AVERAGE JOE?

“Who is their lead player? Joe Johnson tends to not take the last shot as much as you’d expect from a franchise player. You can tell a lot about him from his decision to go to a losing team by leaving a team that could’ve paid him good money and helped him win a championship. He hasn’t done much in recent years to change that opinion. I’ve watched them play a lot, and he’s a talented kid. But I’m not a fan. He’s a good third player on a contending team. But he’s not the guy you build around.”

—- Anonymous NBA scout to Sports Illustrated for their Hawks season preview

Hawks players have argued about music, fashion, politics, food, college football and plenty more that 15 strong-willed men can disagree about.

But rarely has anything drawn such a loud consensus like the words of that anonymous NBA scout who questioned Joe Johnson’s status as the Hawks’ “lead player.”

“Are you serious?” Josh Smith said when presented with the passage. “How do you respond to something so stupid?”

Acie Law IV just laughed, wondering if he was being “Punk’d.”

Marvin Williams might have summed it up best: “When you say something like that you would hope it would be anonymous,” he said. “I mean, how can you take that seriously? That dude must not have watched any of our games the past few years. Anybody who has seen us knows that Joe is an absolute beast. Go ahead and fall asleep on Joe and he’ll give you 30 [points] before you know it.”

Johnson’s teammates are his biggest supporters and appreciate his game —- a simmering blend of inside and out brilliance that has to be observed regularly to be fully appreciated. Johnson’s demeanor and quiet nature tend to shield him from extra attention.

Two games into this season, Johnson has served notice that he’s everything that his detractors insist he’s not. He’s leading the league in scoring (30 ppg.) and has the Hawks atop the Southeast Division heading into tonight’s showdown against the Hornets in New Orleans.

Already a two-time All-Star and the catalyst for the Hawks’ stunning playoff run against Boston last season, Johnson abandoned his quest for individual attention years ago.

Yet it’s hard to ignore No. 2 and his penchant for making the dramatic plays when the Hawks need them.

Plays like the 32-foot, shot-clock beating 3-pointer he drained with 11.2 seconds remaining that sealed the Hawks’ win in their home opener Saturday. They stunned Philadelphia 95-88, erasing a 23-point deficit as Johnson finished with 35 points.

“He had 35 points in style that night,” Williams said. “You knew he had 35 that game. Listen, teams are locked in on him every night. And that dude still walks away with 30. So for somebody to sit there and say he’s not a franchise guy, what more do you want him to do?”

Johnson is content to continue on the same path that led him to this point. “I don’t worry about it,” Johnson said. “This is something that means little to nothing around here. We have to hold each other accountable around here. To hell with what anybody else has to say.

“And that scout is doing his job. He has to come up with something to say. We can’t be tuned in to that with all we have at stake. We have to know, and believe, we’re a good team and play like it.”

Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who also got a good laugh after hearing about the scout’s take, said the Hawks will go as Johnson goes. It’s the same way they have since he arrived in the summer of 2005 through a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix.

“Joe, every year, has gotten better and our team has gotten better,” Woodson said. “It’s that simple. And we couldn’t have scripted a better start to this season. Joe and I have talked about things he has to do to help us win. And I don’t want to share that with you, but he knows exactly where I’m coming from in that respect.

“The fact is, he has to play at a high level for us to win big. It’s no secret. I’ve been here with Joe four years now, this is his fourth year. And when he’s playing like he’s playing now, we’re a pretty good basketball team.”

Despite all the focus on him, the team is Johnson’s only priority.

That’s why last spring’s playoff surge against Boston served as his greatest source of motivation during his summer workout regimen.

“Every year I come in with a different mind-set,” said Johnson, who is also averaging 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and shooting 58 percent from the floor. “My confidence is a lot higher right now, and the way we finished the season against Boston inspired me to come back and be more of a competitor and more excited about what we’re doing and where we are going.

“Because the bottom line is there’s a lot that’s gone on for me here that may never have happened in Phoenix. And eventually, it’s going to get a lot better here for our team. We just have to stay focused and keep our minds on our goals as opposed to any individual goals. We have to have an all-for-one attitude around here.”

NBA SCORING LEADERS

Player……….Team….pts.

Joe Johnson……ATL….30.0

Tim Duncan ……SAS….29.5

Tony Parker……SAS….28.0

Danny Granger….IND….26.5

Chris Bosh ……TOR….26.0

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: at Hornets

> When: 8 tonight

> TV; radio: SPSO; 790 AM