Joe Johnson: Ranking the Atlanta Hawks Shooting Guard's 6 All-Star Seasons

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Joe Johnson was recently named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve guard for the squad, giving him his sixth All-Star nod since he first entered the league out of Arkansas in 2001. 

The shooting guard never truly broke out until he'd finished up the Boston Celtics/Phoenix Suns part of his career and moved on to his current role with the Atlanta Hawks. 

Johnson is perennially one of the better scorers from his position in the entire NBA, but how do his six All-Star seasons stack up against one another? 

Read on to find out. 

6. 2010-2011

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Age: 29

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 44-38 (Third in Southeast Division, Fifth in Eastern Conference)

Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks

Advanced Stats: 51.7 TS%, 16.4 PER, 4.2 WS, 105 ORtg, 110 DRtg 

 

Even though I love the guy, I'll be honest here. Joe Johnson was in no way deserving of an All-Star spot during the 2010-2011 season. 

Fresh off a massive payday in which he signed a six-year contract worth $119 million, Johnson succumbed to the heavy burden of leading the Atlanta Hawks and put up some of the worst statistics of his career. 

In addition, the Atlanta Hawks dropped nine more games in the regular season than they did the year before. When the postseason rolled around, the Hawks got revenge on the Orlando Magic and then lost to the Chicago Bulls in a six-game series. 

Johnson posted the lowest true shooting percentage, effective field-goal percentage, offensive rating and win share total since he joined his current squad. His defensive rating also declined dramatically from the previous few seasons. 

Truthfully, the shooting guard was an All-Star in name only. 

5. 2011-2012

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Age: 30

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 18-10 (on pace for 42-24)

Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks 

Advanced Stats: 52.4 TS%, 17.6 PER, 2.8 WS (on pace for 6.6), 107 ORtg, 104 DRtg 

 

Joe Johnson has stepped up his game quite a bit from the 2010-2011 campaign and he's been one of the biggest reasons that the Atlanta Hawks have managed to stay afloat despite the ongoing absence of Al Horford. 

The shooting guard is being relied upon less than he has in a while (Johnson's usage rate of 25.0 percent is lower than any season since 2005-2006) but he's coming up big when he needs to.

Although Johnson's offense still hasn't regained its greatness, his defense has improved dramatically. Johnson has posted a defensive rating of 104 thus far, the best mark of his illustrious career.  

4. 2006-2007

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Age: 25

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 30-52 (Fifth in Southeast Division, 13th in Eastern Conference)

Per-Game Stats: 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks

Advanced Stats: 55.8 TS%, 19.5 PER, 5.1 WS, 109 ORtg, 111 DRtg 

 

From a scoring perspective, this was easily the best season of Joe Johnson's career with the Atlanta Hawks. Among guards, he trailed only Allen Iverson in points scored and he finished ninth overall in the race for the scoring title. 

But Johnson wasn't just chucking up shots this season. He finished the year with a field-goal percentage of 47.1 percent and a true shooting percentage of 55.8 percent, both of which remain career highs. 

The shooting guard was named an All-Star once Jason Kidd was deemed unable to play in the contest due to his back injury.

As impressive as this season may have been statistically, a lack of help around him led to only 30 wins for the team and Johnson fell significant short of a spot in the NBA postseason.

3. 2007-2008

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Age: 26

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 37-45 (Third in Southeast Division, Eighth in Eastern Conference)

Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.2 blocks 

Advanced Stats: 53.5 TS%, 17.3 PER, 7.0 WS, 109 ORtg, 112 DRtg

 

Although the Atlanta Hawks won a few more games in 2007-2008 than the did in 2006-2007, Joe Johnson's statistical performance declined a little bit. 

A two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Month, Johnson helped the franchise end a nine-year playoff dry spell and performed admirably in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the postseason. 

Because of the 15 extra games that Johnson played when compared to the prior season and the postseason berth, I have to give a slight nudge to this season. Taken out of context, this season may appear to be slightly worse. 

2. 2008-2009

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Age: 27

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 47-35 (Second in Southeast Division, Fourth in Eastern Conference)

Per-Game Stats: 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks

Advanced Stats: 53.4 TS%, 18.2 PER, 7.6 WS, 110 ORtg, 110 DRtg

 

The Atlanta Hawks continued to improve this season, thanks in part to better play from their unquestioned superstar. With help from Josh Smith and Al Horford, who was now in his second year, the team won enough games to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference. 

Joe Johnson improved on both ends of the ball, posting both the best offensive rating and defensive rating since he joined the team just prior to the 2005-2006 campaign. 

Although his true shooting percentage declined by a tenth of a percentage point from the 2007-2008 season, Johnson's increased usage rate (from 25.6 to 26.6 percent), decreased turnover percentage (from 11.8 to 11.0 percent) and increased assist percentage (from 25.5 to 26.4 percent) all allowed him to become even more valuable to his team. 

Johnson and the Hawks made it to the second round of the playoffs this year before falling at home to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

1. 2009-2010

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Age: 28

Team: Atlanta Hawks

Record: 53-29 (Second in Southeast Division, Third in Eastern Conference)

Per-Game Stats: 21.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.1 blocks

Advanced Stats: 53.8 TS%, 19.3 PER, 8.4 WS, 112 ORtg, 109 DRtg 

 

This was easily Joe Johnson's best season as an Atlanta Hawk (unless something changes quickly for the better in the future). It had to be, seeing as he played well enough to justify signing the monstrous $119 million contract in the ensuing offseason. 

Johnson posted the highest PER and the most win shares of his career thanks to a high usage rate, an increased efficiency from two-point range and a previously unseen intensity on the defensive end of the court, as evidenced by his 109 defensive rating, the lowest of his career with the Hawks up to this point. 

When the All-Star selections were announced, Johnson was joined by another member of the Hawks for the first time: Al Horford. The two of them, together with Josh Smith and the other members of the team, led Atlanta to its best record yet.

The team, which Johnson led in scoring 39 times in 76 games, would continue to win until it ran into the Orlando Magic in the second round of the postseason.