Joe Johnson

[Michael Gooen <callmebogie@xxxxxxxxx>]

Josh O wrote:

<<I didn't catch this until I saw it
in Peter May's ESPN column:

Ainge also took a roundabout shot at O'Brien regarding Johnson, the 
team's No.
1 pick (10th overall) in 2001 who lasted half a season before being 
traded to
the Suns. "If we're drafting Joe Johnson and we don't like to play him 
in
Boston, but he explodes in Phoenix, we have to evaluate what we're 
doing," he
told the Boston Globe. "It doesn't do me any good to go draft a player, 
if the
coach isn't going to put him on the court and give him a chance to 
develop. If
we're drafting players that aren't being developed or maybe we're 
drafting the
wrong players, or maybe we're drafting the right players that aren't 
being
developed properly ... either way it's bad."

Word.>>

One can blame O'Brien for a number of things, but failing to give Joe
Johnson a chance isn't one of them.  He was a STARTER.  He had a few nice
performances, but more often than not he drifted on the court.  Has he
"exploded" in Phoenix?

Joe Johnson's stats in 2002-03:  27.5 mpg, 9.8 ppg on 39.7% shooting
(36.6% from beyond the arc), 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg.  Note that his scoring
dropped to 5.6 ppg in his 6 playoff games.

Tony Delk's stats in 2002-03:  28 mpg, 9.8 ppg on 41.6% shooting (39.5%
from beyond the arc), 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg.  Note that his scoring increased
to 15.8 ppg in 10 playoff games.

Who would you rather have?  

Sure, Johnson is 7-1/2 years younger than Delk.  But unless you're placing
a premium on Johnson's UPPPPPside, or you think Casey Jacobsen (or someone
else Wallace would've drafted in his place -- HAH!) is going to be a star,
you can't fault the trade -- especially since the comparison doesn't take
into account the key contribution Rodney Rogers made during his short
tenure.

You can fault the pick, but Johnson was a mistake a lot of GMs would've
made in that draft.  I'll even give the BDT a pass for taking the 11th
pick, because 2001 appeared to be a very deep draft (and it was) and it
was a tough call as to whether the Nuggets were going to continue sucking.
 But there's no excuse for taking 2 swingmen and an off-guard who's never
played the point in his life when you've already got Paul Pierce -- not
when you're so thin up front and at the point and there are real options
available.  

"Maybe we're drafting the wrong players"?  No maybe about it, Danny. 
Draft the right ones after you talk to O'Brien about installing an actual
offense.

Michael Gooen



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