NEW YORK — Joe Johnson’s ailing knee will prevent him from participating in the 2012 All-Star game this weekend.
While an MRI exam performed Tuesday in Atlanta showed no structural damage, tendinitis in his left knee will prevent the six-time All-Star guard from competing. Johnson sat out Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, and he will miss Thursday’s home game against the Magic.
Johnson, the team’s leading scorer with 17.6 points per game, will be evaluated before the Hawks’ first game back from the five-day break, Feb. 29 versus the Warriors.
“It is just tendinitis,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “From that standpoint, it’s just going to be on feel, how he feels with treatment and therapy. ... For us, it’s important that he gets well to where it settles down from a pain standpoint.”
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was selected as the replacement — another snub of Johnson’s teammate Josh Smith.
“They picked a good candidate in Rondo,” Smith said. “At this point, it is what it is. I just have to worry about the team’s success.”
Johnson’s knee has bothered him of late, and he left Monday’s game against the Bulls in the third quarter before returning to Atlanta for the test.
Drew said the time off should help ease the condition.
“Particularly with tendinitis, it’s just one of those things where you have to allow the knee to rest to where it is not getting the constant pounding,” Drew said.
Williams denies report
Marvin Williams could not have been any clearer. The Hawks forward said he does not want out of Atlanta nor has he complained about his offensive role.
On Wednesday, Williams disputed a published report that said as much.
“For starters, I haven’t even been here,” said Williams, who rejoined the team after missing Monday’s game in Chicago. “I buried my cousin on Monday and woke up Tuesday to three text messages and six phone calls saying that I requested a trade. This is news to me.”
Williams, a starting forward, also was adamant that he has not complained about his role.
“I saw a lot about what was written, but you can ask anybody, LD [Drew] or anybody, I’ve never complained about anything since I’ve been here,” Williams said. “... Any reporter that has followed me since I’ve been in Atlanta since ’05 has never heard me complain about anything. I’ve never complained about starting, not starting, shots, no shots, minutes played. That is just not my nature to complain.”
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