I think this is the guy to go after then nothing but stats Chris Bosh. He can defend, run a team and is clutch. Everything Kevin Martian isn't
he also said he doesn't want to rebuild. he said the only way he'll go to the knicks is if they have another star there. so joe, why not come to the rockets? but joe is NOT worth the max anyways. he's an all-star, but man his PER is always so ugly for a main playmaker/scorer of a team.
how will we get him? Anyway considering we already have both Martin and Ariza in the fold getting yet another swingman is not the answer IMHO. Besides I'm not a fan of JJ, out of all the rumored "max" FAs I consider him the worst.
I Like Joe's game but watching the Knicks game last night I can see why people criticize him for disappearing late in games. He should have gone Kobe on the Knicks, since they had NO ONE to guard him, and finished them off but instead was VERY passive. Saying that, wouldn't mind having the guy at SF that for sure.
well considering we'd have to give up other pieces to make salaries match besides Ariza I'd probably pass. Like I said JJ is just not worth the max. That Hawks team is solid with really talented pieces (josh smith, al horford etc.). The fact that they're still middling is testament to JJ not worth a max contract. Put any other max guy there along with Josh Smith, Bibby, Horford and Marvin Williams and you'd have an upper echelon team.
Ariza isn't the kind of player they need. If the Hawks do a SnT involving JJ over the summer, it will likely be for a legit starting PG or a replacement "go to" scorer. Ariza adds nothing to that team. In fact, based on the season he's having, Ariza doesn't have much trade value at all. I'm not willing to say his signing by the Rockets was a mistake just yet, but I'm getting there. Hopefully with AB and K-Mart on the floor, Ariza can nail open jumpers and not worry about creating.
Yup. Not only that but they'll still have the rights to resign Josh Childress possibly as early as this summer if he ever stops kidding himself by playing overseas. Provided J-Chill's game hasn't changed much since leaving the NBA, he brings a lot of the same things to the table that Ariza does. If nothing else it just further emphasizes your point that Atlanta doesn't need Ariza. As for the topic at hand, forking over a max deal to JJ would be a tough sell given his age (29 in June -- not old but history shows elite SG's tend to taper off after the age of 32) and the fact that the Hawks seemingly have plateaued with him as their best player. That said, it's really been no secret that JJ is a second banana type player that's never played with a dominant post scorer or elite playmaker. Bibby sucks, Marvin is decent at best, Horford is overrated, Josh Smith has a little marble rolling around in his head and the Hawks literally have ZERO bench production unless Crawford (in his 'shoot you in or out' role) isn't putting the ball in the hoop. For all the talent the Hawks have, this multitude of shortcomings each player has is the REAL reason why the Hawks are there...but not there. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you simply cannot measure JJ's value by staring at a stat-sheet. He's their leader, he runs their offense, often is stuck defending PG's or the opponent's best player, scores, closes out games, etc. Simply stated: he's the backbone of that team. He needs a dominant low post scorer or PG to make that team elite, but there's also a very strong chance that team would absolutely crumble without him. For that reason you probably have to consider ponying up and paying him if you're Atlanta.
if he takes less i dont see how that means he wants to leave atlanta it may just mean he will stay there to allow them to get another piece. atlanta is right there in the east they are maybe 1 piece away from contending with the other big 3
Johnson is bolting, My guess? He goes to new york or new jersey, maybe teams up with boozer or amar'e there.
As much as I wanted Martin all year long, well the past 3 years really, I could see a S&T for JJ. JJ just has more impact out there. If he wanted to come over the Hawks would surely not mind taking on Martin. Small but meaningful upgrade. And yes, an Ariza based deal for Johnson would be a dream come true.
