Josh Smith says he's worth the max

[benhillboy]

Josh just being Josh. I like how he threw Joe under the bus with the quote, though. Joe made it easy for a lot of guys who are much better than him going forward to at least ask for max and see what happens. Josh should realize that coincidentally most past, current, or future max players appear within the Top 20 in PER. Not many around the 72nd mark.

Edited January 26, 2013 by benhillboy

[Wurider05]

You got to be kidding me. To me a max player ggves you at least 23-30 ppg a game. Josh is an above average player but that's it. How can you ask for a max contract when you have never made an allstar game. Almost doesn't count. Why would the organization make the same mistake twice? I think that Josh will become some else's Joe Johnson. The nerve of this guy. So help me god if this team gives this dude a max I will no longer support the team. I feel that strongly about it. We have gotten his best years so to hell with him. His atheltic ability is already eroding that's why he chucks so much. I am really starting to wonder what Ivan would give us with Josh' s minutes and amount of shots. Hell last night he was 7-20. How the hell does the worst shooting starter end up taking the most shots. Hell Al has a better case for a max contract than this clown. No way we make the same mistake twice. Josh is one of those players that will slack off once they get their money and he will show his ass to the organization and start making trade demands. All of a sudden he's a leader and a team player.

[Kimsey]

Easy way to handle this. Firstly it's not a demand as of now... but he thinks highly of himself just like 99% of athletes. Give him a lucrative contract but make it performance based.

Mainly free throws and FG percentage. He has to make atleast 48% overall on attempts and make 75% at the line or meet a certain amount of free throws made like 300 when he made 333 back in 2008.

All obtainable goals given he has met them in the past. We could be looking at a 21-22 ppg, 9 rebounds, 4 asst, 2 blk, 1.5 steals. If not agreeable, it's eventually time to part ways.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Josh just being Josh. I like how he threw Joe under the bus with the quote, though. Joe made it easy for a lot of guys who are much better than him going forward to at least ask for max and see what happens. Josh should realize that coincidentally most past, current, or future max players appear within the Top 20 in PER. Not many around the 72nd mark.

Joe made 3rd team All-NBA in the 2009 - 10 season. In the summer of 2010, he got his max deal. Every guy on each of those teams that year ( except Andrew Bogut ) either were playing under a max deal, or got a max deal in the immediate future.

And max deals are dished out to players according to how important a team thinks he may be to their franchise. This is why a struggling Cleveland may very well toss the max out to Josh. Josh and his agent probably know this. So they'll use that against the Hawks to get the maximum amount of money they can.

In other words, if a team like Cleveland offers Josh 4 yrs - 80 million . . . Josh may tell the Hawks to at least come at him with a 5 yr - 100 million deal. Would he sign for 5 yrs - 90 million? Maybe. That's a lot of money for the Hawks to invest in Josh though, especially when he's the least efficient offensive player on the team.

Edited January 26, 2013 by northcyde

[Eddielives]

Cue Diesel here with an Joe Johnson apologetics explanation of how max contract players cannot be held accountable for their on the court numbers...only their value to a team.

[coachx]

[DrReality]

Entitlement Still an adolescent

[Kimsey]

No team is going to give Josh 20 per year given the buyers remorse with Gay and Stat. Houston is the main threat as they offer big money and a chance to compete at a high level. The Rockets can fill their PF needs with a Millsap, Landry, and Jefferson for roughly half the cost. That's the smart move to make for them imo.

2014 is an intriguing class to save money for. For Atlanta, I think 2013 is where we make our mark.

[gsuteke]

I wasn't going to be "that guy" last night after the big comeback win but if you watch the tape of that game outside of fast breaks and lob passes smith is literally a black hole on offense. He disrupts ball movement and kills floor spacing for our shooters by camping out near the 3 point line all game. When he gets the ball out there his handles aren't good enough to take most defenders face to face off the dribble and his back to the basket move out there dribbling the ball trying to back his man into the paint from 20 ft out is just brutal. This guy needs a change of scenery and a reality check. He's good defensively, he can rebound, he passes and finishes well on the break but he is a killer in the half court on offense and that is keeping him from becoming an elite player and an All-star

[yungsta]

He is delusional. I have been saying this for the longest he thinks he is a superstar. Superstars actually show up in the playoffs and play good against elite teams.

He killed his trade value with that comment. Thanks alot smoove...

Edited January 26, 2013 by yungsta

[Guest]

No team will give him the max. A good gm like Daryl Morey of Houston wouldn't even trade for him much less give him the max this summer.

[MaceCase]

No team will give him the max. A good gm like Daryl Morey of Houston wouldn't even trade for him much less give him the max this summer.

Yup, Morey is WAY into analytics to spend that kind of dough on Josh. He's already been burned by Lin but he doesn't even make a quarter of a max and brings back way more revenue. For his history he's always played hardball on contract negotiations and looks for value in every deal he makes.Cleveland is supposedly saving up for 2014, have a plethora of young PFs already and multiple picks in a draft featuring another dozen.Jordan is a crap GM but Rich Cho isn't, they are too early in the talent acquisition stage to invest that kind of money but you never know. Would be an odd decision to go there for Mr. "I only got suspended because I'm passionate about winning" though.

[buckeye242424]

Love Smoove. I still have his dunk contest win with our beloved 'Nique jersey on"....floating on my desktop. He makes watching the Hawks the last 9 years exciting, and he's been abig part of the playoff visits we've had the last 6 years. He's also very fun to play with on the 2K series on 360 because I'm a loser and spend way too much of my life playing that damn game...always Hawks, ofcourse.

All that. No max dude.

If he really wants to stay in his hometown....he's gotta take a contractworth about 12 mill. a year. A five year deal about 60 million. I know he'll never do it, and another team will offer him much more....but, that's it in my eyes.

[benhillboy]

Cue Diesel here with an Joe Johnson apologetics explanation of how max contract players cannot be held accountable for their on the court numbers...only their value to a team.

There has to be something going on with, D. He posted 20 times a day during the offseason, now never. I'm sure he doesn't like how easily and cheaply we've replaced Joe. He wasted so much time and effort defending him.

[Bahamut]

Michael Jordan? LOL

[Kimsey]

It's okay to suggest a big contract so long as you don't sign one. Cough Joe

If I personally witnessed Joe Johnson sign the biggest contract in franchise history I might as well ask for bank. Again, so long as the demands aren't given.

[MrMeltdown]

If 14 mill per is what he calls max then I am fine with it. He will hurt more than help if you pay him anything more than 14 million per. 5 year $70 million is more than fair for a guy that does not look good often against good teams.

[coachx]

If 14 mill per is what he calls max then I am fine with it. He will hurt more than help if you pay him anything more than 14 million per. 5 year $70 million is more than fair for a guy that does not look good often against good teams.

I'd rather give Al Jefferson that contract.

[Ruckus]

I agree give it to Jefferson.

[TheFuzz]

I agree give it to Jefferson.

I'm not enamored with either player.