# Joe Johnson: "We could care less if the fans show up"



## ATLien

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-hawks/johnson-on-unhappy-fans-522943.html



> If Joe Johnson’s tenure with the Hawks really is near the end, the final chapter could get ugly.
> 
> Fans directed some of their boos at Johnson in particular during the Hawks’ 105-75 loss to the Magic on Saturday. He struggled to finish with eight points on 3-of-15 shooting and afterward expressed indifference to fans’ displeasure.
> 
> “That doesn’t bother me, and I hope it doesn’t bother anyone in this locker room,” Johnson said. “It’s about us in this locker room. We could care less if [fans] showed up.”


I was at the game. I booed the home team. They put forth pathetic effort and by the way Joe Johnson you yourself have yet to show up in a big game yourself


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## Diable

This is a bad matchup for the Hawks, but geesh they've really been pathetic throughout the playoffs. Johnson just isn't a great player and he's doing everything he can to prove he doesn't deserve a max contract. I really wish Charlotte could have gotten them and had them play like they have. We should have beaten them.


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## ATLien

Are we allowed to sign & trade Joe Johnson? I know we couldn't get a hypothetical 20 ppg all-star in return, but anything would be nice. After these comments, you have to think the writing is on the wall..

They need to put Josh Smith on the trading block too. He is playing Al Horford's position and Al is just a smarter player as well as being more consistent in just about every postseason series. Josh's contract isn't that toxic, so I wouldn't say he is untradeable even after this series

But I don't want Johnson back even if it's for considerable less than a max deal. See you later Joe


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## Tooeasy

it sure would be an odd site if there was a revolt by the fans to band together and not show up for game 4 (with the exception of any orlando supporters). seeing an empty arena and having absolutely no people backing you would be a kick in the pants. It's so asinine that he's not absorbing some the blame and saying "I played some ****ty basketball out there, I would be booing myself also."


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## Dre

Karma is going to bite him in the *** if he ends the best period of his career off on a bad note.


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## BlakeJesus

Joe has really been breaking my balls. God I hate that this team refuses to show up in the playoffs.


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## Dissonance

ATL has more problems than just "showing up."


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## JonMatrix

The team just looks like they don't care for the most part. They are playing with little to no intensity...that's on Joe and Josh, who was supposed to be stepping up as a leader, and its especially on the coach. A good coach would at least have this team competing. Besides Doc Rivers, he looks like he is probably the most clueless NBA coach I have ever seen. Doc owes his ring to Tom Thibodeau. This, combined with the fact that Al and Zaza just aren't strong enough to deal with Dwight Howard (few are), and also that the guards aren't attacking him and getting him into foul trouble.

-But, on another note, Woodson is rumored to be Larry Brown's pick for the new Sixer coach if he takes over as President of Basketball Operations in Philly.
-If you guys get a better coach and keep Joe, then you might have a 55-60 win, top 2 Eastern conference team next year.
-But, based on those comments, it sounds like Joe is not planning on coming back. He came here to be "The Man" and it would be a shame if he didn't see through on the run he helped start in ATL.


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## Luke

I'm so ****ing done with Joe Johnson. You don't want the fans to boo you? How about trying to not play like **** year in and year out in the playoffs. It's ****ing embarassing watching him out there. Let him walk, trade Smoove, and rebuild around Horford.


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## ATLien

I don't even know if you rebuild around Horford. He's a role player, though a very likeable one. And I think you could get something nice in return. Nobody is untouchable

Basically this roster is going to suffer the same fate as the team Billy Knight built in Memphis


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## Luke

ATLien said:


> I don't even know if you rebuild around Horford. He's a role player, though a very likeable one. And I think you could get something nice in return. Nobody is untouchable
> 
> Basically this roster is going to suffer the same fate as the team Billy Knight built in Memphis


I think that Horford's untouchable at this point unless a ridiculous offer comes our way. He's the only player on the team that plays with any sense of urgency or passion in the playoffs, and he's good on both sides of the ball. Al's two biggest problems thus far in his career have been -

1.) Playing out of position. He's a powerforward, not a center. He can't handle the Dwight's and Yao's of the leauge. He's just not big enough. Play him at the four and he'll have a much bigger impact on both sides of the floor.

2.) Never playing with an elite playmaker. Or even a above average one. One would look at Joe's assist numbers and think "hey, he must be a pretty good playmaker" but he's not. Dude's been inept at feeding the ball inside since he's come here and the only reason that he has solid assist numbers is because the Hawks offense runs ISO's all game long. And he's going to have to dump the ball of to somebody at some point. Give Horford a Deron Williams, or hell, even a Calderon type of playmaker and he'll make a ridiculously big improvement.


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## ATLien

The reasons you just said are reasons why he is a great trading chip. Josh has baggage, Marvin has baggage, Al is just a Top 3 pick who was forced to play out of position and still was an all star in his third year. I repeat that nobody is untouchable, but also - we don't want to over re-act here in making changes to the team.

It is easy as Hawk fans after the last two series to say trade everyone, but as more time passes we'll probably see that isn't the right way to do it


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## Dissonance

I know it's hindsight, but it's shame you guys didn't draft Deron Williams (who I remember reading your FO preferred) or Chris Paul.


I think you guys should make tweaks. S/T Joe Johnson and maybe see what the market is for Josh Smith.


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## ATLien

That was a franchise crippling decision to draft Marvin Williams. I have to think Atlanta with a true PG is a completely different kind of team. Basically this season in the 4th quarter the backcourt was Crawford and Johnson, two shooting guards


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## Diable

There's just nothing to do with this roster unless you can take the capspace from Joe Johnson and turn it into something better. If you could get an all star caliber pg or center to add to this roster maybe you could be a position to move forward...but that guy isn't out there. You trade Joe Johnson for a similar level player through free agency....Well you need a point guard or a center still. 

I don't feel like running the numbers. The Hawks would have what...15 million in Capspace this offseason?

More likely you just drop the match in the gas tank


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## ATLien

VanillaPrice said:


> I think that Horford's untouchable at this point unless a ridiculous offer comes our way. He's the only player on the team that plays with any sense of urgency or passion in the playoffs, and he's good on both sides of the ball. Al's two biggest problems thus far in his career have been -
> 
> 1.) Playing out of position. He's a powerforward, not a center. He can't handle the Dwight's and Yao's of the leauge. He's just not big enough. Play him at the four and he'll have a much bigger impact on both sides of the floor.
> 
> 2.) Never playing with an elite playmaker. Or even a above average one. One would look at Joe's assist numbers and think "hey, he must be a pretty good playmaker" but he's not. Dude's been inept at feeding the ball inside since he's come here and the only reason that he has solid assist numbers is because the Hawks offense runs ISO's all game long. And he's going to have to dump the ball of to somebody at some point. Give Horford a Deron Williams, or hell, even a Calderon type of playmaker and he'll make a ridiculously big improvement.


Watching the Suns, Spurs, Celtics, those teams have quick little ****ers that can penetrate inside anytime they want and then pass it out. Atlanta had no one in this series who could really penetrate and then find an open guy. I'd take a guy like Parker or Rondo in a heartbeat


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## TwinkieFoot

Tooeasy said:


> it sure would be an odd site if there was a revolt by the fans to band together and not show up for game 4 (with the exception of any orlando supporters). seeing an empty arena and having absolutely no people backing you would be a kick in the pants. It's so asinine that he's not absorbing some the blame and saying "I played some ****ty basketball out there, I would be booing myself also."


But the thing is, he did say that....


> Hawks guard Joe Johnson has struggled in the semifinals against the Magic, but the soon-to-be free agent doesn't think he's costing himself money.
> 
> "No," Johnson said after Orlando blew Atlanta out in Game 3.
> 
> He went 3-for-15 from the field and was booed at home as the Hawks fell into a 0-3 hole against the Magic.
> 
> He was, and might still be, considered worth a maximum-type contract as an unrestricted free agent, but Chris Sheridan of ESPN writes that he may have gone from "Plan B or Plan C" to someone's "Plan F or G" now.
> 
> *"It was terrible, man. You hate to have performances like this, especially an individual like myself. I think these guys look to me for guidance, and with me playing like that it's almost impossible for us to win," Johnson said following Game 3. *
> 
> "I'll take a lot of heat for this and a lot of criticism for this, but we need to put it behind us and move forward. Nothing we can do about it now."
> 
> He is averaging 12.3 points on 28.6% shooting in three games against Orlando.
> 
> 
> 
> Read more: http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a...nt_think_hes_costing_him_money/#ixzz0nTv85FgW


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=joejohnson-100508


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## Dre

The Hawks don't have one player that's going to realistically be the best player on a title contending team now or in 5 years, so I don't think anyone is untouchable. 

You let Johnson walk and you probably trade Smith and Williams, because they have no use to a team that's not winning. Horford you try to keep around but you don't build around him. I keep him and Teague around and stink the joint up for two years trying to redraft. 

Atlanta had a good run but they've reached their ceiling. It's time to be serious. Look what Chicago did about 3 years ago, and they're already back on the upswing.


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## ATLien

From the comments by GM and owners it sounds like they'll do some roster retooling, but no fire sale. Its probably good. Yes it was an embarrassing series, but I don't think I am quite ready for a 15 or 20 win season again

BTW Joe Johnson publicly admitted he has interest in going to the Miami Heats. They don't really have any pieces I want, but it'd be great if they locked Iso Joe to a max deal. Joe and Wade are about the same age, both have a lot of miles, so this would shut down their flexibility going past this off-season


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