Joe's mythical "triple team"

[TroyMcClure]

I constantly read on this board about all of the double and triple teams that Joe gets. Well, I hardly ever see the man draw even a double team. This is the main justification for all of Joe's faults. I think it is a figment of imagination. I never see teams focused on Joe like that. You don't get to pound for 10 seconds every possession if you are doubled. Everyone gets picked up by two people in certain spots. Especially when you pound for forever and draw the entire collective focus of the defense before you drive for a floater. Joe isn't "double teamed" though. And I've never seen him "triple teamed" as I've read here often. If anyone has video proof, please post it. I don't see it. It's just basketball rhetoric, imo.

Tomorrow night is a big test. We have virtually the same records, but Utah is light years ahead of the Hawks as a consistently functioning team unit. They also just lost Larry Miller and I'm sure they will be digging deep emotionally for some time.

[High5]

You hardly ever see Joe draw a double team...? :ohmy:

[TroyMcClure]

You hardly ever see Joe draw a double team...? :ohmy:

Yeah, that's what I said. Why don't you post a few videos of Joe destroying a double team. There should be plenty of highlights out there, don't you think?

[EazyRoc]

I constantly read on this board about all of the double and triple teams that Joe gets. Well, I hardly ever see the man draw even a double team. This is the main justification for all of Joe's faults. I think it is a figment of imagination. I never see teams focused on Joe like that. You don't get to pound for 10 seconds every possession if you are doubled. Everyone gets picked up by two people in certain spots. Especially when you pound for forever and draw the entire collective focus of the defense before you drive for a floater. Joe isn't "double teamed" though. And I've never seen him "triple teamed" as I've read here often. If anyone has video proof, please post it. I don't see it. It's just basketball rhetoric, imo.

Tomorrow night is a big test. We have virtually the same records, but Utah is light years ahead of the Hawks as a consistently functioning team unit. They also just lost Larry Miller and I'm sure they will be digging deep emotionally for some time.

I think that needed to be said. Admittedly, I have only watched a handful of games in the past couple months. However, Joe hardly ever was double teamed and was never triple teamed when I watched him. In fact, Joe has had a lot of favorable 1 on 1 match ups with smaller players or has been left open on many occasions. Joe has let the entire city down with his piss poor play the last couple of months, and let the whole east coast down with that horrid showing in the All-Star game. Quite frankly, Joe has lost that 'it' factor. If you let me tell it, he needs to lose weight and get back to the 225 he was at when he first came here. He's blown up to 240 and is entirely too slow to beat anyone off the dribble. The lost weight will improve his conditioning, which will cut back on those lazy, 'dribble for 5 seconds and shoot a contested fadeaway' shots that he shoots. I mean think about it. When you're tired, huffing and puffing, are you going to take the ball to the hoop or shoot a half-assed jumpshot and hope it goes in ? I think Joe's problems begin and end with his weight. Hell, Baron Davis lost weight and it brought his career back to life. Maybe that's what Joe needs.

Edited February 22, 2009 by EazyRoc

[Peoriabird]

I constantly read on this board about all of the double and triple teams that Joe gets. Well, I hardly ever see the man draw even a double team. This is the main justification for all of Joe's faults. I think it is a figment of imagination. I never see teams focused on Joe like that. You don't get to pound for 10 seconds every possession if you are doubled. Everyone gets picked up by two people in certain spots. Especially when you pound for forever and draw the entire collective focus of the defense before you drive for a floater. Joe isn't "double teamed" though. And I've never seen him "triple teamed" as I've read here often. If anyone has video proof, please post it. I don't see it. It's just basketball rhetoric, imo.

Thank you. He certainly wasn't double teamed in that Sacramento game where he was being single covered by Bobby jackson. The Lakers ran a double team at him because he held the ball so long on just about every possesion but that was the exception and not the rule.

[Johnnybravo4]

Boy y'all really don't watch basketball. Stop looking at box scores...please!

[Atlantaholic]

Boy y'all really don't watch basketball. Stop looking at box scores...please!

[/quote

Yeah. Wtf?

JJ is double teamed almost the entire game almost every game... Sometimes the double team comes late, but it is almost always there.

[EazyRoc]

Boy y'all really don't watch basketball. Stop looking at box scores...please!

Uh..? You must haven't watched a Hawks game in a while. The games that I have watched in the past 2 months, Joe has not been getting consistently double teamed. In fact, the defense has never been this lax on Joe since he's been here. There's a difference and watching and really paying attention. It's obvious if you think we've been looking at box scores, then you haven't really been paying attention to the games you're watching.

[Kimsey]

Joe gets doubled but it's a "soft double". They don't force him to pick up his dribble or pass quickly, it's like a "zone double". He and/or the coaches need to do a better job of him finding the open man that is coming to front joe. He doesn't have enough speed to go around his defender so he basically dribbles in place while the shot clock is going down.

[Cwell]

yeah and Bibby just magically gets an open look from 3 everytime. Joe gets extra attention every time he touches it.

[capstone21]

Joe is constantly the focus of the opposing teams defense. THere is a reason Smith is ALWAYS left open on the perimeter. Joe always has the best defender on him and he gets doubled a lot.

[thefloydian]

I agree with the original poster. Also, Joe needs to learn how to dunk.

[Peoriabird]

yeah and Bibby just magically gets an open look from 3 everytime. Joe gets extra attention every time he touches it.

Teams collapse on most players that dribbles into the paint while leaving perimeter players open! That is defense 101!

[Peoriabird]

THere is a reason Smith is ALWAYS left open on the perimeter.

The reason is everybody knows that Smith can't shoot jump shots. Heck he is left open when Joe is on the bench so what's your point?

[capstone21]

The reason is everybody knows that Smith can't shoot jump shots. Heck he is left open when Joe is on the bench so what's your point?

The point is Joe is getting doubled while Smith is left open.

[Cwell]

Teams collapse on most players that dribbles into the paint while leaving perimeter players open! That is defense 101!

yeah,like Joe drives into the paint everytime he touches it. rrrrright.

[Peoriabird]

The point is Joe is getting doubled while Smith is left open.

Again, Smith is left open regardless of who else is on the court! Just like when other non shooters catch the ball on the perimeter, the other team's defense drops off. This is not unique to the Hawks or Joe Johnson.

[Peoriabird]

yeah,like Joe drives into the paint everytime he touches it. rrrrright.

I didn't say that he drove to the basket but he does work his way toward the painted area. You are just being a contrarian right because I know that you are not insinuating that Joe gets double teamed behind the arc or are you?

[capstone21]

THe point was that Joe isn't double teamed...but he is. Josh Smith is left open to double Joe

[Gray Mule]

If you pound the ball long enough, sure, there will be more than

one defender. If it's Josh they are leaving, the simple solution

is, have Josh dive inside for the easy dunk/layup shot.

In the Hawks offensive set they use right now, sooner or later,

someone comes to set a screen, usually whoever is playing center

at the time. Defense then collapses into the paint. Either JJ

passes out to an open 3 shooter or he throws up a prayer

if time is running out.

Whichever happens, there are five defensive players in position to

grab the rebound. It's either hit it or forget it. Great when it

works and Hawks score. Terrible things happen when they don't.

Maybe I'm not looking at what everyone else is, but that's what

I see happening game after game. Does anyone else see this?

Or, am I missing something?

:sad: