Jan 02 2009
Joe Johnson Blows 20 Point Halftime Lead in Jersey
The NBA’s longest active winning streak has came to an end tonight in New Jersey. The Atlanta Hawks had played a great first half and kept the Nets on 16 points for such a long time in the first half. After Joe Johnson went to the bench in the first half is when the Hawks locked down defensively and it wasn’t until J.J. returned to the line-up that allowed the New Jersey Nets to get off that 16 mark. It seemed like a no-brainer at halftime with the Hawks leading the Nets by 20 points, but coach Mike Woodson and Joe Johnson wouldn’t have it.
The start of the 3rd period begins with Joe Johnson not even moving on the floor. He was just a standing prop that the New Jersey Nets took full advantage of from the offensive point of view. Joe would help out with an airball shot from 18 foot and then locked arms with a player away from the play and allowed the Nets to score a 3 point play. After 2 minutes into the 3rd period Joe Johnson needed to be benched, but that doesn’t happen in Hotlanta. Joe would play 21 of the 24 second half minutes and almost all of the overtime that Johnson didn’t score a point in; although his defense allowed points and he shot a few horrible shots.
Things will be hard to change in Atlanta until they get a coach that isn’t a Joe Johnson fan. The Atlanta Hawks have the best talent in the NBA, but fail to show it on a nightly basis due to the fact that Joe Johnson isn’t an NBA star, but gets star minutes and touches. Joe Johnson has good nights from time to time, but he shows up to play about 1 out of every 6 games and has terrible miscues at the end of games with Woodson giving him the ball everytime. Just not a lot in Atlanta to get excited about until the Hawk’s highest paid player takes his place on the bench like the rest of the players on the team do, when they make mistakes on the floor. Johnson plays 40+ mintues a night regardless of what he’s doing on the court.
After the game, Mike Woodson blamed missed free throws on the loss and never mentioned that Joe Johnson was the reason they lost. It’s funny when you go back to the Hawk’s last loss before New Jersey and lost to the Boston Celtics and that loss was due to Joe Johnson missing a free throw. Woodson is hopefully in his last year with the team and Atlanta needs a coach that isn’t a Joe Johnson fan and treats him like the rest of the players on the team. Too much talent in Atlanta for this team to be losing basketball games, not to mention 20 point leads at halftime.
