Its really hard to tell considering Atlanta hasnt performed well yet. I mean, Boris has been a very pleasant surprise and their team did very well with him playiing WAY out of position at the C spot. I guess I will have to go with Phoenix.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ballerman2112 @ Sep 25 2006, 09:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Its really hard to tell considering Atlanta hasnt performed well yet. I mean, Boris has been a very pleasant surprise and their team did very well with him playiing WAY out of position at the C spot. I guess I will have to go with Phoenix.</div>Well, shouldn't that be a reason why Joe Johnson ought to be having a break out season? The Hawks suck. JJ is supposed to be the star player, but he still performs like the "second option". :thumbdn1: Look at Kobe Bryant. He had an insane season with a horrible (game-by-game performance-wise) team. JJ? He's not playing good enough. It's not hard to tell. It's easy to tell, you know? When a solo player is doing everything, the team may be just decent at best; if a whole team plays like a team, I guarantee they'll at least reach the Playoffs. Right now, the Hawks suck, but not single player is taking over in the solo-department.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Illosophee @ Sep 26 2006, 03:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well, shouldn't that be a reason why Joe Johnson ought to be having a break out season? The Hawks suck. JJ is supposed to be the star player, but he still performs like the "second option". :thumbdn1: Look at Kobe Bryant. He had an insane season with a horrible (game-by-game performance-wise) team. JJ? He's not playing good enough. It's not hard to tell. It's easy to tell, you know? When a solo player is doing everything, the team may be just decent at best; if a whole team plays like a team, I guarantee they'll at least reach the Playoffs. Right now, the Hawks suck, but not single player is taking over in the solo-department.</div>Joe Johnson had a huge learning curb just the same as Boris Diaw did. While Boris Diaw was learning to become a good starting player, Joe Johnson was learning all season how to be the man and the best player on a team. Johnson was being asked to do this, while also being asked to iniate and set up the Hawks offense for long amounts of time as the primary ball handler. Trying to learn when to shoot and when to pass while being the primary ball handler on the team, but also being asked to be the man on the team is a hard thing to learn. Each month of last season Johnson got better and better at being the man in that offense, and knowing when to take over games. This season with him being the shooting guard, and them actually having primary ball handlers at the point guard spot, I expect him to step into that scoring and take over games role. We will see a very good Joe Johnson this season in my eyes.As for which team got the better deal, I think they both got what they needed out of the deal. Atlanta got a player that can be their star player, and scorer. One that will be able to take over games with the scoring, while also being able to help out well on defense. Diaw would have never become this player for the Hawks, and chances are neither of those draft picks would have become this player for the Hawks. The Suns got a versatile player that was able to step in and play down low at the center spot when all of the rest of centers went down. That might have been blind luck that things turned out that way, but it ended up working out for the Suns. The things that Diaw ended up being able to do, just added new dimentions to this offense and team, that Joe Johnson would not have been able to do. He really made life hell on opposing centers and teams by bringing the centers out of the paint and moving around, causing Nash to be able to get in the lane much better. Diaw was also good at running that pick and roll with Marion that was completely effective. It's not often the two big men ran pick and rolls, but Diaw's vision and passing allowed them to be able to run that play to perfection which really threw off other teams. So as I said, I don't really think either team got the bad end of the deal, both got what they needed.
Defiently ATL, Diaw is overrated, hes treated like a superstar but hes just like another PG in the league. Yeah his size is pretty cool, but he cant play center on any other team. And his 6apg comes from spot up shooters, he doesn't make plays like people say he does. David West shouldve won most improved. ATL on the other hand didnt get a franchise player in my opinion, but got a young and talented player for when that franchise player does come along, will assist him extremely well.
they shouldve kept rahim, all their big men suck. However the addition of sheldon williams has to be watched. Can joe johnson help lead him in the right direction... I doubt it. Sheldon williams is gonna have to do his thing on his own. As I agree with what austin JJ is not a franchise player, a very talented, but he has potential to be one.If they put him in the SG position where I believe he can shine better with a decent assisting playmaking PG he will appear more as a franchise. JJ can pass but I wouldnt want him as my pg forever unless he was more crafty of a passer like LBJ. To conclude, answering the question, I would say they both got what they wanted because diaw didnt do sh*t on the hawks and is providing the suns with some great hidden talent as a big man. JJ well he just does more than what diaw did on the hawks but they still are pretty sh*tty team. We'll see what happens this year
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Sep 26 2006, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Defiently ATL, Diaw is overrated, hes treated like a superstar but hes just like another PG in the league. Yeah his size is pretty cool, but he cant play center on any other team. And his 6apg comes from spot up shooters, he doesn't make plays like people say he does. David West shouldve won most improved. ATL on the other hand didnt get a franchise player in my opinion, but got a young and talented player for when that franchise player does come along, will assist him extremely well.</div>Umm, I watched all his games and yes he did make plays... his passing is incredible, 10x better than what I saw Joe Johnson do here, even when he was playing as point guard.And I just don't see Joe Johnson ever becoming a franchise player. He's a #2 option, #3 on a contender. He just doesen't seem like that kind of guy to me, just a tag along for a championship team. His confidence falters a lot and his 3-point shooting isn't that great without a very good point guard.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Illosophee @ Sep 26 2006, 03:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well, shouldn't that be a reason why Joe Johnson ought to be having a break out season? The Hawks suck. JJ is supposed to be the star player, but he still performs like the "second option". :thumbdn1: Look at Kobe Bryant. He had an insane season with a horrible (game-by-game performance-wise) team. JJ? He's not playing good enough. It's not hard to tell. It's easy to tell, you know? When a solo player is doing everything, the team may be just decent at best; if a whole team plays like a team, I guarantee they'll at least reach the Playoffs. Right now, the Hawks suck, but not single player is taking over in the solo-department.</div>why are you comparing Joe Johnson to Kobe Bryant? come on, that's just ridiculous. JJ did NOT play like a second option. not sure on these stats but I think he got around 24 ppg, 5 apg, 5 rpg. Those are pretty good numbers. He didn't "break out" bc he had a great season the year before.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nba dogmatist @ Sep 26 2006, 06:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>why are you comparing Joe Johnson to Kobe Bryant? come on, that's just ridiculous. JJ did NOT play like a second option. not sure on these stats but I think he got around 24 ppg, 5 apg, 5 rpg. Those are pretty good numbers. He didn't "break out" bc he had a great season the year before.</div>20, 4, 6 in almost 41 minutes and 35% 3-point shooting.
I can't say yet. Although Diaw is one of my favorite players, it's too early to say. It depends on a couple of things. If the Suns actually keep any of the draft picks. And what it takes to re-sign Diaw. He is looking for 10 mil per, for 6 years. I mean why don't the Suns ever keep their draft picks. Deng and Rondo would be nice for them, a couple of prime examples. Would have saved them money too. So if the Suns get a good couple of picks AND keep them, while inking Diaw to something a little more reasonable the Suns get in easily. If not my vote goes for the Hawks getting their star player.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nba dogmatist @ Sep 26 2006, 08:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>why are you comparing Joe Johnson to Kobe Bryant? come on, that's just ridiculous. JJ did NOT play like a second option. not sure on these stats but I think he got around 24 ppg, 5 apg, 5 rpg. Those are pretty good numbers. He didn't "break out" because he had a great season the year before.</div>Well, good point, but I'll still stick with what I said. Also, JJ was pretty much the second option for the Suns because Amare was given the ball most of the time.
