Okay.......I'm starting wonder about JJ

[HawkItus]

5. One-On-One ... To Five

Johnson

Five questions with Hawks guard Joe Johnson:

Q: How did you get back so fast after elbow surgery [in December]?

A: I'm doing all right. I'm feelin' good. The elbow's great.

From game to game [before the surgery] the pain varied. Sometimes I could just kind of shake it and it would kind of go away. But a lot of times there was a little click in there, and I didn't know what it was.

It was hard to be sitting over there watching. Then when Jamal [Crawford] went down, with me and him being the two primary scorers, I just took it on myself to get back as soon as possible.

Q: How have the fans embraced you in Atlanta after all the tension in the playoffs last season?

A: It's been cool. No problems. I'm just doin' whatever I'm asked to do. The fans have been great. When we go home and play, they've been great and making it a hostile environment.

Q: But are you a little worried that you've lost ground in the East with all the moves teams like Miami, Boston and Orlando have made while you guys basically have the same team?

A: I don't think we've lost ground. I think we're OK. We haven't made moves, but we've got guys who are definitely getting better every year and coming into their own.

Q: You got a bigger contract than anyone last summer. Does that give you a huge sense of security? Or is it big pressure?

A: Nah. It's no pressure. Doesn't matter whether it's out of the way or the amount it was.

I fly under the radar, man. I make it a point to do that. I like that.

Q: And you still feel under the radar even after getting the big contract?

A: Definitely. Definitely. Definitely.

I like JJ and all, but when you sign for that kind of money, you become a battleship on the radar.

[Joker]

The whole thing was questionable. LOL at the hostile environment comment. It's clear Joe doesn't tell the true when asked a question. He did mention talk of a trade. I am about to add some more clips of what could be a key piece of the Hawks next season.

[JackB1]

Who are these guys that are "getting better and coming into their own"?

I can't think of anyone besides Horford?

Joe has got to be one of the worst interviews. I would rather watch reruns of Atlanta Housewives.

[benhillboy]

Just doesn't have the same effect without seeing the head-scratching, looking down at the floor, and saying "man" after every sentence.

[lethalweapon3]

Joe is the Alfred E. Neuman of the NBA.

~lw3

[buckeye242424]

C'mon guys, it's been over a half a decade we've been watching/listening/reading Joe Johnson. He doesn't want the limelight, the camera in his face, the interviews. It's just who he is, and just because he's broken the bank, twice, doesn't give us reason to critique him more. He's paid to play basketball, and he does it pretty damn well....especially for the Atlanta Hawks.

[Wretch]

C'mon guys, it's been over a half a decade we've been watching/listening/reading Joe Johnson. He doesn't want the limelight, the camera in his face, the interviews. It's just who he is, and just because he's broken the bank, twice, doesn't give us reason to critique him more. He's paid to play basketball, and he does it pretty damn well....especially for the Atlanta Hawks.

Joe doesn't want to be the leader of this team...that much is clear. I think it's ridiculous that we have 3 co-captains, but w/e..................

[GameTime]

Who are these guys that are "getting better and coming into their own"?

I can't think of anyone besides Horford?

Joe has got to be one of the worst interviews. I would rather watch reruns of Atlanta Housewives.

Has Horf really gotten better though? Statistically you could are his passing has improved. The points have increased because he is getting more shots off. I have seen his jumper improve but he still needs consistent post moves to be a go-to scorer. Horf has always been this good on D since we got him.

Don't get it wrong I think Horford is our centerpiece and 16-10-4 for a Center/PF is really good. But if I think he has possibly peaked (Hopefully he can get some go to post moves). Sure if he gets more shots off he will score more.

Edited February 11, 2011 by GameTime

[Wretch]

Has Horf really gotten better though? Statistically you could are his passing has improved. The points have increased because he is getting more shots off. I have seen his jumper improve but he still needs consistent post moves to be a go-to scorer. Horf has always been this good on D since we got him.

Don't get it wrong I think Horford is our centerpiece and 16-10-4 for a Center/PF is really good. But if I think he has possibly peaked (Hopefully he can get some go to post moves). Sure if he gets more shots off he will score more.

Horf is a 20/10 waiting to happen. Especially if he can keep his FG% up. Personally I don't think he's peaked. Especially if he improves his inside game.

[Joker]

Horf is a 20/10 waiting to happen. Especially if he can keep his FG% up. Personally I don't think he's peaked. Especially if he improves his inside game.

Horford is getting better, Smith is getting better, Teague is slowly getting better, Marvin is getting better, and Jordan should get better. But how much better is the question. I think we topped out as a team with this current roster but I don't think players won't stop getting individually better.

Edited February 12, 2011 by nbasuperstar40

[Sothron]

I wish we could trade Smoove straight up for SAR in his prime. Imagine having SAR on the team not just for low post and good outside shooting with great free throw shooting but the interviews he could have with Joe Johnson. Who could be more quiet? My money is on SAR.

[Joker]

I wish we could trade Smoove straight up for SAR in his prime. Imagine having SAR on the team not just for low post and good outside shooting with great free throw shooting but the interviews he could have with Joe Johnson. Who could be more quiet? My money is on SAR.

Between Antoine Walker and SAR, I don't know who I hated more who played for the Hawks. Oh yeah but my most hated, Shelden.

[Atlantaholic]

Between Antoine Walker and SAR, I don't know who I hated more who played for the Hawks. Oh yeah but my most hated, Shelden.

How can you hate SAR? What did the guy do besides play well for us???

[Joker]

How can you hate SAR? What did the guy do besides play well for us???

I hated everything about him. His fake impact. His always blocked FGA's, that stupid move he used to do in the post which was a walk that refs rarely called. His demeanor. He was a loser. Just as big as a loser as J.R. Rider. At least it was mental for Rider, with SAR, he tried but wasn't good enough. He only got always with his crap unlike Walker since nationally he played in Atlanta and Memphis/Vancouver which no one cared about and still don't. He was every bit as annoying to watch as Walker. I would take Smith even on his dumb days before I think about SAR again. That guy was a loser, I take an idiotic talent who wants to win before I take a loser.

Edited February 12, 2011 by nbasuperstar40

[niremetal]

I hated everything about him. His fake impact. His always blocked FGA's, that stupid move he used to do in the post which was a walk that refs rarely called. His demeanor. He was a loser. Just as big as a loser as J.R. Rider. At least it was mental for Rider, with SAR, he tried but wasn't good enough. He only got always with his crap unlike Walker since nationally he played in Atlanta and Memphis/Vancouver which no one cared about and still don't. He was every bit as annoying to watch as Walker. I would take Smith even on his dumb days before I think about SAR again. That guy was a loser, I take an idiotic talent who wants to win before I take a loser.

I can't speak for Atlantaholic, but I still don't understand what you're hating on SAR for. Are you blaming him for not being more talented? You're saying you'd rather have a jackass/headcase like JR Rider who squandered his talent rather than an all-around good guy like SAR who gave it his all but didn't have the natural-born ability to do more? Or is your gripe that he always played on losing teams? If it's that, you could say similar (actually scarily similar) things about pre-Hawks Jamal.

I find it hard to "hate" a good man who gave good effort and consistently played good ball.

[Atlantaholic]

I can't speak for Atlantaholic, but I still don't understand what you're hating on SAR for. Are you blaming him for not being more talented? You're saying you'd rather have a jackass/headcase like JR Rider who squandered his talent rather than an all-around good guy like SAR who gave it his all but didn't have the natural-born ability to do more? Or is your gripe that he always played on losing teams? If it's that, you could say similar (actually scarily similar) things about pre-Hawks Jamal.

I find it hard to "hate" a good man who gave good effort and consistently played good ball.

Yeah, obviously I agree with you nire. Our ineptitude during the Reef years had a lot more to do with Ira Newble, Jacques Vaughn, Dion Glover, Dermarr Johnson, Cal Bowdler, Alan Henderson, Nazr Mohammed, Glenn Robinson etc. All Shareef did is go out and put up 20 ppg and 9 rpg virtually every night with good efficiency.

[Joker]

I can't speak for Atlantaholic, but I still don't understand what you're hating on SAR for. Are you blaming him for not being more talented? You're saying you'd rather have a jackass/headcase like JR Rider who squandered his talent rather than an all-around good guy like SAR who gave it his all but didn't have the natural-born ability to do more? Or is your gripe that he always played on losing teams? If it's that, you could say similar (actually scarily similar) things about pre-Hawks Jamal.

I find it hard to "hate" a good man who gave good effort and consistently played good ball.

No, you are not understanding me. He asked why I didn't like SAR, I gave him my answer. I like Smith a lot better than SAR. I never said I like or cared about Rider. Rider was irrelevant, he didn't really last long and wasn't much of a factor. SAR was suppose to be good. He was nothing but a bunch of empty stats who always had his shot blocked. The way Diesel feels about Marvin is the way I feel about SAR. I really never want to see that guy in anything Hawks again, he was a very bad chapter to Hawks Basketball for me. The only thing I like was the buzzer beater v. MJ's Wizards. That was it. Jamal was/is good, his problem is he's not a starter because his shot selection is poor, low BBIQ, and he can be selfish. He's still the same player he was when he was younger, nothing worst, it's just that he is in a role that he's made for. SAR was perfect for his role in Atlanta. Being an empty stats loser who couldn't lead a team to the playoffs with a talent like Mad Dog which was just as good as the Bucks who went to the ECF a couple years before. You can compare him to Jamal but Jamal was never expected to be savior or traded for Pau Gasol. Jamal came to the Hawks as a 6th man for Acie Law and Speedy who were total non factors for us. He superseded expectations and won the 6th man of the year and even if traded is on his way to winning 6th man of the year in back to back years.

He is a poor man's Al Jefferson.

[capstone21]

No, you are not understanding me. He asked why I didn't like SAR, I gave him my answer. I like Smith a lot better than SAR. I never said I like or cared about Rider. Rider was irrelevant, he didn't really last long and wasn't much of a factor. SAR was suppose to be good. He was nothing but a bunch of empty stats who always had his shot blocked. The way Diesel feels about Marvin is the way I feel about SAR. I really never want to see that guy in anything Hawks again, he was a very bad chapter to Hawks Basketball for me. The only thing I like was the buzzer beater v. MJ's Wizards. That was it. Jamal was/is good, his problem is he's not a starter because his shot selection is poor, low BBIQ, and he can be selfish. He's still the same player he was when he was younger, nothing worst, it's just that he is in a role that he's made for. SAR was perfect for his role in Atlanta. Being an empty stats loser who couldn't lead a team to the playoffs with a talent like Mad Dog which was just as good as the Bucks who went to the ECF a couple years before. You can compare him to Jamal but Jamal was never expected to be savior or traded for Pau Gasol. Jamal came to the Hawks as a 6th man for Acie Law and Speedy who were total non factors for us. He superseded expectations and won the 6th man of the year and even if traded is on his way to winning 6th man of the year in back to back years.

He is a poor man's Al Jefferson.

I was a big SAR fan. We needed a point guard back then....JT was a bad pg (he is a good undersized sg).

[Joker]

Yeah, obviously I agree with you nire. Our ineptitude during the Reef years had a lot more to do with Ira Newble, Jacques Vaughn, Dion Glover, Dermarr Johnson, Cal Bowdler, Alan Henderson, Nazr Mohammed, Glenn Robinson etc. All Shareef did is go out and put up 20 ppg and 9 rpg virtually every night with good efficiency.

Newble was a role player, most teams in the league at that time was starting a Newble type, Orlando was a prime example. Glover was the same. Demarr had talent and was about to breakout before the accident. Nazr was an average center with Theo. No different than the Bucks who almost won the East. Vaughn sucked but he wasn't much worst than today's Bibby. He was smart, got us into the offense and unlike Bibby, he played defense. He just sucked on offense.

Vaughn

JT/DeMarr

Big Dog

Crap

Theo/Ratliff

That was a talented roster on paper. Look at the Bucks a couple years earlier

Cassell

Allen

Big Dog

Jason Caffey/Thomas

Mark Pope

They went to the ECF and should have went to the Finals as the best team in the East. Us with Crap leading us didn't even touch the playoffs. Playoff bound Hawks my @ss.

I was a big SAR fan. We needed a point guard back then....JT was a bad pg (he is a good undersized sg).

JT wasn't in a combo PG friendly system at the time and he was much more of a SG, I agree but he's was one of the reasons fans had a reason to watch. He was our best and most talented player, even as a tweener with a coach who wanted him to be a distributor. The coach really sucked too. Kruger is the worst coach I could think of since Weiss with Seattle. He was terrible. Good college coach, terrible pro coach.

I truly believe and we can't of course, if you which out SAR for Al Jefferson, we have a chance to beat NJ in the ECF and make it to the Finals for two straight years.

Jefferson is a very good PF who hasn't found a fit in the NBA yet. He would have been what we needed. JT wouldn't have cried to leave, Big Dog wouldn't have quit on us and we would have became really good. Just that one move. The NBA was really weak at those times. To think that Jefferson would have been the best PF in the East at the time shows how much more talent is in the NBA today.

Vaughn

JT/DeMarr

Big Dog

Al Jefferson

Theo/Ratliff

Contender but is easy out for the Lakers who would win titles each year.

Edited February 12, 2011 by nbasuperstar40