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Defense lets J. Johnson stay in lineup despite shot woes
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 4, 2003 12:00 AM
If you think Suns coach Frank Johnson might be a bit concerned about a starting shooting guard who is hitting less than 30 percent of his shots, think again.
Guard Joe Johnson has made 11 of 37 attempts, including 4 of 11 three-point attempts, in the first three games, but his coach claims to have good reasons not to worry.
One is that Joe Johnson is playing the best defense of his career. After Johnson made one of 10 shots in a loss to San Antonio, Frank Johnson said the Suns never would have been in position to beat the Spurs without Joe Johnson's defense.
The coach still was talking about Johnson's defense after the Suns almost came back to beat the Lakers. Joe Johnson finally caught fire in the fourth quarter.
"If I was worried about his shooting, I wouldn't play him 34 minutes a game," Frank Johnson said. "He's doing everything we ask of him defensively. Everything and more.
"I told him, 'Joe, if you don't worry about your offense, it will come.' And it finally did. He hit some big shots down the stretch (against the Lakers). That's all that is."
Johnson's three-point shot tied the score with 1:09 to play, but the Lakers held on to win.
"Hopefully, that takes his confidence through the roof," said teammate Penny Hardaway, who was effective in that fourth quarter alongside Johnson. "Joe has a lot of talent, we all know. We just need him to continue to knock those down."
Working for peanuts
Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliotta, Casey Jacobsen, Scott Williams and Jake Voskuhl took part Monday in a promotion with Southwest Airlines in which they tagged along with airline employees.
"I don't know what I'm gonna be doing," Marbury said. "Maybe they'll have me directing traffic or handing out peanuts."
Toeing the line
About the only knock on Shawn Marion thus far in his career has been his inability to get to the free-throw line.
"I'm trying to get to the line more," he said. "I'm not getting the calls yet. But I will."
When he gets there, he's deadly. A career 83.6 percent free-throw shooter, Marion has made 8 of 9 attempts this season
Defense lets J. Johnson stay in lineup despite shot woes
Bob Young
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 4, 2003 12:00 AM
If you think Suns coach Frank Johnson might be a bit concerned about a starting shooting guard who is hitting less than 30 percent of his shots, think again.
Guard Joe Johnson has made 11 of 37 attempts, including 4 of 11 three-point attempts, in the first three games, but his coach claims to have good reasons not to worry.
One is that Joe Johnson is playing the best defense of his career. After Johnson made one of 10 shots in a loss to San Antonio, Frank Johnson said the Suns never would have been in position to beat the Spurs without Joe Johnson's defense.
The coach still was talking about Johnson's defense after the Suns almost came back to beat the Lakers. Joe Johnson finally caught fire in the fourth quarter.
"If I was worried about his shooting, I wouldn't play him 34 minutes a game," Frank Johnson said. "He's doing everything we ask of him defensively. Everything and more.
"I told him, 'Joe, if you don't worry about your offense, it will come.' And it finally did. He hit some big shots down the stretch (against the Lakers). That's all that is."
Johnson's three-point shot tied the score with 1:09 to play, but the Lakers held on to win.
"Hopefully, that takes his confidence through the roof," said teammate Penny Hardaway, who was effective in that fourth quarter alongside Johnson. "Joe has a lot of talent, we all know. We just need him to continue to knock those down."
Working for peanuts
Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliotta, Casey Jacobsen, Scott Williams and Jake Voskuhl took part Monday in a promotion with Southwest Airlines in which they tagged along with airline employees.
"I don't know what I'm gonna be doing," Marbury said. "Maybe they'll have me directing traffic or handing out peanuts."
Toeing the line
About the only knock on Shawn Marion thus far in his career has been his inability to get to the free-throw line.
"I'm trying to get to the line more," he said. "I'm not getting the calls yet. But I will."
When he gets there, he's deadly. A career 83.6 percent free-throw shooter, Marion has made 8 of 9 attempts this season
