Atlanta Hawks: Top 5 Shooting Guards of All-Time
Apr 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) defends Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Johnson gets a bad rap these days thanks to his hefty contract, but in Atlanta he was an excellent scorer and the cornerstone of a team that made several playoff appearances. After making a name for himself with the “seven seconds or less” Phoenix Suns, the Hawks acquired Johnson in a deal that sent Boris Diaw and a pair of first round picks to Phoenix.
Johnson spent seven seasons with Atlanta, leading them in scoring each season. During that period, he averaged 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game on 44.9 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three-point range.
Johnson was mostly a jump-shooter during his Hawks career, taking the majority of his shots from behind the three-point arc or in the mid-range area. However, he was still well adept at getting to the rim and finishing.
Johnson shot 60.3 percent at less than three feet from the rim while with the Hawks, by far his most effective area of the floor. It’s easy to imagine Johnson thriving in a system like the one Mike Budenholzer recently implemented in Atlanta.
Johnson made six All-Star teams with the Hawks, consecutively from 2006-2007 to 2011-2012. Johnson was a better playmaker than many remember and he still ranks fifth all-time in assists with 2653. He also ranks in the top five in three-point field goals made, minutes per game and usage rate.
After the 2011-2012 season Atlanta traded Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets. In 2015-2016 Johnson will start his fourth season with Brooklyn.
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