Rock of Cages The Hawks know — and the NBA is finding out — that there may not be anyone more reliable than Joe Johnson. By Jon Cooper He is quiet and unassuming, yet Joe Johnson always seems to be on the scene when there's trouble and something needs to get done. Unlike Clark Kent, however, Johnson doesn't run into a phone booth to transform himself into Superman. The Hawks' super hero doesn't leave the floor long enough to find a phone booth or any place else to change. After a dynamic debut season in Atlanta, his fifth in the NBA, that saw him lead the team in points (20.2 ppg), assists (6.5), steals (1.3), games (82), minutes played (a franchise-record 3,340) and three-point field goals made (128, 46 more than Salim Stoudamire who was next on the team), then a summer spent making and the U.S. National Team and winning a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, Johnson is far from satisfied and raring to go heading into the 2006-07 NBA season. "I thought this summer he played as well as I've seen him play and I thought he played great for us last season," said Head Coach Mike Woodson. "So we're all expecting big things out of Joe this year." It's doubtful, however, that Woodson's, or anyone else's, expectations can meet Johnson's. "I worked at all aspects of the game but more on my shooting," said Johnson, who last season shot .453 from the field, the second-best mark of his career, and .356 from three. "I'm not going to play on the ball as much this year so I tried to work on my off-the-ball skills, like coming off picks, and just having a lot of stamina on defense." Making sure that Johnson, who last season broke NBA Hall of Famer Bob Pettit's 42-year-old franchise record for minutes played, has enough gas in the tank following his busy summer was a priority for Woodson. "[We tried] not to burn him in camp," said Woodson of Johnson, who was third on the team in minutes played (29.1) during the recently completed preseason but still led the Hawks in scoring (20.7 ppg). "Joe's a pro. He knows when he can go and can't go and I understand that from a coaching standpoint. When he tells me he needs to shut it down a little bit and back off then I let him do that. If I don't push the issue some I know he'll continue to work no matter what and I don't want that because I know exactly what he can do as a player." Thanks to his summer playing with USA Basketball, the rest of the world knows, too. Johnson was fifth in scoring (7.3 ppg) for the bronze-medalists, despite playing only 18.8 minutes per game. While his playing time and production weren't what he's accustomed to being part of the games was invaluable. "As far as the roles that I played, it was different but I managed," he said. "I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of different people, saw a bunch of different new things and most important was the experience that I got from playing with those guys." While his eyes were opened, he wasn't just happy to be there. He expected to earn an opportunity to play alongside the NBA's top young superstars like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and others. "It's never been a second-guess in my mind," said Johnson. "I've always wanted to compete at that level. It's just about getting a chance. I got that chance and I tried to make the most of it." While Johnson's most publicized work during the summer came on behalf of his country, some of his most important work came closer to home, specifically his home of Little Rock, Ark. After the Worlds, Johnson again sponsored the Joe Johnson Celebrity Golf Tournament, which benefits the William E. Thrasher Boys and Girls Club and he footed the electric bill for Little Rock Central High School, his alma mater. "There is a summer league that we play in back home and they had no AC in the gym," Johnson recalled. "It was grueling, guys were passing out. So I thought that was the least thing I could do, put some AC in there. "I try to do what I can for the city of Little Rock," he added. "Any time something comes up or there's anything I can do to help, they know I'm always there." Beginning Wednesday Johnson will be there for the fans of Atlanta, as he'll do his best to get them reacquainted with the feeling of winning. While he's a good bet to represent Atlanta at All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, what would be his first All-Star appearance is secondary to getting Atlanta to a bigger stage in April. "Our main goal right now is to make the playoffs," Johnson said. "We have to come out and play hard and want it every night. "I definitely think we're going to pick up right where we finished off last season," he added. "The additions of the big guys we got and Speedy Claxton, I definitely think they're going to help at both ends of the floor. I think this may be the year for the Atlanta Hawks." 资料来源 http://myurl.com.tw/2gnk --

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