Atlanta’s Johnson adjusting

ATLANTA – For proof that Joe Johnson is emerging as an All-Star caliber player in his sixth NBA season, just watch the reaction from defenses when he catches a pass.

Johnson no longer has the luxury of one-on-one matchups. The Atlanta Hawks’ guard draws a crowd of two or three defenders almost every time he touches the ball.

It’s a new burden for the 6-foot-7 Johnson, who could blend in on deep Phoenix Suns teams his first four seasons and had forward Al Harrington with him in Atlanta last season.

It’s no wonder defenses began scheming to stop Johnson after he scored 30 or more points in nine of Atlanta’s first 18 games. He set a franchise record by scoring 25 or more points in the Hawks’ first seven games and has been the leading scorer in 23 of the 27 games in which he has played.

Johnson recently has suffered while trying to carry the Hawks, who were expected to be too young and too thin to be a factor this season even before enduring a long series of injuries.

Before scoring 27 points in an 86-74 win over the L.A. Clippers on Saturday as the Hawks ended an eight-game losing streak, Johnson had been held under 20 points in four of five games.

“When you become a great player in this league, teams gear their defense to stop you,” said Hawks coach Mike Woodson. “He’s in that learning mode right now. This is another step in his career in terms of being able to beat some of the double teams and knowing when to shoot and when not to shoot.”

For Johnson, it has been a case of too many double teams and too little help. Zaza Pachulia, who had 22 points, was Atlanta’s only other scorer in double figures against the Clippers.

“Really it’s just taking what the defense gives me,” Johnson said. “They’ve been doing a lot of trapping. Anytime I get into isolation they bring two or three guys. That’s definitely been tough for me. It’s something new for me, so I’m just trying to adjust.”

The 25-year-old Johnson is 10th in the league with his average of 25.7 points per game.