Atlanta Hawks: ASG vs. Russian mogul for Avery Johnson? (UPDATE: Mark Jackson gets a shot)
Might take a lot of cash to get him. (AP Photo)
(Friday update: Mark Jackson will get a chance to convince Hawks owners he should be the next head coach. He’ll have some work to do to persuade everyone in the Hawks’ hierarchy he can do the job with no prior coaching experience but it’s significant that he will get to make his case. Part of Jackson’s pitch includes this 2008 academic study on successful NBA players also doing well as coaches.)
When the Hawks started their coaching search it looked like Avery Johnson was the hot, big-name candidate. As it turns out, Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau seems to be the key horse in the coaching carousel.
Now that Thibodeau reportedly turned down the Hornets and favors Chicago’s opening, it looks like Johnson is the favorite in New Jersey. When Johnson’s name first surfaced with the Hawks, the perception was that they wouldn’t spend the money to hire him. The Hawks dispute that notion, but if they really want Johnson they might have to put up the cash to prove it since Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov is so free-spending that he might be willing to lure Phil Jackson by topping his $12 million salary with the Lakers.
Getting back to Thibodeau, it’s interesting how he’s become a hot commodity. Obviously a lot of that has to be due to his reputation as a defensive specialist and his role in Boston’s success. But I’m also guessing that it’s because teams feel like they can get a good coaching prospect relatively cheaply and, as a bonus, gain the kind of buzz that gets fans excited even though he’s never been a head coach.
Dwane Casey has been a head coach before but he hasn’t generated the same kind of enthusiasm from the masses. Though Casey is said to stress developing a defensive culture , it’s hard to draw firm conclusions from his results as head coach of Minnesota. The T-Wolves were roughly the same in defensive efficiency during his first season of 2005-06 as they were the year before though they made significant improvements in effective field-goal percentage allowed and rebounding percentage. But it’s not really an equivalent comparison since only four of Minnesota’s top eight players in 2005-06 were the same as from 2004-05: Kevin Garnett, Trenton Hassell, Wally Szczerbiak and Eddie Griffin.
In Atlanta, Casey would inherit a group that has the physical talent to be a good defensive team but lacked the commitment. Woody talked a lot about defense and tried to create an atmosphere where players valued it as much as him but, from what I saw in my short time here, they never bought into it consistently. The assumption seems to be Atlanta will be a better offensive team simply by virtue of a change in approach and accountability but I think the defensive end is going to take a lot more work. The team’s personality is such that it’s going to be a challenge for the new coach to demand good defense and get it all the time.
Anyway, I’ve heard Garnett and Rashard Lewis both swear by Casey. Lewis, whom Casey tutored while an assistant in Seattle, recently endorsed his old coach. From Steve Aschburner at NBA.com:
“He’s a great coach. He’s a gym rat. He made sure I worked on my game all the time. He knows the X’s and O’s. He was a great assistant coach when he did the scouting report. He’s just one of those guys who eats, sleeps basketball.”
MC
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408 comments Add your comment
jroc
June 3rd, 2010
5:17 pm
Beside the Lakers and Celtics who else in the NBA have a better starting five plus six man than the hawks.Why trade any of the core young guys namely jj josh horford or crawford.Patience youngens let the team take there bumps once in a while, they will be better seasons ahead.You can get no equal value by letting any of the core guys go.Stop it you wannabe GMs.
Jay
June 3rd, 2010
5:19 pm
Gentlemen, you’ve all made great points. Now if I had my choice, I’d hire Avery Johnson. From the start he’d demand respect from everyone under his command. There won’t be any Joe on 5 while the other 4 just watched. The Hawks would have a structured offense that involves every player on that court. If you paid close attention to our team, that’s when we came unglued. Don’t get me wrong, I love JJ. But if he doesn’t want to stay, then let him roll to greener pastures. A very good replacement would be Rudy Gay. He doesn’t want to stay in Memphis. We could get him at a cheaper rate for now. We would get younger and more athletic. He could play the 2 or the 3. The only thing is, what king of price tag does Avery come with? Mark Jackson is another viable choice. Our offense was too predictable. Joe off of curls then Joe one on one. Bibby needs to take the part of backup point to mentor Teague. Another thing with Bibby, he can’t defend the faster points in the league. That goes back to Woody. Why not start Teague in his stop. Rook on Rook……Speed on Speed. Marvin is another issue for me. He’s a 6 9 small forward. Anything around that basket should be an attempted dunk. What doe he do? He gets blocked by 6 2 guards. Too damned soft for me. He has to have some kind of nastiness. Just doesn’t have the heart I guess. We could bring Josh Childress to do what he’s doing. I could go on and on about my Hawks. Tell me if I’m wrong. Or tell me what you guys think. Sorry to be so long winded. Jay!
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
5:20 pm
“you think Horford would be able to guard the PFs such as Gerald Wallace, Lewis, Bosh, Dirk, Kenyon Martin, and other mobile PFs?”
Actually, yeah. Horford may look bulkier and more like a traditional big man than Josh, but his lateral quickness is better than Josh. He had to defend guards on the perimeter quite often this year thanks to the switching D, and he was able to stay in front of a lot of players that you wouldn’t normally expect a center to be able to guard. Horford and Josh complement each other defensively very well — Horford is a significantly better man-to-man defender, while Josh is a significantly better help defender and arguably the best help defender in the league.
Big Ray
June 3rd, 2010
5:21 pm
Najeh is ON FIRE. I can’t touch him. I just gotta sit back and read what the brotha is spittin’!!
jroc
June 3rd, 2010
5:22 pm
Don’t bring that big load of garbage Shaq in here.Every team he goes to got better when he left.Besides he will turn out all the Hawks young players just like he did D-Wade.Let the immoral giant retire elsewhere.
Big Ray
June 3rd, 2010
5:22 pm
Who said Gerald Wallace was a PF? Huh? Started his career off as a SG, then got moved to SF. Been there since. Somebody ain’t payin’ attention…
Jay
I agree that Avery Johnson would demand respect. But will he get it? That be the question, mi amigo…
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
5:26 pm
“najeh, i said it before, maybe thibodeau isnt interested in the job, so no interview here. sund may not be able to force him here if his agent says we have the choices we want.”
I guess so, although I don’t really know what’s more attractive about coaching a cap-strapped non-playoff team in the middle of an ownership change compared to the Hawks…
Big Ray
June 3rd, 2010
5:26 pm
LOL @ jroc . Can’t say I disagree, though. Shaq has gotten past the point of being able to contribute. He won’t stay serious or in decent playing shape anymore. Dang sure didn’t help Cleveland. All things come to an end eventually.
jroc
June 3rd, 2010
5:30 pm
AJC put Davenpoop on the payroll with a signing bonus the guy knows his stuff.
Jay
June 3rd, 2010
5:31 pm
Enter your comments here
Jay
June 3rd, 2010
5:35 pm
Big Ray
I would bet the farm on it. That’s the little General. What do you think of bringing in Rudy Gay in place of Joe?
Jay
June 3rd, 2010
5:38 pm
Gents, I will be back on a little later. Headed to basketball practice
O'Brien
June 3rd, 2010
5:48 pm
Najeh,
What do you think of the undersized and unrestricted backup PF Craig Smith from the Clippers? He made $2.3 mil last year, he is 26, unrestricted, and averaged 8 and 4 in 16 mpg. I think he would be a good (and affordable) backup PF for us.
And Thibodeau has reportedly turned down the Hornets, with Chicago being his preference. However, I think he is waiting on Doc Rivers to decide if he is leaving Boston or not. Because if Doc leaves, I think Thibodeau takes over.
And in my opinion, the reason why Cleveland and Chicago might be holding out is because they want LeBron’s input (or they want a coach who they think LeBron approves of) to increase their chances of getting him.
That leaves the Nets, the Clippers and the Hawks. The Clippers are the Clippers, and the Nets are probably holding out hope that they can land Phil Jackson, Avery Johnson, or another well known name. So if the Hawks want Avery Johnson, I don’t know what they’re waiting on. Go ahead and offer him the job, and get it over with.
From the previous blog;
Drmaryb,
I stand corrected. Al has the leadership intangible, while Josh is the stat sheet filler upper.
Big Ray
June 3rd, 2010
5:49 pm
I’d take Gay, particularly if Joe goes. But I don’t see Memphis letting him get away. You don’t let young 20 ppg scorers walk unless you have a heck of a prospect coming in. Even then, that’s bad asset management. You get something for ‘em if you can.
Big Ray
June 3rd, 2010
5:50 pm
O’brien
Depends. Maybe Avery Johnson is holding out for another job and has US waiting on him. We just don’t know the facts, so all we can do is aimlessly speculate…
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
5:58 pm
“And Thibodeau has reportedly turned down the Hornets, with Chicago being his preference. However, I think he is waiting on Doc Rivers to decide if he is leaving Boston or not. Because if Doc leaves, I think Thibodeau takes over.”
This would make sense logically, but Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski seems to disagree.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
6:04 pm
“What do you think of the undersized and unrestricted backup PF Craig Smith from the Clippers? He made $2.3 mil last year, he is 26, unrestricted, and averaged 8 and 4 in 16 mpg. I think he would be a good (and affordable) backup PF for us.”
I haven’t seen much of him in the NBA, but I liked him at Boston College, and he certainly would be cheap. His somewhat low rebounding numbers compared to other undersized backup PFs like him is a little concerning, but for the $3 million or so he would cost annually, he would be a good pickup to fill out the end of the bench.
clarkekent
June 3rd, 2010
6:05 pm
I say get Rudy gay whether Joe Johnson leaves or not. trade Marvin and the 1st … or even Childress and the 1st .. with the addition of Rudy gay the hawks with have the youngest and most versatile front court. the 1st rd pick is not needed.. all o your front court players will be under 25. and your PG will be in his second year. a pick at 24 is not a need for the hawks. we need player that can play now not in 2 years.
O'Brien
June 3rd, 2010
6:10 pm
Najeh,
If he doesnt think he would be the top choice in Boston, then I can see why Chicago would be his top choice. Ownership stability, cap room, and the chance to land LeBron or JJ.
Ray,
Some people seem to think Marvin can step up his scoring when JJ leaves. Now that’s funny.
Najeh,
There’s always room for improvement, and he would be cheaper than Bass, Amir Johnson, Drew Gooden, and those guys.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
POSTURING
There is a lot of that going on. Seems like most teams are waiting to see what the G4 – Team decides? LOL!
The 76′ers & New Orleans (a moment of silence for the Gulf of Mexico) ….tic…tic…tic.
Those teams aren’t waiting for nobody – they’re pulling triggers.
Maybe the other teams & coaches are waiting for the Champions to win and to see if any other jobs becopme available, due to Doc or Phil possibly throwing their hats into the ring. I don’t much care for speculating – it doesn’t suit my personality. But, what’s a girl to do – when the guys can’t make up their minds?
I hope & pray Sund is doing diligence on that 24th pick – meanwhile, the FA’s are all in hiding till July 1st.
Whatever happened to straight up / old fashioned negotiations? Is Good-Faith chivalry?
I just want to see some action man! Call Mr. Blank and see if he will loan us the Jet and put up a steak dinner for two (a coach & Joe), or, I hear the wife Stephanie makes a mean azz Lasagna Pie!
I like Mr. Blank, he always gets his man!
All jokes aside, it really does seem like everyone (including Thibadeau) is waiting to see how all Þhe dusts settles. Options, I guess – is the Key for this off-season.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
I neglected to mention in my little novel earlier that Gortat averages nearly 5 fouls per 36 minutes for his career, so the chances he can even stay on the court all game against the better NBA big men is debatable at best.
That’s all I’m going to post on that subject. I promise.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:32 pm
THE TRIANGLE
If by chance Phil leaves the Lakers (very possible if they try to insult him @ $5 Milly/Yr) , then do the Lakers still run the Triangle? I’m just trying to figure out why more teams don’t run that scheme?
Najeh
You HOT man I you HOT! Like Denzell Washingrton in “Man of Fire”
OBRIEN
You HOT too – Baby! As always!
Blue-Ray
(Picture Perfect)
Co-Sign all that ISH! Everything……Just Co-Sign it!
Hey, are you still on that grave-yard shift? Chasing Goons & Gobblins while we’re all counting sheep? If so, do me a huge favor and go scare Sund one late – night. Just peep into his window and say, “Boo!”. Maybe, that will scare him into hiring us a COACH!
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:44 pm
TROOPS
Bring our TROOPS home!
Does anyone even care that we blew up the compound & killed Osama Bin Laden’s #3 commander?
The same guy who blew up the military green-zone compund & killed 7 higher – ups like 8 months ago in Afghanistan?
Word is we got like 8 people with this dude: his wife, daughters, sons, cousins, et.al. The only dude left now is Osama himself. That coward is so deep under a mountain – we’ll never find his azz!
Let’s come home & clean up the Gulf of Mexico instead!
Sorry, just needed a break from fixing the Hawks! Those cats are probably somewhere having care-free thoughts & counting that SCRATCH – meanwhile, we’re trying to improve their team.
Go – Figure! I can name 5 bloggers right now that I would send over to Sund’s office as a
Fans Focus Group….to straighten things out!
My guys would do it in exchange for a 50 seat capacity Luxury Box with amenities – LIFETIME DEAL.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:51 pm
MC & Blue-Ray
Can you guys please BLOCK that. “First” – CRAP off our blogs?
That ISH is irritating.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:56 pm
Soul_Star
Co-Sign that! I respect player endorsements of coaches too! What could be better for a coach than to have that?
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
6:58 pm
Nate McMillan?
TXDawg
June 3rd, 2010
6:58 pm
As someone who knows Avery personally, I definitely challenge anyone’s logic who states that Avery doesn’t have championship mentality.
Johnny Walking has some interesting thoughts in his post about who to bring onboard. One’s I can say I haven’t thought about, except for the Shaq move (who I also happen to know and think could add good value).
The McGrady comment is what sparks an interest….could the Hawks really pick him up and would he really benefit the team (or be a waste of money)?
Sam'l
June 3rd, 2010
7:02 pm
I think the problem here is……Joe Johnson, who has a mind of his own…….unless you can do a good job of convincing Joe he’ll be playing for a competent, intelligent team, he’ll book for another city.. (this is opinion only)
With this in mind, I would say, sign a competent coach quickly. If necessary, give him an extra million. You’re losing millions and millions anyway…and if Joe blows, you’re gonna lose a few more. .
I don’t think the economy has a chance in Hell, but there are people on the TV shouting and screaming about things turning around……maybe they’re right…Maybe this is the time to spend!
terrell
June 3rd, 2010
7:05 pm
Hawks all-star draft team
PG Rumeal Robinson/Acie Law
SG Ed Gray/Dion Glover
SF Marvin Williams/Roshown McCloud
PF Sheldon Williams/Chris Crawford
C Priest Lauderdale/Adam Keefe
What a squad! lol!
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
7:13 pm
Terrell
(Don’t call me Te-relle!) LOL!
You old school fool. You crazy as hell man! I was trying to remember that old soft azz Duke player that Lenny Wilkens just had to have! Danny (I need a spit bucket) Manning & Nem! LMAO!
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
7:17 pm
Terrell
I.E. Roshown McCloud
Rummeal used to run like hell…problem is, he never looked up! Something about he was looking for his contacts.
cp
June 3rd, 2010
7:21 pm
People this aint nba2k. You just cant make any move you want. I rather Sund make the right choice than the quick choice. Forget trying to please a few people on a blog with a quick hire. Get the right guy in here. IF that takes more time then so be it.
HawkKingBibby
June 3rd, 2010
7:35 pm
MC are you just bracing us for the inevitable fact that we have no chance for Avery and are going to have to settle for Casey or Drew. You know this already dont you.
Ken Strickland
June 3rd, 2010
7:38 pm
NAJEH-actually Dwight Howard is the best help defender in the league. He’s the sum total of Orlando’s entire DEF. He gets into foul trouble when forced to defend man to man, or anyone coming straight at him. He gets most of his blocks coming across the lane to help JNelson, JLewis and VCarter with their matador DEF. MBarnes is the only Magic starter that’s considered a solid DEF player, and that includes DHoward.
I still believe losing JJ won’t have the overall negative effect that some of you seem to think, especially if we get a HC that can develop a solid half court OFF and DEF. JJ’s versatility was his greatest asset to the team. His defensive ability allowed him to defend PG’s that Bibby couldn’t, which was basically all of them. His size, ball handling, shooting and penetrating ability made a very limited and flawed half court OFF more functional.
If we fix the problem at PG, especially on DEF, which I firmly believe Teague can do, get Marvin back to being more productive, and find a suitable replacement for JJ, we can actually become a better overall team. By the same token, we can become a much better team with him.
I also disagree with those who say the ASG won’t spend the money to win a championship. They were certainly willing to spend the money to trade for JJ and Bibby, and resign Marvin, Zaza and Smoove. I just don’t think they are willing to spend money just to see the team underachieve, especially in the playoffs.
After investing in considerable talent over the last 2yrs, and seeing Woodson under utilize certain talented players, while over utilizing others, I think they were unwilling to invest any more money for a HC who’s coaching skills obviously weren’t up to par with other playoff caliber HC’s.
If the ASG feels the new HC can resolve the issues that plagued the Hawks under Woodson, I have no doubt they’d spend the money to get the job done. If the new HC wants JJ back, I have no doubt the ASG will make it hard for him not to resign. They’ll also spend the money next yr to resign Horford and Crawford, if they see the desired results and the HC wants them back.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
7:42 pm
cp
I feel you man! But, gosh – d a r n we have only interviewed like 3 people! How much time do you need to decide, unless we are waiting for the Championships to end. Sund, should have had a target in mind before he fired Mr. Woodson, unless he’s just being told NO by his prospects. He needs to extend his list of candidates in that case.
I hope he’s not waiting for Doc or Phil? They are NOT walking through that door!
Ramon
June 3rd, 2010
8:03 pm
Big Ray, I stated Gerald Wallace. Wallace is simply listed best as a F, not a SF or a PF. He plays equal time at both positions often (he and Diaw are often interchanged).
If River leaves Boston, my wild guess is their next coach will be Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich, or possibly Jeff Van Gundy.
cp
June 3rd, 2010
8:06 pm
drmaryb trust me I feel where you’re coming from but you have to remember that this organization takes their time each summer it seems. Its nothing new when it comes to decision making in the summer time for the Hawks. I used to be impatient but they have been doing it like this for so long that now I’m used to it.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
8:33 pm
CP
We seem to be so close…but, now it seems to be slipping away. I’m just fearful that we have so much changing right now. Joe, the coach, now the draft, (not to mention the owners).
That’s a lot to do, and nothing seems certain. I do not want to keep re-building around here.
My heart just can’t take it man.
vava74
June 3rd, 2010
8:38 pm
Avery Johnson may be, at this juncture of his career a “two year fling”, a guy that produces some good results in short period of time before his cracking voice and constant interventions gets on everyone’s nerves.
The biggest pro-factor for his signing is that I believe that JJ would stay if he saw that the ASG had made a strong bet on the coaching side.
Joe Smaha
June 3rd, 2010
8:47 pm
Enter your comments here
Enough already, get us a coach soon so he can start assisting in the NBA draft, valuable time is being wasted.
mark
June 3rd, 2010
8:49 pm
hire Casey and let’s get things to rolling, maybe he is bill bilacheck forgive my spelling. bill didn’t do so good in Cleveland his first time around. his work speak for it’s in new England.
drmaryb
June 3rd, 2010
8:56 pm
National Anthem
Damn that dude can sang!
OMG! That was Jeffrey Osborne! Get Out!!!!!!!!
Delbert D.
June 3rd, 2010
9:06 pm
So it’s the Moguls that are Russian, and the Mongols are from China, sort of. How come there are no Mongolian billionaires that want to buy sports teams?
JeJe
June 3rd, 2010
9:26 pm
LOL @ ASG and Sund giving them 3 rounds of interviews then going aloof. Nice PR, !@#$ing morons
Rick Sund
June 3rd, 2010
9:27 pm
Expect a coaching hire in about 2 months.
We are still separating the “emotional” from the “analytical.” Despite my statements that the Magic blowouts didn’t matter because so many other teams got blown out in the playoffs, we are still suffering from this blowout series. I know, that as myself, a TRUE COMPETITOR, this series really stung.
Rick
P.S. I am REALLY leaning towards getting Casey. He is CLEARLY more experienced than Avery and knows more about the game than Mark Jackson, even though MJ is 2nd all time in Assists
ksiujgth
June 3rd, 2010
9:28 pm
HIRE WOODY
darrell starks
June 3rd, 2010
9:59 pm
This why i like arthur blanks he get his eye set on a player or coach and he snacth him up before other team take him away smart business move by smart owner ship.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Not Drinking the Kool-Aid
June 3rd, 2010
10:07 pm
I will go with Garnett’s endorsement of Casey. But who cares what Rashard Lewis thinks, guy is like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz – no heart, a mercernary for hire along with Vince no show Carter. Mark Jackson just commentating on tv does not a coach make. Give some of the other assistants a shot if you are going to give M. Jackson a shot: Patrick Ewing, Jabbar, Brian Shaw, Monty Williams, or Ty Corbin. Let’s quit ****ing around and just get Avery. Love your post Najeh!! Facts don’t lie. Hawks are made to run, build the team around flying up and down the court with athletic guys running, sign Joe, d-up and watch the people come. Come on ASG bring showtime to Atlanta!!!
terrell
June 3rd, 2010
10:13 pm
Dr Mary, my wife cleans Roshowds kids teeth. lol! He’s still driving a S600. Hawks must be still paying him. lol!
terrell
June 3rd, 2010
10:14 pm
I meant Roshown.