Arizona's Finest
Your My Favorite Mistake
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Pending league approval, the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns have finally gotten on the same page in regard to the long-anticipated Joe Johnson deal. Steve Belkin is being bought out by his multiple partners as punishment for trying to stand in the way of the Hawks' potential revival, something advocated on CBS SportsLine just a week or two ago.
Of course, there are those of you who don't see it that way, touting Belkin as the only man with any brains in Atlanta's failing operation. A five-year deal worth just under $70 million, Boris Diaw, two first-rounders and a $4.9 million trade exception is much too steep a price for someone so unproven, you say. Boy, do we have fun with misconceptions or what? This edition is going interactive.
Russell (no last name) writes: Joe Johnson will help Atlanta win 28-35 games each of the next two years, (yes, a 20-plus game improvement), that is not enough production for what they are giving away. If they don't make this trade, they may win 23-28 games next year, draft another good player, add that player in with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Harrington, Josh Childress, etc. With a little more experience, they win between 30-38 second year. There won't be much of a difference in wins during those two years, but we are talking about paying $70 million less to accomplish the same amount of wins over the next two years.
If Johnson sparks a 20-victory improvement, how is he not worth it? The Hawks are finally shelling out money to someone they believe can help them win, and they deserve to be applauded for that.
Don't the three or four loyal Atlanta fans out there deserve to come out to Philips Arena believing their team has a chance to win? Shouldn't they spend their hard-earned money watching a team that's finally spending money on itself?
The Hawks won 13 games last year. With Johnson at the reins of a team that promises to be together for the next three or four years, Harrington potentially excluded, wouldn't continued improvement be inevitable? That's what Atlanta's brain trust is thinking, and it's why Belkin isn't a part of it anymore.
Now what if Johnson doesn't turn out to be all that good, as Jordan Denfeld points out: You've made Johnson out to be the next megastar of the NBA. Let's not forget that he was the fourth-best player (behind Nash, Marion, Stoudemire) on a team that couldn't make it out of a much weaker Western Conference. Do you really believe he's worth $70 million over six years?
Next, and most important, you're not revealing the details of the trade at issue and its future impact on the Hawks organization. Forget Johnson for a minute. You're advising Belkin and the Hawks to give up two first-round draft picks. Two high first-round draft picks are absolutely vital for a 13-win team attempting to build for the future. How can you fail to mention this in your criticism of Belkin?
First of all, both picks the Hawks are sending to Phoenix are lottery protected. It's not like they're sending another potential No. 1 pick out to the desert, so please spare us the melodrama.
The trade exception, which might help the Suns land Michael Finley, is practically useless to Atlanta. Unless you're reaching for a younger player and overpaying, what veteran is going to want to come to a losing franchise for the mid-level when they can likely find a home anywhere else?
As for Diaw, the Hawks got tired of waiting for him to develop, and he'll be about the seventh- or eighth-best player on the Suns. It's my understanding that being considered fourth best behind All-Stars Nash, Stoudemire and Marion is nothing to scoff at. Incidentally, Johnson was better than Marion in the playoffs.
Another reader, Rodney Aldridge, wrote in questioning my sanity and suggesting that Joe Johnson as a point guard would be a recipe for disaster.
As opposed to another year of the platoon of Tyronn Lue and Royal Ivey, better suited as backups?
I gotta be honest, this article really agitated me as its a wonder this guy is even an NBA writer with comments about Finley for the TE and failing to mention the lottery protection is only for two years and one of those years is top 3......there are many fallacies i see in this article and im the biggest JJ fan on this board. Im sure most of you are going to pick this apart. commence.........
Of course, there are those of you who don't see it that way, touting Belkin as the only man with any brains in Atlanta's failing operation. A five-year deal worth just under $70 million, Boris Diaw, two first-rounders and a $4.9 million trade exception is much too steep a price for someone so unproven, you say. Boy, do we have fun with misconceptions or what? This edition is going interactive.
Russell (no last name) writes: Joe Johnson will help Atlanta win 28-35 games each of the next two years, (yes, a 20-plus game improvement), that is not enough production for what they are giving away. If they don't make this trade, they may win 23-28 games next year, draft another good player, add that player in with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Harrington, Josh Childress, etc. With a little more experience, they win between 30-38 second year. There won't be much of a difference in wins during those two years, but we are talking about paying $70 million less to accomplish the same amount of wins over the next two years.
If Johnson sparks a 20-victory improvement, how is he not worth it? The Hawks are finally shelling out money to someone they believe can help them win, and they deserve to be applauded for that.
Don't the three or four loyal Atlanta fans out there deserve to come out to Philips Arena believing their team has a chance to win? Shouldn't they spend their hard-earned money watching a team that's finally spending money on itself?
The Hawks won 13 games last year. With Johnson at the reins of a team that promises to be together for the next three or four years, Harrington potentially excluded, wouldn't continued improvement be inevitable? That's what Atlanta's brain trust is thinking, and it's why Belkin isn't a part of it anymore.
Now what if Johnson doesn't turn out to be all that good, as Jordan Denfeld points out: You've made Johnson out to be the next megastar of the NBA. Let's not forget that he was the fourth-best player (behind Nash, Marion, Stoudemire) on a team that couldn't make it out of a much weaker Western Conference. Do you really believe he's worth $70 million over six years?
Next, and most important, you're not revealing the details of the trade at issue and its future impact on the Hawks organization. Forget Johnson for a minute. You're advising Belkin and the Hawks to give up two first-round draft picks. Two high first-round draft picks are absolutely vital for a 13-win team attempting to build for the future. How can you fail to mention this in your criticism of Belkin?
First of all, both picks the Hawks are sending to Phoenix are lottery protected. It's not like they're sending another potential No. 1 pick out to the desert, so please spare us the melodrama.
The trade exception, which might help the Suns land Michael Finley, is practically useless to Atlanta. Unless you're reaching for a younger player and overpaying, what veteran is going to want to come to a losing franchise for the mid-level when they can likely find a home anywhere else?
As for Diaw, the Hawks got tired of waiting for him to develop, and he'll be about the seventh- or eighth-best player on the Suns. It's my understanding that being considered fourth best behind All-Stars Nash, Stoudemire and Marion is nothing to scoff at. Incidentally, Johnson was better than Marion in the playoffs.
Another reader, Rodney Aldridge, wrote in questioning my sanity and suggesting that Joe Johnson as a point guard would be a recipe for disaster.
As opposed to another year of the platoon of Tyronn Lue and Royal Ivey, better suited as backups?
I gotta be honest, this article really agitated me as its a wonder this guy is even an NBA writer with comments about Finley for the TE and failing to mention the lottery protection is only for two years and one of those years is top 3......there are many fallacies i see in this article and im the biggest JJ fan on this board. Im sure most of you are going to pick this apart. commence.........
