[Chicago1980Participant]

I can’t believe that out of all of the super free agents signed this off season that Joe Johnson is going to be making the most money out of all of them. Does this make any sense to anyone because it doesnt to me. This past season his team lost in the second round of the playoffs by an average of 25 points per game. He averaged 21 points 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists yeah those are good numbers but come on. In my opinion he is not a player that people go and spend there money to go and see those are the types of players that deserve that type of money. I aint mad at him though he got paid and he robbed the Hawks.

[GodfatherParticipant]

It makes some sense. He stayed with his team and did not need to take a pay cut like Wade Bosh or LeBron did.

Also, he was by far the best thing the Hawks had a shot of getting so they needed to put all their chips into him because if he left then their franchise would be beyond ruined. Sure, he doesn’t deserve all that money, but when you really think about how much the Hawks needed him, that signing makes a lot more sense that it does when you straight up compare him to LeBron’s or Wade’s money. And in that sense, it is very similar to the Rudy Gay signing.

[kanyedabestParticipant]

love it….. exactly what i was thinking.. he staright up robbed em

[SpencerIsHawesome2Participant]

thank you for your analysis a month later

[Chicago1980Participant]

You’re welcome SpencerHawesome2 i am not on here as much as others and I dont post as much but I just wanted to get my thought out there. But like I said i am not mad at him for making that money its his last big contract he will be 35 when it is over so good job by him and his agent. I just thought that it was amazing that he would be the one that made the most money this off season and he was one of the older free agents.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

It’s not robbery if they more than willingly want to give it to you.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

I think Joe Johnson is a selfish player, and alot of people does not realize it. I remember couple of years ago when he signed with the Hawks instead of playing for a perenial contender Suns, because he wanted to be “THE MAIN GUY” and he did not want to be 2nd or 3rd fiddle to Steve Nash and Amare, Imagine those big 3. If Nash, Johnson and Amare would have stayed together they probably could have won atleast 1 championship by now, instead he choose the Hawks because of the money and the fact that he has a chance to be “THE MAIN GUY” (which he is not, hes more like a 2nd option guy).

Again this year, he had a chance to join forces with either Amare with the Knicks or even Join one of the guys Lebron,Wade, Bosh but he choose to re-sign with the Hawks for the Money and be the main guy. If no one has realized it yet, this guy is a selfish player and not about winning. He said it himself during this past playoffs, he doesnt care if the fans boo at him.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

So let me get this straight… You’re saying Joe Johnson is a *selfish* player because he wanted to be the main guy on a team and max out on his earning potential? Riiight…

IF you remember not more than a month ago, Johnson seriously considered leaving the Hawks and was open about being willing to be the #2 guy to a Wade or LeBron. That’s ALL he said from the beginning is that it was all about winning.

However, it’s not like the Hawks aren’t a good team. He’s grown with that core group of players… Guys like Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams. They’ve gotten better every season, despite losing to better teams like Boston, Cleveland and Orlando in the playoffs. It’s not a bad thing that he returned there. The NBA system is structured in a way to give the home team the advantage to re-sign it’s player and they did.

Signing the max deal that the Hawks offered him and staying with the home team doesn’t mean he’s a selfish player. IF anything, it says that he’s willing to stick it out there and try to win a ring than going and jumping on another team’s bandwagon.

[llperez]

i wont ever call any nba player selfish for taking the money. I mean, if he left people would just say he is not loyal or he is chasing a title and afraid to finish what he started in atlanta. The Hawks did overpay, but that wont really effect them for a few years and for now, losing joe would have been disasterous for that franchise.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

How did he rob Atlanta when Chicago and New York were going to offer him five years and the max? It isn’t like there was no market for him. Atlanta went out and did what they had to do to keep him.

If they let him go, as so many people now think should have been, you have to consider the fall out. Does Al Horford sign an extension? Does Josh Smith lose interest on a bad team? Does Jamal Crawford go back to being a no-conscience gunner? How much worse do the Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, and Zaza Pachulia contracts look on a 30 win team? Who makes the argument that this Hawks team is anything but a group of front-runners? Joe Johnson is a very good player. He will make sure that team stays competitive, and it makes more sense for them to keep him and then dump Marvin Williams, Bibby, and/or Zaza to make ends meet than going about it the other way. If they let Johnson go, there was a much better chance of them turning into the Warriors than having it turn out well.

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

I love when people actually believe players when they say they “are all about winning”…name one player in the history of history that hasnt said they are “all about winning”. No player goes to an organization and says, yeah Im not really much into this whole winning thing, I just want to collect my paycheck and be on my way…winning isnt really my thing, I’m all about the money. Cmon people, dont be nieve…just because a guy says he’s all about winning, doesnt mean he is. Joe Johnson is all about the money, if he wasnt he wouldve gone to chicago or Miami, because everybody knows that Atlanta team isnt going anywhere, they are stuck. They will never be beyond a 2nd round exit type of team. Joe Johnson wants to be the man, and he doesnt care about winning.

[llperez]

biggysmalls, you were on point until your last comment that "he doesnt care about winning", please dont mistake taking the moeny with meaning you dont give a damn about winning. While almost all players take the money, that does not mean they dont care about how theri teams do.

[jflueggeParticipant]

Either Joe Johnson should start playing the game with a ski mask on or the Hawks need a lesson on money management. Or both.

[Chicago1980Participant]

I personnally think he wants to win but he wanted the money more. If I had the chance to make that klind of money I would definitely take it. And there is really no pressure for him to win a championship in Atlanta. Maybe thats another reason why he decided to stay.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I don’t blame the Hawks and here’s why.

Joe Johnson had 2 high level deals on the table ( New York, Chicago) who were ready to throw 100 mil his way if they didn’t get LeBron. The Hawks looked at this roster without Johnson and freaked. Cannot blame them. Sometime you have to overpay when teams have money. History also shows: Johnson is a money guy.

If I was Atlanta here’s what I have done.

1. Kept that 31st overall pick and taken Hassan Whiteside.

2. Sign Roger Mason ( 3 years/ 15 mil), Richard Jefferson ( 4 years, 32 million),Craig Smith (3 year, 10 million) and Brad Miller ( 2 year, 14 million)

With those moves, you have a solid bench and with the additions of Mason and then Jordan Crawford, I could move Jamal Crawford for a 1st rounder and maybe another piece since he’s a solid 6th man and a exp contract.

Teague-Jefferson-Smith-Horford-Miller

Whiteside-Crawford-Crawford-Bibby-SMith

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

Llperez…good call on that. One guy said later in a post that he wants the money more than winning, and I’d say I agree with that assessment. I didnt mean to say he doesnt give a damn about winning at all, I just think his priority seems like its getting paid, which if thats the case, he aint the only one in the NBA to do that, so its not like I’m condemning him and dont like him. I actually feel sorry, because I think he had a big time oppurtunity to go somewhere like Chicago and have a really good chance at winning alot. But my bad on that, I messed that up.

[OrangeJuiceJonesParticipant]

Joe Johnson didn’t do anything wrong. The Hawks robbed themselves.

As far as winning goes? You take the money first, then you worry about winning. It’s just like taking a job offer. Unless you feel really, really incompetent, would you turn down an offer that may be a little bit more than you’re worth?

[SteroidParticipant]

Ultimately, the Hawks could have chosen to do either one of two things:

1. Let Johnson walk, and go into a “rebuilding phase”; therefore, becoming a lottery team or possibly not getting into the lottery at all from being mediocre.

2. Sign Johnson and have a chance at being a decent playoff team in the eastern conference every year.

The Hawks had winning now in mind over rebuilding. They weren’t obligated to pay Johnson that much money. Both options has its cons, but personally, I think signing Johnson has more pros than cons. We always criticize teams for always being in the rebuilding phase or in other words, being bad. They have a nice core group of players and they are one all-star away from actually being a threat in the playoffs. Granted, they are stuck now, but honestly, in the situation the Hawks are in, this is the best they could have done.

[Author]

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