2nd Rate All Around

The Atlanta Hawks are owned by a group of six or seven investors (I stopped keeping track when I stopped caring) called the Atlanta Spirit. I think it's fair to say they are considered a 2nd rate ownership group. They aren't in the elite class of say a Jerry Buss (Lakers), Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics), Mickey Arison (Heat), Mark Cuban (Mavericks) just to name a few. Unlike those other franchises the Atlanta Spirit is comprised of three or four guys who care more about their fledgling hockey franchise than NBA basketball. Yeah, that's 2nd rate.

Joe Johnson is the Hawks leading scorer. Again, I think it's fair to say he's considered a 2nd rate star in this league. He doesn't have a cool nickname like Flash, Melo, or even merit the one word moniker like 'Kobe', 'Jordan', 'LeBron'. Although the nickname 'Average Joe' keeps popping into my head. He's never won a 2nd round playoff game and has a tendency to disappear in big moments.

"Second Rate Ownership Group Overpays Second Rate Star". It's like a match made in heaven. These two are so perfect for each other, Neither of them know how to win. Neither of them appear to have the passion and fiery emotion within to want to compete for an NBA Championship. If Joe was about winning he would have hitched his wagon to wherever LeBron, Bosh or Wade landed. If the Atlanta Spirit was about winning, they would have pulled the trigger to land Amare Stoudamire last summer when they had the chance.

The Atlanta Spirit won't admit it but they have always been more concerned about their P&L (Profit & Loss) Statement then their W&L (Wins & Loss) Statement. Oh, and please don't tell me this ownership group thinks fans of the Hawks should be grateful for them opening up their checkbooks to overpay for Joe Johnson. That's not the winning message I'm looking for. I'm looking for a smart, intelligent approach to assembling a team capable of competing for a title. Throwing $119 million at a 2nd rate player is a bad investment. Re-signing Marvin Williams last summer for $40 million is a bad investment.

There is an old expression 'scared money doesn't make money.' The Atlanta Spirit gave Joe Johnson $119 million because they were scared. They were scared that they won't ever be able to lure an all-star caliber player here again. They were scared that if Joe left and the Hawks had a poor season, it would greatly hinder their ability to sell this team.

It's no surprise I have yet to read one national NBA columnist write a story on how this max contract for Joe Johnson was smart. I'm sure the Atlanta Spirit is proud of themselves today. Nobody can call them cheap. Sure, they spent some money. That's the easy part. Making a smart investment.....that's the hard part.