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Arizona Republic
Plain to see: Johnson no average Joe
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 21, 2004 12:00 AM
There was a hidden surprise in the box of party favors exchanged for Stephon Marbury.
It was a miniature Tracy McGrady.
It was the transformation that turned softhearted Joe Johnson into a cold-blooded gamer.
"Joe has got the 300-pound gorilla off his back," General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "His confidence is really shining through."
If the Suns beat the Nuggets tonight in Denver, they will legitimize this four-game winning streak, accomplished against teams severely hampered by injury or general buffoonery. As it is, they already are turning down the heat on the Colangelos, seared for shipping off the team's most popular player in a midseason salary purge.
Some of this revival is just the glow of winning. Some of it is similar to the phenomenon at Bank One Ballpark last season, when a doe-eyed confluence of baby Diamondbacks captured the imagination of an unsuspecting fan base.
For better or worse, the Suns are building with a core of homegrown players who have few ties to other organizations. This represents the antithesis of an organization that once threw money at its problems, constructing a revolving door of overpaid pseudo-stars.
"I was telling my wife the other day just how different everything feels," center Scott Williams said. "The locker room is much more jovial, and guys are feeling better about each other."
The biggest difference is clearly Johnson, who has been liberated by the departure of Penny Hardaway. It's a strange twist, given the two were video-game partners and close friends off the court. It suggests something nefarious about the previous environment at America West Arena.
Johnson had been elevated to the starting lineup twice before, but it's evident he never was comfortable being Hardaway's on-court superior. It is conceivable that Hardaway might have furthered this notion when the two were away from the arena, when the impressionable young Johnson could be reminded of how big Hardaway once was. You know, big enough to have that sprawling mansion and L'il Penny filming commercials with Tyra Banks.
In sports, the line between enemy and friend often blurs. Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy once said that opponents didn't want to compete too hard against Michael Jordan for fear of risking their place in Jordan's elite circle.
Two former Suns once got on a rookie named Shawn Marion for practicing too long and too hard, especially when practice had officially ended. Don't make us look bad, kid.
There is much that still smells about this trade. Like Frank Johnson's comments before he got fired, how the in-house problems stemmed from young guys who had to get theirs. He wasn't talking about Marbury, and you have to wonder where the problem truly lies.
After all, if there are young egos so formidable yet so fragile still within the group, trading Marbury was only a temporary pacifier.
But if this deal has unlocked a superstar in waiting, then the Knicks no longer can be accused of heinous theft. It's a development nearly as stunning as the trade itself, but these days, Joe Johnson has the plain name and the big game. Big enough to almost make you believe in the future.
Plain to see: Johnson no average Joe
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 21, 2004 12:00 AM
There was a hidden surprise in the box of party favors exchanged for Stephon Marbury.
It was a miniature Tracy McGrady.
It was the transformation that turned softhearted Joe Johnson into a cold-blooded gamer.
"Joe has got the 300-pound gorilla off his back," General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "His confidence is really shining through."
If the Suns beat the Nuggets tonight in Denver, they will legitimize this four-game winning streak, accomplished against teams severely hampered by injury or general buffoonery. As it is, they already are turning down the heat on the Colangelos, seared for shipping off the team's most popular player in a midseason salary purge.
Some of this revival is just the glow of winning. Some of it is similar to the phenomenon at Bank One Ballpark last season, when a doe-eyed confluence of baby Diamondbacks captured the imagination of an unsuspecting fan base.
For better or worse, the Suns are building with a core of homegrown players who have few ties to other organizations. This represents the antithesis of an organization that once threw money at its problems, constructing a revolving door of overpaid pseudo-stars.
"I was telling my wife the other day just how different everything feels," center Scott Williams said. "The locker room is much more jovial, and guys are feeling better about each other."
The biggest difference is clearly Johnson, who has been liberated by the departure of Penny Hardaway. It's a strange twist, given the two were video-game partners and close friends off the court. It suggests something nefarious about the previous environment at America West Arena.
Johnson had been elevated to the starting lineup twice before, but it's evident he never was comfortable being Hardaway's on-court superior. It is conceivable that Hardaway might have furthered this notion when the two were away from the arena, when the impressionable young Johnson could be reminded of how big Hardaway once was. You know, big enough to have that sprawling mansion and L'il Penny filming commercials with Tyra Banks.
In sports, the line between enemy and friend often blurs. Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy once said that opponents didn't want to compete too hard against Michael Jordan for fear of risking their place in Jordan's elite circle.
Two former Suns once got on a rookie named Shawn Marion for practicing too long and too hard, especially when practice had officially ended. Don't make us look bad, kid.
There is much that still smells about this trade. Like Frank Johnson's comments before he got fired, how the in-house problems stemmed from young guys who had to get theirs. He wasn't talking about Marbury, and you have to wonder where the problem truly lies.
After all, if there are young egos so formidable yet so fragile still within the group, trading Marbury was only a temporary pacifier.
But if this deal has unlocked a superstar in waiting, then the Knicks no longer can be accused of heinous theft. It's a development nearly as stunning as the trade itself, but these days, Joe Johnson has the plain name and the big game. Big enough to almost make you believe in the future.
lain to see: Johnson no average Joe
