Agreed, but Joe Johnson is a slightly better defender, has a bigger body, rebounds fairly well for a guard (extra possessions) and is a better passer. These things have plenty of value.
What about a big five of Yao, Bosh, Ariza, Martin and J.Johnson. Remember JJ used to play the point as well
cuban tampering to get johnson sign and trade being that bulls are offering joe johnson a chance to play with lebron and win titles,and bulls are offering close to max, cuban is making a big mistake giving up assets to sign a 30 yr old joe johnson to max money it wont attract bosh or lebron because bosh has made up his mind. if cuban was smart(which he isnt,he sold a domain to make his money) he would trade dirk for bosh or dirk for amare ,then get johnson and also trade kidd for picks or young assets. cuban is making the same mistake astros do,holds onto his players to long for emotional reasons.
im 100% convinced our starting lineup will be brooks,martin,ariza,scola,yao martin-he is good value brooks-we need him ariza-promised starting role scola-getting huge payraise yao-what else to we have?
If you're going to sign a max player he better be able to bring you a ring. Chris Bosh has a better chance than JJ IMO to do that, JJ has had a lot of years to prove that in ATL and he hasn't done that.
I like both. Martin is probably the better $ value (via production) but Johnson is the better defender and is less injury prone and those are key items for me. I voted for Johnson.
What a horrible idea. We give up a lot and have no bench. No thanks. A better idea: Martin + Battier (bought out) + Rockets first round pick + cash (for the buyout) for Joe Johnson Sign and trade Scola + Hill + one or both Knicks first round picks + Jeffries for Bosh. Brooks/Lowry Johnson/Budinger/Taylor Ariza/Battier Bosh/Patterson Yao/MLE (Haywood? Miller?)/Hayes
Joe Johnson stats over 48mins 09-10 Season: 27 ppg 46% fg% 37% 3pt% 82% ft% 4.4 FT Attempts/game 5.8 rebounds/game 6.2 assists/game 1.4 steals/game 2.4 turnovers/game Kevin Martin stats over 48mins 09-10 Season: 28.4 ppg 44% fg% 31% 3pt% 92% ft.% 10.2 FT Attempts/game 3.8 rebounds/game 3.1 assists/game 1.3 steals/game 3.2 turnovers/game Stats alone suggest that Joe Johnson would be a better pick over Kevin Martin because he will contribute in Rebounds and Assists. I also think KMart's shooting %'s are bit skewed because of his injury earlier in the year and his shoulder injury near the end of the year. If you also look at the intangibles...FT Attempts will get the Rockets in the FT penalty quicker = more free throws. KMart is also (i think) quicker than Joe Johnson. Kmart was never in a system or surrounded by DEFENSIVE MINDED players. He's got chuck, ariza, battier and scola who are all about hustle, and defense which will only make his defense that much better. If you pay the same amount to JJ and KM...you take JJ... but if you have to pay MAX $$ to JJ...keep KM
This is a really difficult question. On one hand, we are sorely lacking a wing creator type, the role which JJ should fulfill better than KM. His defense is also better, as mentioned. On the other hand, if Yao returns to franchice player level (extremely unlikely) or we get a Bosh caliber 4, Martin + Brooks + defensive stopper at the 3 should be enough. My answer? JJ will probably want 5-6 years of max salary. While he has been able to suit up to games remarkably well, I'm not very optimistic how good that contract will be in 3 years. So I pick Martin.
Like others have said. JJ is not worth the max. If we have to pay him that to get him, I'd rather have Martin. Plus the idea of having both our guards be guys who like to have the ball in their hands seems like it might not work so well. Martin works so well off Brooks. You can only have so many ball dominant players before your offense becomes the 2009 Rockets pre-Tmac surgery.
If Yao is 85%+ for the next 5+ years then I will go ahead and take Johnson. With Johnson we can play more halfcourt "playoff" sets, Johnson can control the ball, setup players, make others better and can hit the 3 when Yao draws attention. If Yao isn't shaping up to return to significant player status then I will go with Martin and continue to try and burn the opposition with speed, confusion and FTA's. More gimmicky, less tradition basketball. Meaning, to win in the playoffs we'll have to get hot... and a little lucky.
Except that Rip is a beast at the end of games.. JJ can create his own shot to close a game.. I have yet to see this killer instinct in K-mart.. so for now.. Joe Johnson!
Martin is at, 11, 12, and then 13 M. JJ at 15 is an upgrade. His age is def a factor in all of this. I trust that DM will make a wise decision.
You're comparing Johnson's best year to Martin's worst year. I understand they were last year, but Martin was injured for the most part. This season the Rockets are putting their championship hopes in a healthy Yao/Martin combo.
I feel the exact opposite from you. I think KM will work well off Yao. Not that anyone knows whther yao will be healthy or not... but i think if yao is healthy, then you go with kmart, someone thats more of a system player. If yao does not return to what he is capable of, we need someone thats more of a franchise type player like JJ.
We might have said Yao was an ironman in his first or second season. JJ is a 9-year vet with a long track record of good health. And, I disagree about the past not being an indicator of the future. Sure, Johnson can have a significant injury on any given day that destroys his basketball career. But, it's pretty much a guarantee that Martin will not suddenly find health and stop missing games. Johnson is less prone to those smaller injuries that are doing damage to Martin's joints and tissue. I'm betting on Johnson here, even with mileage. How they perform in the playoffs is a whole other subject. You may be right on that, who knows.
