RealGM article"Johnson's Supporting Cast Is Ready"

[johnnyde]

Didn't see this posted, so here ya go.

http://www.realgm.com/src_fromtherafters/1..._ready_for_him/

The Hawks haven’t turned into a playoff team as quickly as Joe Johnson has hoped.

To be sure, the Hawks are horribly outplayed at the point guard position on a nightly basis, which is their single most glaring flaw. This doesn't help their 19.4 assist per game average, which is amongst the NBA's worst. On most halfcourt possessions, the Hawks work hard for a low-percentage shot, whether one with a high degree of difficulty or by settling for a jumper.

Mike Conley, Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Raymond Felton would help in this area, though Al Horford has the makings of one of the NBA's finest bigs, Marvin Williams is having a breakout year and Acie Law has been too injured to allow the Hawks to see what kind of player he will develop into.

But when is the Hawks' stagnation as a lottery team blamed as much on Johnson not playing like a genuine franchise player as it is on who they did or didn't draft a few years ago?

He has been an overlooked player, but has become overrated by being perennially underrated.

Johnson, who can create his own shot but is more of a versatile spot-up shooter (as he was in Phoenix), would greatly benefit from playing beside a genuine NBA starting point guard. He is forced to manage too much of the ball handling duties, as well as create his own shot, which he can't do as efficiently as the Kobe's and Wade's, particularly around the bucket.

By looking at my modified per game Win Score numbers (explanation article forthcoming), Johnson has been the 45th best player in the NBA this season, averaging 12.34 per game. Last season he averaged 12.86 per game. He’s amongst All-Stars in this range, but is far from elite.

Furthermore, his four best players, Josh Smith (13.89), Marvin Williams (11.72), Al Horford (10.38) and Josh Childress (9.35) have played decidedly better than the supporting casts around Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Michael Redd.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 12.92

Drew Gooden: 10.71

Daniel Gibson: 8.96

Sasha Pavolvic: 4.02

Lamar Odom: 8.89

Andrew Bynum: 12.69

Derek Fisher: 6.88

Luke Walton: 6.63

Shaquille O’Neal: 10.88

Udonis Haslem: 10.16

Ricky Davis: 8.02

Jason Williams: 7.30

Andrew Bogut: 11.17

Mo Williams: 10.69

Yi Jianlian: 7.30

Desmond Mason: 6.22

“I came here and thought we were going to add more pieces,” Johnson said recently. “But they really want to develop these young guys. I’m all for it, as long as they keep working hard and do what they are supposed to do.

“(Acquiring another veteran) hasn’t happened, but you have to roll with the punches and go with what you’ve got. Complaining only makes it worse. We have to fight this battle with what we’ve got, and we’re a pretty good team.”

While those supporting pieces are decidedly young, they are developing at a great clip and are ready for him to become the franchise player Atlanta thought they were trading for.

[Plainview1981]

I agree with the breakdown of JJ's game, but no... The Hawks other players are NOT ready for the playoffs.