363 days ago, it was Solomon Jones who was deemed a new man* in the first week of training camp.
Two Octobers ago, Mike Woodson declared Mario West a difference-maker who "every time out" makes "a major impact."
Joe Johnson offers a dose of reality:
"When I'm out there, I don’t want to come out. I just pay the price later. In the heat of the battle, I don't ever want to come out. I can't put a lot of that on coach. You have to put it on me, because even when he asks me if I want a break or if I'm tired, I always say no. Even if I'm tired and I can't breathe, I still tell him no. That's not me being selfish. I'm just a competitor to the point that I feel like I can really do something to help my team win."Well there's one item to put on the "Why Mike Woodson Hasn't Been Offered a Contract Extension" side of the ledger. Bully for Joe Johnson's desire to help the team. He's not paid to offer perspective. Nor is Mike Woodson employed for the purpose of serving Joe Johnson's ego but rather to get the most (not the most minutes, mind you) out of Johnson and the team. This is where Jamal Crawford's (and to a lesser extent Jeff Teague's) acquisition might do the most good: convincing Mike Woodson to play Joe Johnson 35 instead of 40 minutes a night.
*Bonus bad Flip Murray prediction at the bottom of that link.
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