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Joe's no longer ordinary

Steve Kerr

STEVE KERR'S THREE POINTS

1. PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Gilbert Arenas – He dropped 46 on the Knicks, 26 on the Cavaliers and 34 on the Timberwolves. His offensive explosion helped the Washington Wizards to a 3-0 record last week, moving them into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

2. STAT OF THE WEEK
Jan. 28 – That's the date of Tim Duncan's last 20-point game. He hasn't scored over 30 points since Dec. 20. There's no question his foot injury has bothered him significantly this season, but he's battling through it and his San Antonio Spurs are winning.

3. GAME OF THE WEEK
Thursday: Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs – The Southwest Division title hangs in the balance during the season's final six weeks, and this is the first of two meetings between the Mavs and Spurs – both in San Antonio – that very well could decide the winner.

After his controversial decision to leave the Phoenix Suns last summer and sign with the Atlanta Hawks, Joe Johnson was thrust into the limelight.

The quiet, talented guard hasn't been able to reverse the Hawks' fortunes, but he is doing his best to get the longtime NBA doormats headed in the right direction.

Johnson has come on strong of late and is gradually becoming one of the best guards in the league. His averages of 19.5 points and 6.4 assists aren't mind-boggling, but they are impressive when you consider the fact he plays on one of the league's youngest teams. Once the talent around him develops and begins to help Johnson, the Hawks could be a playoff contender.

Where Johnson's growth has really become apparent is in his confidence. A few years ago, he was a green youngster with a tendency to get down after missing a few shots. Now he is so confident he demands the ball with the game on the line.

Johnson already has several game-tying or winning shots this season, and he appears more and more in control of both himself and his team.

  • The Sacramento Kings are attempting to do something very difficult – change the identity of their team in midseason.

Since acquiring Ron Artest from Indiana, the Kings have become very tough defensively, bringing their opponents' points per game and shooting percentages way down in the process. But Sacramento has had to adjust to Artest at the offensive end of the floor.

For years, the Kings were a perimeter-oriented passing team that relied on rhythmic cuts and motion out of a high-post set. In Artest, they have a player who is dominant on the block and demands a double team when he's down there. As a result, Sacramento has a new weapon. However, the Kings have new offensive concepts that are difficult to adjust.

I saw Sacramento play in L.A. last week and the offense looked clogged and disjointed. Mike Bibby has had a hard time adjusting, shooting under 40 percent since Artest arrived and not getting the same looks he's been accustomed. Also, the Kings are having trouble taking care of the basketball. Sacramento has always been a low-turnover team under Rick Adelman. (In fact, last season, they ranked third in the league in fewest turnovers).

Now, with Artest and an influx of young talent like Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia, the Kings are making more mistakes with the ball. They're currently 22nd in the league in turnovers at 14 per game.

It's going to take some time for Sacramento to fully adjust to Artest's presence offensively, and unfortunately for Adelman, his Kings don't have much time. They're 2½ games out of the final playoff spot in the West.

  • Speaking of the Kings, many comparisons have been made recently of Amare Stoudemire's impending return to the Phoenix Suns' lineup to Chris Webber's return to Sacramento following knee surgery in the 2003-04 season. At the time of Webber's return, the Kings – like the Suns now – were rolling along, winning games and anticipating that their star's return would boost their championship hopes.

For the Kings, however, it didn't work out that way. Webber's knee was slow to come around, his conditioning was poor after the long layoff and the team didn't have enough time to assimilate him into the lineup. The Kings lost their momentum, finished the season poorly and lost in the second round of the playoffs.

Understandably, the Suns' coaching staff is nervous about Stoudemire's return. Of course, they want him back – he's one of the most talented players in the league – but to work him into the equation at this late point in the season (particularly with the team playing so well) will be difficult to manage.

Stoudemire needs the ball and expects it. Will his presence alter the play of Boris Diaw, who has been terrific for Phoenix? Will the Suns lose the groove they've spent five months building?

Keep in mind that the team has eight players who have never played with Stoudemire before. When Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls in March of 1995 after his brief retirement, most of us on that team had never played with him before. We spent the next six weeks trying to figure out how to play with him, but it didn't work out very well. We lost in the second round of the playoffs to Orlando.

Phoenix is in great position to win the Pacific Division and advance in the playoffs with a favorable draw, but blending Stoudemire into the lineup will be tougher than one might expect.