I’m not saying we try the triangle or anything that detailed but we have to get some movement off the ball and I don’t think Woody has that in his bag of tricks. The honest truth is that until we stop improving Woody is going to be the coach.
so with all that said we’re stuck, if we do nothing different we’ll be a 4 or 5 seed for the next 5 years, just out of the lottery were we could get the help we need, so to me that means CHANGE something… so lets look at our players in short
Bibby- Good reg season, horrible couple last games of post season, sign him for cheap or let him walk
JJ- inconsistant super star who in that hurts more than anything. We’re paying him and looking to him like he’s our Kobe, DWade or Lebron, unless he can contribute at a high level night in and night out he’ll never be that. I say trade him
Marvin- I wanted to kick him out of town last year, but he got better, developed a 3 point shot and to me saved his spot on the team, we need him healthy though. resign
Jsmooth- didnt want to resign him because he has a tendency to get out of control on the court and hurt us more than help. we resigned him and so we’re kind of stuck here. I really need for him to give up on shooting ball outside of 10-feet and drive all the time, NO MORE 3’s MR. SMITH…thx
Al- get healthy, i think you’re a 4 and not a 5 still.
bench- step up or step off.
I propose we trade JJ and his sometime superstar sometime bum playing for as high of a pick as we can and another solid defensive minded big man. in the draft grab a 2 and then a 1 and then see what we have. Acie isnt getting it done but someone must….
players I like in the draft at PG and SG
James Harden SG- might have to trade up to 5 to get him but this kid is going to be special
PG’s that might be available with our current pick in this order
Eric Maynor – Ty Lawson – Jonny Flynn – Jeff Teague – Patrick Mills – Toney Douglas – Darren Collison
Big D
May 12th, 2009
5:06 pm
Josh Smith never showed up on the road in playoffs..nuff said
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:07 pm
JB33 YOU AVE NO HEART THAT’S WHY YOUR USERNAME IS JB 33! LOL SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND REVEAL YOUR TRUE IDENTITY. JOSH SMITH HAS! & IT’S TAKES ALOT OF HEART TO DRIVE DOWN THE LANE AND DUNK ON 2 & 3 GUYS AT THE SAME TIME! CLOWN
Atl Resident
May 12th, 2009
5:08 pm
Here’s why we probably shouldn’t trade, hell if anything that could be the worst thing. For what we need, can we really can afford to trade to bring what we need here? For one, whoever tries to come here in a trade is going to want to get paid. Second, we already don’t have any pure shooters if we trade Johnson and there’s a good chance Bibby might go cause his contract is up. Josh Smith needs to stay. Flip Murray is not really a starter but he could if needed. Reality here is we need a center, like when Mutombo was here years ago to defend and with some type of offense. That’s what is always needed here it’s been that way for years. Holford plays good but he’s not really a starter in that spot. So we got good players but from watching that series with Cleveland, the scheme was crap of trying to defend against Lebron. From being a former athlete, that’s hell to pay, when you want to defend or score a certain way but have to play the coaches scheme. That’s part why Josh Smith gets upset when you see things that just need to be done on court regardless of scheme. It happens, but we need a center who can definitely start and maybe a better coaching staff.
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:09 pm
THE WHOLE HAWKS TEAM DIDNT SHOW UP ON THE ROAD IN THE PLAYOFFS! THEY SUCKED!!!
#1.Dawgette
May 12th, 2009
5:11 pm
Bibby is the player that should be on the bubble, Last night was a bad final game on ANY contract. If he stays, it must be at a reduced price. Joe is Joe, and I want him to stay in ATL.
Mike
May 12th, 2009
5:11 pm
How about keep Joe and surround him with players who can actually play (like the Cavs have with LeBron). Sure, Josh Smith scored 26, but that’s only because Cleveland was committed to shutting down Joe (Success!). Let Smith have his 26 and take an “L”. We don’t need Smith shooting 3’s and bringing the ball up the floow. We don’t need Mike Bibby yawning through elimination games. With all due respect, we could use a rebound somewhere along the line if you don’t mind.
Big D
May 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
Josh smith is turnover waiting to happen. He should never bring the ball up the court as evidenced in the Cleveland series. He got ripped a number of time cause he has NO HANDLES. He has NO JUMPER and refuses to play to his strength, driving to the hole for the “and-1″. He has poor rotation on defense and is constantly getting took off the dribble by lesser players. Take away his highlight dunks and basically you have the black version of Brian Scalabrini.
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
IT’S FUNNY HOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT JOE JOHNSON DID LAST YEAR! LOL PEOPLE THIS IS AMERICA!!! (LIKE JANET JACKSON SAID) WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? LOL THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A SCAPEGOAT!!!
Jones (born & raised in ATL)
May 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
Enter your comments here
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:18 pm
MIKE, TELL US WHAT WE NEED THEN! LET ME GUESS? WE NEED JOE! HA HA HA HA!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE WE GAVE JJ $84MIL IN THE FIRST PLACE? LOOK A THE NBA ROSTER OF GUARDS WITH THE SAME SALARY & THEY MOSTLY SUPER STARS! IS JOE A SUPER STAR? WHAT NATIONAL ADVERTISEMENTS DO YOU SEE JOE JOHNSON ON? HELLO, WHAT ENDORSEMENT COMMERCIALS DO YOU SEE JOE ON? THIS DUDE IS A AVERAGE PLAYER THAT NBA COACHES VOTE A ALL STAR BECAUSE THERE’S NO ONE ELSE IN THE EAST TO FILL THAT VOID! SUPER STARS GET VOTED AN ALL STAR BY THE FANS!!! JOE GETS VOTED IN BY THE COACHES! GET IT?
KingCobra
May 12th, 2009
5:18 pm
First of all I think the Hawks blew a chance to school LaBron and the Cavs. As was pointed out so astutely by Common Sense, all that separates Josh Smith from being a superstar is that JOSH NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE TO THE BASKET and finish by STUFFING THE BASKETBALL. DaLonty West did it on one drive last night. He drove into the lane at the rim and stuffed it. Litle DaLonty West accomplished that feat at only 5′8″. What would Josh Smith do who could probably vertically jump 3 feet farther than little DaLonty West. Come on Josh, wake up! All you have to do is drive to the basket and your teammates will alley oop balls above the rim for you to stuff home. When you get the ball at the top of the circle dribble down the lane and stuff the basketball home. Thats all you have to do and all of a sudden the Hawks will start winning because Joe will always get his points, Bibby will get his and so on, and so on. Secondly, Flip Murray should be promoted to the starting lineup and Marvin Williams needs to be removed the lineup and traded off the team. Just a few subtle adjustments would make the Hawks a bona fide winner.
JASon
May 12th, 2009
5:18 pm
trade joe are you f-ing kidding me? How about the mo**** f***ing option of not making the playoffs, huh?!!!!!! trade joe, what the…?
Anyway, Ayanna I was just wondering if you were free this saturday
Westurd
May 12th, 2009
5:24 pm
Hawks Fan,
Aren’t playoff results all that matter? You don’t win a title for “4th place finish” in the regular season….
Its a tough debate about Joe. I sang his praises for the past few years and still think he is one of the most underated players in the league. Give him one more year in the post season in a Hawks jersey and then let open up the “Trade Joe” debate.
Atl Resident
May 12th, 2009
5:24 pm
And I forgot to mention Marvin Williams, not much to say except I think he’s gone extinct.
Common Sense
May 12th, 2009
5:25 pm
JASON, AYANNA WON’T BE FREE, BECAUSE SHE WILL BE WITH JOE JOHNSON! LOL CAN’T YOU TELL THAT SHE’S HIS GIRL! (-;
The Truth
May 12th, 2009
5:25 pm
Oh!!
I forgot about Ben Gordon, he is also available. Now that’s a real Baller!!