Johnson bears burden of new role By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 01/27/06 Joe Johnson's best trait as a basketball player is one that few people get to see when he's in uniform. Even fewer people get to hear about it, since there's a better chance of the Hawks making the playoffs this year than there is of Johnson starting a conversation. Johnson's limited gift of gab is much like his understated game, his coach said, you have to peel away the layers and observe it for a while before developing a true appreciation for what he brings to the party. "Yeah, I know he's not the most talkative guy but I love what he's given us this year," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who continues to gush about his co-captain even after Johnson struggles — he played fabulously against Cleveland Wednesday night before committing three of his four turnovers in the fourth quarter of a 107-96 loss. "I don't think people realize the transition you have to make when you go from playing off the ball to being the guy who's always got the ball in his hands. It's rough. And Joe hasn't shied away from that. He's given us everything he has." Few players in the league are being asked to wear as many hats as Johnson, who'll face his former team Friday, on Joe Johnson Bobblehead Night, when Phoenix invades Philips Arena for the final tilt of a seven-game homestand. He ranks eighth in the league in minutes per game (39.6) and turnovers (130). He leads the Hawks in scoring, assists, steals and clutch plays made and almost made. He's done it all while guarding the opposition's best perimeter player most nights and suppressing his natural urge to be the shooting guard he's been his whole life with the ball-handling lead guard the Hawks need him to be. "It has to be tough because you expend so much energy being the primary ballhandler and defender and then keep everybody else involved, score the clutch shots," Hawks point guard Royal Ivey said. "We're asking him to do it all most nights. And when your natural instinct is to play one way, it's hard to stray away from what the coach asks you to do. "Sometime you have to do what you do best and count on your teammates to fill the void. He's a great 3-point shooter but the ball is going to be in his hands a lot, too, so he has to figure out when to make the right plays. It can't be easy." Johnson is running a Hawks team that's stumbled its way to an 11-29 mark at the halfway mark of the season, with nearly everyone still struggling to find grasp their roles on a team full of role players. "That's the biggest thing for us right now is guys knowing their roles," said Johnson, who received treatment for his sore Achilles while the Hawks wrapped up practice Thursday afternoon. "When we play those roles, we have success. And when we don't, we destroy our chances to win games. That's the way it's been all year." Note: LeBron James didn't appreciate a fan's attempt to disrupt his concentration with a laser pointer during Wednesday's game against the Hawks at Philips Arena. "Those things can damage your eyes something bad," James told the Associated Press after the game. "I was standing at the foul line in the fourth quarter when the ref noticed a red dot near my forehead. That's pretty serious." An Atlanta police officer, who declined to give his name, said law enforcement was unable to find or identify anyone shining a laser pointer from the end zone near the Hawks' bench. - The Associated Press contributed to this report. 原文轉載 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0127hawks.html -- 此篇必翻。 --

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