Hoops Habit
Fansided

50 greatest NBA players to never win a championship

By Maxwell Ogden

PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 01: Allen Iverson #3 of the Philadelphia 76ers expresses emotion after making a basket during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1, 2005 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 117-108 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 01: Allen Iverson #3 of the Philadelphia 76ers expresses emotion after making a basket during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1, 2005 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bucks won 117-108 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

44. Joe Johnson

  • Years Active: 2001 to 2020
  • Teams Played For: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets
  • Conference Finals Appearances: 2

When a player is nicknamed “ISO Joe,” it’s safe to assume that they’re one of the more feared scorers in the NBA. That was the case for Joe Johnson, who made a living as one of the most dependably clutch isolation players in the Association for the better part of two decades.

A seven-time All-Star who made the Playoffs on what became a yearly basis, Johnson is the type of player who may have simply come along 10 years too soon.

Johnson could score from all over the court. For an example of his proficiency from beyond the arc, he converted 177 three-point field goals on 47.8 percent shooting with the Phoenix Suns in 2004-05.

Johnson also buried more than 50 percent of his two-point field goals while scoring 25.0 points per game with the Atlanta Hawks in 2006-07, and shot better than 80 percent from the free throw line for his career.

What made ISO Joe so dangerous was that he was also a skilled passer who could collapse a defense and find the open man along the perimeter. That much is proven statistically by his averages of 6.5 assists per game in 2005-06, and 5.8 in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Many wonder whether or not the Suns could’ve captured an elusive championship had the organization opted to do what was necessary to keep Johnson in Phoenix. Instead, we saw ISO Joe lead Atlanta to five consecutive postseason appearances and its first 50-win season in more than a decade.

Perhaps Johnson would’ve been better off in Phoenix, where he was playing alongside All-Star players such as Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion. Perhaps he never would’ve received the accolades he earned in Atlanta had he not left the Suns.

Either way, Johnson put together quite a career across both conferences, scoring 20,405 career points.