Props to JJ

[exodus]

Johnson a joy for coach, team

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/07/06

Joe Johnson wasn't at Hawks practice Thursday. He was given a well-deserved day off after the team snapped a three-game losing streak with Wednesday night's buzzer-beating win over Minnesota.

If Hawks coach Mike Woodson knows Johnson as well as he thinks, there's a good chance his co-captain and leading scorer was dreaming about basketball in his sleep.

"He's a throwback, man," Woodson said of the player that has carried the Hawks from last season's 13-69 record to the 23-51 mark they'll take into tonight's game against Washington at Philips Arena. "All he thinks about is playing basketball. I don't think the money plays a part in it. I know he wants to win. And I know this year has been tough. But the bottom line is he's done his part. He comes to work every day, and he's doing everything a leader is supposed to do."

In this case, that means taking a day off, something Johnson has had few of during his five pro seasons. The Hawks' iron man this year, Johnson has played in a staggering 350 straight regular-season games, second only to Toronto's Morris Peterson among active players.

In addition to playing every night, regardless of ailments or the pains of a grueling season, Johnson has put up All-Star numbers —- he leads the Hawks in such statistics as scoring (20.5), assists (6.7) and minutes (41.1).

Johnson has been the superstar the Hawks expected him to be when they engineered a sign-and-trade deal for him last summer that cost $70 million, two protected first-round draft picks and Boris Diaw, who's had a breakout season of his own in Phoenix. The debate about whether Johnson was worth the price will rage on, but his teammates have already decided.

"He's definitely exceeded my expectations," Josh Childress said. "I knew he was good, but I didn't know how good. Playing against him last year, we knew he was dangerous as a spot-up guy. I didn't get a chance to see his creative side, though, the way he makes plays for the rest of the guys on the floor. There are times when he's unstoppable because if he's not scoring, he's creating shots for everyone else."

Said Johnson's backcourt mate Royal Ivey: "He really has showed and proved this season, because Joe had a lot on his shoulders, and he's handled it the way you expect stars to handle it. He's as talented a player as he is a hard worker. And he leads by example. He competes, never backs down from anything and plays hard at all times. You have to follow suit when you have a leader like that."

Even when it appears that the season's grind has swallowed him up, Johnson displays a resiliency that belies his ultra-quiet nature. He shot just 5-for-12 in a loss to Memphis Sunday while battling sore feet, which have ailed him all season, and flu symptoms. But he's averaged 28.5 points (on 21-for-34 shooting and 6-for-10 from beyond the 3-point line) in the two games since, leading the Hawks to a near-upset of New Jersey Tuesday with a game-high 33 points and with a team-high 24 points in the win over Minnesota 24 hours later.

He has season-highs of 57 minutes, 42 points and 17 assists and is one of just five players —- Gilbert Arenas, Allen Iverson, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are the others —- averaging better than 20 points and six assists.

And then there's that streak.

"Three hundred and fifty straight games?" Ivey said. "That means he's played through everything, being sick, hurt or whatever. That's heart. There's no doubt he's gained the respect of his teammates."

Johnson has gained the respect of everyone that matters, his selection last month to the U.S. national team being the strongest evidence. But his breakout season will go largely unnoticed when the NBA's postseason honors are announced in the coming weeks.

Johnson won't get much attention for the league's most improved award, mostly because he was so good in Phoenix last season. And spots on the 15-man All-NBA team are hard to come by for superstars on winning teams, let alone those who toil in relative obscurity on rebuilding teams."

Remember that he had plantar fascitis in preseason and sat out two games. With all the minutes he has played it is a good bet that it never really healed.

[swolehawk2]

Succeed or fail, this stuff right here is why I like JJ and this seperates him from guys like JT and Al.

JT and Al talk about sick of the losing and how great it would be to be on a winning team. Everytime Al is in Indiana NJ NY Chicago he talks about how great it would be to play there.

Guys like JT and Al don't have the courage or game to try to help rebuild and turn around a franchise, they want the easy way out...let me ride to backs of better players on better teams.

JJ understands the situation and has not backed down from trying to help turn it around, succeed or fail...u have to respect a man like that.

[Traceman]

JJ has a GUARANTEED $70M contract that he chose to sign to come into a rebuilding situation. He would look like an idiot if he bitched about it after Phoenix offered him a relatively big money to stick around. He also has been here for only one season. Conversely, Al has been here for 2 seasons AND he is trying to get paid. JT was here a LOT longer than that and he never experienced winning. I guarantee you that if we pay Al anywhere near the kind of money JJ got, he would have a great attitude too. Same with JT.

Like I said, I LOVE JJ but it will also be interesting to see if JJ maintains a positive attitude if we continue to lose next year.

[swolehawk2]

JJ told Phoenix not to match....they would have... meaning he would have gotten the same money in PHX, correct?

So let me get this straight, we can pay Al more than any other team right?....BK says he wants him back....but instead of saying how much he would love to stay in ATL...he talks about how great it would be to play in

Chicago and NY and NJ and Madagascar and Chechekistan or any other place where he is interviewed.

I would want my GM to be reading that I think ATL is a great place to be ....how I think we are going in the right direction and how I want to stay and help continue to turn it around.

Instead of...man look at the talent this team has ..I think I would fit great in NY...blah ....blah..blah...if teams want AL they will make him an offer.

Why would a GM pay a player who really did not want to be there. If he wants to get paid and he wants to stay in ATL...why does he continue to talk about playing anywhere but ATL?

[Traceman]

probably think JJ is selfish because he was more concerned about "getting his" than he was about winning.

As for Al, he has said on NUMEROUS occasions that he would love to come back. He has also made it CLEAR that money would be a MAJOR factor in his decision. Yes, BK has SAID that he wanted Al back but he had the opportunity to show Al the money in the form of an extension and BK declined to do that - just as Phoenix declined to extend JJ. Why should Al limit his opportunities by indicating that it is his preference to stay in Atlanta? If I'm another team, I wouldn't want to feel as if I were a guy's fallback option. As a FA, I don't blame Al a bit for saying he would play ANYWHERE.