After spending the past seven seasons as the face of the Atlanta Hawks, Joe Johnson has had to adjust to being a piece of the puzzle in his first season with the Nets.

But after having the weight of a franchise on his shoulders in Atlanta, Johnson is excited to have a fresh start with the Nets, who begin a West Coast trip tonight here against the Kings.

“I definitely feel rejuvenated,” Johnson told The Post after a recent practice. “I feel like this is a new beginning, a new start for me, and I just want to make the most of it.”

Johnson came to be defined by something totally out of his control: his six-year contract for more than $120 million signed in July 2010. Suddenly, a player who was incredibly productive for the Hawks was only thought of in terms of the dollar value on his contract.

via Tim Bontemps of the New York Post