Veteran Joe Johnson will be a free agent once he clears waivers tomorrow. AJC beat writer Chris Vivlamore reports the Hawks are interested in reuniting with Johnson , and the feeling is mutual.
Much of the initial reaction to the Hawks even considering bringing back Johnson seems to be confusion and mockery. There are concerns about Iso-Joe ruining pace-and-space. There's lingering bitterness from that contract, even after Danny Ferry offloaded Johnson. Maybe some fans still remember that time Johnson blasted them for booing the team.
But these are different times, and I believe Johnson is a different player. Even at 34-years old he can still play, which is why playoff teams are lining up to sign him. Here are five reasons why the Hawks are right to be one of them
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1. He doesn’t need the ball as much
Johnson's usage rate this season is 17.9 percent. That's the lowest since he was a rookie and the second year in a row it's declined. Brooklyn's offense now runs through Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young and Jarrett Jack. Of those three, only Lopez is a top-tier player. In other words, Johnson appears to have accepted a bit role behind players with less accomplished careers. He can do the same with the Hawks.
2. He’s no longer Iso-Joe
Well, he's not as much Iso-Joe. According to NBA.com's play-type statistics, 14.3 percent of possessions used by Johnson's were isolation plays. That's not much higher than Jeff Teague's isolation frequency (13.3). Johnson is scoring 0.80 points per possession on isolations this season and Teague is at 0.84. Also: tracking stats show 46.2 percent of Johnson's shots this season came after zero or one dribble, compared to 41.7 after three or more.
3. He’s a tall wing
The Hawks need size on the wing and Johnson (6-7 and stout) provides it. It won’t help with their rebounding—Johnson has always been poor at that for his size—but it will help them defensively because Johnson can check small forwards and bigger guards. Also, one of Johnson’s greatest strengths always has been his ability to shoot over defenders even when closely guarded. He’s still got it: Johnson’s effective field-goal percentage vs. “very tight” defense this season is 46 percent.
4. He can make open jumpers
The principle reason the Hawks are struggling offensively this season is that they are missing a lot of open shots. Johnson can make them: His effective field-goal percentage this season on “open” jumpers is 50.5 percent and on “wide open” attempts is 59 percent. And Johnson would get open shots more frequently with the Hawks, who lead the league in creating them.
5. He’s cheap(er)
Johnson is in the final year of the six-year, $123 million contract he signed with the Hawks. It ended up being an albatross for the franchise because it limited what else the Hawks could do to improve a team that topped out in the second round of the playoffs. But after Johnson reportedly gave up $3 million in the buyout with the Nets, teams can sign him for as cheap as the prorated portion of the veterans’ minimum. The Hawks, with an open roster spot, can sign Johnson for little money and virtually no risk.
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