Eddie Johnson put on blast

There are few writers I find more irritating than hoopshype blogger and former NBA player Eddie Johnson. EJ has an incredible amount of arrogance supported by substandard NBA knowledge and lackluster writing ability. He is a Suns' homer and front-runner through and through, and just about every prediction he makes goes bad (Cavs will beat the Spurs! (because I hate them. I'm a Suns homer.) Magic will beat the Lakers! (because I hate them too. I'm a Suns homer.)

The guy is so dumb he's got to be a 2K Insider candidate.

I decided to read one of his blogs after ignoring him for a year, and I see that things don't really change.

Here is his post... followed by my relatively angry retort.

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/johnson/2010/01/16/the-top-10-disappointments/


Oh boy, more poorly thought analysis by Eddie Johnson!

10. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

Eddie Johnson moans about Ginobili’s shooting percentage.
Eddie Johnson doesn’t realize that 44% of Ginobili’s shots are threes.
Eddie Johnson says absolutely nothing about the rest of Manu’s game, like his defense or passing.

Ginobili: 12.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.4 spg (25.6 mpg)
Crawford: 17.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 0.8 spg (30.2 mpg)

Is Jamal Crawford disappointing too?

“I know he has been injured over the last few years, but so have Kobe Bryant and Amare Stoudemire.”

Are you joking. You have to be. You just compared Manu’s injuries to Kobe’s pinky? Kobe didn’t miss a game over the last two years. Manu missed 38 last year. I know these hoopshype people give you a deadline to write this crap, but could you at least do your homework before you misinform basketball fans?

9. Mehmet Okur, Utah

So uh, you DO realize that Okur’s production has merely reverted back to 2008 levels, right? Boozer obviously takes his shots on the block…

Additionally, it’s nothing short of comical that you say trading Boozer would be the wrong move when everyone and their mother knows Booz’s gone as a 2010 free agent. You wrote an article ripping on players, you should be prepared to get ripped for the dumb things that come out of your mouth.

Okur is having his best shotblocking season in years, btw. A fact you surely did not take into consideration.

8. Vince Carter, Orlando

Shooting 39% from the field, but also shooting 87% from the line. Who else do you expect to shoot anyway? Turkoglu was the only guy who could create his own shot last season, and he was basically replaced with VC. Howard was 4th on the team in FGA last year, just as he is this year. VC ain’t the problem - it’s Dwight’s inability to score one-on-one that holds this team back.

7. Dwight Howard, Orlando

I am always throughly amused when people think the solution to Dwight Howard’s offensive woes is giving him more shots.

Nevermind that an 0.45 A/T ratio is absolutely pathetic for a featured offensive player. Force-feeding Howard will just result in more turnovers and offensive fouls.

Tim Duncan: 1.60
David Lee: 1.34
Dirk: 1.28
Dwight Howard: 0.45

Even David Lee can take 14 shots per game because he can actually handle the ball and find ways to get teammates to score (not to mention shoot outside of 8 feet). Howard is a joke in those areas and it’s sad that a former NBA player thinks the solution is more touches. Didn’t you play with Hakeem? You seriously can’t tell the difference between a dominant post presence like Hakeem or Duncan and a pure putback player like Howard? Take away Howard’s athleticism and he’s Samuel Dalembert.

6. Derrick Rose, Chicago

Rose is averaging 19 and 6, shooting 47% from the field, and his team is just as good as it was last season, despite replacing Ben Gordon with Jannero Pargo.

Use your goddamn brain.

Also, just curious, where do you come up with dumb analogies like “No Ben Gordon = More Assists!”

5. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee

Bogut is putting up good numbers. But we should hold his draft position against him five years later (just curious… why isn’t #2 pick Marvin Williams at the top of your list? No Darko? Shaun Livingston? What about Bargnani who isn’t even better than LaMarcus Aldridge?)

Also, it’s comical that you are crying about Bogut letting Brandon Jennings take threes when that’s EXACTLY what Dwight Howard does! Comparing Bogut to Hakeem and Shaq has to be the dumbest comp of the new decade.

Only in Eddie Johnson’s world could a player averaging 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks (compared to 11/10/1 a season prior) be considered a disappointment. Because he missed a ****ing layup the one game he saw him play.

THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE!!!!!!!!

4. Elton Brand, Philadelphia

Holy crap. Brand is averaging 15 pts on 54% shooting off the bench. TOTAL disappointment right there. ESPECIALLY for a player that missed 127 games over the last two years. Right?

3. Ben Gordon, Detroit

It’s interesting that Tayshaun Prince is averaging 9 points (14 last year) and has missed 30 games, but it’s Gordon whose the disappointment.

And if you think Gordon is a trade candidate with 4 years left on his contract, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell ya.

2. Caron Butler, Washington

Yes, something happened. Arenas got healthy, and Flip Saunders started coaching. Nevermind that the whole franchise is a trainwreck right now.

1. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland

LOL. Aldridge is the disappointment. Not #1 pick Bargnani who is inferior to Aldridge in every way but 3pt shooting. Not #1 pick Greg Oden who can’t stay on the court. Not even Aldridge’s teammate Andre Miller who didn’t even start most of the year.

It’s Aldridge who is most disappointing.

Not Shaq who is averaging only 10 points on 52% shooting next to LeBron James. He doesn’t crack this list. LaMarcus Aldridge tops it.

And Portland will struggle to make the playoffs? Really? Even with all the injuries they are still better than your pathetic Suns.

Blazers: 25-16
Suns: 24-16 (2nd worst defense in the league FTW! lol y cnt Aldridge b mre lke Amare?)

You are a joke writer. Stick to jumpshot training videos. That is all.

Rashidi’s Top 10 Disappointments
10. Ramon Sessions
9. Jose Calderon
8. Courtney Lee
7. T.J. Ford
6. Allen Iverson
5. Devin Harris
4. John Salmons
3. Andris Biedrins
2. Michael Redd
1. Tracy McGrady

Sessions put up big numbers in Milwaukee but has been nothing more than an average backup behind a rookie in Minnesota.

Calderon has not meshed with Turkoglu since they both function as a primary ball-handler. They get in each other’s way on offense and they are both are poor defensive players. It’s no coincidence Calderon’s injury and demotion to the bench has led to more Toronto victories.

Tyson Chandler has been throughly outplayed by Nazr Mohammed. Nuff said.

Lee was supposedly a promising young guard in Orlando, but is clearly nothing better than replacement level. He is averaging 11 pts (33 mpg) on 39% shooting in NJ and one of the main reasons they have only won 3 games. It’s pretty funny that not a single Net makes your list despite them clearly being the most disappointing team in perhaps all of sports this century.

Ford lost his starting job to Earl Watson, and lost the backup minutes to 2nd round pick A.J. Price who is legitimately outplaying Ford, who was a measley 1-28 from 3pt range this season.

Iverson quit his way out of Memphis, and has been out of shape/hurt in Philadelphia to the tune of 15 ppg on one of the league’s worst teams (and a team that made the playoffs without Elton Brand last season).

Villanueva was a key signing that has underperformed while Hamilton, Prince, and Gordon were out with injuries. He is getting paid a great deal of money to win the imaginary 7th man of the year award.

Harris was an all-star in 2009 but has shot the ball very poorly this season (39% from the field). He is hitting 29% from mid-range and 21% from deep, a big reason why the Nets are the worst offensive team in the league.

Biedrins has been hurt all year long, averaging only 5 pts and 6 rebs when he does take the court.

Salmons was supposed to make up for the loss of Ben Gordon. Instead, he’s made things worse.

Redd averaged 11 pts and 2 ast, shooting 35% from the field before blowing out his left knee AGAIN.

McGrady was unimpressive in his return, and is training on the side because he couldn’t handle a diminished role.

Honorable mentions: DeShawn Stevenson (2 ppg on 27% shooting), Blake Griffin (#1 pick missing whole season), Mario Chalmers (lost starting job to Carlos Arroyo), Tyson Chandler (throughly outplayed by Nazr Mohammed), Charlie Villanueva (worse numbers than last season and despite all the injuries hes contending for 7th man of the year- not a typo).