Sund: Players Need ‘Another Voice’ After Six Years of Woodson’s
The Hawks decided not to offer coach Mike Woodson a new contract.
Woodson coached the Hawks for six seasons. The team improved its record in each of the last five years, including a 53-29 record this season that was fifth-best in franchise history, but GM Rick Sund decided the team needs a new leader.
“It was a hard decision,” Sund said. “When I analyzed and looked at it, I went round and round. Finally I think it got to the situation where the compelling thought is, ‘Maybe change is good for everybody.’ That happens quite a bit in the NBA. Maybe the players need to hear another voice, and maybe Mike needs to talk to another group.”
Sund declined to comment on the details of his evaluation of Woodson. Sund also didn’t want to discuss any potential candidates to replace Woodson or offer a broad outline of what qualities he wants in a successor.
Early media speculation has centered on Dallas assistant Dwane Casey, whom the Hawks interviewed before hiring Woodson. Sund was the Seattle GM when Casey was an assistant coach there for five seasons.
Woodson, who is free to seek other jobs, did not return a message. He has defended his tenure with the Hawks while highlighting accomplishments that include three consecutive playoffs appearances, and said he received unfairly harsh criticism for the team’s loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But Hawks management had doubts that Woodson’s approach would lead to further improvement, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Among their concerns was that Woodson would have an increasingly difficult time getting through to his players if he returned.
Some players felt Woodson didn’t rebuke certain players as strongly as he did others for their mistakes, according to four people familiar with the locker-room dynamics. The differing levels of accountability led to resentment for some players , the people said.
Players credited Woodson with helping to maintain a loose atmosphere and reducing the length, frequency, and intensity of practices in an effort to keep them fresh for the playoffs. But one player said he hopes a new coach who doesn’t “play favorites” can improve the team’s chemistry.
Beyond those issues, the Hawks weren’t satisfied with Woodson’s 8-14 postseason record over the past two seasons. Last season the Hawks beat Miami in the first round before losing 4-0 to Cleveland in the semifinals. This season the Hawks beat Milwaukee in the opening round before losing in four games to the Magic by an NBA-record total margin of 101 points.
Hawks forward Josh Smith said the team’s decision to part ways with Woodson despite his success is a sign of the higher expectations for the franchise.
“It feels good to know we are not just satisfied with just being the eighth seed or improving every season,” he said. “We’ve got expectations of going to the playoffs every year and being a difference-maker in the playoffs. The organization has everything going in the right direction.”
Woodson, 52, had a 206-286 record with the Hawks. He took over for Terry Stotts in 2004-05 after previously serving as an assistant coach in Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
Former Hawks GM Billy Knight tried to fire Woodson more than once during his third season but ownership rebuffed him. Knight resigned after the 2008 season and was replaced by Sund, who signed Woodson to a two-year contract after he guided the Hawks to their first postseason appearance in eight years.
Smith is the only player on the roster to play all six seasons under Woodson. The two had a contentious relationship at times but Smith said they had come to an understanding.
“It was rough starting out, but everything was smooth sailing a couple of years ago once we finally figured out what we wanted out of each other,” Smith said. “You just hate to see somebody you came in the game with leave like this.”
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590 comments Add your comment
Anyway....
May 14th, 2010
10:42 pm
WOW what a rumor lol
Delonte west seeping W/LeBrons mom. It’s probably not true, but it sure is funny
http://www.mwza.com/delonte-west-gloria-james-dating/
MIkewoodsonisbad
May 14th, 2010
10:44 pm
Dear Mike Woodson, IF you can read this please understand..okay now.. I know your a good person i really do. However as a NBA HeadCoach you are just plain out awfull. You have no clue how to run an offense or controll your players.. Im very angry with you that you decided to be so selfish and keep this job for as long as you did. You have embarrased the city of atlanta and its hard working men and women. I hope you find another job NOT in the nba… Maybe a rec church leauge?? for u10.. now however if a miracle does happen and a dumb GM hires you then please get a paper bag over your head and dont disgrace yourself by showing your fat face again with your drowsy eyes.. Ps. Your daughter is ugly as hell and she sucks at volleyball!!!!! almost as bad as you coach.. wait NO WAY no one could be as bad as you!
Pss. KILL YOUR SELF
O'Brien
May 14th, 2010
10:45 pm
“Some players felt Woodson didn’t rebuke certain players as strongly as he did others for their mistakes, according to four people familiar with the locker-room dynamics. The differing levels of accountability led to resentment for some players , the people said”.
Well well. It didnt take a rocket scientist to figure that out. We seen him do it with Law and Teague, while JJ, Flip, Bibby etc could do whatever they want.
I think the resentment was between guards and bigs.
But we need to be fair. Woody had 6 years, so the new coach will need some time.
And I am not a fan of Dwayne Casey (Im just not impressed).
Wuudy
May 14th, 2010
10:47 pm
And now, the end is near,
And so I face the final curtain.
My friends, I’ll say it clear;
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain.
I’ve lived a life that’s full –
I’ve travelled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Regrets? I’ve had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
I planned each charted course –
Each careful step along the byway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew,
When I bit off more than I could chew,
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried,
I’ve had my fill – my share of losing.
But now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
To think I did all that,
And may I say, not in a shy way –
Oh no. Oh no, not me.
I did it my way.
For what is a man? What has he got?
If not himself – Then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way.
Yes, it was my way.
robdawg08
May 14th, 2010
10:54 pm
Ok. Joe Johnson is next. Then sign a scorer at PG and a center like Bosh and let’s play ball !
robdawg08
May 14th, 2010
10:56 pm
I meant Joe Johnson is next to go !
Samuel
May 14th, 2010
11:06 pm
Doc,
My bad Doc, I thought we beat Milwaukee.
Could it be that Orlando was that much better than us? As I recall, they did beat us 6 out of seven times this year. I don’t think they were 40 pts better but it is what it is. The Celtics beat the Lakers by 30something in the Finals a couple of years ago. I guess Kobe and Company quit on Phil or just realized the inevitable. (This aint horse shoes).
Again, I pretty much expected this to happen since pretty much the whole fan base and the man who signed the checks bought into the hype also. I just don’t see much changing with whoever they bring in here. Sure the offense may look a little prettier and you guys may get your big named coach but the fact will remain that our roster is about 4th best or lower in the East. Which is what I predicted all year. We finished 3rd so we over achieved in my book.
If we lose JJ(which I also predicted if Woody is gone), we will have trouble making the playoffs this year. That might even bring Ya Boy Ando back. LOL!!
I’ve been around. Kinda under the weather but I found out my problem. Been to about 5 different MDs and I found the source of my dizzy spells on my own. I bought this new water softener for my house and was drinking DAMN SALT for 3 months. I’m back though, thank God.
Woody=COY
Clyde
May 14th, 2010
11:09 pm
Samuel wasn’t talking that COY crap while the Hawks were playing the Magic
hugehawksfan
May 14th, 2010
11:27 pm
Lot’s of possibilities for a new Hawks coach. Been a Hawks fan since late 70’s. Would love to see Doc Rivers here. Think ‘Nique would make a great assistant- even though I like his broadcasting work. Armond Hill is a name I’ll throw out there. I’m sure being a former player as well as being on the Celtic bench the last few seasons has rubbed off on him. Whoever our new coach is, he needs to be able to “crack the whip” when necessary. I want the new coach to actually use his bench.
One of my main gripes with Woodson was that I think the starters were worn down by the end of the season. I think our bench was pretty decent, but they really didn’t get a lot of court time.
Either way, defense still wins championships. That was Woodson’s forte- I just think he had gone as
far as could with this team (it almost looked like they were trying to get him fired (mission accomplished). I’ve never seen a Hawks team (or any team for that matter) look so clueless against an opponent and just basically quit. I would ask ‘Nique his opinion- he needs to be more involved in the organization. He played under a tough coach in Fratello and was probably a large reason for his success in the league.
The roster changes I would make would be:
1) get rid of Zaza ( why he is even in the NBA is beyond me- save the Garnett headbutt)
2) Marvin Williams is gone (good guy- only keep him if he comes off the bench)
3)Let Teague play. I’m not sure I would start him yet, but he needs minutes to show what he can or
can’t do ( I think Woodson was trying to turn him into another Acie Law.)
4)Get Chills back- miss the ‘fro and his hustle
5) Would love to see Mario West and Jason Collins get minutes (see Teague comment)
6) Would like to see a point guard with some experience to replace Bibby until Teague is ready.
I don’t think Bibby is totally washed up, but his days starting are likely over. I think with a different
coach Bibby could still be effective (obviously his defense is not what you would like).
7) Undecided on JJ. I didn’t care for his comments either, but you have to ask yourself if there is a better deal out there- not sure just asking. I know he spent too much time dribbling the ball, but I also noticed his teammates didn’t move very much either when he had the ball- Joe is not a ball hog- maybe he just felt like he had to do it himself. That’s where an experienced point guard comes in- get people moving.
Clyde
May 14th, 2010
11:30 pm
I wonder if Cenk Akyol would come over when we get a new coach
doc
May 14th, 2010
11:33 pm
glad you are feeling better samuel, never heard back from you a you went off to the doc.
how bout my boy rick?
no, it wasnt pretty in the end samuel as the team got lost for some reason. some head had to roll and it was woody’s. he had a good run of 6 years, pretty cool if you ask me and i hope he does well in his next stop. i just dont think it would have held up here is all. this stuff happens in management all the time not just in sports.
again we beat the the bucks but not the way we should have so be it and i am surprised it means much to you. it sure didnt help playoff ticket sales the way we hung around to win that series now did it? if there was any doubt abiut whether we belonged as that hugh a seed that one did us in. the bucks man with bogut and reid out. you just cant argue that one strongly samuel.
then we marched into the magic and won what two quarters out of 16 against the magic. pathetic. remember when you said because of how we beat the celts and others didnt we were better than our season numbers indicated? well, if that logic holds true then we are behind the bobcats now and looking up, right?
Samuel
May 14th, 2010
11:37 pm
Clyde,
You’ll be calling for “Smitty’s” head before the AllStar break and it makes a lot of sense to hire a college coach with barely a .500 overall record and a 37-75 record in his conference. Better quit while you’re ahead.
terrell
May 14th, 2010
11:40 pm
“Nique would make a great assistant, even though I like his broadcast work”. You cant be serious. lol!
doc
May 14th, 2010
11:43 pm
samuel, our distinction over the past two years is to have the first and fifth worst highest AVG score differential in four games sweeps in the history of the NBA. uh, not one thirty point loss to look back on and say the wheels came off or the gas tank was empty emotionally. HUGE difference for discriminating minds. but go ahead and continue to delude your self.
okay, i will aide and abet you into your foolishless …. WOODY = COY.
Samuel
May 14th, 2010
11:45 pm
I thought Michael Redd had retired three years ago and Bogut is who we thought he was, hurt. I’m sure Skilles didn’t count on him anyways. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if we did finish behind the Bobcats this year. They’ll have Jackson for a full year and May even get my Boy Woody, you never know. We lose JJ to Chicago and they move ahead of us so I can see us battling for the 7th or 8th spot this year due to the departure of Woody and JJ. Clyde, whoop up another batch of T Shirts.
terrell
May 14th, 2010
11:45 pm
Yes to Mike Fratello, Doc Rivers, JFG, or Byron Scott. No to Dwayne Casey, Terry Stotts or any other clown like that.
Big Ray
May 14th, 2010
11:46 pm
I like how the “sour grapes” crew acts like bringing in a new coach is the only thing Sund will do this summer.
Woody will be fine, he’ll get another job. Especially as long as his bestest blog friends are out there campaigning for him. You know who you are….
If anybody thinks that changing the head coach out is the only way to improve this team, they’re crazy. If they think that this is the only thing Sund will do this summer, they’re crazy.
We don’t need a “big name” hire. We need a smart hire. Here’s the trick, though. You can’t just point to what a guy has done with other teams, other GMs, and totally different situations. Nothing is ever the same. Coaches do learn, especially after they get fired. I’ll bet Woody will be a better coach for this in the end, unless he’s completely incapable of learning from mistakes.
Comparing Rick Sund to Billy Knight is stupid. Give Sund a half dozen lottery picks and three more years before you start bumping your gums. Otherwise, STFU. Is the pressure on Sund? Sure it is. I want to see what he’ll do. I’m not a Sund fan. I’m a Hawks fan.
Woody’s legacy is indeed improved winning records from one regular season to the next. It’s more than that. It’s also an overall losing record, a bad road record, and a bad playoff record. Last year’s playoffs were better than this year’s playoffs. Unless of course, you think barely beating a star-less Milwaukee squad was better than beating Dwyane Wade and his crew. Unless you think setting an NBA record for total points loss was better than having an injured squad lose by less to Cleveland last year.
And stop telling me the Magic are that good. I know they’re good, but are they 25 ppg better? If so, then they should have no issues sweeping the Celtics, then winning the NBA championship. If that happens, then I believe they’re “that good.”
Was coaching the only thing that needed improvement here? Nope. This roster needs some work. Fuh Real.
Do we need a good pg? Yes, we do. We’ve needed one forever. Billy refused to draft a good one, then spent loads of cash trying to hire re-treads. He finally got one by trading away two half-broke ones, a joke of a big man, and a lottery pick. Now we’re back at square one again because none of our younger ones panned out, and Woody wanted his favorite re-tread back. Now that the re-tread is at an all-time low, Woody says maybe he’s a re-tread. Brilliant. I blame Sund for that one as well, but I’m guessing Bibby was the best of what may have been feasibly available, and why not do what the wonderful Woody asked you to do?
I find it amusing that players are saying that Woody played favorites. I wonder what Woody’s bestest friends have to say about that? Nothing, they have their mouths full of sour grapes. Y’all do know that stains your teeth, right?
Samuel
May 14th, 2010
11:48 pm
OK doc,
What does that mean? We weren’t better than the Magic or Cavs. I already said that. Woody is gone so we’ll see if it gets any better. Time will tell.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 14th, 2010
11:55 pm
Samuel, Woody didn’t get fired because the Magic were better. He got fired because the Hawks were f-cking terrible. Contrast the Hawks-Magic series with the Bobcats-Magic series, where the Bobcats were way overmatched talent-wise but still kept every game close.
Big Ray
May 14th, 2010
11:55 pm
Heh. Losing JJ would hurt a hell of a lot more than losing Woody. Losing him would cause us to plummet in the East. What if we get to keep him? Losing Woody means WHAT then? Exactly. Some are always yapping about how the coach can’t score for the players, coach can’t play defense for the players, coach can’t rebound the ball for the players. Damn straight. Coach can’t provide 21 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists. Focus on keeping JJ and making some good moves around him. Hire a smart coach who can gain and KEEP The respect of the players.
Whether or not JJ stays depends entirely on JJ. I’m tired of people saying the fans are running him out of town. Did they run him out of town in Phoenix, too? Did they tell Robert Sarver to not bother trying to match any offered contracts? What, that was all JJ? Say it ain’t so!
I’d rather keep the guy than not. And stop yammering about replacing him. You can’t . You can’t even replace exactly what he gives you with any one guy. The goal of this organization should be to make this team stronger. Do what it takes to get that done. If you trade a guy like Josh Smith, you cannot replace what he brings. But you can make the team stronger if you get the right personnel in return for him.
It’s not about replacing precisely what you lost. It’s about expanding roles, adding pieces that help, and doing what it takes to build a stronger team.
Big Ray
May 14th, 2010
11:56 pm
Contrast the Hawks-Magic series with the Bobcats-Magic series, where the Bobcats were way overmatched talent-wise but still kept every game close.
Bingo.
However, if we lose Joe, then Woody-ites will jump all over the new coach and team, as if Wood could have done well without Joe. Somehow I don’t think the regular season record would have improved, damaging his sterling legacy…
The Ayatollah
May 15th, 2010
12:21 am
Vince Thomas, Slam Magazine.
Atlantans struggle to deal with disappointing Hawks
Posted May 12 2010 8:50AM
I moved to Atlanta about a month before this season began. And, although I was well aware of Atlanta’s rep as one of the worst sports cities in America, the apathy was a little startling.
“Why is Philips Arena half empty with Carmelo and Denver in town?”
“D-Wade, maybe the most exciting player in the league, is here and Atlantans won’t show up.”
Atlanta — like a lot of places — is a Kobe-LeBron city: The fans pack the house for the Lakers and Cavs — maybe the Celtics — and that’s it. And that’s cool … for some cellar-dweller like New Jersey or a new, ill-conjured franchise like Memphis.
This, however, is a franchise that has been in Atlanta for 40 years and one that is pretty freaking good. Two straight seasons in the playoffs, multiple All Stars, playground-slick crowd-pleasers like Jamal Crawford and high-flying monsters like Josh Smith. Why aren’t these cats the talk of the town?
I talked to Atlanta journalists, fans and residents and got a variety of reasons for the indifference. I heard ‘em all.
“Atlanta is in SEC country, we only really care about Georgia football.” I can dig one team engendering the most allegiance, but this area is far too big to have room for only one team.
“There’s too much to do in Atlanta.” Word? But not, NYC, right?
“The traffic is horrible, it’s too hard to get to and from the game.” And folks just breeze through Southern California to Staples Center, right?
“They’ll only come out for a winner.” OK. Cool. Fair-weather fans aren’t new. But even the perennial pennant-winning Braves had trouble filling Turner Field in the ’90s, too.
“It all started when they traded Dominique for Danny Manning. Hawks fans haven’t forgiven the organization for that.” That was 20 years ago, though — get over that garbage.
And there’s this one: “Atlanta is star driven. Look at how hot the Falcons were when they had Vick. The Hawks need a superstar, like D-Wade or LeBron.” Whatever. That’s just a bunch of bull. If it’s true, it’s the mark of a cornball sports town. In New York, Denver, Philly, Oakland and other respectable cities, it wouldn’t take Kobe and LeBron’s visits to pack the arena.
The sad thing is that folks have been missing some compelling basketball from a team becoming a contender before our eyes. No arena hosted more game-winners than Philips’ — four of them. In January, down 101-99 to Phoenix, Crawford pulled up from about 25 feet and splashed a trey in Jared Dudley’s grill. The place went wild. A couple months later, in late March, Joe Johnson drove left and threw up an off-balance leaner for the win. The shot bounced off the back rim. But before the crowd could groan and prepare for overtime, Josh swooped in from the right wing and thundered in a buzzer-beating put-back dunk for the W. The Hawks were 46-25 and lurking around the league’s elite like some stickup kids.
That game, between two of the four best teams in the conference, couldn’t budge 18,000 Atlantans to drop some cash. Attendance was reported to be about 16,800, but I doubt there were more than 13,000 in the house.
Right around then I started thinking that maybe Atlanta didn’t deserve the Hawks. If one of the biggest metro areas in the country couldn’t sell out Philips for a young, burgeoning contender, then move the squad to Seattle. Ya know?
And then the 2010 playoffs happened.
The Hawks just turned in the worst playoff performance I can remember. I’d describe the seven-game series against an undermanned, newbie Bucks squad as “an unnecessary faisco.” I’d describe the four-game sweep they took at the hands of Orlando as a “lay down.”
After getting absolutely handled in Orlando by 43 and 14, the Hawks came back to Atlanta and chose to treat its paying patrons to a performance too lethargic and careless to imagine. The Hawks made their ways to the lockerroom with hung heads. Fans, at the top of their lungs, were spewing bile and invective not fit for print. The crowd wasn’t only angry, it was resentful — as in, “How dare you play like that with your backs against the wall?”
The Hawks were clicking on all cylinders when it came to underachieving. Johnson shot 30 percent against the Magic. Crawford, the newcomer X-Factor, averaged less of everything in the playoffs — except turnovers. The team sulked to timeouts with the most disinterested posture you could imagine. Josh wasn’t waving his towel. Joe Smith wasn’t cheerleading. The fight and fire from the regular season was gone.
And the offense … good lawd, the offense. There was literally no movement. They’d come down, pass to Joe or Jamal and the four other players would stand on the opposite side. Rare was an Atlanta possession with more than five passes. They’d come out of timeouts — usually a time to run a set play — and run more isolation. It wasn’t just ugly, it was puzzling. How could a team of skilled players, with a breathing coach, play this devoid of fluidity or invention?
Fans don’t boo teams that put up fights. Fans boo teams that don’t show any pride. That, more than anything, seemed to be what ailed this squad the most — a lack of pride. After getting gaffled in Orlando, you’d think pride wouldn’t let a 53-win, playoff-tested squad shoulder-shrug its way to a 30-point home loss in a pivotal Game 3. You’d think.
After Game 3, the Hawks squad emptied the lockerroom quick. By the time Mike Woodson finished his post-game presser, only a few players were left. Marvin Williams sat in a towel, facing his locker, silent, dejected. Josh, tying his shoes, let out a long sigh and few self-reproving expletives under his breath. Maybe they had gotten the point.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter of Game 4, Orlando was up 18 and the boos started. When Woody took free-agent-to-be Johnson out of the game toward the end of the game, the crowd booed with zeal. They were sending him a message. They were sending the Hawks in general a message. This…this laying down stuff — we don’t dig it. We won’t dig it.
Atlanta was swept in last season’s Eastern Conference semis and this year they were swept again. This year, however, the sweep is much more of an indictment. Last season Al Horford and Marvin Williams were gimpy. This season, everyone was in relative health, they added the Sixth Man of the Year and the squad, as a whole, was supposed to be a year wiser. Yet, they were run out of the gym for four straight games. That says plateau to me.
You can say the Bucks showed extreme valor and Orlando might be the best team in the league, so Atlanta couldn’t help but go seven against Milwaukee and get swept by the Magic. But I can’t escape this feeling that the Hawks didn’t try hard enough. That has to stick in Atlantans’ craws.
The Hawks may have deserved better from Atlanta. But Atlanta definitely deserves better from the Hawks.
doc
May 15th, 2010
12:25 am
hmmm
from yahoo write up:
“In this case, Woody has been here six years and had basically been the only voice that many of these players had heard,” the GM said. “The shelf life for coaches and management in the NBA is short, particularly for coaches, maybe two or three years. In Woody’s case, he has gone six. The compelling thought for me was maybe it’s right for a change.”
Sund believes a new coach might be able to take the Hawks to even higher levels, even though he acknowledged it was a risk to dump a coach coming off a playoff appearance.
“Sometimes in professional sports, change is good—not only for the individual, but for the organization,” he said. “Hey, it was a tough decision any way you go. If it doesn’t turn out, it’s the wrong decision. If it turns out, maybe it was the right decision, I don’t know.”
seems my boy rick is pretty pragmatic and admits it is and was a very difficult decision in spite of the floundering playoff appearance. he also quickly states that even if the team does better it may have done it with woody as well by the emphasis on maybe the right decision even if the team has more wins.
to woody’s credit he got to the big eight with the smallest payroll. the problem is there were many teams with payrolls just as meager or doing more with less biting at our coattails and maybe an argument could be made for they preformed better with less. among the list would be; okc, portland, bucks(subtract the payrolls of bogut and redd and they are a team way below the cba cut line), bobcats, jazz among others. so while he did well and was maybe above expectations for the regular season he didnt meet the expectations for the playoffs it seems.
Samuel
May 15th, 2010
12:31 am
Damn,
I thought the Magic swept the Bobcats. Ray, what makes you believe any of these coaches mentioned will “keep” the respect of the players since they weren’t able to at their last jobs. Otherwise, they would still be coaching. Unless you’re advising that we bring a newbie in here. I actually saw where Lawrence “Freekin” Frank was interviewing for one of these openings.
Yall keep bring up Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown as if they are some legends or something. Fratello’s teams were swept 4 times and he has a .323 playoff record and barely a .500 season record in 16 seasons and Hubie is right there with him so please don’t tell me they are guaranteed to to better than Woody.
Ray, you’re right. Sund definitely will have to bring in somebody who will stop Howard, Lebron and the Big 4. Good Luck.
doc
May 15th, 2010
12:38 am
to that writer from slam, we might point to the forbes article that says it best. atlanta a city of over forty years of misery as a major league market no fault of the fans.the braves were pitiful only to become perennial pretenders, they lost a good hockey franchise that has won a stanley cup since leaving to calgary as the flames, the hawks have been the best representation of a playoff team and has never gotten into the division championship level and hasnt won a second round game in 14 attempts now. and fans are to blame for this? the best we had was a championship soccer franchise in the late 60’s and early 70’s. man that is futility personified.
vince boy, stick around a bit longer before you trash the fans too much. did you hear the one about the escape from milwaukee in a limo?
Wabe
May 15th, 2010
12:43 am
Some real good reads on this blog today.
Anyway....
May 15th, 2010
12:46 am
PPL are really eating up this Delonte LBJ thing. Twitter is en fuego!
http://www.current-movie-reviews.com/sports/2010/05/14/so-what-if-delonte-west-is-banging-lebron-james-mom-gloria-james/
KingfishStevens
May 15th, 2010
12:47 am
The way the players looked so uninspired during the time outs told me all I need to know. Bye Woody.
Samuel
May 15th, 2010
12:48 am
Ray,
How about losing both?
Samuel
May 15th, 2010
12:50 am
Anyway,
That might make a man have a rough series. Dang!!
Najeh Davenpoop
May 15th, 2010
12:58 am
Yeah, it’s kind of hard to be the undisputed leader of your team when one of your role players is f-cking your mom. Kinda messes up the whole power structure.
Samuel
May 15th, 2010
1:02 am
Terrell,
Jeff Van Gundy. Are you serious? Oh yea, that little chiwawa will get plenty of respect.
that year 2000
May 15th, 2010
1:26 am
we do not need a superstar to win a championship we just need a really good coach and a team that players together listen to their coach a leader and make sure we have heart because talent doesnt win u championships its who wants it the most!
BravesFan79
May 15th, 2010
1:37 am
Anyone that has followed the NBA knows that Jeff Van Gundy is the best available out there, and only second to Larry Brown in the NBA in defensive strategy. Hawks…get Gundy!
Grandad
May 15th, 2010
2:43 am
I’ve been preaching TEAM, Chemistry, being a good Teammate,
espirit de corps or “the Secret” for nearly a year now.
Well – LbJ v D.West and it shows you the importance of TEAM
over talent. *(not debasing talent in & of itself)*
The Cavs feud real or imagined proves that something went wrong.
Chemistry had been altered as was precisely the case with our
Hawks. King LbJ, the annointed one; ‘NOW’ they are saying:
“too soon”, you reckon?
The broader point being – ‘The Cavs’ were & will always be
flawed while he is there. Building a “team” subservient
to “ONE”. This is different than building “around one”.
However, I’m getting off point, the Cavs though flawed were
still operating @ peak efficiency. Then something, ________?,
derailed the ‘Team’.
What is my point?
LbJ = MVP.
The Celtics personify everything I belive in and they
are still playing.
PHX = the same.
The Lakers, talent & Team + Coach, same.
If this year’s play-offs were a lab and I were a
Professor of Team Basketball I guess yawl could call me
‘Dr. Grandad’.
Clyde
May 15th, 2010
2:49 am
Tyrone Corbin
Najeh Davenpoop
May 15th, 2010
3:34 am
Sam Cassell
KevinM
May 15th, 2010
4:37 am
Van Gundy = painful basketball viewing. Have you seen the replays of the Knicks/Heat series for the 10 years they played in the playoffs?
Please, no more mentioning assistant coaches. We need a ‘proven’ commodity here. You want proven?
Ramon mentioned Rick Adelman twice and ‘nothing’ from the crowd. Wow, how can you ignore him? He is making big bucks in Houston, and has his son on the staff, but he simply could win more in the East. You have to see if there is interest to show you are serious, and leak that information to the public.
Avery Johnson – what went wrong previously? I myself don’t think Avery had enough time to make a difference. I liked the team he put out there and they should have kept Devin Harris. After that trade, it was all downhill for the Mavs. They are still trying to recover.
Byron Scott – now before we mention him, I want to point out the rumors of Chris Paul being considered for trade by the Hornets. Saying that, I take the player over the coach. We need a leader on the sidelines and on the court. Scott and Paul won’t be back together IMO.
Adelman has proven himself, and so has Paul. That is my wish list for this offseason. Those 2 parts gets this team ready to compete at the next level.
Adelman + Paul = 20-22M per season. Move JJ and Marvin and call it even. The ASG needs to be bold and solid in their moves this offseason.
Pick up Eric Bledsoe or Daniel Orton if available in the draft this year, and I like my chances going forward.
Grandad
May 15th, 2010
4:46 am
In my dissertation above…..^…..somehow I failed to mention
a “TEAM” that is built *around* – “ONE” —> the Orlando Magic.
Grandad
May 15th, 2010
4:50 am
Why would Rick Adelman leave Houston?
*&*
Make a ”logical” case against Tom Thibodeau!
Maxx
May 15th, 2010
5:13 am
Mark Jackson or Tom Thibodeau
JeJe
May 15th, 2010
6:20 am
THE REASON U DONT HEAR BIG NAME COACHES ATTACHED TO HAWKS HEAD COACH POSITION IS BECAUSE EVERYONE IN NBA OUTSIDE OF NBA KNOWS WE ARE THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE LEAGUE AND THAT THE OWNERS ARE DIRT POOR.
GEARON SAID WE ARE RESPECTED NOW? LOL
WE WOULDA BEEN SWEPT BY CLEVELAND IF WE PLAYED THEM INSTEAD OF BOSTON
JeJe
May 15th, 2010
6:51 am
The Hawks’ open head coaching position is by far the most attractive one out there right now (besides maybe Chicago), yet you hear NO big name coaches linked to us EVER. How the hell are we allegedly going after Dwyane Casey (however you spell his name)? He has accomplished nothing in this league. Our idiot GM is so damn infatuated with Seattle that anyone who has ever been there is automatically contacted to be a part of this franchise.
The big name coaches know our owners HAVE NO MONEY AND ARE RUNNING ON A BARE BONES BUDGET.
THE OWNERS HAVE TO SELL A 1ST RDER JUST TO RESIGN A PLAYER WHO IS NOT EVEN A SUPERSTAR IN THIS LEAGUE.
HOW ARE U TRYING TO GET INVESTORS FOR THE THRASHERS? THAT TEAM SUCKS
JeJe
May 15th, 2010
7:05 am
HOW IS 2M THE MOST THE ASG WILL SPEND FOR A COACH? WHAT A JOKE. THERE IS NO DESIRE TO WIN WITH THIS DAMN FRANCHISE. ARE U TELLING ME A TEAM THAT IS 1 COACH AND 1 OR 2 GOOD PLAYERS AWAY FROM THE NBA FINALS IS LOOKIN AT SAM MITCHELL, TYRONE CORBIN, OR DWANE CASEY AS THE NEW COACH?
MY GOD. SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF THIS CITY
JeJe
May 15th, 2010
7:06 am
IF ASG IS SO DESPERATE FOR REVENUE, THEN SIGN ALLEN IVERSON AND SHAQ AND LET THEM PLAY BIG MINUTES
FIRE WOODY
terrell
May 15th, 2010
7:14 am
Isn’t that between Delonte and Gloria? Get a life people.
Real Hawk
May 15th, 2010
7:42 am
The hawks need a real coach, and some real offensive scorers. Get D-wade and bosh, ASAP—pay them whatever they want–it will be worth it. For coach, they should consider Pat Riley or Dominique Wilkins—both would work in atlanta.
Meta Hawker
May 15th, 2010
7:46 am
How about PJ Carlesimo! He’s ready to come back. Can he get Latrell Sprewell back on the team as “consultant?”
Ramon
May 15th, 2010
7:55 am
KevinM, I don’t know why people continue not to consider Adelman. Its crazy because on the roster, his time in Houston has been terrible because of Yao and McGrady’s injuries. Yet, somehow he still coaches his team up every single night and they CREATE ways to end up in the playoffs in a tough Western Conference. In Sacramento, his coaching style didn’t get old. His players just got old (Webber, Divac, Stojokavich, Jackson, Christy,). But on all his teams ball movement is always key. And they play great defense. Are those three things (motivation, great defense, and ball movement) not the things that the Hawks need now? If it cost 2-3 mil to buy him out of a contract, so what? You said you want to CONTEND. If you’re not contending for the best in the off season, you won’t contend for the Championship. Each team that is left has made big acquisitions in the last 2-3 years (and some of them didn’t work out). Boston – KG, Allen, Sheed,; LA – Gasol, Artest,; Phoenix – Shaq, Richardson, Hill, Frye; Orlando – Vince, Bass, Anderson, Barnes, Lewis (4 years ago). So I say be aggressive and go after Adelman. And if you go ahead and make the deal happen. His name will add credibility that will inspire free agent players to come and sign with the Hawks for a lower price.
doc
May 15th, 2010
8:00 am
well terrell, it seems to be between three folks by the way it has been put out there. one was laqueen and that is huge. it is a fresh new headline though, never before in the nba and there have been many including aids in a superstar, the 10000 women if wilt, etc. now it will be ””team undermined in quest for nba championship” when tryst between mother of star and player on team found out.
come on terrell, sex sells. it was heard first on the 790 zone with triple d sending out the message and passed along.