AJC.com: JJ speaks - Hawks need to make a trade...

[flava]

Johnson makes plea for help

Hawks' star guard prods management to make big trade

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/31/07

Joe Johnson is a quiet man by nature. Actions, you see, have always meant more to him than words.

Always have. Always will.

So it was with painstaking care that Johnson chose his words on the subject of his third season as captain and resident star of the Atlanta Hawks.

There was supposed to be more help. Some other big-time free agent. Another up and coming veteran to help do some of the heavy lifting.

Yet when the Hawks open the 2007-08 season tonight against the Dallas Mavericks at Philips Arena, Johnson will take the floor the same way he did on Nov. 2, 2005 in Oakland, his first regular-season game in a Hawks uniform. He will be flanked by an assortment of promising young talents still in the formative stages of their careers.

"I knew it was a rebuilding situation where they had a lot of young guys and they wanted me to come in and help lead them in the right direction," Johnson said. "But at the same time, there were supposed to be some more pieces, some more free agents. They talked about it again this past summer. But as you can see, nothing happened.

"It's been frustrating ... it's hard. We can only do so much as players. But I don't even know what's next. I love the guys we have. This team, we're a tight-knit group. And we've been through all the ups and downs together. But at some point, you just want to see a little relief come along so we can all have a fighting chance to do what we do best and get this team to the playoffs."

That night in Oakland was the first of nine straight losses to start the season for the Hawks, who finished the 2005-06 season just 26-56. A 30-52 season followed, though it included an All-Star nod for Johnson.

Still, some 56 wins and 108 losses after he agreed to become the centerpiece of the Hawks' rebuilding plan, there have been no other comparable additions to the one the Hawks got in the 6-foot-7, 235-pound Johnson, who at 26 is just now heading into the prime of his career.

"He might not have the oversized persona of some of the guys people consider superstars but he's got the game," said New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, a teammate of Johnson's on the U.S. National Team and with Jordan Brand, two elite squads both players were picked for the past two years. "Joe's a silent assassin. He'll stick you for 30 points, nine assists and eight rebounds without saying a single word the entire game. It's crazy how he let's his game do all the talking."

Johnson, who has averaged 20 and 25 points, respectively in his first two seasons with the Hawks, is talking now.

He has to speak now or forever hold his peace, now that he's nearing the halfway point of the five-year, $70 million deal he signed with the Hawks as a restricted free agent with Phoenix in the summer of 2005. A sign-and-trade deal followed as Johnson came to the Hawks for Boris Diaw and draft picks.

Johnson isn't looking for sympathy. He's looking for help. He's looking for answers. He's looking for solutions.

And he's not afraid to admit it.

Never has been. Never will be.

"I believe Joe said it loudly after signing with us that he had to be the first piece and that we had to add other free agents along with him," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson, whom Johnson has grown extremely close to over the past two seasons. "And that hasn't happened so far. So he might have concerns and maybe some reservations, like any guy in his situation would.

"I do know that we have Josh [smith] and Josh [Childress] and Marvin [Williams]. Their contracts are coming up now and over the next year, so there will have to be some things done to secure their futures if we're going to keep them all. In the big picture, though, I think Joe is exactly right and that we're still going to have to go out and sign some more big name free agents. Unless these young guys turn a major corner this year, which we're all hoping they can, that's still going to have to be a part of our process at some point."

The Hawks have had the necessary resources — high draft picks, expiring contracts, young assets and salary cap space — in each of the past two seasons to be major players in the free agent fireworks that light up every summer.

But all they have to show for it is veteran point guard Speedy Claxton, whose injuries (broken finger, cartilage tear in his knee) limited him to just 42 games last season and will keep him on the inactive list to start this season.

The Hawks were all over the draft rumor mill this past summer, the sexiest story had them getting Johnson's old teammate in Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire, in a three-way trade that the general managers for both teams swear was never on the table.

Hawks general manager Billy Knight said the same things he presented to Johnson during his 45-mintue recruiting pitch two summers ago in a Las Vegas hotel suite are the same things that have come to fruition, albeit a bit slower than perhaps Johnson would have liked.

"The message we relayed to him is that we were building a team and he could be a major part of what we're doing," Knight said. "And we knew from watching him over his first few years in the league that Joe was a perfect fit for our team.

"He's a versatile, multi-position player that can do a lot of things on the court. I thought he could blossom into an All-Star level player and those are the things you talk to him about. And those things have happened. We think this is the year we can make a move and make drastic improvements as a team. We think we can be a lot better this year. And Joe is a cog in that, a main cog."

Johnson could have been a main cog elsewhere and avoided all the drama his signing with the Hawks caused — the Hawks' ongoing ownership feud was triggered by part owner Steve Belkin's opposition to signing and trading players and draft picks for Johnson rather than calling the Suns' bluff that they would match any offers made to the then restricted free agent.

But he chose to stick with the Hawks, even when legal maneuvering forced him to wait until late August to finally sign his deal.

"I had a few teams come at me that summer and they backed out because Phoenix put the word out that they were going to match anything," Johnson said. "A lot of teams were like, 'Why take a chance on Joe Johnson when you're not going to get him anyway.' And all along, Phoenix wasn't going to match. They were just scaring teams off. They didn't scare Atlanta off. The Hawks stayed in there. I'll always remember that."

Cleveland, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers were three of the other teams that pursued Johnson and backed out. All three have been to the playoffs since; the Cavs lost in the NBA Finals in June.

"Yeah, I guess you could come up with all sorts of ways that I could have ended up somewhere else if things had been handled the right way in Phoenix," Johnson said. "But the Hawks stuck with me when no one else wanted to fight that battle. Atlanta backed up all the things they said to me."

That's why Johnson insists his loyalty to the Hawks knows no bounds, even if that means having to grind through the young(er) Hawks' growing pains.

It's also one of the traits he admires most in others.

Always has been. Always will be.

"I knew the type of guy he was, the type of guy he is," Knight said. "He's a high-character guy and a hard working guy. Without going into any particulars, those are all the type of things you talk to a guy about when [you're making your pitch to him]. You tell him to come and join you and be a part of this. And Joe did that. And I love the guy for it. All the stuff we had to go through to get him here ... that was a big step, and he never wavered in his commitment to us."

That doesn't mean Johnson will hesitate to speak up now, something he admitted he needs to do more of on and off the court.

He knows the clock is ticking. If the Hawks want to end their NBA-worst, eight-year playoff drought they have to make the first move.

That's why he's convinced it's time to wade into the deep waters and make a major move, be it a bold one like Boston made this summer in acquiring All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with All-Star Paul Pierce or even a more subtle one like Charlotte did in adding Jason Richardson.

"I feel like we could have been one of those teams making those major moves [over the summer]," Johnson said. "We need to make some big moves, too. There's nothing wrong with going for it."

Never has been. Never will be.

[flava]

interesting article - our very quiet team leader finally speaks - i pray management will listen. get another vet, even if it means giving up some talent like childress...

flava

[khaos7]

This speaks volumes. Joe stopped short of saying, "we don't have the pieces to compete." He's a classy guy. However, he practices with this team every day. He's seen the growth, or lack thereof, of his teammates. Him voicing displeasure about the Hawks lack of activity implies he doesn't think the team is ready to make a step to the playoffs...this year at least. I just didn't "smell" any optimism in what he said, in terms of this year.

[AnnArborHawk]

It's hard to disagree with Joe here, but I seriously have to take issue with the timing.

Right now the Hawks are as confident as they've been in a long time with 2 solid rookies, Marvin seemingly hitting his stride in the preseason, and riding high on a 7-1 preseason record. You've got these guys playing well together and very confident.

Why would you then, as the star player, play buzzkill and come out and basically say we don't have the talent to make the playoffs.

If Joe made these comments prior to training camp (which would seem the appropriate time to make them) and Sekou held onto them for opening night, then shame on him.

Either way, this is bad timing on somebody's part. Is Joe going to change the chant in the huddle from "1,2,3 playoffs" to "1,2,3 we should have better players?".

Woodson didn't help either. Where's the capitalizing on the strong preseason to rally the troups for what could be an electric night at Philips on Friday.

[gthawkball]

It is interesting to hear something come from JJ. I don't necessarily think management always needs to do what the players request/ask, but in this situation I think it would be a good thing.

[jerrywest]

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It's hard to disagree with Joe here, but I seriously have to take issue with the timing.

Right now the Hawks are as confident as they've been in a long time with 2 solid rookies, Marvin seemingly hitting his stride in the preseason, and riding high on a 7-1 preseason record. You've got these guys playing well together and very confident.

Why would you then, as the star player, play buzzkill and come out and basically say we don't have the talent to make the playoffs.

If Joe made these comments prior to training camp (which would seem the appropriate time to make them) and Sekou held onto them for opening night, then shame on him.

Either way, this is bad timing on somebody's part. Is Joe going to change the chant in the huddle from "1,2,3 playoffs" to "1,2,3 we should have better players?".

Woodson didn't help either. Where's the capitalizing on the strong preseason to rally the troups for what could be an electric night at Philips on Friday.

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Good post. This sure sounds like a month old. Wrong timing for Joe. Is Woody picking a fight with BK? wow.

[WraithSentinel]

JJ has for the most part gone untouch in terms of being criticized. However, this one he stuck his foot in his mouth. He knew damn well what he was getting into. What great FA has there been the last two seasons that we could have went after and got? The team tried the FA market. Look what it got us. A lockerroom guy and a bum knee PG. I think it might be best for JJ to lead by example instead of words. If he is close to Woodson and Woodson get off to a terrible start. Is JJ going to demand a trade if Woodson is fired?

[jerrywest]

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Johnson said. "We need to make some big moves, too. There's nothing wrong with going for it."

Never has been. Never will be.

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Don't agree with that. Sometimes you could mortgage your future for old wash outs.

[khaos7]

JJ is voicing the same displesure fans on this blog have done time and time again. Either Billy is scared to pull the trigger on a deal and do something that can propel this team into the playoffs or the Spirit is tight on the purse strings. And for those saying the Hawks are building this team the right way, the right way also means using some of the capital you gained from losing (draft picks/cap room) and going to get veteren talent. Sure the timing might be a bit off for JJ to say all of this. However, perhaps he's giving it to the fans and Sekou Smith straight;Maybe he's saying the Hawks' players are trying real hard, but we won't make a move towards the playoffs without any veteren help. That's what it sounds like he's saying. As a Hawks fan, this interview was a downer, but it may be our reality.

[khaos7]

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Johnson said. "We need to make some big moves, too. There's nothing wrong with going for it."

Never has been. Never will be.

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Don't agree with that. Sometimes you could mortgage your future for old wash outs.

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Taking this summer's activity (or lack thereof) and putting JJ's comments into context, I believe (after hearing her reached out to Amare) that JJ felt we could have snagged a Garnett or Amare, not a has been or washed up cat. I know what people in the papers have said (that the Suns deal was a rumor). However, I believe JJ believed something could have taken place, but the Hawks choose not to do anything. When you see a Boston get Garnett, Orlando get Lewis, Charlotte get Richardson, and you hear all the pundits says "the Hawks have the players to pull off a deal" or on draft night hear "the Hawks are involved in a potential trade for Amare Stoudamire", as a player I think I'd be frustrated too.

[Peoriabird]

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the Hawks have the players to pull off a deal" or on draft night hear "the Hawks are involved in a potential trade for Amare Stoudamire", as a player I think I'd be frustrated too.

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And What would you say when Stoudamire knee gives out this year or next year like Speedy's knees?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

It still doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a chance on acquiring one of the best big men in the game. I don't think that deal was serious in the first place, so it's a moot point.

JJ needs to see how this will play out . . at least until January. Making a move right now would be pretty counterproductive, if you don't add and subtract the right piece. Right now, it's hard to say which piece we need to subtract, in order to get the right mix here.

Those expiring contracts will come in real handy by the trade deadline. So if some team wants to get rid of a disgruntled player that can help us, the Hawks may pull the trigger.

Until then, JJ and the rest of the Hawk faithful, need to just chill for a while, and see how this develops.

[Peoriabird]

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It still doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a chance on acquiring one of the best big men in the game.

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Yes it does if the history of this surgery has the player in decline 2 years after the surgery! I'd rather wait on Horford & Law!

[WraithSentinel]

Horford very well could be the next up and coming big man in the league.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Why the hell say/post this right before the season???????

[atlien]

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This speaks volumes. Joe stopped short of saying, "we don't have the pieces to compete." He's a classy guy. However, he practices with this team every day. He's seen the growth, or lack thereof, of his teammates. Him voicing displeasure about the Hawks lack of activity implies he doesn't think the team is ready to make a step to the playoffs...this year at least. I just didn't "smell" any optimism in what he said, in terms of this year.

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Yeah, I got a bad feeling from this one too...

[DavidSomerset]

I can't think of any other "big name" player out there that's available.

Seems like weird timing to come out with something like this...I would have expected this in the offseason, but 2 days before the season starts???

Strange...

Kobe is the only one that comes to mind for me.

I would have to figure JJ would have to be included in the deal, though.

Plus, as I've heard, Kobe wouldn't want to come here anyways.

What do yall think??

[BusBoyIsBack]

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Plus, as I've heard, Kobe wouldn't want to come here anyways.

What do yall think??

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I think he pulled a Kobe with some uncharacteristic cancerous comments

What the hell was JJ thinking???

And if he said this a while back what the hell was Sekou Smith thinking???

[WraithSentinel]

I don't know what the hell JJ is thinking. It sucks hearing this as fan. Many of us here have went out of our way to defend and justify the trade for him. What do the guys on this team think?

[BusBoyIsBack]

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I don't know what the hell JJ is thinking. It sucks hearing this as fan. Many of us here have went out of our way to defend and justify the trade for him. What do the guys on this team think?

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I've gotta hope that Sekou screwed up on this one and reported this late

Unfortunately if that's the case that is just as bad if not worse

Way to blow the excitement 2 days before the season opener