<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Talks between the Suns and Joe Johnson are continuing, though no agreement appears imminent, according to those familiar with the talks. There had been talk of a dramatic meeting in which club officials would fly to meet Johnson out of state, as was the case for Steve Nash last year. But that didn?t materialize, as Johnson?s representatives want to play the field in determining how many offers they can generate. At the same time, teams with salary-cap room may be balking at going immediately after Johnson, who is a restricted free agent. They appear to be concentrating on other top-flight shooting guards such as Ray Allen and Michael Redd, who are unrestricted. The Suns have made it known they likely will match any offer for Johnson. So a team that signs Johnson to an offer sheet will have its money tied up during the July free agent bargaining period with poor prospects for having anything to show for their offer. "If the roles were reversed, I wouldn?t do it," Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo said Saturday. "If you tie yourselves up for a month, you?ll lose out." Overall, "Nothing has changed in regard to our commitment to re -sign Joe Johnson. "We?ve said we?re committed to re-signing him. And that?s the way it is." A call to Johnson was not immediately returned. </div> Source The Suns obviously scared off a lot of teams by saying they would match any offer for Joe Johnson. A lot of teams have used this strategy with plenty of success. The Clippers did the same with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, and it enabled them to pay them less than a max deal. The Grizzlies did this with Stromile Swift, and he was low balled.
I just read this this morning. Smart move by the Suns. They need Joe Johnson. He is very valuable to the team.
Yes, he is a future all-star and he is a quality perimeter defender. He can shoot the three and take it to the hole. He is awesome. In my opinion he is better than Redd
The Suns have offered JJ a contract that is less then the maximum amount. If we could sign him for 6 years 60 mill I would be happy. Unless something catastrophic happens JJ will be in a Suns uni in 05-06. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/artic...sunsnb0706.html
The Suns need Joe Johnson and the Suns organization knows that. And as others have said Johnson is a great player and I agree with da pimp i think hes better or on the same level as Redd.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting da pimp 1:</div><div class="quote_post">Yes, he is a future all-star and he is a quality perimeter defender. He can shoot the three and take it to the hole. He is awesome. In my opinion he is better than Redd</div> I agree and disagree with you. Joe is a better defender then Redd but Redd is far better shooter then Joe. Redd have no one like what the Suns have. How many All-Stars does the Suns have. If you put Redd with the Suns there is no way anyone can stop that team. No one!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Oneinpower:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree and disagree with you. Joe is a better defender then Redd but Redd is far better shooter then Joe. Redd have no one like what the Suns have. How many All-Stars does the Suns have. If you put Redd with the Suns there is no way anyone can stop that team. No one!</div> I will disagree with you. Joe Johnson is a better overall player being that he can do so many things better then Redd, while having the ability to play multiple positions. He is a better rebounder, passer, ball handler, defender, and is also two years younger. Joe Johnson also can play the 1-4 positions, and guards the opposite teams premier player. Redd is a good player and a slightly better shooter (JJ has a great J, especially from 3) but overall JJ is better. If Joe Johnson was on a team that was 29-53 and the go to guy he wouls average 22-24 ppg as well.
I agree with you emannen plus JJ is the 4th best player on the suns team, redd is the best player on the bucks team. He has to average well over 22 points per game. JJ is the 4 th guy and he averages about 20 himself. If jj was with the Bucks instead of Redd he would average more than 30 points. JJ is better overall because he can pass, dribble, post-up, dunk hard, shot the long and short jumper, and he can create his own shots.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">I will disagree with you. Joe Johnson is a better overall player being that he can do so many things better then Redd, while having the ability to play multiple positions. He is a better rebounder, passer, ball handler, defender, and is also two years younger. Joe Johnson also can play the 1-4 positions, and guards the opposite teams premier player. Redd is a good player and a slightly better shooter (JJ has a great J, especially from 3) but overall JJ is better. If Joe Johnson was on a team that was 29-53 and the go to guy he wouls average 22-24 ppg as well.</div> WHAT! Joe Johnson can not play the power forward. I would love to see him play again Tim, KG, Dirk, J O'Neal, P Gasol, Dwight Howard, R Wallace or even his own teammate A Stoudemire which is a true 4 That is crazy! When you have to worry about Nash(All-Star and MVP), Stoudemire(All-Star) and Marion(All-Star) don't you think you (Joe Johnson) will get a lot of open shots. That is not a yes that is a Hell Ya! Redd doesn't have someone like Nash to spoon feed you like JJ. And when JJ plays the point he only plays for a small period of time. which he can't run like Nash can. and if JJ was the man on a team they would double team him and he would not have 22-24 points a game more like 12-14 points a game. If you put Bowen, Ron Arrest, A. Kirilenko or S Marion he would be shut down one on one. Then what would he do? and last you talk about his defense why in the hell was he not on Manu Ginobili. Manu had his way with the Suns and you don't put JJ on him? I hope that JJ leaves so that you can see that he is not what he is.
Joe Johnson cannot play PF, no chance. He is an important piece for the Suns, but he's definitely not worth the max deal. By signing Raja Bell, the Suns will have better perimeter defense, which was something JJ gave the team. There are some affordable combo guards in the free agent market still, but JJ is familiar with the Suns system and is a better shooter than Larry Hughes or Antonio Daniels. I don't think he guarded Gino, because of his eye injury. OneinPower, you're right, JJ is not a player who can lead a team, but he's a nice option to have backing up Nash, Marion, and starting at SG. The Suns are willing to spend the money to win a title right now and they are making strong moves to take advantage of their success from last year. JJ was a big part of that success, so he will be back.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting da pimp 1:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with you emannen plus JJ is the 4th best player on the suns team, redd is the best player on the bucks team. He has to average well over 22 points per game. JJ is the 4 th guy and he averages about 20 himself. If jj was with the Bucks instead of Redd he would average more than 30 points. JJ is better overall because he can pass, dribble, post-up, dunk hard, shot the long and short jumper, and he can create his own shots.</div> johnson averages that many points cause he plays on a loaded team who put up 100+ a game,there is no way on gods earth that johnson could put up 30 a game on a squad like redd or iverson has had to play on johnson is a mediocre player playing on an above average offensive team
Johnson in no way is a mediocre player. He is one of the best shooting guards in the league. They only thing he gains from being on a good team is going farther in the playoffs. If he took as many shots as Redd of course he would score more. Not 30 points, but 23 sounds right.
For the record Joe Johnson has played the 4 position and has guarded players like KG and TD. He has not played the position on a consistent basis but can play the position. The man is 6'7 230 so he is capable. Also JJ can play the point guard position and play it well. He played point last season and did a marvelous job their in the playoffs (reason why Barbosa did not see much time). JJ enjoys creating for other teammates and running the offense like one of his idols, a large pg himself, Magic Johnson. There was also a time when the Suns used him at the point during summer league play. To say JJ benefits from the run and gun Suns style is true. But let's not forget that he averaged 16.7 ppg last year on a horrible team as a 22 year old, JJ has also dramatically improved in a year. While he benefits from the Suns offense Amare, Matrix, and Stevie averaged more ppg last year because he is not the first option, and does not see as many touches as he would on a team like the Bucks. If he was the #1 option like Redd he would produce like Redd. JJ is one of the few players on the Suns that can create shots, and while he benefits from Steve he is not dependant on him. And yes he was guarded by Bowen in the Spurs series after he started torching them. Also being that JJ is currently 23 and still improving I would much rather have the more complete player in JJ.
No way did Joe Johnson play the 4 spot. Maybe he guarded Duncan and KG on a switch, but he never played PF for the Suns. From 82games.com 5 Man Units Joe Johnson was never in the game without Marion/Amare, Marion/Hunter, or Marion/Voskul also on the floor at the same time. I agree, he's a great PG, and gives teams a lot of match up problems. He's also an efficient scorer, and was money from behind the arc from left and right side of the court.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">For the record Joe Johnson has played the 4 position and has guarded players like KG and TD. He has not played the position on a consistent basis but can play the position. The man is 6'7 230 so he is capable. Also JJ can play the point guard position and play it well. He played point last season and did a marvelous job their in the playoffs (reason why Barbosa did not see much time). JJ enjoys creating for other teammates and running the offense like one of his idols, a large pg himself, Magic Johnson. There was also a time when the Suns used him at the point during summer league play. To say JJ benefits from the run and gun Suns style is true. But let's not forget that he averaged 16.7 ppg last year on a horrible team as a 22 year old, JJ has also dramatically improved in a year. While he benefits from the Suns offense Amare, Matrix, and Stevie averaged more ppg last year because he is not the first option, and does not see as many touches as he would on a team like the Bucks. If he was the #1 option like Redd he would produce like Redd. JJ is one of the few players on the Suns that can create shots, and while he benefits from Steve he is not dependant on him. And yes he was guarded by Bowen in the Spurs series after he started torching them. Also being that JJ is currently 23 and still improving I would much rather have the more complete player in JJ.</div> Dude im from San Antonio and I know for a fact that JJ played the 4 We would have won 150 to 9. Your crazy even to say that, for the "record" JJ CAN NOT play the 4, look dude which of these guys could JJ stop from this list Tim, KG, Dirk, J O'Neal, P Gasol, Dwight Howard, R Wallace or even his own teammate A Stoudemire which is a true 4 NONE! I also recorded the games this year and Bruce only play JJ a couple of time due to the fact that his man was out. Please never compare JJ to Magic. It is like saying that HE GOTS AS MUCH OF A CHANCE AS A ONE LEG MAN ON A ASS KICKING CONTEST ON A SHEET OF ICE. JJ is good but thats it GOOD not great. Stop Dreaming and just be real, like everyone here is tell you.
The Suns don't need him to play the 4 he really can't guard those guys, but he can play the 3 ok and he'll kill others at the 1 and 2.
i'm sure a team will offer him a max deal, since like arizonasportsfan22 said, he is one of the top SG's in the league. i think you guys should let him go. if he leaves now, then you guys will be able to re-sign Amare next year. now who'd you rather have? a future all-star (JJ) or a future MVP/HOFer (Amare)
lessthanjake, they can have both players, but they risk paying the luxury tax. However, I think Phoenix is prepared to spend the money because they feel they can win now and don't mind the cost involved. Trading QRich made it easier for them to bring JJ back for a max deal. Adding Raja Bell does give them insurance if JJ does decide to leave though. Atlanta just made him a max deal, so the Suns will now be put to the test to match it.
