Joe Johnson

Vital Info
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Position: Shooting Guard
Born: 6/29/1981
College: Arkansas
Drafted: 2001 - 1st Round, 10th Overall

Player Type: Durable 2-way guard who can create off the bounce
Strengths: Johnson emerged on the national stage during the playoffs, when he took over late in Game 4 of the Hawks' surprising series with Boston, showcasing the game he's been honing for the past 3 years in Atlanta. Johnson's best trait is his versatility -- he commands some of the finer skills of a point guard, including good court vision and ballhandling, but he's also 6-8 with solid strength and athleticism, to go along with a nice shooting stroke. He can knock down threes and midrange jumpers in both catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble, and can shoot over smaller guards in the post. Defensively, Johnson is very good because he can match up with a variety of player types on the perimeter, although the Hawks don't ask him to man up on the opponent's best scorer very often.
Weaknesses: Johnson is a legitimate superstar who does a number of things well, but he's not without his flaws. He has a slow first step, so he doesn't penetrate (and, consequently, get to the line) as much as some other comparable scorers. Because of this, more of his 2-pointers were jumpers than ever, he shot just 45% on twos, and his shooting efficiency wasn't as high as it had been in recent years. Also, Johnson doesn't chip in a lot in non-scoring areas like rebounding, steals, or shot-blocking.
Favorite shot: Pull-up jumper off the screen-and-roll.