AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 28 > Entry

Superstar?

HAWKSVILLE - The debate has gone on since the day Joe Johnson came to town.

Is he a real “superstar” or one of the many wanna-bes around the league that are paid like true superstars while only performing the corresponding duties occasionally?

With so many impostors running around the NBA these days it’s easy to see why this debate has lasted for so long.

But after watching Johnson as closely as we all have the past three-plus years, I can’t for the life of me figure out how anyone thinks he’s anything but a legitimate All-Star (the term I’d use for players like Johnson, guys that are No. 1 options on legitimate teams).

After his 41-point explosion to lead the Hawks over Chicago Saturday night an advance scout from an Eastern Conference power the Hawks have vanquished once already this season stopped me in the hallway to discuss this very subject.

“I love this dude, man,” my scout friend said. “He’s got so many different shots he can go with. He can put it on the floor. He can stroke it from deep. He can pass. He can play in the half court. He can go up and down the floor. I’m not saying he’s better than Carmelo [Anthony] or LeBron [James], but in a pure one-on-one situation, and I’m just saying purely him against another man with the ball and the basket between them, I might have to go with Joe because his game is so much more versatile right now.”

We didn’t have long to hash this one out since he was heading out the door for his next stop and I was on my way to the Hawks’ locker room for the post game scrum.

But what he said stuck with me overnight. Might he be on to something that I’m not seeing?

Because I’m a fan of the way both LeBron and Carmelo aren’t shy about bulling their way around inside when they want to dominate and demoralize opponents.

That’s the one and only knock I have about JJ’s approach. Having watched him when he was at Arkansas (he was barely 200 pounds back then but still had all the wicked off-the-dribble stuff he uses to this day), I realize just how smooth his game is. But if he wanted to play the like physical monster he is now (at a chiseled 240 pounds), he could really make life miserable for opposing teams.

I decided to look at it another way. Would I trade Joe Johnson straight up for Carmelo Anthony right now? I don’t think so. LeBron, of course, is another story. So I can see where my scout friend was going with his analysis.

The best part is we get to see Melo and Joe on the same floor Monday night and judge for ourselves which guys is more valuable to his team, which me be far more important than which one is the better player in general.

NO CONTEST: If they wanted to collect Mike Woodson’s ballot for Rookie of the Year today he’d be ready.

After watching Bulls point guard Derrick Rose shred his team for season scoring highs in both matchups so far this season, Woodson is convinced that the lightning-quick Rose is the man for the top spot.

“Rose is just a special young man in terms of his talent,” Woodson said after Saturday’s game. “He looks like he’s been in this league for a long time playing this game. He’s going to be good for a long time if he stays healthy.”

With time to review the tape from Saturday’s game, Woodson’s praise for Rose was even more effusive after his team’s practice Sunday.

“How good is Rose?” Woodson said. “That guy is ridiculous. He’s ahead of all these other young kids at the same stage. He has no fear. No fear. You’d be stupid not to pick him Rookie of the Year. He’s the real deal. You can’t double him. You can’t keep him in front of you. He can go get his shot anytime he wants to. They showed a stat the other night that said he was 95-10 in high school and in college he was 38-2. All he knows how to do is win.”

STREAKING: The Hawks have won four straight games with a chance to finish off their home stand with their fifth straight win.

It’s a huge rebound for a team that looked anything but confident during a humbling 0-3 swing through Texas.

Woodson believes the seeds for his team’s 7-1 turnaround since then began in Miami Dec. 12 with a huge win over the Southeast Division rival Heat.

“That was a huge game for us just in terms of getting back to playing the kind of basketball we’re used to,” Woodson said. “We needed one of those kinds of games to energize our team and move forward.”

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Comments

By Sautee

December 28, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this

Hi Sekou,

I believe that JJ is among the top 5 SG in the league. And probably in the top 10 SF if you put him there.

However, I can NOT annoint him even a budding superstar because he takes defensive possessions off at times (an incredibly poor example for his young teammates looking to him for leadership), and doesn’t trust Horford and Josh enough on offense.

A “Superstar” leads with effort on D and makes his teammates better by setting them up to succeed.

I’ll say it yet again:

We’ll never be a top echelon team until Joe starts trusting Josh, Al and Marvin.

By Joe

December 28, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this

Joe Johnson for MVP??? Why not??? Give me a reason he shouldn’t be!! I love this guy!! He is also a good sport unlike so many of today players.. Look at Paul pierce, he is a joke always crying about something!!!! You never see joe doing anything but playing hard stating cool!!! He means just as much to the hawks as lebron, Kobe, and chris paul mean to their team!!
JOE JOHNSON for MVP!!!!!!!!!!!!

By ES

December 28, 2008 6:21 PM | Link to this

Sekou -

Game 4 of the Celts/Hawks playoff series last year. If that wasn’t a superstar performance, I’m not sure what is.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 28, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this

Among the league’s backcourt players and swingmen, I would trade Joe for Kobe, LeBron, Chris Paul, or Dwyane Wade. Maybe Deron Williams, and maybe Derrick Rose solely based on potential. I would consider trading him for Chauncey Billups if they were the same age.

That’s about it.

I wouldn’t trade him for Carmelo, because every criticism that is applied to Joe by his critics can be applied to ‘Melo even more. Melo is a great scorer, but he’s not his team’s leader, he’s not the guy on his team who makes his teammates better, and he’s not a guy who keys the team’s defense.

So yeah, if Joe is anywhere between the 5th and 8th best backcourt player in the league, I’d say he’s a legitimate star. Maybe not an elite-level superstar like LeBron or Wade, but he’s definitely on that tier right below them.

By doc

December 28, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this

sekou, i have loved the guy from the beginning arguing with many his virtues and worth what we paid for him not counting the divorce that followed to give us the BASG. i called him d wade jr that year.

now that i have said that i will say i dont think he is a superstar but an all star who has potential to be a superstar. yup, i look to his physical specimen, like you point out. even before i read the article i was going to point out he is a much bigger man than he plays. when he gets it and realizes how big he is and really begins to take advantage of it he will become one in my eyes.

he can break down folks like no one else of the dribble when healthy and saw it a couple of times this year. i have yet to see him control things at the rim and truly finish. he tends to shy from contact rather than invite it or initiate it to get fouls. if he gets that part he will get the respect of refs and the rest of the league and no one will be able to deny him his status. yes still a work in progress that i can only hope to watch fulfill it.

By rms

December 28, 2008 7:36 PM | Link to this

So does that mean they are going to run more back to back screens to set up JJ or just the same ol’ “iso Jo” play. Rose is an outstanding PG and very quick, but lets it would have been nice for us to throw both of our PG’s at the Bulls. Obviously none of them would have stopped him, but it would have been good for them to go against the best of the up and coming. I think JJ calm demeanor and quiet personality on the court is the reason many dont look at him as a superstar. That shouldnt be the case because your game should do all the talking but I guess not so.

By Wink from Lithonia

December 28, 2008 7:54 PM | Link to this

I agree with Sekou’s assessment of Joe Johnson, he is a legitimate All Star, no where close to a Super Star, I repeat no where close. For our team is our first option and on some night I would prefer he was not — for his skill set - Joe lacks that Eye of the Tiger.

Observation - Joe get’s a bad ref call he hangs his head or he will launch a fade away jumper, why because he’s the man. There’s no fire there.

What would LeBron do attack the basket, demand the ball, Paul Pierce, Kobe, DWade, CP3, Brandon Roy; game on the line these guys want the ball, we want them to have the ball if you are a fan of that team. I really can’t say that about Joe.

Another observation: It said that Joe does not trust Josh, Al, or Marvin. Al has a high basketball IQ, he will usually do the right thing; Marvin pretty much knows what he can & can not do. If the game is on the line and Joe passes the ball to a wide open Marvin I have no problem with that. If he passes it to Al, if the shot not there he will pass it back. Josh on the other hand you do not know what you are going to get.

Point, Josh is no where as good as he thinks he is, but he tries to play like he has that Eye of the Tiger - he is not a knock down shooter, his handle is not suspect, it not very good, his finish at the basket with authority is not consistent, and his passing is 50 / 50 at best, but he believes he has that it…maybe because of the Slam Dunk Crown, —- the main point of this is that Joe has all the skills mentioned, but he is a reluctant Star, thus he can’t be a SUPERSTAR, HE does not BELIEVE what Josh believes… he has no Eye of the Tiger, that burning desire to lead and succeeed when FAILURE is a real possibility! Nice guy but does not have TOUGH SKIN!!

By some sense

December 28, 2008 8:27 PM | Link to this

Most convenient, not to mention accurate, rating system per player is on 1- 4.

Not too many 4’s now…Duncan and some others were. Only true 4’s are Wade, Bryant, Howard, Paul, and James. Closest among 3’s is Pierce.

Add up points per player and you’ll see who best teams are.

On Hawks, Johnson is a 3…rest are 2’s…total of 11. Celtics are 13, maybe 12…Lakers are 14.

This is true…Hawks are good at 11.

By Justin

December 28, 2008 8:32 PM | Link to this

JJ needs to have some more of these kinds of performances in the big games and against the league’s best competition before he can be a superstar. Let’s see how he does against Denver on the next game, if he can keep this streak up. But still, he’s gonna have to bounce back with a big game versus Boston next time we play for his own psyche. If we have a good run through the playoffs (ECF or Finals), then I think we can revisit this discussion.

By hawkfan

December 28, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

wink from lithonia are you coming out with a movie soon? lol, the words you used to describe the players were detailed and very dramatic that it made JJ seem like a scared little boy on the court and josh like a wild beast not knowing what to do at any given time but acting on inclination alone, maybe JJ doesn’t want to be a so-called “superstar” but wants to the play the game the best he can every night, being that he came from the suns as a role player not a go-to guy, so he’s still learning his new role in atlanta, plus if he’s nowhere near that title then why does he play so many minutes every game, too be honest I am glad he is still underrated, it just exemplifies how are team is still underrated but once we make noise in the playoffs, others will notice, and his calm demeanor is more like a game tactic, which can mean “I don’t care what the refs call or what the opponent says to me because I know I am that good and will make up for it” or “I’m not childish and will get the next play” without actually saying anything at all, and looking our record right now, it’s definitely working

By ATLplayer

December 28, 2008 8:48 PM | Link to this

Sekou, please tell me why LAW can’t sniff the court? I think law would have been the best matchup against ROSE. I think Law has game but just needs the opportunity. I know they are not going to trade Bibby before the trading deadline because Law isn’t seeing any action.

So since Bibby isn’t going anywhere do you see any moves the Hawks may make to shore up this team?

By ATLplayer

December 28, 2008 8:58 PM | Link to this

Wink from Lithonia

Lets agree to disagree. Joe Johnson tries to make his team better. He’s not that me first player you want. He doesn’t take as many shots as your Super Stars; he puts up most of his shots when the teams needs him too. The biggest difference between him and the Kobes is he doesn’t get the calls like they do. If he shot as many free throws as the players mention, he would be the leading scorer in the NBA.

When you get a chance listen to the other team announcers call the game on their network. I watched the Bulls game on WGN just to see what others think about our Hawks. They were highly impressed with Joe Johnson.

By **NATIVE SON**

December 28, 2008 8:59 PM | Link to this

A finesse game with virtually no help from the refs. Unlike the ” OTHER STARS “ (LOL) I do however think that some of these cats can be called that, but not many. The criteria is a joke in, and of itself. Aside from all the hyperbole, most of these guys are really average. So if I have to pick averagre, I’ll just take the “AVERAGE JOE” please. P.S.- Also think Derrick Rose. I think if you’re a purist, the game these two guys play are phenomenal. Trade for Carmello? You were just joking right?…….. Right Sekou?

By darrell starks

December 28, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this

Joe and carmelo who is better? I WOULD SAY A TOSS UP RIGHT NOW. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By bigdave

December 28, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this

In my opinion Jigga is a superstar.. I think one would have to analyze Joe in isolation instead of relative to others. Factors and variables that need to be considered are:

-None of other superstars put in min/gm that Joe does night end and out. -The caliber, skill, and youth of the players around Joe; he sees more double teams because of the lack of proven offensive success from the other players around him. -Not only does he carry most of the offensive burden, but in the deciding mins of games, hes on the opponents biggest threat and defends with success. Thats after playing 40mins of ball. Thats superstar worthy in itself. A lot of his offensive struggles Im sure is due to stamina and of course our flawed offensive scheme.

Lets take his skill set; my man Joe is Penny Hardaway minus the explosiveness but a purer shooter.. He is highly skilled in every facet of the game, and is steadily improving on the defensive end. Never flustered or rushed. He’s deliberate with his approach and dictates tempo.

Now his demeanor is what it is.. but truth be told, a lot of these “superstars” are thriving off of rep and bad calls. I think if you have to rely on flops and officiating to dictate your success, your WASHED UP!! see Paul P.

My man Joe goes about his business like a pro.. I guess in a sports era of the Pre Madonna and Look at Me attitudes, he goes unnoticed and under appreciated.

I dont know what Hawks team others watch but, even on a off night Joe seems to convert big shots or make the key pass we need it most. Hell we’d tank without him..

REAL TALK, ANYTIME IM HAVING A BAD DAY, SAY A BAD EXAM GRADE OR SOMETHING. I RELY ON JOE AND HIS GAME 4 SUPERSTAR WORTHY PERFORMANCE.. IT WAS A GOOD DAY TO BE A HAWKS FAN AND A NATIVE OF ATLANTA, CHECK IT OUT…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwSBVRVY1-o&feature=channel_page

KEEP DOING YA THANG JOE… KILL EM WIT DE FLOW JOE!!!! KILL EM WIT DE FLOW!!!

By Sekou K. Smith

December 28, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this

I think Joe’s a beast any way you slice it. I loved the trade for him when it happened, bust mostly because I’d watched him years ago in college and realized that you put the right player in the right position and he takes off.

Acie Law IV is simply out of the regular rotation right now. Theoretically it would have been interesting to see him on the floor matched up with D. Rose, but one cat has already seen far more intense action than the other - and D.Rose is a rookie.

It’s one of those things that has to come to a head at some point, Acie’s situation. I don’t have any good answers for that question (or any more of the questions about Speedy. Ha.), so I’ll apologize in advance for not answering those to your liking.

By Don!

December 28, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this

JJ is a stone cold killer. He’s one of the few guys in the league that can flat pick a team up and carry it — plus he’s the one guy at the end of the game who can get his shot and put the dagger in the back of the other team.

There’s less than a dozen guys in the league that have ‘it’ — and Joe’s one of them. And when the playoffs start, you worry about the teams that have stone cold killers, and the one’s that don’t are usually one and out.

Joe isn’t quite in the top tier of those stone cold killers. That’s the exclusive home of Kobe and King James right now. However, Joe’s right there with guys like Pierce and Melo.

Look at the Hawks and Dallas right now. Who does Dallas give the ball to with 10 seconds left and down by one? Dallas has a lot of great players — but no stone cold killer.

The Hawks have JJ, who just has no conscience in situations like that. JJ will just look his man in the eye and beat him off the drive, or with a jab step and fade away. Or sometimes just a 25-foot dagger from downtown.

Bottom line, some teams just have one of those Wild West gunslingers — and the one’s that don’t — need one. We gave up a lot to get JJ, but I don’t know where this team would be without him. Certainly not 19-9.

Later,

Don!

By BA

December 28, 2008 9:36 PM | Link to this

On one hand, I see folks saying JJ doesn’t “trust” his teammates. Never mind that he consistently gets 6-8 dimes a night.

On the other hand, I see people with this eye of the tiger ish…number 2 has made clutch shots in the first, second, third and fourth quarters all year long. The man can shake-and-bake damn near anybody in the league. If this guy played in L.A., they’d be printing Cereal boxes with his face on them. He is undoubtedly one of a HANDFUL of superstars in this league.

And he’s 26. In the prime of his career. Making $15 million a year. Why WOULDN’T he lead the league in minutes played? How is that not a good thing?

By The Hawksta

December 28, 2008 9:45 PM | Link to this

You know how much those answers hurt SEKOU??? Man it is tough not seeing Acie get a chance to play…I mean tough! You can’t convince me if you were BWAF that he wouldn’t help us either. This is the kind of thing that keeps us saying FIRE WOODY! I’d take Joe over Melo in a heartbeat! Melo plays know d at all. Plus his off the court decision making is questionable.

By ray

December 28, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this

From last blog:

Submitted by Kirk:

We all have our definition of what a leader looks like on an NBA team. I believe Bibby directs traffics, he runs things, that was an attribute that has been missing before he arrived. He also hit’s big shots and isn’t afraid to have the ball in his hands in crunch time.For example,he hit some big shots in the 4th tonight when the game was close. One was when it was 109-107, I believe, that began the nailing down of the game.

Most importantly, and you left this out of your definition, Bibby commands and has earned the respect of his teammates and makes others better because he knows when and how to get them the ball.

There are many things tangible and intangible that goes into becoming a leader. It varies depending on the circumstances and team. But being a leader doesn’t mean someone without weakness in any part of his game, being a leader is about your team knowing that when the chips are down you show up and you get them up as well.

I could not agree more. And the rest of what I posted in response to the above statements was really just redundant, so I cut it out this time. Either way, Kirk has it down.

On JJ: All-star? Definitely. Superstar? Not quite, in my opinion. But here’s the thing- I’m happy with “all-star.” Superstar is another level altogether, and if that’s what it takes for us to win, then that’s what we need. But if we can do it with a couple of stars and some very good players, that’s fine too.

But I’ll take Joe over Carmelo any day. Joe plays way better defense, for one thing. For another, he’s a better all-around player that actually has the ability to make his teammates better. Carmelo scores and gets some rebounds. That’s about it.

Funny, Woody recognizes that Derrick Rose is the truth, but probably not before the kid dropped 27 on us. But he thought Deron Williams was too slow, Rajon Rondo was too skinny/had no offensive capability, and Chris Paul was too small. Heh….He’ll never be SOY (Scout of the Year), that’s for sure.

By Atlien

December 28, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this

Sautee, Do you even watch the Hawks? Joe is a tremendous defender. He usually is guarding the other teams best player while at the same time being the Hawks #1 option. Very few of the leagues top players contribute as much to their own team as Joe Johnson. He does the right things, and should not be knocked just because he chooses not to be flashy. He was worth the investment and so much more.

By Mike is back

December 28, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

Sekou,  like I stated on a previous blog, I like what I’m seeing in Joe. He is starting to play like Super Star. He is playing with so much more confidence, and swagger.  I think he is starting to embrace his role as the leader of this team. I think he realizes has bunch of talented guys on his team, and his job to make them better.  

I don’t think that he there yet.  It will be interesting see what happen the rest of the season. Base on what I seen during this home stand, he’s ready to take his game to the next level, which will solidify him as one of the elite players in this league.

GO JOE, AND GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Astro Joe

December 28, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

I agree with doc… an all-star for sure but not yet a superstar. But he is definitely better than Melo.

Between Marvin, Bibby and Zaza, the Hawks have about $24M in salary expense. So can they resign Marvin, Bibby and a defensive big for $24M (or less) next season? I think that they could start Marvin at $8.5M, Bibby at $10M (I’d try to get him to sign a 3/$30M deal) and someone like Nesterovic for $5.5M which will likely be close to the MLE.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 28, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this

“Between Marvin, Bibby and Zaza, the Hawks have about $24M in salary expense. So can they resign Marvin, Bibby and a defensive big for $24M (or less) next season?”

Does the first-round pick count in that $24 million?

I would think the Hawks can pick up a nice energy guy to fill the “defensive big” role with their first round pick, and commit the $24 million entirely to Marvin and Bibby if they wanted. The Hawks would be picking somewhere between 20 and 25 probably, where players like Tyler Hansbrough may still be available (according to nbadraft.net anyway).

Although as Ando has repeatedly pointed out, who knows whether the DASG will actually be willing to commit that kind of money, knowing that extensions are due for Joe Johnson and Al Horford soon…

By bigdave

December 28, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this

Wow… How are you guys defining “superstar”, is it based on who the NBA has ordained as there “superstars”. Judging from big markets, nationally televised broadcast, ticket sales..? Well in that case, I guess we falling short Joe. I don’t know.. but if you ask me, there are are only a handful of guys that contribute equally or greater that Joe…

Wow.. Joe I guess you gotta get a gimmick, become a character or something, hell make a commercial like Bosh…

By cp

December 28, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this

I like Joe…He is an all star but not a super star…I think the one thing he doesn’t have like the Lebrons and Kobe’s is the athleticism… Those guys can explode and finish like few others. They draw a lot of fouls that way… Joe is a great shooter and ball handler but he does not have that type of explosiveness. If he did I think he would be mentioned in the same breath as those players…I do however think Joe is very underrated…If he has a great playoff series I think more people will take notice… We don’t play many nationally televised games so a lot of people don’t get to see just how good he is… He isn’t an super star but he is an all star.

By darrell starks

December 28, 2008 10:37 PM | Link to this

Much as i luv joe at this POINT OF HIS CAREER I CANT SAY HE IS BETTER than carmelo to me i would say CARMELO IS CLOSER TO BEING A SUPER STAR THAN JOE. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By ignition

December 28, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this

Sekou,

Instead of telling us you don’t know why Acie’s not getting playing time, why don’t you ask the man (Coach Woody). I wanna know why Flip is allowed damn near two turnovers a game and Acie can’t crack playing rotation. Niether has Solo. During the first six games these guys were getting play now they are MIA, while Joe is burning out from playing 44 minutes a game..

PLEASE SPIRIT BRING US AVERY JOHNSON !!!!!

By bigdave

December 28, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this

I found this very interesting and somewhat true: The Superstar Theory: Revisited and Supercharged, Part3

http://www.nbadraft.net/mcchesney007.html

“…Let’s dwell on this point for a second. Consider the Atlanta Hawks, a team full of wonderfully talented players like Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford. In any other team sport, such a core of gifted young talent would suggest a possible title down the road. Get some seasoning, throw in a few veteran role players, and contend! In the NBA the Hawks have almost no prayer, unless one or two of the four emerges as a silver or gold medal superstar. It is already too late for Joe Johnson, so it comes down to the other three. The chances are slim, not because Horford and Josh Smith in particular are not good, but because the bar is so high. If Horford is simply an all-star, not a superstar, simply Elton Brand and not Kevin Garnett, the Hawks cannot win a title with this core. If Josh Smith is Alex English or James Worthy, and not Julius Erving or Elgin Baylor, the same is true. This logic applies to every other talented young team in the league.”

By ray

December 28, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this

BA,

It’s actually 5.6 apg, as it stands right now. There is a difference between trusting your teammates and being able to make a pass to an open teammate when you’re finally good and trapped by two or three defenders. No one can deny JJ’s passing/playmaking ability. But he touches the ball more than anyone else, and he can pass. So yeah, he’s going to get nearly a half dozen dimes per game. You don’t need trust for that. How many times has JJ gotten painted into a corner after dribbling for twenty seconds, only to fling it to Horford or Smith, and swish, there’s the bucket…and an assist for JJ.

Yeah, I see JJ get 4-6 assists a night. He’s damn good. I didn’t say he doesn’t trust his teammates at all, I said Bibby trusts them more.

Bibby promotes better and more consistent ball movement. Thus, he also promotes better personnel movement. In short, he’s better at initiating the offense without completely dominating the ball, and he does it earlier in the shot clock. It’s not JJ’s fault, but we’ve been running “JJ Iso” since he got here. Would you not agree that this “play” is not conducive to good ball movement? Even then, JJ was consistent in his assists. But…passing out of a double team isn’t trust. It’s good common sense. Passing the ball to a teammate despite the fact that you’re confident that you can get the bucket yourself right now? That’s trust. JJ has it. Bibby has it more. That’s all I’m saying, anyway…

By BA

December 28, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this

Ray, I can’t dispute any of that. Bibby vs. Johnson, one guy is a pick-and-roll specialist, the other more of a drive-and-kick type of distributor. I think considering the backcourt’s considerable experience in this league (not to mention their high paychecks) that the scoring balance (and shots taken, minutes, etc.) is where it should be. I see the Bibby/Horford pick and roll improving every week. With time, these young post players will be a real asset offensively, but for now the big dogs at PG and SG are going to rule the roost.

Anyway, the joe iso is underrated, as far as I’m concerned. The guy is our most effective scorer, naturally he’s going to get a LOT of looks.

Funny how many different perspectives there are on this team.

And for the record, I’m with Clyde- ‘Nique, we love you- but relax and don’t talk so much. And tell Rathbun to get a freakin’ haircut, and that I will NOT be buying a dodge.

By Exodus Mentality

December 28, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this

I wasn’t sold on Joe for a long time. Then I realized, the only difference between Joe and those other “superstars” is that Joe doesn’t play his game above the rim. There’s nothing flashy about the silent assassin. Like Michael Turner is good for a sneaky 7-8 yards, Joe is good for a sneaky 20pt/8assist virtually every night, no matter who the opponent, no matter how hard they try to stop him.

Nobody’s holding their breath to see what spectacular thing Joe is going to do next. But he leaves everybody breathless as they look up and he’s cleaning off the dagger he cut their throats with all game long, and leaves them wondering how the hell he did it again.

By doc

December 28, 2008 11:38 PM | Link to this

don not quite that is the same stone cold killer that got to the line and missed against the c;s. his body of work is not there yet for making those shots. as much as i like him and despise pierce, the latter is more like the one you describe. honestly no one can dispute it right now. i hope history changes it.

By DecDawg

December 28, 2008 11:45 PM | Link to this

Put me in the group that says All-Star? Yes. Superstar? No…for many of the same reasons mentioned by others in this blog. The guys mentioned in the elite status play harder and put forth more effort than anyone on their teams and can be mentioned in the conversation of playing harder than anyone in the league. And in my opinion, I can remove JJ from this list because he does not even play harder than everybody on his team. When his effort supersedes that of J. Smith, Horford and Marvin (to some extent this year) on the defensive end of the floor, we can talk. The Superstars tend to have an impact on both ends of the floor. And the part that bothers me is that defense is about effort…so when you aren’t giving your all on defense it’s by choice. He’s been here over 3 years and I cannot remember 3 significant defensive moments for him…especially in critical situations.

And while I did not agree with Redd being picked for the Olympic team over JJ, the only reason it came down to a choice between the two is because neither plays defense. And you saw how much bench time Redd had in crunch time. If JJ was a good defender, there is NO WAY he doesn’t make that team. Believe it or not, I like JJ but at 26, he’s still has too much “potential” to be considered a superstar. Superstars show growth from year to year and JJ basically plays the same game he played when he first got here. We haven’t seen the addition of a low post game or improvements in rebounding, assists, working out of the double team, leadership or his overall floor game. But he is our All-Star and I wouldn’t trade him for Melo cuz he has the same issues and a few more.

By Matt = niremetal

December 29, 2008 1:02 AM | Link to this

I gotta agree with ES - Game 4 provided proof that JJ should be considered a superstar. With a hat tip to Hardwood Paroxysm, JJ went nova in that game. In a high-pressure playoff game against the league’s best defensive team, JJ scored 20 points in the 4th quarter.

He put the team on his back and led them to victory in the biggest game that the Hawks have played in the past decade. It was the kind of breakthrough performance that only truly special players are capable of. That’s what great players do.

By Samuel

December 29, 2008 1:03 AM | Link to this

Right Now,

Joe Johnson is playing as well as anybody in the league. Including Kobe and Lebron.

Joe Johnson is one of the best all-around players in the NBA, right now.

He can play 3 positions on offense. He can: shoot the 3, has a deadly mid-randge game, he can post up and is a good free throw shooter.

On defense he can guard three positions effectively. Neither Kobe or LeBron can do that.

Other than LeBron and Kobe, I wouldn’t trade JJ for another perimeter player, Chris Paul included. Paul can’t guard big guards or SFs. He also can’t score with JJ. D Wade either.

Is he a superstar? I guess it depends on what you call one. He’s not flashy or flamboyant so he won’t get all the commercials and stuff but if you’re talking basketball, yes. He takes a back seat to nobody, Right now.

On Rose vs OJ(his only competition). I wouldn’t call it a run away. They are really two different type players. It’s like comparing Isiah to Drexler. Rose has the ball more so naturally he’s gonna get more attention but if you look at their numbers, Mayo is right there or ahead. I wouldn’t argue with Rose but it’s not a runaway. Besides, Rose is on my Fantasy team.

I still can’t believe we still have people complaining about petty BS right now. I guess that’s why they call Atlanta Loserville. You complain when you’re losing and are not satisfied when you’re winning. Avery Johnson, give me a break. Dam, One hit Wonder. The man sounds like, Mr. Bill(Oh no, it’s Mr. Bill). No one is gonna respect him. They are too busy cracking up.

Woody=COY

By doc

December 29, 2008 1:08 AM | Link to this

sorry guys, teammates know their leader and this is what marvin says; “We were on him,” Marvin Williams said. “Joe’s should have had 50. I mean, he went for 41, but he could have had more. It’s a testament to his game that he scored the way he did and still led us in assists [with eight]. We don’t have a selfish player on this team. And it starts with him, it has to, because he’s our leader.”

guess that is the answer to jj being the leader.

By CountryBoy

December 29, 2008 1:37 AM | Link to this

Outside of Kobe, D.Wade, and CP3, none of the other NBA “superstars” play any legit defense. What game are you all looking at? The only thing Melo does extremely well is shoot the mid-range jumper, his defense is non-existent, and he doesn’t jump or rebound well for his size. If you are a real ballplayer, or even a decent armchair point guard, you would have known when Melo was in college that he isn’t the most athletic guy. LeBron rarely plays any defense, he just kind of stands around and try to play the passing lanes. LeBron also is a streaky shooter, which is why he bulls his way down the paint 90% of the time. Nobody can stop LeBron from getting to the cup, the guy is 6’10”(I’ve met this guy a couple of times, and I’m 6’7, there’s no way he’s 6’8) and 274 pounds(Hubie Brown stated this on Cleveland’s last ESPN game), so physically, no one is going to stop LeBron. JJ just has a smooth quiet game, and could drop 30 a night if he wanted to, but I don’t think it’s necessary, and he’s quite unselfish. He’s not MJ on defense, but he’s a better defender than Glen Robinson, so quit complaining. There are only 2 SG’s I’d take ahead of Joe in today’s NBA, and thats Kobe and D.Wade.

By jj

December 29, 2008 2:06 AM | Link to this

I think JJ is close to superstar status and it seems as if Woody’s main objective is too make JJ one at all cost.The cost that concerns me the most is the # of minutes JJ plays.I remember Woody saying last year that he cut his rotation to save his job,I wonder if he’s not doing the same thing now.He’s more concerned about Woody’s future than he is about the Hawks.I believe that is why we see so little of AC and Solo.He wants too keep JJ and his “fav 8” on the court as much as possible because it serves his purpose,WINS.He don’t give a hoot about developing AC or anyone else for the future,he just plays the heck out of JJ.

By EW

December 29, 2008 4:01 AM | Link to this

Woody has spent more time admiring the stud Rose than developing his second year point guard. He’s treating Law like an in-law. In the playoffs he realized he needed A.C. Law. If you’re building for the playoffs this year, you’ve got to get him 20 minutes a game!

By Showstopper

December 29, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this

IMO, if you have to ask if JJis a “superstar”, then he is NOT one. He needs to get to the point to where there is no longer the question mark.

By O'brien

December 29, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this

JJ is a legit All-Star, but I don’t think he is a superstar (not yet). Give him (and the Hawks) more time.

I know it’s early, but this “Superstar” conversation has me wondering. He currently makes about $15 mil/year, but isn’t JJ a free agent after the 2009-2010 season. If that’s the case, do we offer him an extension this coming off-season? And at what salary?

I think he deserves a big raise. Although being the class act that he is, I would not be surprised if he takes less money so that the Hawks can remain competitive (especially if they re-sign Bibby).

What do you guys think? 5 years, $80 million? Or is it way too early to talk about that…

By Sautee

December 29, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

By Atlien

Sautee, Do you even watch the Hawks? Joe is a tremendous defender. He usually is guarding the other teams best player while at the same time being the Hawks #1 option. Very few of the leagues top players contribute as much to their own team as Joe Johnson. He does the right things, and should not be knocked just because he chooses not to be flashy. He was worth the investment and so much more.

First off, there is no need to be accusatory, just because you disagree with what I said.

I assure you that I watch every Hawks game possible. Did I say that Joe was a poor defender? No, I did not - in fact if you go to the Hawks Hacks blog, you’ll see a post where I indicated that while Joe’s offense might be likened to Michael Redd’s, his defense was much better.

You say “he should not be knocked because he chooses not to be flashy”. OK, what in my post made you think I thought otherwise?

And did I say he was not worth the investment?

Nope. So why come at me with insults?

By jlewis

December 29, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this

All the Superstar talk can be defined by answering this question. Who else in the playoffs did Boston double team when they crossed half court? Perception and reality are two different things, the reason JJ wasn’t on that Olympic team was because they were full of Alpha’s already. The NBA marketing machine had to put Wade, Anthony, Kobe, James, then you had your fillers.

Defenders, Lebron is not a great defender, neither is Wade or Anthony. The only true great defender was Kobe, and he has slowed down. Name one person in the league that can stop JJ? Don’t even think about Bowen, he was shaking him when he was in Phoenix. Tayshaun Prince, has been getting shook since his days at Kentucky by JJ. Remember there is Perception and there is REALITY.

By TrueFan

December 29, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

Joe Johnson is a SUPERSTAR PERIOD!

You guys kill me talking about he is not. He is the lone consistant scoring option of the Hawks team with no everynight suppor of a Robin to the Hawks’ Batman. If there was someway to put Marvin and Josh together JJ would have his Robin. You guys could find something wrong with anything and you call yourselfs Fans. Some of you must have low self esteem and look at other people and wish to try to correc their lives, because you cannot correct your own.

GO Hawks!

By Freshmaker

December 29, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this

JJ, I do agree with you about Joe’s minutes. I believe he’s averaging about 40 minutes per game at the moment - definitely too high. The problem has been that the Hawks haven’t been very good about putting anyone away, so Woody’s had to keep his best guys in there for longer than he’d like. Hopefully the Hawks will get that killer instinct they need to really bury teams, and he can start resting Joe and Bibby more.

By Eternal Optimist

December 29, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this

I don’t know what Hawks game some of you are watching. Joe has a complete game, on both ends of the floor. At shooting guard he leads his team in scoring and assist. Compare Rose’s first half and second half during the Bulls game the other night. The difference, Joe locked him down in the second half. He doesn’t get the calls like the Kobe’s of the NBA. The only knock on Joe is that he’s not the explosive dunking type guard like a D-Wade. That’s just not Joe, but he can handle the rock better than any guard in the league. He is a top five shooting guard in this league. Recognize!!!!

By happyhawk

December 29, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

bibby and joe v.s billups and melo…i wonder who will win? can’t wait.:) i still think we’re undersized in our front court. i hope sund will make a move before the trade deadline. please let it be wilcox…

By JerryWest

December 29, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this

If you judge by hype, JJ is just a borderline allstar. If you judge by effectiveness, JJ is a superstar.

By JerryWest

December 29, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this

It will be an insult to JJ if the owners offer him $1 less than the max.

By kwooden1

December 29, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this

I will first say that the term Superstar is a media invention. The best player in the league in the last 5 years in terms of wins and consistency is Duncan, but he’s only a Superstar in basketball circles. Right now there are 3 Superstars (Wade, Kobe and Lebron). Wade and Lebron because of marketing and Kobe because he’s just really good! Wade is playing great, but really only had one Superstar year and I think Dallas just chocked in the Finals. Lebron’s probably the best player on the planet right now, but he’s got to prove he can win it when the pressure is on (Playoff Time) before I say he’s truly better than Kobe. As for everyone else in the league, there not Superstars! Gilbert was pretty close for a while but he’s been hurt so the marketing has stopped.

JJ’s overall offensive game probably 1a or 1b in the league. He’s one of only two guys in the league that have a true in-between game. (running jumpshots, hooks and anything else he invents during the moment) Jamison can do the same thing but to an even further extreme. Kobe’s so good that he really doesn’t need those moves, even though I think he could do them if he needed. Lebron is a north, south player, who’s freak of nature. (shot’s way to inconsistant) Melo’s a great scorer but he’s somewhere around 15th in scoring right now. (enough said!)

To be a Superstar like Wade, Kobe or Lebron, JJ’s going to have to be much more flamboyant on and off the court. Or win multiple champions and be more flamboyant on or off the court. All he cares about is the Championships, so in terms of being a Superstar JJ is always going to be like Tim Duncan, even if he wins like Tim Duncan.

Terms of being the best player he can be, I agree with the things that have already been said. Finish at the rim more consistantly (a little of Tony Parker’s game) and get to the free-throw line a little more. The biggest thing I’ve seen with JJ is when rested, he’s a lot quicker and more deceive with the ball. I disagree with anyone that say’s he hasn’t improved every year. He’s take on the role of top dog and learned to play with an X on his back. His decision making has improved every year and leadership skills are growing. He’s stronger on offensive with the ball (turnovers have gone down every year) and his rebounds have gone up. Definitely an All-Star, but the Solar System only has room for 3 in terms of true SuperStars

GO HAWKS!!!

By I MUS WRITE

December 29, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this

JJ is an allstar. He isnt at the super star level yet but he’s knocking on the door. Joe is on that second teir with players like -TMAC, Ginobilli,Nowitzki and Pierce

One thang that bothers me about his game is the endless barage of jumpers -I rarely ever see him post up even when he has a mismatch, never see him take a guy off the dribble and get to the rim …..

He is doing his tricky dribble to set a defender up for ….u guessed it a jumper

I mean if he is’nt gonna post up Ben Gordon at 6’2 200 then he probably wont be posting anyone any time soon…..Just drives me crazy when he is 3 inches and 40 lbs heavier than a guy and he’s shoot j’s all night . get in the post and bang sumbody ( (NOHOMO)

No way I trade joe for Mr .One Demisional Anthony….. Now D Wade and u got a deal

By **NATIVE SON**

December 29, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

BigDave, I concur. It may well be that you have to be a marketing tool to be a super. I remember Nique doing a spot for a local roll to your door and ask meat merchant. I watched him come in as hi lite, but saw his evolution as a all-around player. He’s been disrespected more times than Rod Dangerfield. It’s the same scenario for Joe. Call it ” GEOGRA-HATING “ or national media bias, it boils down to no love for the DIRTY SOUTH. Say what you will about Vick, he forced them to pay attention with his interpretation of football. let Joe Johnson follow that blueprint and take his respect. If you love hoops like I do, his game is poetry

By gastr1

December 29, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

SEKOU, WHY ISN’T ACIE PLAYING????????????????

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this

Native Son.. appreciate it patna… Glad you read my post, read yours too homeboy..

That “GA - Hating ” does exist, check the biased officiating on college and pro levels when Ga is involved.. Lets not even talk about media coverage… Jeesh…

Joe will have to Demand a trade, or declare himself eligible for the 2010 free for all for people to take notice.

I think Joe is the perfect player for the metropolis that goes unnoticed..

I hate when Stephen A. Smith talk about the visiting team coming to the A on either Fri or Sat night, blaming a loss on the nightlife, discrediting the actual play of the squad. Dude did it all post season… We as fans have to push our product. Boo them sucka’s when they come into town.. This Joe country…

By Sautee

December 29, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this

ES, and Matt

You are correct that Joe played like a superstar in Game 4 against the Celtics. That was as much fun to watch as any Hawk fan could ask.

If he played that way even every other game, I’d call him a superstar now.

But I’ve only seen that a few times in all his time here. Yes, he definitely rose to the occasion when we most needed him in game 4, but when he plays that way consistently I’ll say he’s a superstar.

I’m still bugged at seeing him take defensive possessions off, particularly just after he’s made a bad turnover. Sends the absolute worst message to his young teammates.

And I’m very tired of watching Horford work like h*ll to get good position and be roundly ignored by Joe as he pounds the ball and watches a double team.

That said, I still wouldn’t trade him for Melo, or for many other higher profile players.

By ILL-logical

December 29, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this

A clever distraction SS:the issue isn’t w/not JJ is a superstar( he is not but is a bona fide All Star)but why is he playing 40+ minutes a game ?

Player development was one of the statements attributed to the current incumbant head coach durinr his year end review last year. Has that occurred? Maybe we the fans should ask what are the team’s goals this year and how they going to go about achieving them, then there could be some accountability for EVERYONE.

If we need a stonger interior presence to effectively compete in the playoffs,then the GM has to perform his duties. If the team needs to insure that its All Star is effective(and healthy) during the playoffs then the coach has some responsibility here.

And if there are players who are not taking their roles and responsibities seriously ,then they can be called out.

So let’s focus on the important issues that come with the teams long awaited and much deserved success; the Celtics provide an interesting model: they have put last year and its crowning achievment behind them and are focused on improving for the challenges of this year.My comments/critiques are in that vein.

By saystar1

December 29, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this

Woodson Is A Hypocrite He praises Rose for his play and rant about how special his is…yet he has the same type of player riding the bench in Law. If he would have allowed Acie to develope Rose wouldn’t look so special. If he had Rose, Rose would be riding the bench. Think about it, if ZaZa hadn’t gotten hurt last year, we probably wouldn’t know what we have in Harford. ZaZa started the season and Harford was given a couple of minutes until Z got hurt forcing Harford into the starting line-up. Man everyone likes to complain about the Atlanta Fan Base but how many years in all major sports in Atlanta has the “fan” had to deal with this type of ineptness.

The Braves win 14 straight divion titles and only 1 world series. If Bobby Cox would have played the best players in those games and not himself we would have had more. We went from loosing world series, to loosing in the NLCS, to loosing in the wildcard round to not making the playoffs—but we are bad fans.

The Hawks have made us endure 5 seasons of a loosing coach…don’t wanna hear he didn’t have anything to work with cause he just mismanages what he has. We’ve had to live through a ownership mess, 3 years of Bob Wiess..Lenny Wilkins who traded away our best player and 1st round draft pick for a guy who doesnt’ resign. I could go about the Hawks bad management….but we are bad fans.

The Falcons..yes they are winning this year and I love the choice of GM, Coach, and Matt Ryan, but in 40 years we’ve never had back to back winning seasons. We’ve only seen 1 dominant defense in 1980, 1 unforgetable trip to the superbowl, and sees the playoffs maybe every 4 to 5 years…but we are bad fans.

The Thrashers…8 years, 1 playoff…swept in the 1st round…end of discussion…but we are bad fans.

No we are not bad fans we are intelligent fans who knows when we are being sold a ‘BS’ product and choose to spend our funds elsewhere. So Derick Rose is just special….Mike Woodson look down your bench a Derick Rose sits there to if you chose to realize it. Damn if we only had owners and a GM who knew what they were doing! Just my 2 cents

By ray

December 29, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this

Samuel,

The only thing I’d argue as far as Joe Johnson vs. Kobe vs. Lebron is this: Those other two guys can guard three positions…but they don’t. They often don’t make the effort. Joe usually does, though I have seen him take possessions off more than a few times.

Kobe is like Randy Moss when it comes to defense: he plays when he wants to, but when he does…you can’t deal with him. Hell, did he not prove he could clamp down on anybody in the Olympics…and during the season (when he chooses to)?

Lebron is a whole other deal. He can “D” up 4 positions, but doesn’t have to. Not when you have Big Z down low. Not when you have Wallace out there as well. Not when you have Mo Williams defending his position. Or Delonte West. Not when you have the annoying Anderson Varejao literally everywhere…with that…hair…Still, he could stand to play more versatile defense. But he doesn’t have to…so sometimes he just doesn’t.

I don’t think anybody is talking about trading Joe for anybody. He’s definitely playing as well as anybody right now. But you don’t trade people for what they do right now anyhow. Not if you’re smart…

By STRETCH

December 29, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this

This team is looking pretty good, but i still say we need to get some big men! Has anybody heard anything about what the Hawks are doing in the 09 draft? One mock draft has them picking up Hasheem Thabeet from UCONN. He’s 7’3”, 260 and averaging 14 pts with 11 boards and 3 blks a game. Problem is he’s projected at the 21st pick. They need a big man and badly.

By ray

December 29, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this

TrueFan,

Gimme a break. You sound more like a half-drunk groupie than a fan. Everybody here loves Joe. He’s a hell of a player. So what if some of us think he’s right at the edge of superstardom? He’s our star, and that’s all that really matters. What’s in a name…

BA,

Anyway, the joe iso is underrated, as far as I’m concerned. The guy is our most effective scorer, naturally he’s going to get a LOT of looks.

Agreed. And it’s great when it works. But our team is more successful (and oddly enough, so is the “ISO” play) when we have better ball/personnel movement. We need that to balance out the ISO plays, thereby actually making them more effective than they would have been. Otherwise, Joe works three times as hard to get his, and those 40 minutes per game suddenly probably feel like 80 minutes a game….

And for the record, I’m with Clyde- ‘Nique, we love you- but relax and don’t talk so much. And tell Rathbun to get a freakin’ haircut, and that I will NOT be buying a dodge.

Hah! I concur…with every bit of it. :)

By BosnianBaller

December 29, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this

Joe is a superstar the only reason people don’t look at him as a superstar is because he doesn’t do flashy dunks and crap like that.

By ray

December 29, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

Kwooden1,

Within the first line or two, I knew that was going to be a damn good post. And it was. Although some will still trip over the concepts you’re trying to lay out, you did a hell of a job describing what “superstar” really means, and what it takes to meet the so-called standard, as set forth by the media. I hadn’t really thought of it that way before, but I guess it’s not much different than any of the other “media darling” type of things. Kind of like COY, MVP, ROY, and so on. It may be a consensus at times, but in the end, it’s whether the crowd loves ya or not. Rather, it’s whether the voting crowd loves ya or not. Hence the case with Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Constantly maligned for a “non-exciting” game, but how many championship rings does he and his crew have? Yep….

saystar1,

The funny thing is that a coach’s bandwagon is the last one you want to be on, as his job is the most tenuous. It all shakes out in the end, and hopefully for the best. Right now the team’s record makes Woody look pretty damn good. Let’s just leave it at that.

By I MUS WRITE

December 29, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this

SayStar- I want to agree with u but….NO

Acie Law is a good yung player who needs a chance to shine…… Derrick Rose he is not D.Rose is special, I cant remember a Pg who came in as a rook and looked so comfortable out there -just doing what he wants,getting where he wants….. Paul and Williams didnt look this good early in their first year.

Wooy- Development OIL-Water

D.Rose would be sitting next to Speedy Claxton if he played here-He wouldnt get a chance just becuz he’s a rookie even if he was clearly better than any Pg we have…..Dam shame

By paul revere

December 29, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this

JJ couldn’t hit a free throw to send the boston game into overtime and you guys call him a superstar? A supper star maybe, but not a superstar.

game on the line against a top opponent, kobe would not have missed that shot, ray allen, would not have missed that shot, jordan would not have missed that shot, bird, magic, isaih would not have missed that shot.

Joe missed the shot, so by definition, he is not a “SUPERSTAR!”

no wonder you guys suk

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 29, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this

Bigdave, if that link you posted considers Gilbert Arenas to be more of a superstar (as in a player around whom you can build a winning team) than Joe Johnson, it instantly loses all credibility with me.

By doc

December 29, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this

well here we are about 4 hours shy of tip off against the nuggets and no mention of the match up either here or in the ajc by sekou. boy have we become complacent or what? i see this game as significant. guess folks have already moved on and will show some enthusiasm when we make it into the second round of the playoffs as we are now assured of a top four seed. right?

i am a bit surprised that this game hasnt drawn more interest. billips playing like a man possessed for his home town and to spite those that spurned him. a superstar in melo walks in to his understudy jj’s house just back from an injury and maybe not yet gelled with his new running partner. who wins the match up?master coach against an upstart. where will the will’s clash and meet? which coach makes the plays to counter the others strength? how will the hawks respond to the potential showdown with these gunners from the west?

this game has the make up to show us a little more about our hawks. this is a team that plays a style we like to play only our coach may try a little subterfuge to play his own game. it will also begin to give us a little flavor of how we will stand up against a few more teams from the west that are contenders as we fell flat on our behinds and looked like davy crockett at the alamo going o-fur against the big boys from the west on the texas swing.

this is also different as this is on our turf which thus far we have protected. it will soon be contested in one week when houston shows up here to bring a little more of the evil witchy stuff from the west. it is as good a time as any to begin to lay down a bit of the turf protector tonight.

well i will be ready, got two daughters making the trip down there with me. i look forward to one more victory the greedy soul that i am to finish the year at 20 and 10. look to see january 15th and a record about 25 and 14 staring down a 50 win season nearing mid point. man i love when a plan comes together.

go hawks!

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

Im no Arenas fan so, I can’t and won’t defend him (Im sure some will); I have no idea who the guy is, i just keyword “current NBA superstars” on yahoo. however, you can’t deny he does make valid points about contention in todays NBA game…

I posted it just to get feedback and to share an outside perspective…

I do however stand by all my statements on this matter… that, i am willing and ready to defend…

By Darrwill

December 29, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this

everyone that is a hawks fan needs to vote joe back to the allstars

By Sekou K. Smith

December 29, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

Sorry this game hasn’t been hyped to your standards doc.

But if it makes you feel any better, I’m anxious to get down there tonight and see if the Hawks can get to 20-10 myself.

A win over a quality, division-leading Denver team would be a huge statement for these Hawks. And truth be told, they’re due for a complete game (and not just great efforts by one, two or three guys but a complete game from up and down the roster and on both sides of the ball).

While the players have talked openly about the importance of finishing up this home stand with just one loss, the idea that you could pop Denver and everyone around the league stands up and takes notice is just as valuable to me.

By cp

December 29, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this

I MUS WRITE i’m usually in agreement with you but I have to disagree with Paul not looking as good as Rose in his first year… Deron played pretty good his rookie year but it wasn’t until his second year that Sloan gave him the starting job and let him do his thing… I think Paul was better his rookie year. Look how much the Hornets improved his rookie year compared to their previous season. I think Rose is a little bit behind Paul only because Paul made everyone around him better where as Rose doesn’t, not yet at least.

By O'brien

December 29, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

STRETCH Why would the Hawks draft a big when Solomon Jones does not get consistent PT, despite the fact that he played well when Josh was injured, and despite the fact that ZaZa might not re-sign when his contract expires?

Doc One matchup I am looking forward to tonight, is Billups vs Bibby. I can see Billups trying to post up or take Mike off the dribble. If I remember correctly, last year when we played Detroit, Acie did a decent job staying in front of Billups. Therefore, if Chauncey looks like he is hot, I hope Acie gets a chance (especially if Bibby struggles offensively).

By The Flash

December 29, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

Superstars Magic, Bird, Michael, all playing on teams with great coaches who added greatly to the team’s offensive performance even on their off nights and even when not scoring or assisting.

Are there players of that sort in the NBA today? Interesting question. I like my boy Roy in that regard. The only two guys who I am reasonably certain fit that definition both play for Boston. No. 5, he most definitely is the real deal. I am pretty damn certain that Pierce is as well.

All the other superstars, not so much. Kobe can do it, but it runs counter to his grain, and I don’t know if you can count on it. Xmas day it was there. LeBron, I’m not feeling it. Tell you the truth, I’m probably the only guy on the planet who doesn’t enjoy watching him play.

Oh, Mr. Duncan, you can include him on the list, right next to No. 5, only the clock has passed him by.

JJ, when I see him working hard so that other guys can get the big shot, not just on those few occasions when Mike calls for a 3 from MW, he just might fit.

Takes a great coach though, even Larry and Magic as generous of spirit and insanely in tune with the best that the game has to offer as they were, needed a great coach, at least I believe.

Mike has made himself some progress. We’ll just have to see.

By Sautee

December 29, 2008 4:33 PM | Link to this

What’s happened to our buddy Ariose?

Dropped off the Hawks planet. Anybody heard anything?

By doc

December 29, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this

yo sekou, comments agreed with in total. i hope yu understand my take not directed at you but in total with no mention anywhere of the impending battle tonight. again surprised we are so absorbed in our daily lives to have so few comment as it approaches.

hope this doesnt mean hawks nation is sleeping at the wheel or our own guys are doing self reflection of where they have been instead of what is in front of them. if so we can have our train derailed as this stop. win this one with a healthy melo and as you say it is huge and one more reminder we are for real. just hope MELO’s superstar understudy JJ has a big night. heh heh

By Wink from Lithonia

December 29, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this

ATLplayer / hawkfan

Don’t get me wrong, I like Joe’s game in total. I would prefer he be a little more aggressive, demand those fouls to get that extra 10-12 points at the line. Last year in the playoffs, no one fouled Pierce going to the basket, but he got the call. If Joe is our lone gun, then he needs to want to fire at will and the closer to the target the better. He needs to think like Josh at that 3 point line, and if he does we will get a better result…see Bibby for that Eye of the Tiger, he does not hesitate to let it go. lol

By light up

December 29, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this

clyde, thought you might be interested in this article. think horford will be joining him any time soon?

The Nets have announced that center Sean Williams, the 17th overall pick from last season, has been assigned to their D-League affiliate, the Colorado 14ers. They should rename the team the 17ers. Talk about falling from the sky like a rock.

And to think: If not for some off-the-court issues Williams had coming out of Boston College — including several suspensions for violating “team rules” — he might’ve been a lottery pick. We don’t need to kick the man when he’s down, but suffice it to say that when you Google Sean Williams and one of the entries that shows up on the first page is from the website Cannabis.com, it is not good.

Wendell Maxey of HoopsWorld did a piece on Williams today titled “Searching for Sean Williams.” The search is over.

By Left knee hurts

December 29, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this

Joe is the superstar I pull for every game.

Billups has always come up big against the Hawks. I’d like to see Marvin take it right at Melo and get him into foul trouble. Marvin needs to get to that 18ppg level to get really paid. He had trouble posting up Ben Gordon the other night. 6’9 vs 6’2. Come on Duck. Get to the hole. Don’t sleep on JR Smith.

By Sean Williams

December 29, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this

Hey, that guy Clyde really knows basketball.

ROLL TIDE!!!HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

By BosnianBaller

December 29, 2008 7:02 PM | Link to this

I rather have Joe than anybody on the denver roster.joe actually passes the ball unlike melo

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this

Aight Hawks, get ya a big win tonight against Mays High…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this

Wow.. Haywood Workman is a Ref now..

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this

Mellow gets a call he doesnt like and the ref give him one right back, just off rep.. wow..

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 7:50 PM | Link to this

Why can’t Woody see that the offense has no flow when Flip is playing PG… Hmmm, I wonder what Acie is doing these days.

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this

The Plastic Man in the building tonight…? Nuggets staff…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this

That boy just plain silky… got that thang on a yo yo…

By cp

December 29, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this

Evans continues to blow shots at the rim in traffic. Still cant knock down a 3 yet still gets consistent minutes. I’m baffled by this but then again Woodson is in charge…They showed Law on the bench, and the kid looked like he would rather be somewhere else…This has been a great game so far. If Anthony Carter could actually knock down an open jumper, Denver would have had the lead. That guy is terrible.

By rms

December 29, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this

I wonder what it is like to dress up and warm up everygame knowing you got no chance at all in playing in the game. Somebody tell Josh to stop dribbling the ball up court. Its a disaster waiting to happen. And also let Coach know that Flip is a better 2-guard not a backup point guard. That is Acie job to backup Bibby who is shooting extremely well by the way!

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 29, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this

Flip Murray plays like Allen Iverson with 1/10 of the talent. Yeah, he’s hitting shots today, but he already had at least one possession where he lost a man on defense, and when he misses shots it looks especially bad because he doesn’t even try to look for the pass. I agree with Melvin. If you’re gonna put Flip in the game, it shouldn’t be at point guard.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 29, 2008 8:27 PM | Link to this

I’d also like to see Horford catch a couple of those nice passes Marvin gave him in the first half.

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 8:30 PM | Link to this

Joe must have been peeping at the blog…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this

The refs gonna make sure MELO get his points.. He garbage from the floor yet they putting him on the line 6-6…

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 8:39 PM | Link to this

Nuggets are getting too many calls…

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 8:42 PM | Link to this

Oh well, Hawks finally get a no call to go there way. ZaZa damn near walk to Augusta and the refs didn’t call it on his layup…

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this

Close game so that means JJ will play the entire 2nd half….

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 8:52 PM | Link to this

AS I WAS ABOUT TO TYPE IVE SEEN ENOUGH OF FLIP MURRAY, HE TURNS IT OVER AGAIN..

WTF.. HE CAN KEEP HIS POINTS HELL HE CAN HIT THE GAME WINNER TONIGHT FOR ALL I CARE, HE AND HIS SELFISH/CARELESS PLAY HAVE TO GO…

I DOUBT ACIE WOULD BE THAT MUCH OF A LIABILITY, BUT THIS GUY IS KILLING POSSESSIONS, IF ANYTHING ON THAT END OF THE QRT. DRIVE, LOOK TO KICK IT BACK OUT TO A WIDE OPEN BIBBY!!!

JEESH… I SWEAR HE IS A STAR IN HIS OWN LITTLE WORLD…

By rms

December 29, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this

Dang it I knew it!!! How many freakin’ times will Stupid Woodson let dumb Flip Murray drive to the hole like that and cause a turnover. How many times?? How many fans like me were saying to themselves as the seconds wind down “Watch Flip Murray lose the ball when he drive to the hole” and what do you know…. Thats exactly what he did. For the last time stop replacing Murray in the game and let your Point guard play. Thats what you drafted him for stupid!! What the hell is going on in that ball-headed dome of his???

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this

Oh my that was a beauty alley oop pass from Bibby to Mo… Hopefully that will get Evans going…

By Preston

December 29, 2008 9:02 PM | Link to this

Does Acie Law still play for the Hawks????……I mean, Kudos to Mike Woodson and with how he has brought these hawks along, but something is definately not right here. Woodson must really miss Salim, b/c Acie has really kept his seat warm. And just like Salim, you know that whenever Acie’ plays now, he will be on pins and needles. I really feel bad for the guy, b/c he showed us a lot of good things last yr, and the worst part about it is that he and bibby would probably work very well together in a consistent rotation…….but, man isnt’t Mario West logging more minutes than Acie now?

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:02 PM | Link to this

BALKMAN WIT THE DDT…

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this

They need to eject Balkman after that take down on ZaZa

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:06 PM | Link to this

MELO GETS A LOSE BALL FOUL AGAINST MARVIN, YET CAN RIDE JOE AND ITS OKAY… WOW…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this

RMS,

EVERYBODY AND THEY MAMA KNEW… ITS LIKE TEAMS ARE PLAYING IT.. THE SAME RESULTS THE LAST 10-12 GMS..

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this

BIGDAVE, LMAO… down goes ZaZa.

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 29, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this

I think the question posed by this article has been answered pretty decisively in tonight’s game. Joe Johnson is taking over in this quarter, while ‘Melo is bricking layups and whining about calls (although he may have had a legitimate beef on that last drive).

LOVE seeing these Hawks step on opponents’ throats in the 4th quarter.

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this

A NATIVE SON… WHAT I TELL YOU ABOUT THE OFFICIATING DOG.

ANSWER YOUR CRITICS JOSEPH… ANSWER THEM FOLKS…!!

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this

This has to stop… Melo drops his shoulder and run Marvin over and gets the call. Guys hanging off of JJ as he shoots and no call….

By rms

December 29, 2008 9:14 PM | Link to this

Joe is not just an all-star he is a superstar. Bibby looks good right now. He has my vote for the all-star game. Woodson IS NOT my COY. I would rather vote for Maurice Cheeks(who is fired) before I vote for him!

By preston

December 29, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this

WOW….When we got Bibby last yr, this is just the type of game and performance that I was dreaming of….this is pretty freakin’ awesome. p.s. LOL……I think Acie may have slipped up and called Mike Woodson Mr. Potato Head or something b/c he aint seeing any playing time now.

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this

Can we get AC in the game for the last 2 mins….

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:21 PM | Link to this

yea i guess Acie hitting his daughters, cause dude doesn’t even get in during Garbaaaaauuge time…

well wait a min.. there he is..

By Najeh Davenpoop

December 29, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this

OH SNAP ACIE LAW SIGHTING! (with 2 minutes left in the game…)

By Melvin

December 29, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this

A convincing win over a pretty good Nuggetts team… Are we still doubting these young Hawks…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this

i shoulda called it.. Big Country James Varrett was gonna ask Mike about his shooting performance and he says as he always says… “just came in and got some extra shots up…” he knows he’s always bs’in in his post gm interviews…

Great game tonight all around…

Next… go up there and kill the Pacers cause they have had our number the past couple seasons…

By Macaroni Tony

December 29, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this

Now who in the h*ll said that the Hawks are going to go 2-6 over the next eights games? Now we’re 2-0, lets play the next six. I don’t see us going 0-6…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:39 PM | Link to this

Mac Tony…

the same guy that has had the hush mouth since Sat…

we gotta put out a Missing Persons Report on Jim Burn Is Roaming…

please contact Hawks authorities if you’ve seen this guy…

By bigdave

December 29, 2008 9:43 PM | Link to this

Coach says, ” he has to get back to finding mins for his bench…. thats how we got to 6-0…”

we’ll see coach…

By Macaroni Tony

December 29, 2008 9:44 PM | Link to this

Bigdave

I read the blogs everday, even though I don’t post, so I’ll be looking out for him to respond. We are 5-0 right now and I love it…

By rms

December 29, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this

Hey Melvin, you’re right. No reason to doubt these young Hawks now. That was a pretty convincing win over a good team. But like I said before, my only grip is that overall we use our starters too much and dont properly rotate our bench effectively to rest our starters during stretches in the game. Thats just my opinion. It may hurt us in the 2nd half of the season. But hey, at least we’re winning though, right?

By rms

December 29, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

Bigdave, I heard that line to from coach woodson and the only thing I could think of was “yeah right”!! At least he obviously knows he cant play these guys 40min a game just because he wants to win. You have to trust some of your other players and in return they have to step up and be hungry when they get on the court. I like the homestand 7-1 and the fact that they are not satisfied yet and want to prove they can win on road. If they do that, they will get some serious national press about their performance.

By Macaroni Tony

December 29, 2008 10:00 PM | Link to this

We’re one more game closer on the Magic, but we have to bet the Pacers tomorrow…

By Da Real Real

December 29, 2008 10:09 PM | Link to this

After seeing JJ tonight I tell you what…he’s easily a bona fide all-star there’s absolutely no question about it. He was by far the best player on the floor tonight. JJ is quickly becoming a superstar though at the pace he’s currently going and I would say that one more time being in the playoffs and he lead the Hawks to a series win that you would have to thow his name into the superstar hat.

20-10. Our Hawks, 20-10, the Hawks should start making believers out of a lot of teams now, but we can’t have a let down tomorrow night up in Indy. I, like most of you, have no idea whats up with Woody and Acie. His whole rotation is kinda strange when you think about it. At some points in the ball game he has Mo playing as the shooting guard. I just dont think Woody knows how to use the guy…clearly, and he had the same problem with Salim. Those guys in college were scorers, not true point guards, and so now he’s trying to make him out of one. I don’t care if Acie doesn’t start, but I do believe we can put him in the ball game at certain points to at least score the ball. Like somebody else said…he doesn’t even see the floor during garbage time. God I really do hope Acie got one of his daughters for all the punishment he’s getting.

By Justin

December 29, 2008 10:19 PM | Link to this

good win…maybe the bench will see some more pt in indy. they should be plenty rested…

By doc

December 29, 2008 10:29 PM | Link to this

really good win, never did it seem the game was in doubt. when push came to shove they just snuffed the life out of the nuggets. not a perfect game but many good things to carry over including solid games from the bench.

20 and 10, almost perfect the last three weeks.

keep the string going guys, got to find a way to get at both the nets and the pacers before a return to the phillips to play the rockets. man i cant wait.

By DecDawg

December 29, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this

Now I’ve been one to give JJ grief about not attacking the rim. But he had a very good game and I was most impressed with him attacking the rim in the third quarter. If he adds more of that to his game, he will take his game and this team to another level. Once he adds attacking the rim to his game, he can start getting people in foul trouble and making other teams adjust their lineups.

Let’s hope that aggressive play from JJ becomes a consistent part of his game…especially on the road.

By DecDawg

December 29, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this

Now I’ve been one to give JJ grief about not attacking the rim. But he had a very good game and I was most impressed with him attacking the rim in the third quarter. If he adds more of that to his game, he will take his game and this team to another level. Once he adds attacking the rim to his game, he can start getting people in foul trouble and making other teams adjust their lineups.

Let’s hope that aggressive play from JJ becomes a consistent part of his game…especially on the road.

By Big Ump

December 29, 2008 10:43 PM | Link to this

That was a good win. Here we is at 20 and 10 and you got some people crying about Acie why he not playing. Let’s give Woody and the Hawks some credit. Also Salim wasn’t that good of a player. He’s not in the NBA rigfht now. That should tell you something.

By Acie Law

December 29, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this

I aint giving Woody credit for jack!! If I want to complain about playing time, what are you going to do about it! We gotta win on the road before you start giving folks credit.

By Samuel

December 29, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this

Woody=COY

By rms

December 29, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this

Acie got caught sleeping with Woody’s daughter. He wanted to suspend him but he didnt want the public to find out because he would be embarrassed. JJ is superstar!! Did you see that baseline fadeaway….Nothing but net!! And he was double-teamed. I like how he attacked the rim in the 3rd quarter too. Granger is going to be tough to stop for the Pacers. If we can win both of these road games, we will be solidifying ourselves as a legit Eastern Conference threat. Maybe even a 3-seed, dare I say!!!

By jajajajajoeeeejohnson

December 29, 2008 11:28 PM | Link to this

Very impressive win tonight. I would love to see us go and get out in front early in indiana tomorrow night instead of letting them stay in it like we do with the thunder and warriors. Joe Johnson has proved he’s an all star and really should be considered a superstar. If he wanted he could score as much as lebron i believe. I think right now we need to stay hungry and keep proving ourselves. I also just noticed that OUR ATLANTA HAWKS are tied for the 5th best winning percentage in the nba. That is impressive. I wish Josh Smith would calm down a little bit with the ball. He was solid tonight with a couple of those, where he gets the ball at the elbow and calmly drives with the cradle and lays it in. Marvin has impressed me lately and tonight he was driving and had beautiful passes in the lane. I wish AL would stop doing that falling away shot and fall in because that’s when he is effective. Bibby needs to take more shots because lately he misses maybe 3 to 4 a game. Joe showed some aggresiveness tonight and i liked it. BTW that shot in the corner at the end when he was falling out of bounds after the behind the back crossover was absolutely ill. Keep winning hawks and lets see if we can win out to that magic double header. That’d be reaaaaal nice.

By darrell starks

December 29, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this

BIG ump i understand where you come from but sometime a coach can destroy your confidence and you never regain it back acie is no salim but i believe that salim could have been a pretty good player under the right coach in the right system AS FOR ACIE THE GUY HAVE TALENT AND I HATE TO SEE HIM loose his confidence because of the lack of playing time that woody is not giving him. look this is not about acie its ABOUT US WINNING A NBA TITTLE AND IN ORDER FOR YOU TO DO THAT YOU MUST DEVELOP YOUR BENCH SO THAT a player like joe want have to play 42minutes a night you want keep your starters fresh so come playoff time you get a better performance from the team.GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Melvin

December 30, 2008 12:22 AM | Link to this

Oh my…. ESPN just showed the highlights to the Hawks game. They actually give us some props… Is the tide turning for our beloved Hawks….

By E. G.

December 30, 2008 12:35 AM | Link to this

SALIM STOUDAMIRE BELOW INFO. TELLS WHY HE WAS CUT

Stoudamire was waived Wednesday night, after giving it a semi-heroic go on a strained left groin in the Spurs’ 100-95 preseason loss to Washington at the AT&T Center.

“It was just my fate,” said Stoudamire, a 26-year-old point guard. “Obviously, it wasn’t meant for me to be a San Antonio Spur.”

Throughout the preseason, Stoudamire’s mind was willing. His body was not. His bid to make the Spurs was star-crossed from literally the first day.

He strained his right groin during the Spurs’ opening training camp session on Sept. 30, played in one preseason game, then injured his other side of his groin during practice on Tuesday.

With little left to lose Wednesday, Stoudamire hobbled through a desperate but noble attempt to show the Spurs something.

He played 18 minutes against the Wizards, never looking quite right, and scored three points.

“I was telling Kurt Thomas on the bench, ‘Sometimes you take for granted just being mobile,’” Stoudamire said.

Before the game, and before the cut, coach Gregg Popovich said he sympathized with the impossibility of Stoudamire’s situation.

“He’s not 100 percent, and he wants to make a basketball team, and he would like to be as healthy as possible to give it his best go,” Popovich said. “The situation is what it is, and he’s got to deal with it, and so do we. He makes it tough for us, decision-wise, for obvious reasons.”

Stoudamire’s dismissal leaves the Spurs with three more cuts to make before Monday’s deadline.

At least Wednesday offered Popovich one no-brainer: Tim Duncan appears to have solidified a spot for the 12th consecutive year. He scored a preseason-high 20 points in 22 minutes.

The Spurs head into the final days of the preseason with two roster spots up for grabs.

Anthony Tolliver, a 6-foot-9 shooter out of Creighton, has built a nice case for one of them.

He scored nine points against the Wizards, but it was a fourth-quarter hustle play that drew a standing ovation from Popovich.

Tolliver missed a two-footer from a tough angle, missed the ensuing tap-in attempt, then chased the ball to the other side of the rim to finally score the basket.

“I’m happy with my effort,” Tolliver said. “I know that’s something I control every night.”

The race for the Spurs’ final spot is shaping up to be a two-man competition between Malik Hairston, the rookie from Oregon, and Desmon Farmer, a second-year player.

Both guards had their moments Wednesday.

Farmer scored 12 points, all of them on 3-pointers, all of them in the second half. Hairston, meanwhile, was simply solid, scoring six points to go with six rebounds and three assists.

The pair did nothing to make the Spurs’ staff dread the looming cut day any less.

“The nice thing is, they’re all NBA players,” Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer said. “This is a great problem to have.”

The preseason ended for one would-be Spur on Wednesday. Stoudamire made no secret that he viewed this tryout with the Spurs as perhaps his last chance at an NBA career.

Now that chance is gone, in the strain of not one muscle, but two.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Stoudamire said. “I’ll try to get healthy. I’ll call my agent, and we’ll discuss things and go from there.”

By Nick

December 30, 2008 1:00 AM | Link to this

I live in southeast Alabama. The Wiregrass Area, to be specific. Right around Dothan, AL. I’m writing this because I have Time Warner Cable, and for some reason, when I just went to watch the game on my DVR, there is no game there. There is a recording from SportSouth from the time period that the game was supposed to be on (6-9 central time), but it’s just a bunch of “In My Own Words” and a special on Tennessee basketball. No Nuggets/Hawks game. Is there anywhere I can watch the game online AFTER it’s already over? Did anybody else have this problem?

By mred1943

December 30, 2008 5:11 AM | Link to this

look like BK had a plan after all iam hoping that he get back in the business soon.

By Jed

December 30, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this

Sekou, you can’t talk superstar without talking defense. It’s what helped set Jordan apart. It separates Kobe from the other big guards. It’s everything. Joe works as hard on defense as I’ve ever seen a number one offensive option work, other than Jordan & Kobe.

By John

December 30, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

Joe Johnson, on the court, is a superstar. He just does not have the superstar personality, which personally, I love. He never complains and plays hard everynight. I also watched some of the Bulls game on WGN and their announcers were raving about how good he is. I think he should be a legitimate MVP candidate and the only guards or small forwards in the league better than him are Kobe, Lebron, Paul, and possibly Wade. But with Wade’s injury problems I don’t think I would take him. I would take JJ over Carmelo and Pierce any day. JJ is closer to the Kobes and Lebrons than players like Michael Redd and Richard Hamilton.

By terrell barron

December 30, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

Regardless of the 20-10 record, I’m still p** at Woody for praising Rose the other day, when he knows good and damn well that if he was here he’d be riding the freakin pine. Look at Acie. Cant even get garbage minutes, while Mr. Turnover(Flip) continues to be the backup pg. Did he not see Acie taking it to the hole at will when he was playing? Did he not see this kid play some damn good defense against FAST pg’s? I just dont understand it. There’s definitely something going on that we dont know about. And what about Solo? What did he do wrong, besides coming in and playing some pretty good basketball himself? He was a factor, when Josh went out. Why not reward him with some signifigant minutes? I know we’re winning, but I hate to see these young guys treated like dirt. He instills no confidence whatsoever! Everywhere you look around the League, young players are coming in and doing there thing. But ours cant even get garbage time. Pathetic. And btw, it’s not like I’m just saying this s** because I’m friends or huge fans of Acie or Solo. I’ve seen em both, WITH MY OWN 2 EYES, come in and PLAY WELL. It just makes no sense to me. O.k., I’m done. Go Hawks!

By Matlock

December 30, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this

I’m a first time reader of this blog and a new hawks fan. One thing that i don’t get is how does an all-american in college go straight to the bench once he gets in the pros while still improving his game. Acie Law is the only true point guard on the team and the one who comes close to him is Joe Johnson. Flip is a liability while he is on the court because of his turnovers and wild shot selection. On the other side you have the starter in mike bibby who is not a true point. Yes he makes big plays at big times but he doesn’t create for the other players just himself. So in the end the hawks lineup should read as follows: PG:Acie Law SG:Mike Bibby SF:Joe Johnson Pf:Josh Smith C:Al Horford 6th/7th Man: ZaZa and Marvin

By Olga

February 23, 2009 1:38 AM | Link to this

Good afternoon. History is more or less bunk. I am from Great and learning to write in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: “Before re installing windows, give errorsmart a try and check if it is able to fix your rundll.”

Thanks for the help :), Olga.

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