Joe Johnson Adjusts Game to Fit New Role

Filed under: Hawks, NBA All-Star Game

ATLANTA -- Plenty have been critical of Joe Johnson's mammoth contract. They're just not as boisterous about it as Clipper Darrell, the Staples Center fan who dresses from ball cap to sneakers in Clippers red and blue and rants at foes throughout games.

"Be honest: Do you really think you are worth $120 million?'' Atlanta Journal-Constitution beat writer Michael Cunningham tweeted about what Clipper Darrell yelled Sunday at the Hawks guard, whose new six-year contract actually is worth $123 million.

On that day, Johnson did look a lot more worth the money than he has shown much of the season. He scored 29 points in Atlanta's 107-98 win.

Last season, Johnson had to listen to talk regularly about what he might do as a free agent in the summer of 2010. Now that he's re-signed, he must hear claims by naysayers he's overpaid.

Johnson's scoring average is down this season from 21.3 to 17.6 and his shooting percentage has plummeted from 45.8 to 39.9. His assists average, though, is up from 4.9 to 5.7 and Hawks general manager Rick Sund can't stop lauding Johnson for his defensive abilities.

"Not at all,'' Johnson said in an interview with FanHouse about whether it's any sort of burden living up to his contract. "I plan a great six years (on the deal) here. So I don't think it was an odd thing. We just got to keep doing what we've been doing, and we're trying to build on it.''

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/04/joe-johnson-adjusts-game-to-fit-new-role/

New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays