ANOTHER hater article on JJ and the Max

[TheNorthCydeRises]

These guys aren't going to stop, unless JJ has a MONSTER year . . or the Hawks make major noise in the playoffs. With all of the guys who are grossly overpaid in this league, they're worried about what JJ will be making 5 and 6 years from now, compared to some of the other star players in the league. Ima write this cat an e-mail, to explain to him what our damn situation was. I guess people just wanted us to let the dude walk, or pay him less money for him to leave us high and dry?

He doesn't go in on Joe for the entire article. It's more of an article that says that MAX players aren't what they used to be.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/steve_aschburner/07/19/max.guys/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[drzachary]

These guys aren't going to stop, unless JJ has a MONSTER year . . or the Hawks make major noise in the playoffs. With all of the guys who are grossly overpaid in this league, they're worried about what JJ will be making 5 and 6 years from now, compared to some of the other star players in the league. Ima write this cat an e-mail, to explain to him what our damn situation was. I guess people just wanted us to let the dude walk, or pay him less money for him to leave us high and dry?

He doesn't go in on Joe for the entire article. It's more of an article that says that MAX players aren't what they used to be.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/steve_aschburner/07/19/max.guys/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

Sure, stars can stack the deck, collude and take lower salaries. But it's not as if they wouldn't be getting the max in a real market. What a dumb *ss-clown.

[niremetal]

Sure, stars can stack the deck, collude and take lower salaries. But it's not as if they wouldn't be getting the max in a real market.

Yup. Funny how rarely that gets mentioned when people rush to talk about what a travesty it is that JJ is "out-earning" LeBron. Not to mention that if LeBron weren't getting the money he gets in endorsements, I'd bet anything that he wouldn't leave any money on the table.

[pimp]

Yup. Funny how rarely that gets mentioned when people rush to talk about what a travesty it is that JJ is "out-earning" LeBron. Not to mention that if LeBron weren't getting the money he gets in endorsements, I'd bet anything that he wouldn't leave any money on the table.

When you think about it, Lebron and Bosh really didn't sacrifice much , because florida has no income tax.

Edited July 20, 2010 by pimp

[thecampster]

So I read the article, took a second to digest it and have no idea what you are talking about. The article is historically, currently and contexturally accurate. The comparison made was Nowitski to Joe in the article and if you compare Dirk's production to Joe's I would have to say I'd rather have Dirk, it's really no contest and therefore the author's point is well taken that it's a strange world where Joe is paid the max but Lebron, Dirk, Wade are not.

[YP2K]

I hope that Joe Johnson proves us doubters wrong . . .

[NineOhTheRino]

Found this one from SI titled:

The worst moves of the offseason

• Hawks re-sign Joe Johnson to a six-year, $124 million deal

This is a spectacularly dumb move by Atlanta. Less than three months ago, Johnson was booed off his home court after "helping" the Hawks suffer the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA history (to Orlando, by an average margin of more than 25 points per game). Disappearing as a positive force when the games mattered most, Johnson shot just 30 percent and averaged 12.8 points during the series while delivering fewer assists and committing more turnovers than he did in the regular season. He also had the temerity to criticize Hawks fans for booing the team during a 30-point home loss in Game 3 -- earlier in the season, he had complained about the lack of enthusiasm and atmosphere for basketball in Atlanta.

After a fifth straight year of regular-season improvement, the Hawks had struggled to defeat a vastly inferior Bucks team (minus star Andrew Bogut) in the first round, renewing questions about their immaturity and lack of a killer instinct. If nothing else, the Orlando massacre demonstrated that the Hawks couldn't be regarded as serious contender for a championship if Johnson was their best player.

In response, Atlanta signed Johnson to the most expensive contract of the summer, a deal that will become more onerous with each passing season. Defenders of the move claim the Hawks couldn't afford the dramatic setback of Johnson's departure after their slow but steady climb from the depths of a 13-win season in 2004-05. But what was really at stake here? Johnson and Atlanta's fan base already have a relationship that is both fractious and indifferent (the 53-win team finished 18th in attendance last season), and the signing merely creates a more expensive status quo while hindering chances for significant future upgrades. At 29, Johnson is already well into his prime; it is almost certain that his first five years with the Hawks have been more productive than what he can generate in his next six.

Meanwhile, as the Heat and Bulls get better and the Magic and Celtics remain formidable, the Hawks have to hope that last year's shameful pratfall was all departed coach Mike Woodson's fault.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/britt_robson/07/20/bad.offseason.moves/#ixzz0uFX5JE7N

Edited July 20, 2010 by NineOhTheRino

[NineOhTheRino]

I hope that Joe Johnson proves us doubters wrong . . .

and I hope the '72 Cadillac Brougham ran off water and kool-aid instead of $2.60/gal gas.

haters hate....that's all they know

[TheNorthCydeRises]

So I read the article, took a second to digest it and have no idea what you are talking about. The article is historically, currently and contexturally accurate. The comparison made was Nowitski to Joe in the article and if you compare Dirk's production to Joe's I would have to say I'd rather have Dirk, it's really no contest and therefore the author's point is well taken that it's a strange world where Joe is paid the max but Lebron, Dirk, Wade are not.

But it's a stupid article, seeing that the only reason why Lebron and Wade aren't paid the max, is because they're all playing with each other . . and . . . that the Heat would've been forced to bring in ALL minimum contract players if they didn't. Lebron, Bosh and Wade's "sacrifice" was strictly done to sign the sharpshooter ( Mike Miller ) to a multi-year contract. If Lebron goes to NYC, he's not taking less than the MAX. If Wade goes to Chicago, he's not taking less than the MAX. Ish . . if JJ was the 3rd person to join Lebron and Wade in Miami, even JJ would've taken less to play with that squad.

Even in Dirk's situation, he was paid the MAX that he could've been paid for a 4 year contract. When Dirk opted out early, he was being paid at a MAX level. I think he was due almost 20 million next season. What the writer doesn't realize ( or flat out ignores ), is that Dirk opted out for the same reason why Pierced opted out . . . to get a new, multi-year big money contract before they turned 36. They both probably wanted to test the market while they were still a hot name ( and injury free ), but they also wanted their current teams to give them a big money extension . . which they did.

And especially in Dirk's case, the "Over 36 Rule" is the reason why he was only offered a 4 year contract at 20 million per year, instead of a 5 year contract at 20 million per year.

We were NOT securing Joe Johnson in Atlanta at 6 yrs - 100. A team like Chicago or NY would've frontloaded a 5 year - 100 million contract, and took JJ right from us. And then what we would've been left with? A big trade exeption? And who do you use that exception on, that will fill the void that JJ leaves at SG/SF? And how does that get us to that next level as a team.

And these writers would've still called JJ "overpaid" at 6/100.

Personally, as Danny Glover says on the Lethal Weapon movies . . those sportswriters that all of a sudden are "worried" about us and what we do, can all go (( bleep )) themselves. T facts are that JJ will NOT make 20 million a year, until around Year 4 of his contract.

We're trying to stay in contention as a team RIGHT NOW. When 2014 gets here, we can evaluate how JJ has played up until that point, and how it has correlated to the success or lack of success of the team.

But I be damned if JJ has the worst contract of the summer, when a guy like Tyrus Thomas got a 5 yr - 40 million dollar deal.

[benhillboy]

Has anyone seen any nationally-publicized articles that praise Joe's contract?

[YP2K]

Has anyone seen any nationally-publicized articles that praise Joe's contract?

Not really.

I said during ESPN's chat, the night before free agency started, that the Hawks were in a no-win situation when it came to commentary from the media knowitalls. I said that the media-types would call the Hawks losers whether we kept him for the max, or he walked otherwise.

But that does not mean it was a smart move to sign him for a franchise crippling max contract.

If he were worth it (a Kobe, Wade or Lebron-type), it would be one thing; but he's not worth it, and has proven throughout his career that he isn't . . .

He puts up decent stats during most regular season games, but has not shown up in the 2nd round of the playoffs two years in a row. He's been our 3rd best player at best during the past two post-seasons.

He needs to be a true difference maker in the playoffs going forward. He needs to not get shut down and shoot 30% from the field (18% from behind the arc) as an average for a post-season series.

I'd rather be proven wrong . . .

[BusBoyIsBack]

Not really.

I said during ESPN's chat, the night before free agency started, that the Hawks were in a no-win situation when it came to commentary from the media knowitalls. I said that the media-types would call the Hawks losers whether we kept him for the max, or he walked otherwise.

But that does not mean it was a smart move to sign him for a franchise crippling max contract.

If he were worth it (a Kobe, Wade or Lebron-type), it would be one thing; but he's not worth it, and has proven throughout his career that he isn't . . .

He puts up decent stats during most regular season games, but has not shown up in the 2nd round of the playoffs two years in a row. He's been our 3rd best player at best during the past two post-seasons.

He needs to be a true difference maker in the playoffs going forward. He needs to not get shut down and shoot 30% from the field (18% from behind the arc) as an average for a post-season series.

I'd rather be proven wrong . . .

He was worth it to our team. It's called supply and demand. Property in New York City cost far more than it cost in some country side

We were forced to overpay for Joe because we couldn't take the chance of him walking. If he walks we are an 8th seed at best for the forseeable future. With Joe Johnson we are a big man away from challenging the Magic for 2nd best team in the East over the next 5 years