Does anybody in Atlanta actually want Joe Johnson to stay?

MatthewH

June 28th, 2010
9:37 am

Welcome back! And thanks for the Thrasher’s picture link in your last blog

Me

June 28th, 2010
9:37 am

FIRST!

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:38 am

I think everyone will tell you it depends on many different things. He is an all star and he is talented. If he is our only option. Then Hell Yes I want him back. If we could get guys like Rudy Gay then its a maybe.

G-Money

June 28th, 2010
9:39 am

Johnson should be re-signed, and bring in some bigs who can rebound and play defense. Fans should be grateful for what he has done for this franchise.

MatthewH

June 28th, 2010
9:39 am

Will they really get a lot worse in a hurry? Joe does take too many shots. If he leaves maybe there will be more of a team idea. Crazy, I know.

F-105 Thunderchief

June 28th, 2010
9:40 am

I’d rather see big money invested in a player with both skills AND leadership. Joe seems to have one and not the other. And, he is a lesser player when the games count for more.

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:41 am

Right on point G-money. I am not a fan of fans that let one game erase their entire memory. I know its more than a game with Joe, because he hardly shows up in the playoffs. But he has averaged over 20 points for a few years and made the all star team. People are blinded by stupidity sometimes. If there was another player with the exact same stats and wasnt named Joe Johnson everyone on this board would be begging Sund to sign him.

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:42 am

F-105. Sounds like…..Al Horford. If we do not re-sign Joe, our first priority must be locking up Horford for a loooonnngggg time.

atlfan44

June 28th, 2010
9:43 am

well the hawks have to do something because if the heat get amare to go with wade and the bulls get lebron, depending on what the knicks do the hawks could be looking at 5th or 6th in the East and a probable first round exit every time.

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:43 am

I have said before. Joe has said he would move to SF. If we would do that for us, I say sign him. He takes care of two problems for us. Gets rid of Marvin and then we could sign someone to play the 2 and give him a legit scorer to dump it off too. AKA Ray Allen!

Me

June 28th, 2010
9:44 am

I loved the sign that one fan had at game four of the Orlando series. “Joe, we don’t care if you show up either.” My sentiments exactly. Let him go get old and hamstring some other franchise with his max money.

VB

June 28th, 2010
9:45 am

I agree with F-105. He’s talented, but his talent doesn’t show up in the post season, plus, for the money he’ll be making he needs to be a leader; which he is clearly not!!

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:45 am

atlfan- Exactly. Depending on the way it all shakes up we pretty much have no chance. Miami will have wade and one other max guy. That is a given. Its looking like Bosh at this point. The Bulls may get lebron. and the Nets and wizards have improved a lot. I dont think we will be able to compete for a while, because we are not equipped to load up on Max contracts like these other teams.

Jay

June 28th, 2010
9:45 am

Bye Bye Joe! We do not want him here! He can not be our “go to player”. We need somebody with heart. Joe needs to follow Lebron James, he would be excellent second option.

VB

June 28th, 2010
9:46 am

I say let’s make a run at Rudy Gay. If Joe goes to NY there’s no one on that roster that I would take back unless Eddy Curry is in the last year of his deal.

Michael

June 28th, 2010
9:47 am

Good riddance. The money he’s going to command is better spent elsewhere. Maybe the Hawks suffer some in the short term because of it, but they’ll be better off in the long run.

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:47 am

Who all agrees that Al Horford should be priority one on this team? I sure do! Reward him and sign him to a long deal. He is the backbone to our team, he is a leader, he is improving, and he has shown the ability to have Amare type scoring WITH good defense.

nobody

June 28th, 2010
9:49 am

Rudy Gay- 19.6 points. 5.9 Rebounds. and 2 assists. I dont know what the grizz are willing to give him, but if we can outbid them we could have a fine player to replace joe with. If we had the money signing ray allen in this scenario would be amazing.

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9:50 am

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JJ

June 28th, 2010
9:50 am

Do I want him to stay? In an ideal world, no. But there isn’t much choice in this scenario. The Hawks don’t have to flexibility to lose Joe and replace him with anything close to what they are losing. So I say SIGN JOE!!!

Do I think he deserves a max deal? Hell No. But again, the Hawks aren’t in a position of strength in these negotiations. And make no mistake, Joe is worth far more to than the Hawks than he is to the “market”. So my guess is that he’ll end up having to turn down a max deal (or close to it) from the Hawks if he wants to go elsewhere.

JJ

June 28th, 2010
9:52 am

Doh! Should say….”And make no mistake, Joe is worth far more to the Hawks than he is to the “market”.”

Dawglasville

June 28th, 2010
9:53 am

Joe is not worth max money. Peace. Horford is the only gamer we have. Childress played that way. Josh could be trade bait. I’m sick of waiting on Marvin. I think we are about to take a big step back. I know that Chuck Daily had two Hall of Famers but we need a coach like him who can define the players roles and then draft to fit the system.

Brent

June 28th, 2010
9:54 am

Welcome back MB. Not sure there is a Plan B to be had. The Hawks need to re-sign JJ or things could get ugly.

JMar

June 28th, 2010
9:55 am

“the team can say goodbye to winning 50 games and probably to reaching Round 2 of the playoffs.” Yes, we get that. This team will be significantly worse in the short term. But I’d rather have an organization that is all-or-nothing. (And so would this city – remember the backlash when it was clear that the Braves were putting together “safe” teams with the goal of keeping their division streak alive rather than taking a risk and having a team that might actually contend for a championship?) Sign Joe, and we’re locked into mediocrity until his contract is up – first or second round playoff team for a few years, then worse as he ages, with no hope of greatness. This doesn’t interest me. I’ll take lousy with hope over mediocre with none.

david

June 28th, 2010
9:56 am

Good riddance!
I’d rather lose games than sign someone who hates the fans & doesn’t want to be here.
His days of busting his tail for the Hawks are over.
Why sign him, they’ll get nothing but an average performance.

atlfan44

June 28th, 2010
9:56 am

Right now its sort of looking like a choice of a little above mediocrity( if Joe is resigned) or a few years of the Hawks of old.

T. Anthony

June 28th, 2010
9:56 am

We paid too much for Joe in the first instance. Max money now would be unwise.

Timmy

June 28th, 2010
9:57 am

I’d prefer that we somehow work out a sign-and-trade…perhaps to New York for David Lee (if they feel like they can get Stoudemire he may be expendable). If not, I think we should just let him go. I understand and agree with you that we will take a sizeable step backwards…but we aren’t making it any further than we have been by bringing him back nor are we adding any significant pieces. In fact we probably take a step back just due to the improvements of teams like the Bucks, Heat/Knicks, and Bulls. I’d rather just have a year of sucking and hopefully adding the missing piece after next year.

tony

June 28th, 2010
10:00 am

Sign John Salmons(SG) and Brendan Haywood(C). JJ is not a leader nor is he a team player. John Salmons will bring more energy and he will come through for you down the stretch.

Mitch

June 28th, 2010
10:00 am

The problem now is, Mark, JJ is a better fit in D’Antoni’s offense than Larry Drew’s and JJ recognizes that. D’Antoni has always given JJ the green light and that’s what he wants. Who can blame him, really?

JJ’s role with the Hawks has changed since he first arrived, as the talent around him has grown. The team no longer needs him to be Iso-Joe, as he was—so spectacularly—versus the Celtics three years ago in the playoffs.

Trading for Jamal Crawford last year was the beginning of the end because now JJ had to share the ball. Why didn’t JJ sign the Hawks’ lucrative offer last year? JJ knows his role is changing, and it’s time for him to find another team where he gets the green light and style of play he likes. Look for JJ and Amari to sign in New York and become Spike Lee’s new homeys.

The Hawks offering of the max is a moot point now and they should realize it and focus instead on what they can get in a sign and trade.

Mark, I don’t want JJ back. Not because I don’t appreciate his offensive talent. I think we all do. But, I have grown more and more annoyed by JJ’s all hands and little feet approach to defense (how many times does he foul in key situations late in games?) and his mopey, do nothing to fire up his teammates demeanor on the floor. He’s painfully subdued, and on a young team that should be bursting at the seams with enthusaism and energy the way Al Horford is, JJ is a deterrent. How many times did we hear Woody say “we came out flat”…well, put some of that on flat-face JJ himself because versus the Knicks, Golden State and other cellar dwellars, JJ would crawl through the first halfs and sometimes the whole games. I have never seen an All-Star caliber player so lethargic. You don’t see that from Kobe, do you? That’s why Kobe is hoisting trophies and JJ is hoisting the finger to an angry crowd.

atlfan44

June 28th, 2010
10:01 am

oh yea i agree Timmy there is really no chance that a team led by joe will overtake a team led by lebron, wade+other max guy, and orlando. depending on what the nets and celtics do maybe its just best we take our lumps for a year or two and hopefully build smarter.

Lee G

June 28th, 2010
10:02 am

Let the Bugger go.

SOUTH GA DAWG FAN

June 28th, 2010
10:03 am

They better re-sign JJ he is the only second tier star we have a chance at getting we have no shot at getting one of the first tier free agents . I agree with Mark if JJ goes the Hawks get bad in a hurry maybe even lottery bad. I also agree that JJ is more valuable to the hawks than he is on the open market , most teams that want him want him as a second or third option behind a superstar they have or they are going to try to sign. I dont think the hawks will offer JJ the max i think they will try to be cheap and push him on out the door

See ya, Joe

June 28th, 2010
10:05 am

Mark, in fairness, the Hawks could have drafted a team full of talented players instead of drafting Sheldon Williams. Roy and Rondo quickly come to mind.

mountain_jim

June 28th, 2010
10:05 am

I am still waiting and wanting to know who really demanded/selected Shelden Williams – so much better talent was chosen after him… I heard it was the recently departed coach who wanted a big no matter what – but whether him or the GM that was at least as bad a draft mistake as Marvin Williams, who everyone thought would be a lot better than he has turned out.

I am ambivelent about Joe – If Hawks lose him they may be worse in the short run but better in the long run – he has not proven to be worth a max deal when the game really matter.

I watched the Celtics show how playoff basketball is played – too bad Joe never could step up his game like that. I am sure some of it was bad coaching, but come on. He just has been a no-show in the playoffs and that’s where you earn your pay.

Lowcountry Bulldawg

June 28th, 2010
10:08 am

JJ at max money for the next 2-3 years is prudent. JJ for max money at 34-35 is ridiculous. If they sign JJ how will it effect longterm the ability to resign Horford in a few years?

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:10 am

Joe is a really good player, but if he wants max money, it will cripple the Hawks for the next decade.

Joe is clearly heading toward the downside of his career. He has been in the top 10 in minutes played for the last 6 seasons, and he has been flat-out terrible toward the end of the last 2 seasons.

Signing Joe to a reasonable deal would be great for the Hawks, but if he wants max money, he has to go. He is simply not worth it. Yes, the Hawks will take a step back next year if Joe leaves, but they will be able to build the franchise around a real leader, Al Horford, and they can make wise moves to make the team viable for the next decade.

In short, if Joe will realize his real value, and understand that he is not even close to a max player, then he will be welcomed back. If he wants a 6 year, max money deal, see ya!

Jack

June 28th, 2010
10:11 am

Atlanta is better off without him. Joe is overhyped. He is not a leader, and his stats support that he is not willing to play the “Team” game. Not sure about others, but It will be hard to cheer on a player that does not cares if the fans show up…..

Davis Double Meat

June 28th, 2010
10:13 am

Let’s hope for a sign and trade to get some talent in return for Johnson. He obviously does not want to be here.

bobby

June 28th, 2010
10:13 am

While you are correct abo9ut the Hawks getting worse in a hurry, wouldn’t signing Joe limit us to the success we have already achieved? How much better are we really going to get? We are clearly behind Orlando, Cleveland/Wherever Lebron goes, and Boston, that list os bound to grow after free agency with at least the Heat or Bulss leapfrogging us or maybe both. In order to win a championship in this league, or to seriously compete you need an all time great , Piston Championship withstanding. Kobe, Lebron, Howard, Duncan, Jordan , Magic, Bird, Isiah, Hakeem, Patrick, Reggie, ZO, all led there teams to having a decent shot at an NBA championship. All were drafted by the team that go tthem there all aside from Kobe were picked in the top 5. We had our chance at a top five pick and blew it , thanks Marvin. We know need to get back to the top of the Lottery to get that number #1 type player. I thought a trade of draft picks and Josh Smith maybe could of been enough to get up to pick Turner and watch him grow into that role. I’m a season ticket holder and life long fan, and all I want is the Hawks to be competitive and trying to get better, the only way this team will be better at the end of this Joe Johnson contract is if that contract is ending somewhere else.

mountain_jim

June 28th, 2010
10:13 am

I am interested in what sign and trade options may become available for Joe.

garcia

June 28th, 2010
10:14 am

Yes Joe should be given the max to return to Atlanta. While he is no Lebron, Wade or Kobe, he is very talented, a good defender and a stable veteran that provides calm leadership.

Despite his popularity, I think that Josh Smith should be the odd man out. He has the trade cache to bring us a big man that can help Horford.

While Marvin is a slug (and probably will be for a long time) we are stuck with his contract.

We should sign Childress and start him at SF.

These simple changes should improve our chances of going deeper into the playoffs. If JJ is allowed to leave, we may slide too far to come back. Losing a player like JJ could even cost us in the future, when Al’s contract is up.

Starting lineup:

Teague: Yes, he needs to start ahead of Bibby.
Joe : Less Iso on offense will save some energy for defense.
Childress: Reliable team player that can score.
Big Man: I have no idea who we can get for Josh, but we might be able to score a defensive PF.
Horford: I like Al at Center. With good team defense around him, he will be our foundation.

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:16 am

FWIW, I know that the math will not work, but I would surely be figuring out some way to trade Josh Smith for Chris Paul.

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:16 am

FWIW, I know that the math will not work, but I would surely be figuring out some way to trade Josh Smith for Chris Paul.

Hawks73

June 28th, 2010
10:16 am

I think we all collectively share the same sentiment that life without Joe Johnson would be very bad for us as Hawks fans and for the team itself.

The reason (as you stated correctly Mark), is that if Joe bolts for another team we have ZERO chance of replacing him (due to the embarrassment that is the ATL Spirit). The main owner/public figure (Michael Gearon) verbally stated that “they have put a winning product” on the court “public support” has been lacking…ticket sales. I find it amusing that this ownership group blames us, the fans for their reasoning and logic (as to not put a championship product on the court). I can’t imagine Arthur Blank blaming fans and using excuses to cover the Falcons lack of success/ticket sales.

I for one don’t look forward to next season and beyond. Until the Spirit sells this team to an owner that is committed to bringing an NBA championship, I will not have a whole lot of faith on this team improving and taking the “next step”.

Bruce Mac

June 28th, 2010
10:19 am

I ain’t going either way. The only thing more rediculous than 250 to 300 pound men flopping over and over is those all muscle soccer players trying to act like they are in the NBA. How does it help the appeal of a sport to have guys fall down like they are little girls and whine and cry the entire game. Don’t understand the game, don’t like the game, its is going bankrupt before it is over.

wawel78

June 28th, 2010
10:20 am

En expert on ESPN still think they’re still a playoff team w/out him. It’s tough for me to want to keep him because what’s the difference between being #3 seed and getting blown out in the 2nd round and being the 8 seed and losing in the first?

While I think he’s a valuable asset, I don’t see the hawks getting any better with him. I feel like it’s time to go another direction.

gtm

June 28th, 2010
10:21 am

Spend so much money that it hurts the team and be a low level playoff team, never getting out of the second round, or don’t spend it and potentially fall out of the playoffs…neither is very attractive. I’m not sure the first scenario is any better just because there are more wins involved.

I’d rather have a team that fans can get behind. It’s hard to support a team that shows little effort at important times and whose best player is boring and doesn’t care about the fans. Joe seems to be made to be a second or third option, and since we don’t have and can’t get another #1, it makes little sense to try to make him fit where he doesn’t belong anyway.

Again, neither option looks good. In a way I don’t think it matters because with or without Joe, a championship or even the ECF is probably out of reach.

Bruce Mac

June 28th, 2010
10:23 am

The NBA: Tip it off and then flop and whine for 80 minutes. The most rediculous bunch of little girls this side of soccer. NBA goes broke within 5 years so who cares where JJ ends up.

Harry

June 28th, 2010
10:25 am

MY biggest problem with signing him is that he wants a 6 or 7 year deal. The last thing the franchise needs is al horford and josh smith further into their primes playing with an aging Joe Johnson

Chief Nock A Homa

June 28th, 2010
10:25 am

Joe Must Go!

Despite the reports out there, you’ve got to know that Joe is NOT going to leave $30 million on the table…

The Hawks will definitely get something out of a sign and trade, Mark…..

It’s just going to depend on who Joe is pushing to go to…

Hawk n the Ham

June 28th, 2010
10:25 am

Let’em go. Sign Rudy Gay!

Terrell

June 28th, 2010
10:26 am

If JJ leaves then you all don’t have to worry about cheering for the Hawks because they won’t be relevant anymore. Everybody here says he took to many shots. Well, there really wasn’t much of an offensive scheme here as he had with the Suns. Look at all the other All-Stars, their teams had some type of offense instead if just isos all day. I don’t see anybody in Free Agency that can give us the same kind of production. You all say Rudy Gay? Come on now. He played on a mediocore team so he should have great stats. Plus, I’m pretty sure if we try to low ball him because we can’t offer him a huge contract Memphis would match it.

When our offense was willing to move the ball around Joe was effective just like any other player in the league. Essentially JJ played 48 mins a game. He always had to guard the best offensive player and had to be the only scoring option in a lot of cases. Look at the finals who did Kobe guard? He didn’t guard sharp shooter Ray Allen but he had an easier assignment in Rondo because if you can stop his penetartion to the basket it’s a toss up on his jump shot. A lot of times the all stars don’t have to play their hardest the whole game so when the end of the game is on the line, they are fresh, and if you look a t Lebron, Dwyane, and Kobe when they were afforded these opportunities they were able to dominate at the end of games but if they had to playe extended hard fought minutes you saw how they struggled. No different of Joe with the exception that he had to almost do this nigh in and night out.

R D 3

June 28th, 2010
10:26 am

Who cares about any of this. UGA Grad and good guy Bubba Watson just one his first golf tournament. I can’t believe you guys left him out.

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:28 am

Let Joe walk, trade Josh Smith for Paul, straight up(Hawks will also have to throw in a little cash), sign Haywood and Salmons to 2-3 year deals, sign Jevale McGee to a longer term deal and you have yourself a squad.

Starting 5 of Paul, Salmons, Marvin, Al and Haywood
Rotation of Teague, the rookie, Zaza, McGee.

Will not win a title, but will be fun to watch. I would love to see Jevale McGee and Chris Paul running the break together.

John

June 28th, 2010
10:28 am

Anybody who says that if they put out a better product – the fans will come is full of it. This city does not support this team, and I can’t see that they ever will. Fact is, for real fans of the sport, the Hawks have been the one of the best products to watch in the NBA. Yet, just like the Braves (check out attendance this year), people always come up with a reason why they don’t go or watch. For those of us who do go and or watch – we know how necessary Joe is. With Joe this team competes with anybody – with out him they are lacking. How can you all compare Joe with Rudy Gay – Do you watch basketball?? Saddest part is without him, Larry Drew who finally got his long overdue shot will probably fail – and he probably won’t ever get another – sad.

Delbert D.

June 28th, 2010
10:30 am

If Joe leaves, is this final vindication for Steve Belkin?

Daddyrich

June 28th, 2010
10:30 am

I wouldnt mind keeping Joe Johnson but his contract demands are too high. He knows one of these other teams will overpay and give him max money. Id say anything more than about $16 mil per year would be seriously overpaying and would cripple any future cap flexibility for the hawks. Also, the hawks are already losing money and Im sure our owners want to keep that extra money in their pocket for now. I predict the hawks sign somebody for the mid-level exception and thats about it. We need a new owner with some cash because the hawks will never be a true contender with the Spirit Group running this thing.

steve brown

June 28th, 2010
10:31 am

Joe Johnson is courting every team with dollars to spend. Let’s assume he is gone. Josh Smith isn’t going anywhere (although my gut tells me he never reaches his maximum ability surrounded by his family and friends). So the question is can we improve without Joe Johnson. I say why not. We get a good player in a sign and trade for JJ, we get Childress back or another good piece in another trade, their are more shots to go around for increased scoring from Horford, Marvin Williams, the point guard and the pieces we bring in. I don’t see a problem putting up points. The question will be team chemistry and defense, no different than before. Since the current group has in my mind peaked there is no reason not to move ahead and I would bet our GM is moving in this direction as we speak.

antidog

June 28th, 2010
10:32 am

RD3 this isn’t a UGA Alumni blog if you haven’t noticed its a Hawks blog, hence Hawks conversation.

John

June 28th, 2010
10:34 am

I think only in Atlanta would the question “Does anybody in Atlanta actually want Joe Johnson to stay?” be asked. There is a reason other teams are out to get him.

NC Braves Fan

June 28th, 2010
10:37 am

Welcome back, Mark. Hope you enjoyed your time away.

I have mixed feelings about re-upping JJ. On the one hand, the Hawks would have to work very hard (and spend some $$) to make up for the loss of Joe.

On the other hand, I don’t know if six years at max money is a good investment for a wing player in his late 20s. And while it is quite likely the Hawks would get worse without him, how much better would they figure to get WITH him?

TimP

June 28th, 2010
10:38 am

Hey Mark, I know everybody is talking about Rudy Gay, put what do you think about a sign & in trade for David Lee from the Knicks. Seems like that would be more feasible for teams.

feudfinder

June 28th, 2010
10:40 am

Undoubtedly, Joe Johnson is a star player. He has shown that time and time again. However, I still think Atlanta fans did nothing to him; Joe insulted the fans, and I think they demand an apology from him. Joe is loved in Atlanta, but he gets criticized for good reasons. If he feels like he can run away to New York and gets nothing but love there, then he is reading the wrong newspaper. He needs to have a conversation with A-Rod before catching his flight. New York fans do not have half the patience that Atlanta fans have.

antidog

June 28th, 2010
10:41 am

Mark, do you have any signs that those who want him back may get their way?

TimP

June 28th, 2010
10:41 am

…and my only thing with JJ getting a max contract is that he is going to be in his thirties with max money. Unless the Hawks decided to move either Josh or Horford in the future, JJ’s contract will handicap the franchise. I

Bean Counter

June 28th, 2010
10:41 am

We fired Woodson so we could move on to the next level. I don’t believe Drew will get us there. If we let JJ go there is a strong possibility the Hawks would not make playoffs next year. JJ represents too much offense to lose. He is good and the Hawks must resign him. Maybe the reason Joe takes so many shots is because the play that was called by the coach called for Joe to shoot.

steve brown

June 28th, 2010
10:41 am

You are not nuts just lost in love. Did you think Kovy was staying as well?

Jack

June 28th, 2010
10:42 am

well said feudfinder

bobby

June 28th, 2010
10:43 am

in 3 or 4 years a back court of Jordan Crwford and Teague coud be formidable with a front court of smith and horford. I love the idea of signing Salmons in Johnsons place.

Teague,Salmons, Williams, Smith , Horford

Bench Zaza,Jamal,Jchilly willy, Mo Evans, and Jordan Crawford

Sign And trade

if Joe goes to Knicks get a couple draft picks (1 and 2) and 2 of the following 3 wilson chandler, sergio rodriguez, toney douglas

If joe goes to Bulls get a couple draft picks (1 and 2) jannero Pargo and James Johnson.

Craig

June 28th, 2010
10:43 am

It simply comes down to, does Joe want to be here? The fact that he would play for the Knicks (maybe) for less money tells me no. Joe is not a leader and to me, not a player that you build your offense around. The guy in no Wade, LeBron, Kobe, but matched with one these premier players would make their team unstoppable. Joe is a number two player and the problem is we do not have a go to leader who we know every game is going for no less then 25 points a game. To bad our ownership is cheap and we could be mentioned in the same sentence as Wade and LeBron.

Doug

June 28th, 2010
10:46 am

First he is most clearly NOT in the top 15 players in the league…maybe…maybe top 24 or so. Clearly better: Bryant. James, Wade, Durant, Anthony, Novitzki, Granger, Bosh, Howard, Paul, Nash, Williams, Rondo, Rose–Arguably better: Granger, Ellis, Stoudemire, Westbrook, Horford, Bosh, Evans, Gay, Igodoula, Aldridge, Jefferson. Who on that list would you not trade Johnson for?
Second, the question is if the Hawks sign him to max contract what will that look like in 3 much less 6 years? The guy is manifestly not at that level…much better to try and facilitate a sign-trade, acquire a younger assett and build around Al Horford

Jack

June 28th, 2010
10:47 am

This is the one time I am glad ASG is cheap. That means Joe Whino Johnson will whine somewhere else.

ChuckWDawg

June 28th, 2010
10:48 am

Are there other teams that will offer Joe a “Max Contract? So far nothing has indicated that one way or the other. This is a wait and see game with him at this point. But if Joe leaves that is a big hole that it appears won’t be filled by anyone with the same level of talent any time soon. Best case scenario is the Hawks take a step backwards in ‘10-’11 and find a way to reload and shuffle the line-up the next season. The Spirit fired Woodson presuming he was the problem. They need to commit to that decison by doing all they can to keep a perennial All-star. I for one hope they re-sign Joe.

DV

June 28th, 2010
10:49 am

Yes. 50 wins is better than 30.

Taylor

June 28th, 2010
10:50 am

Yes John we watch basketball thats why we can say Rudy Gay plays with heart unlike Joe. He might not possess the skills Joe does but he is more of a gamer. He could flourish with some talent around him. Joe Johnson is a spoiled brat that will never lead us or any other team to a championship. We need someone who wants to play and win not just go through the motions. As someone else put it do you ever see Kobe disappear for an entire game? Hell no. Joe certainly has many times

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:50 am

EVERYONE…WE CANNOT DO A SIGN AND TRADE WITH THE KNICKS…sign and trades are only done so that teams without enough cap room can sign a player they would not ordinarily be able to sign…the Knicks have enough cap room so that they do not have to do a sign-and-trade, they can simply sign Joe.

This would obviously be the worst thing that could happen, as the Hawks would lose Joe and get nothing in return. I believe it is just lies from Joe’s reps, because they are not going to leave $30 mill on the table, and Joe is not going to be getting a lot of endorsement deals anywhere he goes, because he has the personality of a log.

The reason why Joe’s agents have floated the gossip about the Knicks is because they are the one team who could sign Joe to a big deal without doing a sign-and-trade, thus forcing the Hawks’ hand at either putting a max deal together or a sign-and-trade deal.

It’s all rumours, most likely created by Joe’s agents.

Paddy

June 28th, 2010
10:51 am

If he does not like the Atl fans, which is obvious, he should sign with another franchise. Notice I said franchise and not team. There is no team in that game that he brings. Same old, same old, if he comes back!

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
10:53 am

@Doug@10:46,

You left Tim Duncan and Tony Parker off of your list, who are both much better than Joe. I would have a hard time choosing between Ginobli and Joe, too.

justice

June 28th, 2010
10:55 am

How are the fans suppose to come out and support the Hawks when the Newspaper doesn’t market them in a positive light? How are the fans suppose to be happy about having a basketball team when you guys consistantly bash them (Atlanta Hawks). I live in North Carolina although I was born and raised in Georgia. So states don’t have a team and would give anything to have one. We talk S@#! about our hawks and how we are not going to support them for various reasons instead of being happy to have a team. If I was there in Atlanta I wouldn’t miss a home game.

What I am trying to say is support the team as a whole and not get caught up in this negative BS. If the sports writer for another city said crap like this I would understand, but our own writer. Man this is pitiful. Just like my Grammer (LOL)

Mike P.

June 28th, 2010
10:55 am

Definetely want Joe back although I think he will end up with either the Knicks, Bulls or Heat…….Also lets try to figure out a way
to get Sheldon Williams back on the roster. Go Hawks!!

TONE

June 28th, 2010
10:56 am

JJ is gone the hawks will stand pat with what they have (because they are cheap) , and williams is going to come into his own he will be an all star 25 + PPG.Smoove will lead the league in 3 point % and Drew will be the coach of the year and the hawks will sweep the clippers in the finals !

I believe two of the statements that i typed above !
but which two ?

Michael Bicknell

June 28th, 2010
10:57 am

I would like to keep Joe but I want to develop Teague to run the show. That’s why we drafted him. I also want the new HC to somehow get 16+ ppg out of Marvin Williams. I guess I want a lot.

wawel78

June 28th, 2010
10:57 am

actually Not Don Waddell – a sign&trade would allow Joe a bigger contract @ NY. The Real Don Waddell would’ve known that.

JEWELL

June 28th, 2010
11:00 am

WHEN JOE TURNED DOWN THE $60. MIL EXTENSION THE HAWKS OFFERED I THINK THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL THEN. THAT BEING SAID, I LIKE THE IDEA OF MOVING HIM TO SF AND GETTING RID OF MARVIN (BUST) WILLIAMS. BILLY KNIGHT WAS ENAMORED WITH WILLIAMS’ (SHELDEN & MARVIN). PASSING ON CHRIS PAUL, DERON WILLIMAS, RUDY GAY, AND BRANDEN ROY…NEED I GO ON?

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
11:01 am

yes, wawel78, but that is not what the rumors have been…the stuff that came out on ESPN was that Joe would sign straight up with the Knicks and leave $30 million on the table, that is why I think it is just a hoax by his agents to get the Hawks to make a move

Jody

June 28th, 2010
11:02 am

I think the Hawks will offer the max to bring him back. They have no other option. However, they’re going to have to solve their problem up front as I don’t think Al wants to play center anymore.

Ossie

June 28th, 2010
11:05 am

Say that Yao opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent. If we don’t sign joe could we use that extra money to maybe sign Yao to a max contract? He’s the center that we need and would makes us significantly better.

DP

June 28th, 2010
11:05 am

If Joe Johnson isn’t gone it will be because he finds out the demand for his services isn’t what he thought it was. I doubt there a lot of teams ready to hand a 6 year max deal to a 29 year old player who has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not capable of carrying a team in the playoffs.

Mark, you seem to be very short term oriented, constantly saying that Atlanta will probably win less games next year if Johnson isn’t resigned. What good does it do to win 53 games and then get beaten like a rented mule in the second round of the playoffs? Where will the Hawks be if Johnson starts declining in a couple of years and the Hawks are stuck with another 3-4 years on his contract?

I think the Hawks should sign Childress to a 3-4 year deal and either sign and trade Johnson or use the roughly half of his salary they can spend if they lose him as a free agent to sign John Salmons to a 3 year deal. Then dangle some pieces like Jamal Crawford and his expiring contract or Marvin Williams (if anybody will take his contract) to try to get a big like Kevin Love or Al Jefferson or a point guard like Darren Collison.

If the Hawks replaced Johnson with Childress and Salmons and stopped the isolation ball I don’t think there would be much of a dropoff from the 53 games they won last year. And it’s unlikely they’ll be less competitive in the playoffs given that they’ve already taken the worst 4 game playoff beating in NBA history.

Whopper Dawg

June 28th, 2010
11:07 am

To paraphrase the great Branch Rickey, We can lose in the second round of the playoffs without him.

wawel78

June 28th, 2010
11:08 am

NDW – you said they cannot do a sign&trade. They actually can do a sign&trade and from a purely financial perspective makes the most sense for Joe.

I read that Joe thinks he can make it up in endorsements. Does he really bring in that much endorsement money? Also, aren’t taxes in that area significantly higher than ATL?

wawel78

June 28th, 2010
11:10 am

Mark – I don’t see anything from the JJ camp that indicates he would like to say. Everything I read points otherwise. If SAS’s reports are even half true, that opens up slots for JJ to head north/midwest.

John

June 28th, 2010
11:10 am

Rudy Gay is a 3 ??? For the Hawks, Joe is a 2,3 and sometimes 4. Stop with the Rudy Gay talk – not knocking him, but please.

Bye Joe

June 28th, 2010
11:11 am

1. Joe doesn’t show up for playoff games. Whether the Hawks win 42 or 52 games is irrelevant to me if the Hawks can’t get past the second round anyway. We need a player to set up.

2. Joe’s style stifles the productivity of the rest of the Hawks. We have a fast, young, athletic team. Joe produces by doing his iso/one-on-one thing. The rest of the Hawks either stand around watching or get involved through the fast break or doing their own iso/one-on-one thing. In short, while Joe gets his points during the regular season (not so much in the playoffs), he doesn’t create offensive opportunities for his teammates like a star should.

Not Don Waddell

June 28th, 2010
11:13 am

@wawel…that is another thing that leads one to believe that this is all just poppycock from Joe’s reps…they are crazy as hell if they think that Joe is going to make endorsement money…they guy disappears in big games and has no personality…who wants that repping them?

And it is not just taxes in NYC…$1 million will get you a 5,000 sq/ft house in Suwanee….$1 million will get you a 500 sq/ft loft in NYC…

Westurd

June 28th, 2010
11:18 am

Joes inability to show up in the playoff hurts…its hurts a lot.
I would sacrific some regular season wins for a better showing in the playoff. See ya Joe, its been fun (Except for your stupif comments)

wawel78

June 28th, 2010
11:18 am

Thanks NDW, wasn’t even thinking about the real estate.

I would be fine with not signing him and taking our chances. But I should also say I was fine with them taking a chance on Isaiah Rider. My feeling is being 3rd or 4th best in your conference is the same as being bad. If you’re not competing for championships, what’s the difference?

DP

June 28th, 2010
11:21 am

Mark, I am serious. Josh Childress understands basketball is a team game. John Salmons is a good player. They don’t have to replace all of Johnson’s output as some of Johnson’s shots will go to Al Horford and Josh Smith (hopefully close to the basket). Joe Johnson stops the ball on offense and that’s not all on Woodson.

Big Dawg A

June 28th, 2010
11:22 am

I don’t want JJ back but him leaving still does not solve our main problem! This ownership group is a joke! It seems like the Gearon family has modeled themselves after their dear friends the “Smith” family. Yes that would be the same hillbilly family that ran the Falcons into the ground!
You would think if you have money you should have some common sense and know how to run a business! But not everyone earned the money! Just very FRUSTRATING!!!!

NEW CARS

June 28th, 2010
11:23 am

The whole deal comes down to whether we want to be married to JJ and his style for 5-6 more years…We might be a little better for the next couple of years, but I just don’t think that JJ will age well…He’s already a liability on defense and he isn’t going to get any quicker…With him gone, maybe it allows Marvin to be the 17-18 ppg game that he has shown at times..We have a team built for full-court play with a star that operates best in the halfcourt…I’d hate for us to commit the money to JJ and have nothing left to make other improvements….Sign Salmos to the mid-level and in a year we will have a great deal of flexibility with Crawford coming off and Bibby having one year left..To get past the teams in front of us we have to transform, not add a big off the bench

Art Vandelay

June 28th, 2010
11:23 am

Yes, Sheldon Williams is the missing piece. Does Greg Norton play basketball? Get him too.

Walker, Texas Ranger

June 28th, 2010
11:24 am

You have got to keep him and move him to #3. We have got no other options. It’s not like the ASG is going to go out and sign somebody. Hey I would love for him to dominate in post season but at least he got us there. The bigger problem is having a guy that can’t shoot a lick playing #3 who only showed up for 1 playoff game. We have people who can play 2. What is really ashamed is that for most of the NBA, ATL is where the guys want to be and live yet we can’t sign anybody. What is wrong with that?

Dr. Warren

June 28th, 2010
11:27 am

Welcome back, MB. Next time think about visiting Shanghai. I can get you some media passes to a few CBA games, if you don’t mind a few “referees” of a different sort following you and your laptop around. As for Johnson, it seems to me the choice between winning 42 games without him or 50 games with him is like choosing between a trip to Detroit in four star hotel or five star hotel. One might choice feel better than the other, but neither is where you really want to be.

DP

June 28th, 2010
11:28 am

Here’s a comparison of the career numbers for 2 NBA players:

Player A: 30 years old, 722 career games. 29.3 minutes per game, 16.6 points per game, 45.8% field goal percentage, 1.48 points per field goal attempt, 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.35 turnovers.

Player B: 29 years old, 743 career games. 36.9 minutes per game, 17.6 points per game, 44.3% field goal percentage, 1.15 points per field goal attempt, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.19 turnovers.

Those look like pretty comparable players to me. Player A’s higher offensive efficiency (points per field goal attempt) and rebounding offsetting a worse assist to turnover ratio. Player A is producing close to the output of Player B playing only about 80% of the minutes per game.

Player A is Corey Magette, about to play for his 4th team (the Bucks). Nobody was talking about giving him a 6 year max deal. Player B is Joe Johnson.

wardo

June 28th, 2010
11:29 am

Remember this: This past season was his contract year and athletes tend to “try a little harder” in hopes of getting the big bucks with the next contract. If last year was the best JJ can offer then I say “see ya”. He only gets older and more crotchety from here. How many more years do you think that you will be able to count on him anyway? 3 max. So that means that the last 3 years of this monster contract will be miserable years as we all complain about how much money he makes vs what contribution we get from him. Put him in the road and find a younger player, perhaps Rudy Gay. The team concept will improve. It will be more fun to wath a team vs watching Joe and Josh play 1 on 1.

Walker, Texas Ranger

June 28th, 2010
11:29 am

I agree that if we can’t get past the second it is not worth it. I say get rid of Smith, Johnson, Bibby and everybody else not named Horford and Crawford and start over otherwise keep everbody and hope they get better with a new coach.

mike

June 28th, 2010
11:29 am

so yahoo sports just reported that the Mavs want Joe in a sign and trade deal… who would we want from their roster.. here is the report..

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-johnsonmavericks062810

Colorado bulldog

June 28th, 2010
11:32 am

For the Hawks its a catch-22. Don’t sign him and, I agree with you Bradley, that we mostly likely regress. However, sign him and we hamstring ourselves for years and never improve. JJ is was he is. He will never dominate in this league. Come playoff time, he will disappear and frustrate the life out of the fans. I highly doubt he will buy into the ball movement Coach Drew wants to introduce. Maybe for a while but he will fall back into old habits. Sure the Hawks will make the playoffs but we will never make it beyond round 2 with JJ in the fold.

frontofficedorks wake up.

June 28th, 2010
11:33 am

I don’t think ownership has a clue. What is joe’s relationship with the rest of the team? Is there friction with josh? These are things that we have no clue about.Do you know Mark? Does he have any friends with the hawks, and furthermore, are there problems with the team chemistry?Joe sure doesn’t give us any emotion to have a clue. My prediction, he is gone. I have a “feeling” he is done with ASG, The Hawks and Atlanta. Just a guess…Mark, any comments on his teamates?

Ted M

June 28th, 2010
11:35 am

So if JJ gets a max contract in a sign and trade and LeBron does too. Does that mean that JJ and LeBron will be making the exact same amount?

Colorado bulldog

June 28th, 2010
11:36 am

I say roll the dice and let him depart. Think long-term not short-term. I’m okay if we go backwards to either a border-line PO team or in the lottery for a year if it means we have money to sign another FA and/or resign Al. I’m okay if it means we get a better selection (and actually have enough sense) on draft day. We have a young core in Al & Josh and it remains to be seen what we have in Teague. I know he is an all-star but SG is the one position where there is an abundance of guys in the NBA who are near the talent-level of JJ… or could be.

DP

June 28th, 2010
11:36 am

mike’s link to the Yahoo article tells the story on Joe Johnson. He wants max money to be a second or third option on a team and get a 6th year on his deal, when he will be over the hill. If Joe Johnson was more about championships than contracts he would never have forced the trade from Phoenix to Atlanta.

Patrick

June 28th, 2010
11:37 am

One of the 15 best players in the league? He was the third-best player on his own team.

Hawk n the Ham

June 28th, 2010
11:37 am

Anyone knocking Rudy Gay has no clue what they are talking about. The boy is a baller. He averaged only 1 point under a game what Joe was averaging. Plus, he is about the only scoring threat for Memphis, so defenses had play with a stop Rudy 1st game plan. And, he is 5 years younger than Joe.

Giving Joe a max salary at his age means he will be on the decline, in turn making it a bad contract handcuffing the ASG further than they already are.

On the whole John Salmons ordeal, if you think Joe dissapeared in the playoffs, Salmons did too when we played them in the 1st round. It was all Jennings for the Bucks.

Horford will be getting his raise soon. You have to account for that as well. If Joe is on a max salary in ATL for the next 6 years, then add Horford’s big raise to the payroll, ASG will not be able to afford anything else. They are cheap and will not drop the dough, to make the dough.

Horford is the star and future of this team. Not Joe.

gadawgs

June 28th, 2010
11:37 am

No!

Sleepy

June 28th, 2010
11:43 am

I want JJ back if the the intent in bringing him back is to win a title not just be happy with embarrassing second rd exits .

PlusSizeModel

June 28th, 2010
11:48 am

Let’s face reality: the Hawks are doomed regardless until the spirit sells. I realize you need to talk about them regardless, but it’s all wasted breath at this point.

ryan

June 28th, 2010
11:49 am

Hawks fans becarefull what you wish for.

BrittishAnger

June 28th, 2010
11:53 am

Nope, I don’t want him to stay…and you’re foolish to think this team will take such a drastic step backwards without him…He was good when others couldn’t step up and take the load, but we have players which need to develop and players who have developed who need the opportunity to make a bigger name for themselves…So begins the era of The Boss…Al Horford for Captain 2010/2011!!!!!

Patrick

June 28th, 2010
11:59 am

Actually, people knocking Rudy Gay know exactly what they are talking about. He has raw stats because he takes so many shots, but he doesn’t use them well. To wit:

Gay has scored 5,538 points in his young career but that has been inflated by a high volume of shots and playing time. But only one active player (Juwan Howard) scored more points through his fourth season while having a career offensive efficiency as poor as Gay’s (104 points per 100 possessions.

This is from an ESPN.com article discussing the major free agents. The general theme for Rudy Gay was “Buyer Beware.”

John

June 28th, 2010
12:02 pm

Sign and Trade him to Memphis for Ronnie Brewer and Marc Gasol. The Hawks will have their Center in Marc Gasol and a replacement for Joe Johnson in Ronnie Brewer.

Billy

June 28th, 2010
12:03 pm

I’m a Spurs fan, and we’re dangerously close to starting over due to getting old. So, we have our own problems. As for JJ, I think he’ll stay in ATL, just a prediction.

frank

June 28th, 2010
12:03 pm

Mark, do you watch the games. He’s a bad shot/ no defense/turnover machine! I’d resign him for 10 bucks an hour. Good ridance JOE!

John

June 28th, 2010
12:03 pm

The Hawks are not going to win the championship if Joe stays anyway so they might as well change the team up.

nahila

June 28th, 2010
12:05 pm

The Hawks are hurting for money more than players, they need to attract more fans to the games and here is how.

With Joe Johnson execute a sign and trade deal that would bring at least 1 big now and draft choices for 2011. Knicks could sign Lee as a sign and trade in the deal with the Hawks.
Sign Shaq for 2 years with team option for 3 year as he will bring the fans to the games.
Sign Josh Childress to come off the bench and start Jamal Crawford at shooting guard.
Sign an additional small forward who can shoot the 3 from free agent list.
Send ZAZA to big man’s camp with Jabbar or Walton for game improvement.

J from the A

June 28th, 2010
12:05 pm

If Joe stays, the Hawks probably don’t get better. Between his max deals and all the other contracts the Hawks have on the books, (barring a miracle trade for the second straight year) the Hawks won’t be in position to get much of anything else out of this off season. (Yes, this means no legitimate center to back up Horford … hell, this means no true depth anywhere except at the 2.)

Of course, the problem is: If the Hawks don’t resign Joe, the Hawks don’t have the cap space to get a true replacement for him. Without Joe, or a player of near-equal talent, the Hawks will probably be looking at a fight for the 7th or 8th seed in the East and will probably be ousted in the 1st Round.

Of course, we need to look past *just next year*. Signing Joe to a max deal will take a huge chunk out of the Hawks cap space for years to come. Does anyone really think Joe is worth killing cap space for 5 or 6 years … even if Joe stays healthy?

I like Joe. I like Joe a lot. I hope he is in a Hawks uniform next year. But I also want to see the Hawks become a much deeper team, especially at the 5. It would be nice for the Hawks to be able to pick up a quality true center. I also want the Hawks to have the cap flexibility to go after a good wingman if Marvin doesn’t blossom this year … flexibility to go after another point might be needed too if Teague still isn’t ready to start on a Eastern contending team by the end of the year. And let us not forget that Horford and Smith will be free agents one day (Horford one day soon!). Do the Hawks want a Joe Johnson max contract dictating whether Horford or Smith stays? Sure, the Hawks will be able to find money to resign these guys even with a Joe Johnson max on the books, but at what cost? That cost will be depth …

The cost of resigning Joe means no depth (except at the 2) next year … and being forced to make a choice between depth and resigning potentially franchise guys in the years to come.

But of course this all assumes that the Hawks are forced to sign Joe to a max contract just to get him back. If Joe will settle for a bit less than the max, it may become a no-brainer.

Formul8or

June 28th, 2010
12:06 pm

The team needs someone else to build around. JJ disappears too much and doesn’t seem to have any passion. Seems obvious he isn’t interested in staying so I don’t get why the management is so bent on keeping him.

Keith

June 28th, 2010
12:06 pm

Joe has not been feeling the love from the fans for a while….didn’t help with those comments he said about the people who pay to see him play either. Joe probably wants out…The Spirit definitely won’t pay him top dollar. The team will suffer for the next few years unitl they pay or find a Joe substiute……the guys a top level preformer but doesn’t have the personality to carry a team…in other words bye Joe and back to mediocre for the Hawk fans!

Dr. Warren

June 28th, 2010
12:06 pm

This highly restrictive and complex free agent system, combined with the crap-shoot draft, means most teams only get a chance every five or six years to improve themselves drastically, and even then it takes extreme good luck combined with smart drafting. We all know this story by now, but since Billy Knight blew our chance to get a superstar and near superstar in Chris Paul and Brandon Roy, and therefore, our chance to get to the conference finals, we might have to wait for the cycle to come around again: that is, be a lottery team and hope whoever’s calling the shots gets it right. (And hope by then they aren’t the Seattle Hawks).

allan in texas

June 28th, 2010
12:07 pm

A sign and trade with Dallas sounds interesting. What does the Mavericks have on their roster that would be appealing to the Hawks?

Zero Sum Game

June 28th, 2010
12:07 pm

Seems to me that if the Hawks sign JJ to a max contract, this team is basically what we’ll have for the next 5-6 years, because the money will be gone. And, unfortunately, I think this team may have peaked. So, the question is, is that good enough? I’d hope the answer is no… but I have not seen any other scenario where the Hawks get better, except for Schultz’ sort of hare-brained ideas about landing Lebron here. So, I guess the Spirit should go ahead and blow the money on JJ. Maybe if we get Chills back, the team will be slightly better next year.

JAMES

June 28th, 2010
12:09 pm

Mark,

Seems like regardless of what people think about JJ, nearly everyone agrees that Horford is a great player, a character guy, and a leader–who will probably deserve max money soon enough. Do you think the Hawks organization feels that way–that maybe Horford in a few years is much more important than JJ now?

I think Johnson is a great player, but they fact that he is often not assertive in key situations really makes me think he’s not worth the max contract. I’ll suffer through some weak seasons, as long as it seems like were heading in the right direction with a decent team…

DP

June 28th, 2010
12:12 pm

By the way Mark, when you ask if the Hawks would get to the second round of the playoffs without Joe Johnson you ignore that they would probably have been bounced in the first round last year had the Bucks not been without Andrew Bogut. The Bogut-less Bucks were unquestionably the worst of the 16 playoff teams (35% shooting rookie point guard Brandon Jennings was the go to guy, they had nothing resembling an NBA post player) and it took the Joe Johnson led Hawks 7 games with home court advantage to win that series.

ejh

June 28th, 2010
12:14 pm

Let Joe Go, he is not the type of player that fits with the way this team is growing. People fail to realize that Jamal Crawford is a better two guard than Joe Johnson, he may not play as much Defense but he is a better all around scorer, by getting to the basket and the foul line.

They Hawks should inquire about Chris Paul, maybe trading the rights to Josh Childress, who may sign his one year qualifying offer at 4.8 mil., send Mo Evans, and his expiring contract of 2.5 mil. and Mike Bibby’s 6 mil. and next years 1st round pick for Paul. Then try and sign Brandon Haywood, and do a sign and trade with whomever for Joe Johsnon to pickup a backup shooting guard and another big. New Orleans would probably bite on this trade, because they are trying to shed salary and they think Darren collinson is there future point guard, this gives them two expiring contracts and bibby will have only one year on his after next season. I think this actually make the hawks a better team.

JLM

June 28th, 2010
12:14 pm

We need Joe! For a young team in the growth phase losing a player of his quality would set the team back 2-3 years. Yes, his remarks during the play offs were not appropriate. But at the end of the day, he brings something to the “table”. We are not in a position today to let him go…

SiCkOfThis

June 28th, 2010
12:14 pm

The beautiful thing is…. It doesn’t matter if the fans want him here or not! What’s best for the team is what will be done.

Joe Don't Go Squad

June 28th, 2010
12:16 pm

Yes, some people do! Check it out:

http://joe_dont_go.WebStarts.com/index.html

singndablues

June 28th, 2010
12:17 pm

The Hawks may not be as good initially but they will become better long-term if JJ goes.

The negatives:
Selfish player.
The personality of a garden slug.
Not a prime time player – rarely a factor late in the game even in regular season but esp in post season.

If JJ goes the Hawks will need to bring in another scorer which should be doable. I really think Marvin can cover much of the scoring we got from JJ and I believe Drew will get him much more involved the offense. I think Marvin will surprise people this year.

JJ as the face of this franchise is just too depressing.

jlewis

June 28th, 2010
12:18 pm

JJ not showing up in the playoffs, who else over the last three years was double and triple teamed with no penetrating point guard, no defensive point guard, no bench and no plan? For those in love with Rudy Gay, I used to have floor seats at Memphis games when Pau was there, Gay is the biggest ball hog no hearted player there is. They wanted him out of Memphis until this year, contract year. For those saying he is not top 15, doesnt ALL NBA answer that question?

Dino

June 28th, 2010
12:18 pm

Get rid of johnson–he’s dead weight, over paid and doesn’t show up in big games.

Timmy

June 28th, 2010
12:20 pm

Something to chew on: In recent years, the Hawks have taken Josh Childress (6th pick), Marvin Williams (2nd pick), and Shelden Williams (5th pick). Even if we still had all three of these guys, we couldn’t package them all for a lottery pick. Probably the highest draft pick we could get would be somewhere in the low-mid 20s. 3 high lottery picks…now not even worth one lottery pick.

tremaine

June 28th, 2010
12:23 pm

If i felt like Joe Johnson could bring a title or had a chance to bring a title to Atlanta I would say sign him. But he is not worth max money plus he don’t want to be the man here as he proved in that game 3. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TAKE A STEP BACK IN ORDER TO GO FORWARD! So I hope he do us a favor and sign somewhere els so we can boo him in someone else jersey next year rather than the hawks.

D.W.

June 28th, 2010
12:25 pm

Sign Joe and send Josh Smith packing with the quickness.

Chip Shot

June 28th, 2010
12:26 pm

i would take caron butler in a heartbeat from the mavs.

bruck

June 28th, 2010
12:28 pm

how about we s&t jj and marvin 4 rudy gay and hasheem thabeet

bruck

June 28th, 2010
12:28 pm

Enter your comments here

tremaine

June 28th, 2010
12:29 pm

Do it really matter if you get to the second round when you struggle against a team that you should have swept then catch a beat down and get swept in the second round? The ulitimate goal for the hawks should be trying to win a championship. The team from last year was not even close.

James

June 28th, 2010
12:30 pm

If he’s going to New York the Hawks should work out a sign and trade with them and get back David Lee and Toney Douglas.

Timmy

June 28th, 2010
12:30 pm

Why I don’t think re-signing Joe is a good idea:

There are two ways in which franchises get to and sustain an elite or championship level – great ownership/management (Lakers, Spurs, Pistons)or being the beneficiary of one or more years of sucktitude (Magic, Cavs, Bulls, Spurs again). A little luck helps too…the Celtics and Spurs have all three (Celtics are lucky to have had McHale gift-wrap KG for them and the Spurs were lucky David Robinson got hurt).

The best thing that could happen for the Hawks if they were to re-sign JJ would be for him to get hurt before the first game of the year and miss the entire season. The team tanks and gets a top 5 pick, picking up a future all-star player in the draft or trading the pick for a proven veteran star like Boston did to get Ray Allen.

welikebaseball2

June 28th, 2010
12:32 pm

I don’t disagree that we’re a weaker team by letting Joe go AND not replacing him with a max contract player. I just don’t agree that we’ll be a better team in seasons to come by committing max money to a guy that’s just good enough to get us to the playoffs, but not good enough to carry us deep into the playoffs. It’s a tough scenario. I don’t think Joe has proven himself to be worthy of a max contract (again, see playoff performances). Yet, if we don’t give it to him, he’ll get it somewhere. Therein lies the rub. With our inept ownership, chances are slim that they would pay for (or that they could even convince) one of the premier agents to come to ATL. Tough, tough predicament.

Ted M

June 28th, 2010
12:32 pm

Is it a for gone conclusion that JJ is getting a max contract?

O'Brien

June 28th, 2010
12:34 pm

I think the only chance the Hawks have of convincing JJ to stay, is if they offer him the max 6 years, $119 mil during the first week of free agency.

Will the ASG really pony up that kind of money? Taking on an increase in payroll without the guarantee of an increase in attendance? Plus some fans dont want Joe back (I would like to see JJ back).

Decisions decisions.

Veteran Fan

June 28th, 2010
12:37 pm

Trade Josh and Marvin for Chris Paul, resign Childress, and do a sign and trade for David Lee with the Knicks for JJ and Bibby. Then use every dime you’ve got to get Chris Bosh! Line up pg Paul, sg Jamal Crawford, small forward Bosh, strong forward Horford, and c Lee. Subs, Childress, Crawford, Teague, Zaza, and Evans. Very young, very fast, a ton of scoring and with the exception of Jamal all great defenders! Childress wins sixth man award and Hawks contend very well for 3-5 years!!!! Every starter can put in 20 a game or more and every player is mobile, no more half court debacles!!

ryan

June 28th, 2010
12:49 pm

All we can do wait for July 1st all this talk means nothing till midnight

ryan

June 28th, 2010
12:52 pm

All we can wait till July 1st this there is nothing we about Joe Johnson untill he signs.

UGA Fan

June 28th, 2010
12:56 pm

Sorry to say this team will be worse w/o Joe.

Daniel

June 28th, 2010
12:56 pm

Well let’s first look at what Joe gives the Hawks. Some perimeter defense, but that has been slipping a bit in recent years; a good shooter that defenses have to respect; and someone who can create and make tough shots when the game is on the line.

The last can be replaced by Jamal Crawford. The first two can actually be found relatively easily and relatively cheaply. Look at players like Dahntay Jones, Arron Afflalo, Grant Hill, Matt Barnes, etc. Any loss will be felt on the offensive end and, ideally, that can be made up by a greater reliance on our frontcourt, and running more than 1-2 plays a game for Marvin.

Personally my worst nightmare is the Hawks signing Joe to a max contract and having to pay him around 20 million a year for his declining years.

Blue

June 28th, 2010
12:57 pm

Let Joe walk. We can easily replace those 23 ppg.

List of relatively inexpensive 2010 UNRESTRICTED free agents who play shooting guard:
Ray Allen
Tony Allen
Flip Murray
John Salmons
Jerry Stackhouse
J.J. Redick
Jannero Pargo

I would take the Allen combo in a heart beat before resigning Joe.

jmoney

June 28th, 2010
12:59 pm

The Hawks would be stupid to not release joe johnson. Forget him and go get John salmons or ray allen or rudy gay. thats gonna be the hawks future right there. Release JOE get someone else

JD

June 28th, 2010
1:00 pm

Anyone who thinks the Hawks will be better off without Joe Johnson either doesn’t know basketball or is just plain stupid. Al Horford is a good NBA player but he’s no Amare Stoudemire. Joe Johnson played the offense his coached demanded and I’d be willing to bet on a shot per minute comparison, Jamal Crawford took more shots than Joe did. Sign Joe, trade Marvin Williams (and Bibby if you can), get a veteran point guard or center, bring Josh Childress back and make another run at the East. It’s going to be wide open next year.

Mike Woodson

June 28th, 2010
1:01 pm

HELL YES WE WANT JOE BACK!! HIRE ME BACK TOO!!

Daniel

June 28th, 2010
1:02 pm

Interesting stat showing Joe’s offensive inefficiency: Points per shot on the Hawks last year.
Al 1.36
Zaza 1.35
Jamal 1.29
Josh 1.27
Marvin 1.23
Joe 1.17

Joe was the 6th most efficient offensive player on the team. This despite Marvin having a down year.

Jameytime

June 28th, 2010
1:02 pm

Why would anyone want Joe Johnson to stay in ATL? He CLEARLY doesnt care to be here and is a playoff choke!

http://TwitPWR.com/LbO/

Hawk Fan Since 66

June 28th, 2010
1:05 pm

Mark I do not think the Hawks will get much worse without JJ. If he goes, I suggest we sign J Childress and start him at the 3. Start Jamal C to replace JJ. Use Jordan C and Marvin to replace the bench points. The 20 pts we lose with JJ gone is more than compensated for by these moves. However, that only gives us status quo. Still need better offensive movement and consistent defense. Hopefully Coach Drew will solve that. Also still need a big to contended with Mr Howard. What thinketh thee?

Veteran Fan

June 28th, 2010
1:08 pm

Chris Paul and Bosh here solve your attendance problem!!!! At least two teams in the East are going to get stronger and with the retirement of Wallace in Boston it could be three. To stand pat with our “CORE” is stupid and reminds me of Boston before the Allen and Garnett trades. We need to get rid of Josh Smith before his prima donna attitude sinks the ship! New Orleans will take him and Marvin off our hands for Chris Paul because Josh can put people in the seats. New York will take JJ and Bibby off our hands and trade us David Lee because he is a free agent and if they really go after Lebron or Amare they can’t pay all of them. Marvin and Bibby’s money plus what we would have paid for JJ allows us to get Bosh to play with Paul and Smith’s contract balances Paul’s. We use the money from Oklahoma City to pay Childress and we have a very exciting team that will sell out Phillips Arena(please no more highlight factory) for every game! You definitely get me and my company as a new season ticket holder and everyone who loves basketball wants to come see a team that rebounds, hustles, and passes the ball again like the Hawks used to do!

Wolverine

June 28th, 2010
1:08 pm

To be quite honest Joe Johnson really wants to leave and more than likely he will be gone. The real question is can we work out a three way sign and Trade with NYC and another team. This is probably the most important summer in Hawks recent history. Lets assume Joe walks who can we realistically get in a sign n trade?

GT Alum

June 28th, 2010
1:08 pm

Mark, you ask if the Hawks’ fan base will support a team that goes back to building. Isn’t everyone always saying the Hawks don’t get much support anyway? If ASG really wants to fill Philips Arena for Hawks games, they have to put together a team that can get past the second round. I don’t know that the Hawks will make that leap in the near future if they re-sign Joe. The real question is does ASG want to risk losing some of their existing fans to try to gain a lot more new ones?

skicky

June 28th, 2010
1:12 pm

Keeping Joe is insane. He will only get us to the second round of the playoffs. If we can get a true center, pg or sf for joe it will be good for me.

Ray

June 28th, 2010
1:12 pm

Here is all you need to know about Joe: A few years ago, he left the Phoenix Suns, on the verge of heading to the finals, to join the Hawks, which had won fewer than 20 games. Let me repeat: HE LEFT A TITLE CONTENDER TO JOIN A CELLAR DWELLER.

Simply put, this guy is not a winner. He’s all about himself. Sign and trade him for a couple of good players who only want to win.

Dwayne

June 28th, 2010
1:17 pm

The Octotards are, well, stupid. They probably offer a max deal, at max years like they did Kovelchoke, lucky for Thrasher fans he said NYET, did us a favor and went to NJ, the cess pool capital of the world. We got 2 good players in return. A max deal for JJ, a guy who blasted fans will hamstring the Hawks for the lenght of the contract.

three jack

June 28th, 2010
1:18 pm

sign and trade: jj and marvin (and more if necessary) for the king. time for bold moves from this otherwise hapless franchise.

Dejay

June 28th, 2010
1:20 pm

Dr. Warren is correct, bullseye on the target. Finding the right free agent that fits your team while emptying the piggy-bank for him is a crap-shoot at best. But when you have an opportunity to change the face of your franchise through the draft with high lotto picks, you can’t strike out like the Hawks did several years ago.

During the Billy Knight-error (spelled correctly), they had FIVE LOTTERY PICKS to play with, along with tons of high second round picks. Only one of the guys the self appointed genius selected (Horford) would start on a .500 team right now and that’s a fact. What, you’re putting Childress in the lineup over Pierce, AK47, Carmelo, or Caron Butler?

It could be argued that had a guy from this blog, Hawksquawk, RealGm, Peachtree Hoops, or some intern from the AJC had been in charge of drafting guys instead of BK, we would’ve had this conversation of whether we’re ‘good enough for prime time’ 2-3 years ago instead of today. It could be argued that Iso-Joe wouldn’t had been the focal point of the offense the last three seasons had Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Al Jefferson, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, or even Monte Ellis (remember Salim Stoudamire?) had been here riding shotgun alongside him instead of scrubs like Marvin, Acie Law, and Childress, let alone Shelden. It could be argued that while Horford wouldn’t be here because the team would’ve gotten better much faster, the $$$$ spent on the likes of Speedy Claxton and Bibby could’ve been allocated to bringing in the big man the team needs right now (that’s if they didn’t already draft Jefferson to begin with).

Stuff like this is why it’s soooooo hard for folks to embrace this franchise in this town. This team don’t make the hard decisions and when it does, it’s always the wrong one. There’s a reason as to why it took over a quarter-century for them to finally draft a guy who made an All-Star team. There’s a reason as to why they have to resort to digging through the thrift store to find guys that only play a few more minutes on the court than I do.

If JJ skips town, do you really trust this bunch to pony up the $$$ over the next couple of years?

Do you really think folks would line up to come here?

Do you really think they’ll get it right in the draft if they found themselves back in lotto-land?

Don’t all answer at once….

I MUS WRITE

June 28th, 2010
1:23 pm

Ill be glad when this free agent frenzy is over,its getting to be overkill. JJ is a good second teir player not a player you invest max money in IMO…… Also he is very thin skinned-his comments to the fans were unacceptable and I cant blame those who want him gone.

When your best player /leader??? is a no show two consecutive years in the Playoffs what are the fans to do applaud? I thinks not-see ya JJ its been real,you were a good player for the hawks but its time to part ways. Go be the true #2 that you are living in Lebron or Wades shadow…

Do a S&T with NY, JJ for Lee/T Douglas Then make a play for Rudy Gay and trade ZAZA to Dallas for Haywood or use the draft rights to Chillz for Mcgee and we would be okay for next year -Line up looks as such….

Starters-Teague,Ja.Creawford,Rudy Gay,Smoove,Horford/Lee

Bench-Bibby,Jordan Crawford,Marvin,Haywood,T Douglas,R Morris,G Siler

Jamal as a starter will average between 18-21 per game so the loss of JJ wont hurt as much as sum think,we will miss he defense though but like I said its time to move on.

59bulldawg

June 28th, 2010
1:25 pm

Let the bum go! Yeah he’s got talent but I don’t think it’s a given we’ll be worse without him. Team chemistry will certainly be better. Horford is a much better investment. Save the money for him. The kid shows up every night.

NOTSO FAST

June 28th, 2010
1:25 pm

JJ has to go. We need to get all we can for him,sigh & trade. JJ will not get us past the 2nd round.JJ is not the player that will ever be a the player that people will buy tickets to see play. Good but not great.We need great.

Nick

June 28th, 2010
1:28 pm

We definitely need Joe back. If we lose him, we will not get any near his talent to replace them. Then we still not have a true center and lose a top guard

ryan

June 28th, 2010
1:29 pm

I think Joe leaves there be total chaos in the ASG ownership. There will be a lot of finger pointing you thought the Steve Belkin saga was bad wait till July 1st.

tidog

June 28th, 2010
1:32 pm

If coach Woodson wanted less shots from Johnson and more ball distribution then he should demanded it and made darn sure his plays involved more players. He did neither and hence he’s gone.

Chip Shot

June 28th, 2010
1:33 pm

some of you guys have no clue. whoever says sign and trade for david lee who is an UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT!!!!! so that wont work and you cannot trade for heywood either because he too is an UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT!!! that means they have to be re-signed by their current team first before you can even think S&T so thats not gonna happen. think people, think.

Stuart

June 28th, 2010
1:36 pm

Joe is definitely an irreplaceable talent. The team would take a hit if he were to leave. Is he worth being paid the same amount as LeBron or Wade when he usually doesn’t come through when we need him to? I’m still not sure… But I guess there wouldn’t be a replacement that would be at his talent level anyway. Plus, a good point was made in that the ASG isn’t likely to spend any money if they’re not signing a big player like Joe (or someone bigger…). So it may be the best option for the Hawks to keep him.

Mark, at this point right now, what do you think Joe will do? Stay? Go? –If so, where? And if he does go, what’s the likelihood that the Hawks can get another big name player in a sign and trade?

uga_b

June 28th, 2010
1:36 pm

Well the good new is, Mr. Bradley, that either way we don’t have to worry about him showing up for any of the Hawks’ playoff games. Thank you…Thank you… Try the shrimp!

uga_b

June 28th, 2010
1:39 pm

I can’t remember another Atlanta “all-star” player that I have been this ambivalent about. I understand he is good, but I don’t care if he goes. Maybe Texeira? Chris Chandler?

dub366

June 28th, 2010
1:40 pm

I would rather have someone here that wants to win than someone who is all about money.I think the reason JOE had a bad playoff was he played too many minutes. We have too many options besides Joe Johnson. It would be nice if he would sign, but in the meantime you have to move on. There has to be someone out there willing to sign and play for the Atlanta Hawks under the new coaching sheen who knows things will be better in Atlanta under Larry Drew.

Richard Denson

June 28th, 2010
1:45 pm

I want Joe Johnson to stay. I think he is worth all that money. With the exception of Domonique & Pistol Pete he is the greatest Atlanta Hawk player ever. We need him. He is my favorite player. He is in the top 5 best players in the NBA. With this new philosophy of Larry Drew I think he will get better and the hawks will win the champonship…….someday. And Joe Johnson’s jersey will be retired and we will remember that if Joe would be Joe then we were the best team in the NBA. I think we just need another big and J-Smoove needing to be able to shoot. That’s why it was iso-joe and iso-crawford. We couldn’t spread it out bcuz J-smoove can’t shoot!

Howard

June 28th, 2010
1:49 pm

Signing JJ in the first place was the mistake the Hawks made. If JJ is your leader then he should be able to carry the team in the 4th quarter when the game is on the line. I can’t remember a game where that happened. Most of the time in close games they won in spite of him in the fourth quarter. I give him credit because he does give effort, generally is a nice guy regardless of his recent statements, and does play good defense for a player who is depended upon for his offense. The problem is that the Hawks management saw him as a go-to star and that is not what he is. On a team like Boston or LA where ownership is willing to spend money on complimentary players he would be fantastic. But on the Hawks, no. I am not a big believer in spending a lot of money on a shooting guard or a small forward. The guys that make a team win championship in the NBA are the centers and the point guards unless you have a Coby or Lebron. I would rather see a .500 team that passes and shares the ball with hope for some good drafts in the future than keep JJ. I am disappointed that the Hawks did not draft one of several centers that could have developed over the years. The owners act like they are panicked to put a team that draws on the court but their methods lead at best to mediocrity because the will never spend what it really takes.

Johnny DangerDawg

June 28th, 2010
2:04 pm

Joe said he doesn’t care about winning or losing. That’s why I say let him leave. If Hawks really stink without him, that just means a high draft pick the following year.

hawkfan

June 28th, 2010
2:04 pm

I dont’ think Joe should be part of the Hawks future. They can’t win a title as long as he is their main piece, and they can’t add another “main” piece to their team as long as he’s there.

cant win

June 28th, 2010
2:10 pm

Everyone is concerned that we get a lot worse if we let j j j Joe go. My problem is that we won’t get any better if we keep him. He is not a number one. In my humble opinion Crawford was a better fourth quarter go to than JJ. The last time I checked, the ability to close out a game is the standard by witch superstars are made. We really are in a no win situation. It’s a no win because our ownership, (or should I say owner-canoe) wont take the other steps that need to be taken no matter if JJ stays or goes. We have a good GM with his hands tied.
We have so many unanswered questions. Is Crawford (either one) ready for prime time. Is Teague ready for prime time. Does Bibby have any prime time left in him. Will Marvin ever be ready for prime time. Can the owners even spell prime time.

lazydawg

June 28th, 2010
2:12 pm

Let Joe go! I don’t think he could lead a one man parade.The Hawks must not look back and start moving in a different direction,we need a scorer and a leader one out of two just don’t cut it for a maximum player.Let him go some place where scoring when it don’t count is acceptable.Get ready Joe, you think where hard in Atlanta wait till you underachieve in N.Y. bye the way if you need help packing give me a hollar.

tjhook

June 28th, 2010
2:18 pm

Has anyone talked about Johnson’s ability to help keep turnovers down for the team? The team ran a caveman offense but also kept turnovers down to amongst the league’s lowest. Teague is not ready to be a distributing point guard, Bibby can’t draw a double-team through penetration and Crawford has not proven he can run an offense continuously during a game. Joe helps regulate the offensive attack. The ASG hired Larry Drew for one big reason: The team was underdeveloped!!!
Keep the nucleus (unless we give Williams away for free and resign Childress), bring in another scoring option- low post -for the league’s mid-level reception (Al Harrington!!)and watch this team become better by expanding its offensive repitoire.

Bobby Ray Allen

June 28th, 2010
2:19 pm

Joe get outta here….this is gonna get ugly fast…… Coach Woody, you left here with 53 game season…..it will be a long time before this happens again. New Management, new coaches…..we were close….Now its back to the paper bags….

latrelle0421

June 28th, 2010
2:21 pm

They should sign and trade jjjjoe. 6 Years at 28 and a max. After 2 years he’s nothing. He can’t jump now, in two years my 5 feet nephew will jump hire. Can’t buy a foul at the end of the game when u need it, can’t b a vocal leader, can’t sell tickets. Get something for him.

Bill

June 28th, 2010
2:27 pm

Welcome back Mark! Hope JJ returns but its up to JJ after talking with Drew about his coaching theory. Maybe!

HAWKS

June 28th, 2010
2:30 pm

let him hit the road…we will be more of a team without him

Willie J

June 28th, 2010
2:37 pm

MB i think it might be time to part ways with joe johnson.I love joe and everything he’s done for the organization but i’d much rather be in the lottery and have a chance of drafting the next young superstar( because thats the only way we will get one since or atl fans dont support the team like other cities and no superstar will ever sign here unless we start to win) then make it to the playoffs to loose. The goal for any and every sports organization is to win championships, and thats the real question can we win with joe johnson. Maybe but there should have been some better desicions made in the draft and we would have to sign a quality free agent or two. I think it was mistake tarding the 31st pick for 3 million dollars I think we should have adressed an issue that has plagued us for seasons and thats a legit center. After we drafted a center we should have went out and signed a veteran center as well like a branden hayward or a tyson chndler(if he terminates his contract). Had we done that we could have taken the time to develop the center and add depth to our front court which is realy what we need as well as given us a defensive presence in the paint outside of al, and another quality rebounder. Had we done this i would’ve definatly like to see joe johnson stay. Our line-up
1.Teague/bibby/ jam Crawford
2. Joe johnson
3.j smith
4.Al horford(where he will be way more effetive)
5.Hayward or Chandler
Bench- Young center, jor crawford, zaza, marvin, Biby/tegue/jam crawfords.
Just these two moves would have given us depth across the board and we would still be a team thats fairly young and only going to get better. We can still go out and sign a center and keep joe which would also ake us better if joe were to leave id like to see us pick up a big man of course and maybe a player like rudy gay. and if we did trade j smith and maybe J-chill( sign and trade) for CP3 i think we still would hve a great chance of winning the ship.
1.paul
2.Jam Craw/rudy gay
3.rudy gay/marv
4. al horford
5. FA center

So thats the jist of what i thinkin. Mark Bradley how does this sound to you?

Timmy

June 28th, 2010
2:39 pm

Richard, JJ is NOT better than LBJ, Kobe, Wade, Paul, Rondo, Nowitzki, Gasol, Roy, Deron Williams, Rose, Bosh,Howard…the list goes on and on. He’s top 20 at best. He may not even be better than Wall, Jennings, or Tyreke Evans by this time next year.

NBA Fan

June 28th, 2010
2:41 pm

I think the Hawks should let Joe go (or do a sign & trade). He isn’t a 20million dollar player, and doesn’t have the ability or drive to impose his will upon the opponent when it counts the most. I honestly fell that Jamal crawford could step into that role and we wouldn’t lose much.

As for adding depth and talent to next years roster, they should go after a few veteran reclamation projects like TMAC or Ray Allen (plug in for Joe) and/ Jermaine or Shaquille O’neal . Don’t laugh or scoff at idea. They can probably be had for cheap (in NBA terms) and short term contracts. If they don’t perform up to their expectations then what’ve you lost? If they have 75-80 percent of their game left added to our current youth we’d be a something to reckon with. If they are busts we can look at who’s being shopped around the trade deadline or save our money and go after Melo or Yao with nest years free-agency.

Joe Johnson isn’t bringing a championship to the ATL, and if you are a max player you have to at least give us that hope.

Willy

June 28th, 2010
2:42 pm

I’d be happy with a sign and trade if we can get something approaching 75% of his value AND we get Childress. Sund knows he can’t get the big men to compete with the Magic or Lakers so the Hawks must try to outscore people.

bruce

June 28th, 2010
2:44 pm

The Hawks have to add more talent and by that I mean real talent not retread vets. They have shown that they can only get so far with the existing players and to keep the same ones or even lose some they will take a step back. Crawford needs to remain the 6th man. I honestly do not see any player of great talent wanting to come to our cheap organization. Guess we can hope for 40 wins next yr.

Felix Milan

June 28th, 2010
2:46 pm

Atlanta does not want Joe Johnson, Lyndon Baines Johnson, or Johnson & Johnson. Atlanta doesn’t want the Hawks or anything else to do with the NBA. Talk football.

Steve

June 28th, 2010
2:49 pm

Let Joe go do a sign and trade with Chicago and Noah come to Atlanta let him team up with Al at least he gives 100 percent effort. Try to trade Bibby he has lost a step or two also Marvin he is too soft.

Timmy

June 28th, 2010
2:58 pm

I’d be ecstatic if we could trade Joe and Marvin (or Childress) to Chicago for Noah and Deng.

NO MORE JOE

June 28th, 2010
3:11 pm

Yeah, I don’t want Joe back.

Mystikal

June 28th, 2010
3:17 pm

ORLANDO MAGIC!!! Just look at the Orlando Magic. The hawks are not close to as good as they are, but they are in a financial bind because of Rashard Lewis. He was vastly overpaid for his services years ago and the magic are suffering for it now (and this past playoffs). Joe Johnson is older now than Lewis was when he signed that deal. Plus, Joe has logged very heavy minutes the past 5 yrs. For these reasons, I am AGAINST signing Joe to a “maximum” contract. I do want Joe back and agree we will be worse without him. However I’d rather be set back a year or 2 rather than stuck in a few years with a huge contract for a declining player.

My point above is that the magic are stuck with a declining player on a huge deal. They still have Dwight Howard at least. If/when Joe begins to decline I don’t see Josh Smith/Horford making the difference with Dwight like performances. So as other teams get better (expecially after this summer) we may not even be good enough to make playoffs down road along with being stuck financially. I hope ASG sees this before they make their decision.

LoserVille

June 28th, 2010
3:19 pm

Mediocrity like Joe Johnson, looking for millions more in salary, is why atlanta will never win anything in basketball.

Mugsy

June 28th, 2010
3:21 pm

Until the Hawks wake up, get rid of Smith, move Horford to the PF spot, and bring in another center to pair with ZA ZA, the hawks will continue to be…well the Hawks.

Ted Striker

June 28th, 2010
3:27 pm

I’d like to see him stay however I won’t she any tears for lost games in the regular season if he leaves. Here’s why: JJ hasn’t proven himself — over his career — to be a clutch playoff guy. And if your number one isn’t clutch in the playoffs, what’s the point of even going there?

Long term, baby. If JJ won’t get you to the promised land next year, then maybe someone else will (using his $$$) in 3 years.

Dchief

June 28th, 2010
3:44 pm

Joe going to New York or some of the other weak teams with cap space should not be a worry. They don’t have enough talent to field a competitive team. It makes sense for him to resign with Atlanta or be part of a sign and trade.This is especially true if he wants the max money (which he does). Rick either needs to resign him or get some good talent in return. After all, to advance to the later rounds of the playoffs, you must first make the playoffs.

Khao$

June 28th, 2010
3:46 pm

I don’t buy that JJ is going to walk away from a 6th year and $27million. Joe doesn’t have the game or personality to garner a ton of endorsements…even in NYC. Truth be told, a lot of misinformation is being spread (probably by the agents) to strike up a bidding war. If the ASG is willing to spend the money, Joe will probably return. The question is, do we REALLY want to give Joe the max? He’s not worth it. That money could be better spent elsewhere. Anyone smell Allen Houston?

singndablues

June 28th, 2010
3:50 pm

The team is still very young, Josh 24, Horford 24 & Marvin 24. JJ’s 28. Marvin will be as good if not better than JJ in 4 yrs. Drew will bring it out. Bye Bye JJ.

MrMiyagi

June 28th, 2010
3:55 pm

Mark: I’m sick of hearing how the Hawks have no choice but to re-sign JJ. Of course there is a choice. The team will not likely make it past the second round with him. Save your money, take your lumps and snag a lottery pick or two to build around for the future. Josh Smith can also go as far as I am concerned.

Amaysn'

June 28th, 2010
3:56 pm

I do not want Joe resigned. He is not a leader! His production goes down when it most matters
the most, and he has a lack of appreciation for the people who ultimately pay his salary. Below are his averages for the 2009-2010 season – along with his ranking in the NBA – and his averages and rankings in the playoffs.

season playoffs
PPG 21.3 #11 17.9 #26
APG 4.9 #27 5.0 #15
RPG 4.6 #84 4.6 #84
3 point % .369 #69 220 #98

We may be a little worse in the short term, but better for not overpaying for Joe (see reasons above).

Also, I think the Sheldon pick was as bad as the Marvin pick. We passed up Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Rondo, Foye, etc. for Sheldon.

To the ASG: People will come to the games when they feel we have a legitimate chance to compete for it all – when we do not feel like we are being run on the cheap. If you did not have the resources to compete, you should not have purchased the team!!!!!!!!!

allan in texas

June 28th, 2010
3:57 pm

Now the rumor coming out of Houston is that the Rockets want JJ as a way to possibly get Bosh to go to Houston. Would Kevin Martin and filler work in a sign and trade? I know that Martin can be injury prone, but I think that would be a nice piece to come back to the Hawks via sign and trade.

Jeff

June 28th, 2010
3:59 pm

GET AMARE! Horford already came out and said he needs help, him and Josh Smith are the cornerstones of the franchise, you need to listen to THEIR demands not Mr. Johnson who is now Mr. Choke Artist in my book, Horford and Smith still had very respectable postseasons, while Johnson’s was very disappointing,

You Need A BIG BODY WHO CAN PLAY! not this Jason Collins, Randolph Morris bull,

you need a Amare Stoudemire, or a Brendan Haywood/Brad Miller combo, heck I would take SHAQ over what we have now, my goodness…..

LISTEN TO HORFORD AND SMITH MANAGEMENT, they are the cornerstones, keep them happy, thats the future, they dont choke, they do all they can, Smith already is proving it, he is maturing and playing much bettter, Horford works his butt off to pull in a Double-Double in statistics, well pretty much 9.9 RPG,

THEY NEED HELP!

trade Bibby, Marvin, and Johnson to acquire a killer bench plus an above average point guard,

then get Amare Stoudemire in the office, and ask what he wants and do EVERYTHING in your power to give it to him

allan in texas

June 28th, 2010
4:00 pm

As a matter of fact I think Martin would be a good fit in this new motion offense that Coach Drew is installing.

Hoops

June 28th, 2010
4:02 pm

The Hawks should offer JJ a 64M – 4 Yr. contract w/a 5th Yr. team option. If he declines, then let him go find a better offer. No team is going to offer him a Max. contract @ 29 Yrs. old in this economy. If he gets a Max. Yr. deal then see if he wants to agree to a S&T. That will get him another year and the Hawks will get something from the deal. If he decides to not take a S&T then he just lost big money!

Billy O

June 28th, 2010
4:05 pm

Any player that trashes the fans who pay his salary is a loser. Joe has already proven that he is not a team player. I believe that JJ wants out based on what is coming out of his camp. He has not one time said he wanted to stay since the season ended.

The Hawks are the loser in this deal, no matter what happens. If they sign him to a max deal, they will never win a championship. If they let him walk, they get nothing in return. The only possible way to improve the team is a sign and trade……otherwise the Hawks lose.

Peter

June 28th, 2010
4:08 pm

So Mark are we to continue to stop the ball movement for one guy ?

Then at the end of the season, we have all the same results…….ONE on ONE basketball, and forget about team ?

Let Joe go, find a replacement, as someday he will be replaced…..and find the meaning of TEAM first.

Hoops

June 28th, 2010
4:13 pm

A possible trade that does not involve JJ that the Hawks should look into is this:

The Hawks trade Bibby, Evans, & Zaza to the Bobcats for Chandler. The contracts will work per NBA rules. The Bobcats have been rumored to want to make a trade involving Chandler and they get a replacement big, an expiring contract in Evans, and a Bibby that can help off the bench. The Hawks get a Big that can really play when healthy (reports are that he is finally healthy) that has an expiring contract. Both sides win!!!

Barton

June 28th, 2010
4:27 pm

Re-signing Joe Johnson with a max contract would be like paying cash for a BMW but paying the price tag of a Maserati. How do we know Horford won’t become a 23 and 12 guy and become the new superstar in the league?

Female Fan

June 28th, 2010
4:35 pm

It is being “reported” that he is willing to take less money to go to New York. that let’s me know that he does not want to be here. I appreciate everything he has done to date. However, I do not want anybody on the Hawks team that doe snot want to be there. Joe was really never a leader. let’s just take that money and use it elsewhere. Like Moses said” Let my people go”. So long Joe!

So long and goodbye !

June 28th, 2010
4:38 pm

I was born and raised in Atlanta. We want to win. If Jope doe snot want to be here, then let him go !!!!!!!!

Melo

June 28th, 2010
4:41 pm

Pssssstttt- Carmelo will be a free agent next year !

Sharica

June 28th, 2010
4:43 pm

Mark

What I have seen out of Joe Johnson has not been enough to warrant a max contract. Every year it has been the same with Johnson. He was been great thru the season, but get lost in the playoffs. Honestly, I can’t believe that people really consider him as a superstar, All-Start yes, but a superstar he will never be.

Something else, I don’t feel like he really wants to be in Atlanta anyway. If he wanted to be here, I feel that he would put much more effort into playing in playoffs. I feel like he was so ready for this season to be over and did just enough to render talk about a max contract.

Hawk Fan

June 28th, 2010
4:44 pm

Hawks just need to rebuild at this point. Let JJ go(sign and trade or just leave) and take Josh Smith(he only plays when he fells like it), and Marvin Williams(worst draft pick) wtih him. We may have a few bad years ahead but if we resign JJ at max and have these others players around him, we are still looking at years of first round exits. Go after a Rudy Gay this year and Chris Paul in 2011. Plus with AL and JC we will have something to work with and build around.

Jai

June 28th, 2010
4:47 pm

The Hawks should have offer the Cavs Joe Johnson,Marvin Williams,Maurice Evans and a draft pick for Lebron James. Joe wants out of Atlanta and Lebron wants out of Cleveland. Besides the Bulls and Heat,,,,the Hawks have the most talent to surround Lebron with. BUT the HAWKS are so cheap(L.Drew) they won’t even go after a player like Lebron. You have to spend some money once in a while and not on a third option(Joe Johnson) from the Pheonix Suns. Its going to be a long year for Hawks fans.

Tiffani

June 28th, 2010
4:52 pm

I say keep him, reality is, we need him. But he definitely needs an attitude adjustment…

Peter

June 28th, 2010
4:56 pm

Mark……..What percentage of the folks want him back ?

Juan

June 28th, 2010
4:57 pm

I don’t think we can win a ring with Joe, and it doesn’t sounds like he wants to be here, so I say let’s try to do a sign and trade for some decent players but shorter-term contracts.

Why pay max money for a less-than-max player, especially when it matters most, the playoffs?

Jeff

June 28th, 2010
5:00 pm

What people dont understand about a pro offense is there are many different ways to run it. Joe made us play a style of offense that suited only him, no one else on the team. Your telling me if we lost Joe, started Jamaal at the 2 and Teague is improved or we trade for a good young PG that that can push the ball that anyone in the league could stop Josh Smith or Al Horford? Not to mention that we are a young team who needs to and would thrive in a fast paced offense, high activity D? To me you lose an all-star, but in the new style system you get two border-line all starts steppnig up to superstars. Not to mention Joe played ZERO defense and if his shots arent falling what else does he do? Kobe plays D and leads verbally, Joe does neither. He is not worth max money, we need a new PG and a good C, let Joe go, and we will be a better TEAM, yes key word TEAM. Do you think Josh Smith plays hard when Joe dribbles for 23 seconds?

phucker_jenkins

June 28th, 2010
5:05 pm

Please someone take him off our hands here in Atlanta before the Hawks make a max contract error!!!!

J.J.M.

June 28th, 2010
5:18 pm

lol horford said joe will be back with the hawks…I dont want joe back but theres nobody else to replace him

Rick Majerus

June 28th, 2010
5:49 pm

I’m not a big Gay guy…

(okay, with that said)…

Why sign someone who apparently doesn’t want to be here? He doesn’t like the fans, and in my mind, that is enough reason to send him packing. Period.

Hawks' Nest Monsta

June 28th, 2010
6:24 pm

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I am the dude in the picture with the “Bye bye joe” sign. Yeah, that’s me. I’ve had season tickets for 10 years now, and this was the only time I’ve ever booed my Hawks. I felt really bad after the game. I realize now it’s not fair to completely blame Joe as he never really had a chance with Woodson’s system. Iso’ just won’t work on a team like the Magic. I was just angry at Joe’s apparent lack of energy and effort (his defense was a joke in the playoffs). Especially when Mo Evans, who isn’t nearly as gifted, played his heart out. To me, it seemed like Joe was saying “i don’t care, i’m gonna get a max contract somewhere else next year.” Good luck with that, buddy. I think it’s better if we don’t sign him. He’s getting old, and doesn’t embody what this team is about: Energy and athleticism. The way I see it, we’re in a great position. If we let Joe go, we’ll have more money and a better chance of getting Chillz back, not to mention that we have Jamal Crawford. And we just drafted a SG, so we’re pretty set at that position. Additionally, we have the ability to sign and trade for a variety of good players. Salmons is definitely high on that list. Javale McGee would be sick too, but I’m not sure if that’s possible.
However, my main point is this: it’s Marvin Williams’ time to shine. He is arguably our most talented (and under-utilized) player. His defense is incredible, and the only reason he hasn’t produced offensively is due to our “give the ball to joe and everyone stand there” strategy. He can knock down jump shots. He can drive and dunk. He gets to the foul line and knocks down free throws!
The only thing that we need to be worried about for the next season is the development of Jeff Teague (he’s starting, right?). If he steps up and learns how not to be careless with the ball, we’ll be at that next level. And I believe in Teague.
Starting 5:
Teague
Chillz/ Jamal (I’d prefer Chill, but we’ll see)
Marvin
Smoov
Horford
-that, my friends, is what you call the “highlight factory”

m

June 28th, 2010
6:25 pm

I have been an atlanta hawks fan since 1976. I find it really sad that this organization can make so many bad decisions. Adam Keefe, Roy Marble, ed gray, doug edwards, marvin williams…etc…..by the way, where are all of you folks that thought that marvin was going to be any good…..absolutle DO Not Sign Joe, unless it is going to be a sign and trade. This team needs to reunite jokim Noah, with Al. Make an all out effort to sign Bosh. This team never should have let Chilldress go. What a stupid move. Bring him back, or do the sign and trade with washington for the rumored 7 footer. This team needs to rebuild. Screw making the second round of the playoffs. I like the lineup of teague,crawford, Horford at small forward, noah, Bosh. If we did a sign and trade with Joe, then require that they take either bibby, or marvin off our hands. if we do a sign and trade with childress, require that they take the other off our hand. tweaking this roster is another stupid move. be bold, and make some moves

HawkSquawkLive

June 28th, 2010
6:34 pm

I say we keep Joe. He has done so much for this franchise over the past few years and because of that, I’ll always be a fan of his. Come on, Joe. Pick ATL.

PD

June 28th, 2010
6:37 pm

John Salmons or Caron Butler

Steve

June 28th, 2010
6:44 pm

I want Joe to stay, but not for max money – how about 6 years – 100m. Joe keeps himself in good shape, so I think he will last until he’s 34 – and maybe play a couple or 3 years after that. I would weight the contract to less money at the back end, reflecting he’s an older player. How does Andre Miller and Grant Hill (and Steve Nash) keep on ticking?

Barton

June 28th, 2010
6:51 pm

Did some research for those of you looking for a legitimate NBA Center for the Hawks to build around. Number 2 pick in the 2003 draft, but number 1 in our hears – DARKO MILICIC!

rickINcali

June 28th, 2010
7:17 pm

Whatever!! He should go!………….But we need to make sure AH stays……and let’s get a true center!!………JJ just go!!! Adios!

dr. de

June 28th, 2010
7:40 pm

Enter your comments here

First, Dallas is the perfect place and fit for Joe (6-year max.) and Derk N. Second, a sign and trade would yeild Dampier and Butler. Dampier contract would be voided. Butler 10 Mill. (final year contract) would be acceptable. Third, Cuban will accept Bibby’s contract as a filler. Forth old slick Sund will get Cuban to throw in rookie guard D. Jones. In summary, the Hawks will come away with additional cap space and have two 10 million dollar expiring contracts (Crawford/Butler). What do u think? Go Hawks

Abe

June 28th, 2010
7:43 pm

Although I, personally, am NOT a big Joe Johnson fan (the guy is one of the most standoffish personalities & non-community-oriented individuals I’ve ever witnessed), I do believe the Atlanta Hawks should definitely re-sign him for a couple more years at least! But, for a reasonable offer unlike his last contract. Like him, love him or hate him, he is the hottest, most consistent thing (despite his poor playoff showing) on the Hawks roster at the present…and losing him would be detrimental to the entire team. Especially considering what has transpired with the recent illogical decisions that were made by the Atlanta Spirit (Hawks ownership) and GM Rick Sund in the form of “giving a human resource favor” to a personal friend of Rick Sund’s in the form of now-Head Coach Larry Drew and the recent draft prospects picked up. They say you get what you pay for, and the Hawks have NEVER been an organization willing to spend the capital necessary to bring in the right people. They thought they’ve been doing pretty bad in terms of ticket sales the past few years; wait until they see this coming year’s results. Why “buy” a ticket to watch a chronically-overmatched & over-coached team when you can stay in the confines of your own home, enjoy a homecooked meal and watch a Hawks game on tv for free??? At least you’d have the option of turning the channel to something else when the game becomes too boring or unbearable. The solution: STOP BEING STINGY, SPEND SOME MONEY ON A REAL HEAD COACH, SOME RESULTS-PROVEN ASSISTANTS & SCOUTS, AND FINALLY TRADE FOR A BIG MAN (A 6′11″ or taller CENTER with some weight on his behind and skills on the inside) & A CONSISTENT SCORER/LEADER OF A POINT GUARD. Zaza Pachulia isn’t a center and Mike Bibby is not a consistent enough guard! Recognize that people!

Will

June 28th, 2010
7:46 pm

bye bye Joe. Your time in ATL is up. You indeed made the Hawks better with you presence when you came but then there wasn’t any true talent on the team. Believe it or not there is other talent on the Hawks now, so if you really want the bucks go for it. We might miss you but don’t count on it. I have faith that somehow the Hawks will find another scorer who just might be willing to share the ball and play team ball for a change. Thanks for the few years you gave.

Hawk36102

June 28th, 2010
8:00 pm

I think that most of us (after game 3) do not want Joe, but at the same time, we see that there is no one else we could get that is better. So at the end of the day we want him back

JeJe

June 28th, 2010
8:05 pm

Giving Joe a max contract will set this franchise back for YEARS. If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL

Big John

June 28th, 2010
8:16 pm

I’m a season ticket holder. I wonder how many of you so called fans will be coming out to Phillipa Arena to see a 35+ team compet if JJ goes. I know I won’t. I agree that what he said was over the top, but I think he was frustrated as well as the fans. I would like to see him come back because we don’t have that many options and our guard situation is suspect. I would also like to say that ATL. fans are not the greatest in the NBA. Last year I came to games where the other teams like Miami, LA, Cavs were cheerd louder then the home team. I orig. come from NY. When I lived there I cheered for the Nicks. Now I live in ATL and I cheer for ATL. I remember one blog where the blogger said the Hawks suck. Well I’m sorry my friend. Third place does not suck. N.J. and Minn. suck. Go move there and cheer there team. Six out of 30 is pretty good in my book.

adrian

June 28th, 2010
8:26 pm

if the man cannot handle the pressure of being booed in atlanta how could he in a place like new york or chicago, I mean he left phoenix because he wants no spotlight

Mystikal

June 28th, 2010
8:40 pm

What ever happens, just want to point out that free agency in 2011 and 2012 really sucks!!!!!!!!!!

hot tuna

June 28th, 2010
8:44 pm

Next to leave will be Al Horford..He sure would look good in a Laker uniform with a NBA championship ring on his finger..This what it is all about right..Winning an NBA championship..Tell it to the Hawks and Hawks fans..We got beat by 2 more complete teams in the playoffs… We got to get rid of the Knight-Babcock fungus that still haunts us..Is Speedy still on the payroll..and all the bad drafts and non drafts they did..Losing Joe will hurt us more than help us.Name somebody just as good who is available now or next free agent class..I won’t hold my breath…

JeJe

June 28th, 2010
9:31 pm

TRADE JOE FOR DAMPIER + BEAUBOIS AND THEN TRADE SMOOVE FOR AL JEFF AND THEN WE’RE TALKING.

AND U HAVENT EVEN DONE ANYTHING WITH DUCK OR MINIME YET

JeJe

June 28th, 2010
9:31 pm

Mark,

Can you please explain how ASG told Sund they will go into Lux Tax if he promises to bring a winner, yet EVERY move since this statement a year ago has been a cost cutting move?

BosnianBaller

June 28th, 2010
9:40 pm

STAY JOE!!!!

JeJe

June 28th, 2010
10:31 pm

HOW ARE ALL THESE MEETINGS BEING SET UP TO TALK TO LEBRON BY TEAMS NOT NAMED CLEVELAND NOT A BLATANT VIOLATION OF NBA TAMPERING POLICIES?

FIRE STERN
FIRE SUND
FIRE WOODY
FIRE ASG

rusty

June 28th, 2010
10:34 pm

what really sucked this past year was losing to inferior teams & getting blown out in the first quarter with no real chance of coming back. what sucked was woodys iso offence & switching defense. what sucked was no smart substitutions,what sucked was a team like ours not playing uptempo basketball,what sucked was ua showing no heart. i would place some of the blame on joe . i dont think we could play uptempo with him in the lineup

JeJe

June 28th, 2010
10:50 pm

Giving Joe a max contract will set this franchise back for YEARS. If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL
If you give him 6 years, you will pay him 25M when he is 35. THAT IS ALMOST HALF OUR FREAKING PAYROLL…

Realsquawk

June 29th, 2010
12:00 am

Nope don’t want him back unless he is signing for like 3 years at like 40 million

JeJe

June 29th, 2010
12:34 am

Mark,

you also wrote that Smoove would be the best player on the team very soon.

Woody's Eyebrows

June 29th, 2010
2:28 am

JeJe- You know Woody has already been fired, right?

indo501

June 29th, 2010
4:32 am

I don’t think he’s worth a max contract at his age you would be paying him 20+ million at age 35, But I do want him back and if they sign him at ,ax level I would be fine w/ it, I always felt the hawks biggest problems are lack of a Center and poor coaching

Parker

June 29th, 2010
8:25 am

Yesterday I wanted JJ gone. After skimming through this blog , Im not so sure. This is what Im feeling now. The Hawks obviously have some cash. We can make things better for JJ. For example, improving the 3 and 5 positions. Or we can use that cash to get another star. Have you checked the free agents list? It’s extremely deep with talent. Uuum , im still on the fence.

BZwald

June 29th, 2010
8:27 am

I’m a Hawks fan and I want Joe to stay in Atlanta. We are better with him, than without him. Even though he causes contention with the fans on occasion, he is not a diva that would unsettle the team like any other superstar that would come in. How do we tell Joe that some of us want him back?

Big Ray

June 29th, 2010
9:01 am

Comparing how fans in Cleveland feel about Lebron James to how fan in Atlanta feel about Joe Johnson is kind of funny.

Cleveland drafted LBJ. LBJ brought them out of the ashes by himself. He nearly single-handedly delivered NBA Finals and Conference Finals appearances, along with MVP performances year after year. Arguably the best player in the game right now (and who wants to argue that?)

Atlanta bought Joe, and overpaid for him. Joe was the main man in going from 13 wins to 37. Getting to 47 wins was largely Joe, but not possible without Mike Bibby. Getting to 53 wins was more about Jamal, Josh, and Al, than it was Joe. Joe has delivered, in part, playoff appearances, but also has a part in second round blowouts. Joe delivered three straight all-star reserve appointments before finally being named an all-star starter this past year.

Joe averaged 17 a game against a Milwaukee squad that shouldn’t have been able to contain him, then dropped all the way down to 12 a game against Orlando. To top it off, he frustratingly make the public quote that he didn’t care if fans showed up or not.

If Lebron did what Joe did, particularly in the above paragraph….you wouldn’t see Cleveland fans fawning over him. In fact, you might see more of the opposite. But Lebron made Cleveland. Without him, they fall much further than we do without Joe. ‘Nuff said.

Big Ray

June 29th, 2010
9:11 am

I think most of us would rather see Joe stay. That one statement about the fans is exactly what it is: one statement. He does not cause contention with the fans, that I can see.

The issue with Joe is the lack of emotion. There is no connection between him and the city of Atlanta, as another blogger said. We know he’s the best player on this team, and one of the best in the league. Does he want Atlanta as much as some people say we should want him? Does he love Atlanta, or could he “care less if he’s here or elsewhere?” You never hear about it from him.

If Joe goes, people may miss his 20 ppg, his 5 rebounds, his 5 assists. But will they miss HIM ?

And though the bigger Joe Johnson fans tend to hate this, that’s what separates him from Jamal Crawford. Everybody knows Joe is more versatile than Jamal, a better defender, better all the way around. Joe is top 15 in the league. Jamal is not.

What Jamal is, however, is charismatic in a way. He’s exciting. He will talk. He’s active in the community (has been everywhere he goes). He has a connection, even though it’s only been a single season. People connect with Jamal, hot sauce dribbling and all, not-so-pretty shooting percentage and all.

People fall in love with Jamal’s behind-the-back dribbles, his shake-n-bakes. The crowd oohs and aahs at his quick pull up 3 pointers and his daring dashes to the basket, punctuated by the nastiest up-and-under layups. What’s not to love about a 4-point play?

It’s that connection that allows people to forgive Jamal when he blows one defensive assignment after another. It’s what helps people not notice when he shoots 35% from the field. It’s that same thing that Joe lacks, which nets him the criticism he gets when he pounds the ball for 3 quarters, not passing to his teammates sometimes when they are wide open, take the most shots, and then end up being part of a loss because of a 4th quarter offensive collapse (admit it, sometimes offense wins games, and a lack thereof loses them).

ATL4LIFE

June 29th, 2010
12:00 pm

Let’s be rational. It makes since to resign Joe. I hope fans do not think if we let JJ go that we can then get a big name player. Not possible with the cap space they have. If the resign Joe they can over the cap. If they let him go seasons about over. I don’t understand why so many people hate JJ, is it because he never got in trouble?, is it because he only scored 21 pts a game. He saved our organization after all we had to look forward to was Jason Terry, Shrif Raheem, Theo Ratliff, or Danny Manning

Alex

June 29th, 2010
12:05 pm

Let him go if you are sure that you could sign a great/good number 5 i.e. Amare Stoudemire. We need a real 5 to defend in the growing eastern conference more than we need Joe who vanishes in big games a lot of times. If this can’t happen get Joe’s deal done.

meh

June 29th, 2010
12:25 pm

With Joe, the Hawks should be better. Al and Josh should continue to improve, and jordan crawford and the development of teague would give us better depth. Obviously losing an all-star would put us back a few steps but this team only works if Joe can cede some offensive control to Al and Marvin. This team can’t run through only Joe and be successful. If he can do this its a no brainer to bring him back, even at a high price tag, this team is as talented as anyone in the Eastern Conference with Joe (barring Lebron going to Chi town) and all of the main competition is in flux: Celtics getting older two major players may not be back (allen/pierce), Cavs (about to fall off of the face of the Earth), and Magic. But there a lot of ifs. Joe’s defense intensity was only so-so, he bombed in the biggest series of his life, and he seemed to show a selfish streak. If he is willing to change this, bring him back, please, but if not, he has to go.

ddd-house

June 29th, 2010
12:47 pm

Everyone here is making good point. I would say; let him go. Rudy Gay can step in and do the same if not better than Joe. I am sick of watching playoff game where we go on the road and Joe does NOTHING. look back at the last three playoff years road games, it has been all blow outs and our go to player (a.k.a bye bye Joe) did nothing to help. you can’t ave 12points a game in the 2nd round of the playoff and as the go to man and think the fans are going to happy with that.

Hawker P

June 29th, 2010
2:31 pm

Trade JJ for Bosh and some cash.

mantis

June 29th, 2010
4:48 pm

Joe Johnson is overrated. At least Kobe Bryant can put up the numbers to justify his crybaby antics.

If we get some good quality big men (Carlos Boozer would make a good addition to the Hawks), then the Hawks can continue to take it to the next level. I think Jamal Crawford is more than capable of replacing Joe Johnson, and and I have a feeling that young Jordan Crawford is going to be surprising a lot of people this season.

LD

June 29th, 2010
10:09 pm

It’s funny because I will be reading some articles about the Hawks, and start shaking my head about the writer who made the article, and every time I’m laughing or shaking my head, I will scroll up to see who wrote it, and it’s always you. It’s pathetic, but funny. Let’s see if you can write another article where I start laughing. Keep up the ‘awesome’ writing

- Patrick Darvin

Hawks fans: Are we looking in the wrong direction? – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | DepositCasino.net

June 30th, 2010
6:40 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Hawking hour « Sports Plop

June 30th, 2010
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[...] Hawking hour Jump to Comments The longed-for, prayed-against NBA Free Agency period starts up as soon as you can say tomorrow’s here. The Hawks, as is their way in these types of things, are just good enough to be completely forgotten. They will not end up with a big-name free agent unless that “big-name” is the one that nobody in Atlanta seems to want anymore. [...]

Vick-Ryan2-7

July 1st, 2010
4:44 pm

Joe Must Go! I used to love Joe Johnson. Not anymore. We’re offering him a max contract?!?! Seriously! He better but up no less than 28.5 ppg, and 7 assts, and actually do good in the clutch and not rely on Josh Smith to put it back (love you Josh), and gets some consistency. He should go, and we should trade Josh Smith or Marvin Williams, even though i lvoe them both, move al up to PF, sign Amare at C, and go out and get a decent sg, leave crawford on the bench for now because I dont see Bibby liking being a 6th man. Or while were at it, trade Bibby too, to help get Amare or help with a Sg. Thats just one fans opinion.

Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks Re-sign Joe Johnson to Ridiculous Contract – AOL News | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 2nd, 2010
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[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson Hesitating To Accept Hawks’ Max Offer – RealGM.com | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 3rd, 2010
2:35 am

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson’s having max contract remorse – ProBasketballTalk (blog) | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 3rd, 2010
7:02 am

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Not About the Money? Why Joe Johnson Is Better Off Joining Another Team – Bleacher Report | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 3rd, 2010
9:09 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson could sign w/ Hawks by Monday – msnbc.com | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 4th, 2010
1:49 am

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – All-star guard Joe Johnson decides to remain in Atlanta with six-year deal – The Canadian Press | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 4th, 2010
5:19 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson Will Sign With Atlanta Hawks for Six More Years, Agent Says – Bloomberg | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 4th, 2010
10:48 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Reports: Swingman Joe Johnson Re-signs With Hawks – AHN | All Headline News | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 5th, 2010
9:57 am

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson: Why the Knicks Are Lucky They Didn’t Sign – Bleacher Report | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 5th, 2010
3:25 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson’s contract with Atlanta Hawks renewed – Examiner.com | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 5th, 2010
8:53 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – ArkansasSports360.com: Joe Johnson Becomes Atlanta’s $120 Million Man – Arkansas Business Online | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 6th, 2010
1:38 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Joe Johnson – Joe Johnson agrees to stay with the Atlanta Hawks – Belmont Sports News (blog) | Music, Songs, Music Videos and Guitar

July 6th, 2010
7:07 pm

[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

Does anybody in Atlanta actually want Joe Johnson to stay?

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Does anybody in Atlanta actually want Joe Johnson to stay?

303 comments Add your comment

About Mark Bradley

We’ve Moved!

One Subscription. Total Access.

Search this blog

Recent Posts

Archives

More from the AJC

Categories

Bradley's blogroll (sports)

Bradley's other fave sites

More Bradley Bloviation

All AJC blogs »

Tell us what you think about the site

Subscribe »

Customer Care »

AJC Services

Sections

Other Editions

Guides

Affiliates

Advertising

AJC Sites