The Atlanta Hawks did the unthinkable - they offered Joe Johnson a max contract consisting of six-years and $119 million. The AJC reports that Johnson accepted the deal and is supposedly ready to actively recruit other top free agents to Atlanta. I understand the Birds were in a difficult sitution because before Johnson they couldn't make the playoffs and with Johnson, they've consistently sent at least one player to the All-Star Game, made the playoffs for the last three years, and finished with an impressive 50+ win season.
My only problem is Joe Johnson is not a top tier player and I'm not confident that he can lead Atlanta to the next level. He has great regular seasons, but disappears in the playoffs (and All-Star games). Johnson doesn't appear to be a leader on the court and lacks that star appeal that elite players have. I understand that 25 points per night is hard to replace, but I believe the Birds could've acquired other players to fill his shoes.
Moreover, I don't think any other NBA team, except for the New York Knicks would have paid Johnson top tier money. The Hawks should've wait and saw Johnson's market value. Once another team made an offer, it then should've offered its deal. It's clear from the Atlanta's offer that they believe two things: (1) the Birds aren't competitive without Johnson and (2) no other big free agent was willing to come to Atlanta.
Since he's signed and officially back on the team, I'll try to get back on his band wagon and maybe he'll recruit some other players, continue to play solid during the regular season, and have a break out playoffs.
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