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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
408 comments Add your comment
Grandad
June 4th, 2010
6:46 pm
Back-up [pg] = Kyle Lowry, R-FA. (warrior)
Grandad
June 4th, 2010
6:47 pm
* Not “the Warriors” a warrior / actually a “Rocket”.
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
6:50 pm
TEAGUE
I like Jeff. I look forward to seeing hiim play next season. He has gotten his feet wet and the bright lights should seem a little dimmer next year.
I would like to keep Bibby and have him mentor Jeff much like Baron Davis did for Monta Ellis in California, before voyaging to the Clippers.
Jeff is very athletic at the PG position, we haven’t had that since Mookie Blaylock was here. Who BTW was a very streaky shooter (his only glaring weakness). I used to hold my breath when them shots went up.
We called them Mookie-Daggers! Mookie was a DEFENSIVE nightmare for opponents!
I can not count how many walk-off game winning steals Mookie delivered back in the day!
Ask MJ & Pippen? They remember too! I think Jeff can be that guy, if he can lock down the perimeter Defensively, push the ball, set the Hawks tempo, and dunk that thing, get a mid-range jumper & the three ball will come later on down the road. See Rondo!
Grandad
June 4th, 2010
6:52 pm
I hate it when I rant & it’s the last on a page
[dang G-Dad's a slow typist]
@ least (((-drmaryb-))) will (hopefully go back)
>…..& read !
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
7:14 pm
Grand-Daddy
Co-Sign that 643 PM post! Sign me up Daddy! Amen……Amen…….Hallelujah! Preach that truth brother!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
7:23 pm
Grand-Daddy,
Wow! I just read that post on page three, before I saw this page! And, then I saw your top of the page posts here! LOL! What a wild coincidence that you were thinking of me?
I feel so loved now! I just want to crawl up on your knee, get that cherry popsicle & cry me a river!
Because, oi know you will rub my head and tell me the truth! That, “This too shall pass.”
Grand-Daddy? I want a terrific new coach! I want JJ re-signed! I want JT0 to get the starting PG job! I want a terrific draft pick @ #24 (a hidden gem!)….. I want …..I want …. I want!
Gimmie…….Gimmie……..Gimmie!
Don’t worry G-Daddy – I seek out all your posts! All of them!
cp
June 4th, 2010
7:24 pm
tony the more you type the more I’m convinced you have no clue about what you;re talking about. You want to improve the team assist yet want to bring in a pg who is not a good passer or decision maker. I told you for his career Felton is around 6 assist and almost 3 turnovers per game. I don’t know what other stat you want. The fact that Larry Brown had Steven Jackson and Diaw facilitate the offense should tell you how he felt about Feltons ability to get guys the ball. The dude is an average at best pg.. Maynor from what I saw last year looks like a solid back up pg at best. He looked better in Utah than he did with the Thunder.
Jon Koncak
June 4th, 2010
7:30 pm
I like Mark Jackson and I will tell you why! I know he has NO coaching experience! However, he was a top PG and Leader. I think he could develope Jeff Teague. He ran the floor with alot of energy and would bring motivation to a team that played with (to put it lightly) questionable hustle. We would actually run plays, not just the ISO crap we have been doing. Nobody wanted Doc when he was available and look where he is at now. We all know the Owner’s are not going to pay for a Phil Jackson type coach. Just a thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Randy
June 4th, 2010
7:46 pm
For those of you who continue to mention Phil Jackson amongst the list of coaching candidates, I’m not sure where this logic is coming from. Phil Jackson is not going to leave L.A. He’s near the end of his coaching career and obviously has no desire to move and start over once again. Besides, it would be virtually impossible to give him a better situation than he has right now. He’s coaching the best player in the league, the best team in the league, staying comfortably in one of the largest markets in the league, and is loved and cherished by the largest fan base in the league. Moving anywhere else would quite simply be a downgrade at this point. The thought of Phil leaving the Lakers to coach elsewhere is completely unrealistic.
On another note, Doc Rivers is not a coaching candidate at this point either. He has made it very clear that he has no desire to coach another team other than the Celtics. If he does leave the Celtics, it will be for a break from coaching, not to coach another team.
With that in mind, you should focus your discussion of coaching candidates on candidates which do not include Jackson and River, and ignore media speculation focused around possible coaching departures of those two.
cp
June 4th, 2010
7:50 pm
As a matter of fact all those guys who came from North Carolina that year they won the championship have been everything from average to terrible.. We all know about Marvin so no need to go into details…… Felton has been average and if I remember correctly he went something like #5 in the draft………….. Sean May may not even be in the league next year…….. Mc Cants is already out of the league. I thought May,Felton, and Mc Cants would have been a lot better than they showed. Mays cant stay in shape. I think Mc Cants had injuries and the same maturity issues he had when he was in college and Felton hasn’t became the pg I thought he would be after seeing him at UNC.
Time
June 4th, 2010
7:58 pm
BILL LAIMBEER
Rick Sund
June 4th, 2010
8:04 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..
Jon Koncak
June 4th, 2010
8:07 pm
Randy, the reference to Doc Rivers was that he was a PG and had no Coaching experience. The reference to Phil Jackson was a huge contract like LA pays him (Notgonna happen in the ATL). The point I was trying to make was Mark Jackson played PG with NO coaching experience. However, he played very smart high energy ball. He actually ran plays and not just ISO ball like i’m sure we have all seen enough of. He could develop Jeff Teague and get this team to play with a purpose and HUSTLE. If someone could get Josh Smith to play to his potential. Who know’s what that could be like. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:13 pm
Randy
Thank You Brother! There is a God! You have restored my faith in the human ability to reason and say logical things! Geez! People – stop with the play station fantasies where you stack your dream-teams & eat from bowls of cherries all day!
Thank – You Randy! Hallelujah! And they want to know why no one takes them seriously?
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:15 pm
Dr. Mary B..
lol.. i mean i can understand the MILF fetish.. but Bron’s mom.. sheesh.. ill pass..
now Sonya Curry (Stephs mom).. thats another story..
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:15 pm
Time after Time
And he, (Felton) – Never Will! Co-Sign all that UNC post! Sign off on that!
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:17 pm
http://www.wiihotties.com/2008/12/10/sonya-curry-college-basketballs-hottest-mom/
yezzziir.
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:22 pm
BigDave
Ain’t that some Bush-League (pun intended) – ISH? Come on Bro! Cancer in the locker room!
So, Ms. Curry – got it goin on? Mmmh! Isn’t she Dale Curry’s wife? She must be bad & what? Like 40 something too? I never saw her.
Now, Kanye West Mom’s (RIP), she looked like Mr. Ed! (I’d seen better looking drag-queens) LOL!
HELP THE HAWKS WIN-GET A CENTER
June 4th, 2010
8:23 pm
oursorryazztradebaitcenter@tradealhorford.com
Curb Appeal
June 4th, 2010
8:23 pm
I like Johnson but I also like Byron Scott. It seems that he is being overlooked by everyone. Scott does have championship rings.He should be able to help the Hawks get to that next level. He should also be a great help to Joe, Bibby, Crawford and who I hope will be our new starting point guard Teague.
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:23 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBULOoSkksc&feature=player_embedded#!
hilarious.
and im done.
HELP THE HAWKS WIN-GET A CENTER
June 4th, 2010
8:24 pm
TRADEBAITAL@WENEEDACENTER.COM
Jon Koncak
June 4th, 2010
8:26 pm
Now Mark Jackson is a playstation fantasy!
WOW
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:29 pm
aww man, lol.. Mary B.. leave them folks mama’s alone..
yep.. that’s Dale’s piece. she’s definitely 40+ but she gets high grades from this 24 yr old. some just had it, have it, and never lose it.. like Phylicia Rashad..
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:34 pm
BigDave
Dam! She HOT – like me! I’m HOT too! LOL! You what 24? Dang! I’m 40-ish, but I look 26!
I never saw Bron’s Mom either! You guys are crazy finding these photos on line!
LOL!
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:38 pm
“BigDave
Dam! She HOT – (like me! I’m HOT too! LOL!) You what 24? Dang! I’m 40-ish, but I look 26!”
gulp… lol..
take it easy on me.. its hard enough going to Spelhouse Homecoming .. yall ruthless !! lol..
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:41 pm
but if u look like Steph’s mom… ..
lol.. haha
bigdave
June 4th, 2010
8:42 pm
lol @ me flirting with Dr. B on the blog.. lol
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:49 pm
Curbie
For some reason, Byron & Avery grated the players and wore them down very quickly.
Byron did it twice, in NJ & then NO. Something about micro-managing?
Magic Johnson & Michael Jordan did the same – allegedly. IDK man? Something is Fishy with all them dudes!
Great players don’t always make that transition to great coaches – personality – wise.
Patrick Ewing or Mark Jackson should get some hard looks though!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
8:54 pm
Big-Dave
Spellhouse? You sick man! Bring it on Poppy – I did not know you could do it like that?
You got me over here looking for my Black & Tan Cheetah Thong! Where the hell is that thing?
I only pull it out on special occasions!
Mmmmmwah! Mmmmmwah! Don’t make me old-school you….I got to check your I’d though – Mamma can’t do no jail time! I like my freedom! LOL!
Meidzo in Decatur
June 4th, 2010
9:01 pm
My summer as GM:
Pryzbilla for Center, we can live with Josh @ 3 if we play uptempo (see James Worthy). Trade Marvin for J.R, Smith (both teams and fanbases are tired of them).
JJ Sign and trade for Chris Paul.
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
9:04 pm
Jon K.
No baby! Phil Jackson & Doc Rivers is Fantasy Island! Come on man! Keep it real!
And get yourself a real name on here too – it will LEND to your credibility which goes a looonng way on a blog of this caliber!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
9:08 pm
Meldzdo – Fido Decatur
You’re the exact Nut we are all tired of!
Qoute of the Day applies here:
tony
June 4th, 2010
9:10 pm
cp, I might not have the best typing skills but I certainly know what I am talking about young man. If you don’t like Felton that’s your business. It’s obvious that you don’t know what you are talking about because 6 assist a game is not that bad and you are flat out lying about his turnovers. I gave you a link to prove that fact. http://www.hoopsworld.com/stats/index.asp?sv=A Our best assist man(JJ) average around 5 apg but he is not a pg. Our pg(MB) average around 4 apg. The pg responsibility is to create scoring opportunities for the team. Raymond Felton and Chris Duhon are the only 2 pgs available. There were many games when Raymond had over 8 assists. Since you think you know so much and I don’t, who will do a better job than Raymond next season?
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
9:13 pm
Quote of the day:
“I am very careful who I let rent space in my head.”
Meidzo in Decatur
June 4th, 2010
9:18 pm
Dr. Mary this flawed too young team has a limited upside, Here is the secret in the NBA: Old teams win Championships.
Stop basing your pipe dreams around JJ, when in real life (the playoffs) it is obvious that he can’t cut the mustard.
I am not in love with any particular scenario, I just want to go forward without JJ!
vava74
June 4th, 2010
9:20 pm
Pat Ewing has brought ZERO to Howard’s game. Why such high consideration for a guy who’s major asset whilst an NBA player was the NY press constantly overrating him?????? Yes, he had good stats and he did get the Knicks close to a championship.
I am not saying that he was an excellent player, but he was far from being great.
Same happens now with his coaching: zippo, nada, niente, rien has been added to D. Howard’s game since Pat was brought in. He just holds the clip board and tries to look like a coach.
northcyde
June 4th, 2010
9:26 pm
(( slow-clapping . . . like the female prosecutor in New Jack City, getting ready to cross-examine Nino Brown, after he made what she callled “a geo-political tirade ))
((clap))
((clap))
((clap))
Lewis . . that was a real good post. It really was. I just don’t think it was honest.
First off, Woody set that 50-win goal initially during the 08 – 09 season. When they didn’t reach it that year, he made that a goal again this year . . PLUS . . securing a top 4 spot . . not just the #4 spot. He, and the team, set the bar high for themselvs.
People can go the “Woody conspiracy route, and say that Woody pushed the starters to personally get him to 50 wins. But the truth is that this was much of a players’ goal, as it was Wody’s goal. The players wanted to break that psychological barrier as well.
And since the playoffs have caused some to come down with a case of amnesia, let I remind people that the Hawks were not only fighting for a top 4 spot, they were fighting for a DIVISION CROWN and a #2 seed. That’s why the team didn’t throttle down. What? So now people would’ve given up fighting for a division crown, in order to play the bench more?
And let’s talk about this bench, shall we.
I bet I could go into these blog arcives, randomly pick out a game ( especially one that we lost ), and find Evans and Zaza being ripped to shreads. The fans were KILLING these dudes for most of the year. Now people are saying that they wanted to see MORE of them? ( talking like Tom Jackson on ESPN NFL Countdown ) . . . “come on maaaaaaannn.”
When Woody tried to do what other coaches do ( play 3, 4, even 5 bench players together ), people would have a fit because the 2nd unit would play like garbage.
LOL . . so it’s . . “Come on Woody! Play the bench! But don’t be an idiot and have more than 2 of them in the game at the same time?”
Keep it real folks. There was no conspiracy theory on why the bench didn’t play more. They didn’t play more because
THEY
WERE
SORRY!
This is why I defend Woody so much. People can see something dead in their faces, and STILL try to blame Woody via some wild conspiracy theory. I guess the reduced minutes that Mo Evans got this year, caused him to shoot a “brick” lay-up in that Oralndo playoff game.
As for this notion of the fans willing to endure some initial losses, in order to develop Teague . . . LOL . . really?
This is the same fan base that would freak out everytime we lose a bad game. You’d think the Hawks were below .500 on those nights. So now those same fans are going to show some patience, and possibly sit through losses while Teague develops? ( If he develops? ) The same fans that were upset because we weren’t “elite”, are now going to be content to be “mediocre”? The same fans who showed up to Philips Arena SLIGHTLY LESS THIS YEAR, despite us winning 3 more home games, and 6 nor games total?
I can see it now . .
“Dang . . . Charlotte beat us by 9. But I’m happy that Teague got to play 29 mins, and got 9 pts – 4 asst – 4 rebs – a steal – and shot 4 – 11 FG.. “Great” game by him. This is valuable experience for him, even though we lost.”
Let me wrap this up.
I hope you guys are right and I’m wrong. I really do. I’m a Hawk fan first and foremost, and I just personally need to start seeing this dude making an impact on a game before garbage time comes.
He’ll get his shot next year. At that point, it’s up to him to show and prove that he can play in this league, and make an impact.
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
9:26 pm
Enter your comments here … Tony, let that dead horse die man! We don’t want no ugly azz Raymond Felton here. We need an UPGRADE not a lateral move!
J-Smoove has more assists all year than Raymond! If not who the hell cares!
We got JT0 – so, Hell to the No!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
9:44 pm
Whoever said, “if it ain’t broke – Don’t fix it.”?
That is the biggest lie ever told!
A HOF Famous College Coach said it BEST!
“If it ain’t BROKE? Then BREAK – IT! So, you CAN Fix it!”
Every Championship team is broken – up after WINNING! Why? Because You can always win BETTER!
The Lakers traded Ariza for Artest & that list goes on forever and ever…….
Auto Mechanics replace working parts that are getting older! Why? Because its called
Preventative Maintenance!
In healthcare – we call it Wellness Care. Its cheaper to stay well than it is to cure an illness!
Word to the Wise!!! Drmaryb is gonna always – Keep it Real!
I once worked for GE-Capital, had three houses & two big cars & $100k in credit cards with a $0 balance!
What did I do at age 29?
I quit that job, cashed in my stocks, sold 2 houses, sold one car, went back to school & became a Doctor!
Living my Dream & own 2 businesses. Broke as Hell – But hey, that too shall pass!
Life is Good – I you are living Life!
northcyde
June 4th, 2010
9:45 pm
And I see the good Dr. is on fire tonight.
LOL @ 40-ish . . but look 26. Damn . . . she’s Stacey Dash now.
Not Drinking the Kool - Aid
June 4th, 2010
9:45 pm
BigDave, the youtube Lebron tribute is hiliarious!!! I can’t stop laughing!! I guess Delonte better pack his bags! I wouldn’t mind him coming to the ATL with his KFC rap skills in all and probably not a bad bench guy as a combo guard! Just as long as he doesn’t mess with anyone’s mom! LOL! Northcyde, I agree that the bench didn’t play that well, I noticed that the second unit became iso-Jamal and of course Jamal did play well at times but he confused and stunted Teague’s ability to initiate the offense as a PG. I also noticed Marvin played a lot with the second unit and seemed confused with the iso-Jamal and the second unit. And, of course, I blame this all on Woody. I noticed at the beginning of the season Woody would blast Jamal for jacking up shots and not getting back on defense but as the season progressed Woody began to say less and less. I wonder could this have been the cause for the poor play of the second unit? Just something I noticed during the season.
Not Drinking the Kool - Aid
June 4th, 2010
9:48 pm
DMB,just stop the madness!!! I can’t touch that!!! Ha!! Ha!!
Not Drinking the Kool - Aid
June 4th, 2010
9:49 pm
And of course, I said that!!!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
10:05 pm
Mizedo Decatur
Ok… Let’s say we don’t want to re-sign JJ.
Who will you replace him with? And, please don’t say LeBron or Kobe!
I am waiting…but, I will NOT hold my breath. I like breathing.
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
10:14 pm
NorthCyde
@926 PM ……. Get ‘Em! Co-Sign all that! Sign me up all day long!
Kool-Aid
@948 PM…… I flat out Love the Kool-Aid man! Smiley Face and All that Suga!
You are America’s Favorite Drink of All – Times!
Just Don’t get High on your own supply!
Don’t drink up all the profits!
GetwhatUpayfor
June 4th, 2010
10:17 pm
Hawks will get serious in next 3 weeks. Don’t know why except the Hawks Spirt group has to many to please. This came from another reporter so don’t bet on it.
Meidzo in Decatur
June 4th, 2010
10:31 pm
Doctor…… I suggested a J.R, Smith/Chris Paul (who N.O. may feel they can do without because of Collison) replacement for JJ/Marvin….toughness upgrade!!!!
But then again not your idea so it Sux?
I also like Pryzbilla because, Aj Horford has said he is tired of playing Center!
Not Drinking the Kool - Aid
June 4th, 2010
11:02 pm
R. I. P. John Wooden – One of the greatest coaches in basketball history!!!!
drmaryb
June 4th, 2010
11:49 pm
Itz Greater in Decatur
Baby, any GM who trades CP3? Would be tarred, feathered, burned at the stake & ran out of town!
Man, I would kill to have CP3 in a Hawks uniform! & in exchange for JJ (d a r n e d) near 30 years old?
Which, BTW – JJ would never agree to go to NO ( a rebuilding situation). That means NOT a playoff team!
Do I need to keep going on – or have you heard the crickets playing the smallest violin yet?
Meizdo? If you can get any GM to do that? I will personally go to the Louisiana Shores…
Dive three miles deep & plug the damned Oil-Leak with my finger…take your pick,
I got ten of them!
CP3 is a Super-Star man! Hell, why not just go to LA and get the “Black – Mamba” instead & on your way back hone, pick up LeBron & Flash while you’re at it! I like them too!
Now, go to sleep baby….you’re gonna need your rest! You’ve got a BIG day tomorrow – lots of talent to get.