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
Melvin
June 6th, 2010
9:24 pm
Good thing the Hawks got rid of Shelden. He just gave the Lakers 7 straight pts to closed the 1st half. My goodness.
O'Brien
June 6th, 2010
9:26 pm
Melvin,
I was thinking the same thing. i can’t understand what BK saw in Shelden. That being said, Shelden could end up with an NBA championship ring.
Blast
June 6th, 2010
9:28 pm
Yeah, Shelden just sucked it up, man.
O'Brien
June 6th, 2010
9:29 pm
Celtics better be careful in the third quarter, because despite their hot shooting, the lead is down to 6. If the Lakers score the first 2 buckets in the third quarter, Celtics could be in trouble.
After all, the Celtics were outscored by 9 in the third quarter of game 1.
Hoops
June 6th, 2010
9:34 pm
Sign Mark Jackson for 3 years with the 2nd and 3rd year as a team option. If he does great the first year, then you have him for two more years. If he proves not to be a good hire, then go get Doc Rivers. He will be ready to get back into coaching after a year away with his son!
Mark will relate well with the Hawks players. If not, Doc will be available. Other coaches with experience,like Avery Johnson and Duane Casey, will probably not accept a three year contract with the 2nd and 3rd year as a team option. This is a way to get Doc if the coaching hire for 2010-11 does not work out!
Melvin
June 6th, 2010
9:35 pm
OB,
Every championship team has a 12th and 13th man…lol
Najeh Davenpoop
June 6th, 2010
9:38 pm
“Would you rather sign JJ to 5 years, $90 mil, or John Salmons for 5 years $45 mil?”
I’d rather sign Ray Allen to 1 year and $10 million and make a run at Carmelo next offseason.
Melvin
June 6th, 2010
9:43 pm
OB,
Keep in mind the Celtics was in foul trouble for the entire 1st half. 25-13 free throws advantage for the Lakers… SMH
Najeh Davenpoop
June 6th, 2010
9:45 pm
“Would you consider trading Mike Bibby & the 24th pick for Jarrett Jack? Bibby has a year less on his deal…..How about Jamal Crawford, Mike Bibby & the 24th pick for Mo Williams, Anthony Parker (expiring), and Sebastian Telfair (expiring)?”
Both trades would improve the Hawks, but I’d prefer the first one just because Jack is owed half the money Mo Williams is. I suspect Toronto would be more likely to go for the first trade than Cleveland would for the second one anyway.
darrell starks
June 6th, 2010
9:51 pm
Hoop wow i like that 7:06 posted josh and marvin for lebron.
it would be the best and smartest move in the history of this franchise.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
darrell starks
June 6th, 2010
9:54 pm
STARTER TEAGUE, JOE, LEBRON, AL HARRINGTON, HORFORD
BENCH BIBBY, JAMAL, CHILL, ZAZA, SOLOMON ALABI
RESERVE MORRIS, MOE
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
June 6th, 2010
10:01 pm
Nice block by 6′9″ Glen Davis on 7′0″ Andrew Bynum.
O'Brien
June 6th, 2010
10:04 pm
Najeh,
These refs have been terrible. A lot of these fouls have been blocks.
northcyde
June 6th, 2010
10:30 pm
Gasol was right . . . KG looks OOOOOOLLLLDDDDD!
(( looking at Nate Robinson ))
. . . . not to beat a deceased horse, but, that’s all I’ve asked a certain guard to do. Just come in a game and make an impact, even in limited minutes. It can be done. Maybe he’ll do it more often next year, even if he’s not the starter.
Hoops
June 6th, 2010
10:31 pm
darrell starks,
I could see how the Cavs might want Crawford and Josh instead of Marvin and Josh because Crawford has an expiring contract. That would be fine with me.
What do you think about Marvin and Evans for Haywood? That would be the trade that I would get excited about as well!
drmaryb
June 6th, 2010
10:36 pm
Blast
Blast baby, thank you baby – You HOT tonite – yourself.
I am married,
; 0
Not Drinking the Kool - Aid
June 6th, 2010
10:48 pm
I will never forget Woody’s comments after drafting Shelden “freaking” Williams in the 2007 NBA draft. After being asked his reasoning for drafting Shelden by a commentator, Woody said,”I am glad he fell to us at the spot we got him.” In other words Woody thought he would be drafted higher! I knew watching the draft in ‘07 Woody would never take the Hawks to any type of championship level. Woody should have been fired last year!!! Give Joe his dough(5 years – 80 million)!! Hire Avery Johnson!!
Blast
June 6th, 2010
10:55 pm
Go, Celtics! Beat LA!
Blast
June 6th, 2010
10:58 pm
Ms. D. Shame, shame, shame, but it’s all good. Enjoy!
Fundamentals
June 6th, 2010
10:59 pm
Tom T signed with Chicago, sounds like some coaching chips will begin falling into place. All this talk about Doc? What will he do at seasons end? Will he rebuild, maintain or look for a new team to mold? I’d like to see him here, but I don’t see it happening.
I still like Ty Corbin
Wouldn’t be mad at Casey or even Drew
Will our team respond to Mitchell, Avery or Scott? Have we asked the players?
Is Jackson the next Rivers? Who’s his Tom T?
Has Joe chimed in yet? Don’t answer that.
Melvin
June 6th, 2010
11:02 pm
The Lakers committed intentional fouls for the last 2 mins and still had a +15 freethrows advantage…
drmaryb
June 6th, 2010
11:04 pm
KG & Paul combined 4-16, is actually NOT bad when you look at the fact they didn’t force any bad shots. They were all good – open looks! Had they shot 4-16 each? That would have been terrible and probably
Would have ended in a loss.
The other impressive thing was they never stopped playing defense and basketball!
northcyde
June 6th, 2010
11:08 pm
Cuban likes Haywood, so he probably wouldn’t do a Chillz + Evans for Haywood. Decent centers in this league are coveted in this league. But like I said, I like your plan. I would love to see what our payroll would be, had we do what all you wanted.
If we’re trading 2 high salary guys like Smoove and Crawford, adding Lebron + signing JJ might not be that big of a luxury tax hit in 2011. It wouldn’t be until Horford got his big money deal, that we’d get hit big time by the L-Tax. And no telling what that number would be by 2013.
the domino effect?
June 6th, 2010
11:13 pm
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebroninfluence060510
Tradehorford/ssorryass@weneedacenter.com
the domino effect?
June 6th, 2010
11:13 pm
tradehorfordsorryass@getusacenter.com
Diary of a 7th place finish(1&done)
June 6th, 2010
11:16 pm
STARTER TEAGUE, JOE, LEBRON, AL HARRINGTON, HORFORD
BENCH BIBBY, JAMAL, CHILL, ZAZA, SOLOMON ALABI
RESERVE MORRIS, MOE
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
O'Brien
June 6th, 2010
11:17 pm
Northcyde,
Not to beat a dead horse, but don’t you think a rookie sophomore will need a learning curve compared to an established veteran?
In game 1, I remember nate Robinson taking a bad shot (a 3 ptr off a fast break), which he missed. At which point Jeff van Grundy or mark Jackson said that the Celtics have learned to deal with nate Robinson ’s game. He will take bad shots, and then make good plays next time down.
Let teague take that bad shot and see what happens. He gets pulled immediately. Nate Robinson knows he won’t, and that helps his confidence.
Its like asking a MLB rookie who spent 2 years in the minor league to be a pinch hitter, and expecting him to hit .300
MissSection120
June 6th, 2010
11:19 pm
Everyone has all these great ideas for the Hawks hope that means you all renewed your season tickets as I did, or became one. Umm
There is no excuse for teague
June 6th, 2010
11:20 pm
he has had enough playing time and made a whole lot of stupid mistakes that he did not get benched for.
Teague, a turnover waiting to happen!
Hater aid
June 6th, 2010
11:21 pm
I wont be buying ticket till the hawks get a center and show they mean business! Many people feel the same way I do.
MissSection120
June 6th, 2010
11:25 pm
Everyone has all these great ideas on fixing the Hawks. I hope this means that you all renewed your season tickets as I did, or became season ticket holders. Umm
ICECOLD
June 6th, 2010
11:28 pm
.. The hawks could jus stick together and jus add any star free agent and they will be fine…chemistry means a lot… I don’t know why people panicing like the hawks was just terrible.. We just ended up playing the one team we couldn’t beat!! Everything else would have been a cake walk to the finals, ( boston )!!!… So stop panicing, we will be alright… For real
Rufus1
June 7th, 2010
12:13 am
LBJ to Chicago….Bosh to Miami = Joe Johnson return to ATL
With JJ back in Atlanta, Boston “Old as Dirt”, Teague as the PG and Avery or Jackson as our Coach, we will be a top 2 team in the EAST.
Mark Jackson believes Teague has the potenial to be a very good PG in the NBA..” If Teague got 20 min a night, he would be candidate for rookie of the year”…Mark Jackson said that during a Hawks game.
drmaryb
June 7th, 2010
8:01 am
MC
New Blog Topic coming soon? Anything new happening in the Hawks camp?
We’ re bored Sir.
Celtics representing the East well.
Doc, is doing a fantastic job!
Fundamentals
June 7th, 2010
8:11 am
Have we got any word Chilz will come back over and play or be traded?
Has Mo used his option to stay with us or is he an unrestricted free agent?
What will Rubio announcing he’ll play do to MN abundance of point guards? Would they be a trade opportunity?
lewis
June 7th, 2010
8:54 am
Mark Jackson is such a horrific commentator it’s hard to imagine him as a head coach. It was painful listening to him last night. I would consider him as an assistant only because I hope / assume him to be a completely different person off camera. He literally said nothing of any substance whatsoever during the game last night. I know he’s a former player, and a good one at that, but I question his ability to run a team on his own. Even when he tries to get excited he sounds dull. He seems soft almost.
Dee
June 7th, 2010
8:55 am
It’s going to be Casey as the new Hawks head coach.
Ken Strickland
June 7th, 2010
9:23 am
Lebron wants a chance to win a title, so that rules out the Knicks. If he goes to Chicago, it will make them a better team, but it won’t make their chances of winning a title any better than Cleveland had with him. DWade is definitely staying in Miami, and Pat Riley is going after CBosh and possibly Ray Allen.
Some of you are far too in love with the idea of Woodson as our HC, even though he’s no longer a HC anywhere and has yet to be interviewed, to realize JJ might have refused to sign our initial offer because he wanted to see if Woodson would be let go before considering resigning. He certainly didn’t say or do anything to encourage ownership to retain him.
The same unfounded doubt and lame excuses that have permeated these blogs concerning JTeague’s ability to be an effective PG, seems to be evident when it come to the positive effect a new HC with an open mind would have on the Hawks.
If our new HC can:
(1) Make adjustments when called for, especially during gms,
(2) commit to developing and playing the younger players and bench,
(3) have the guts and inclination to hold every player accountable, regardless of their experience and ability,
(4) actually give a damn about OFF, and install one that involves everyone and places them in positions to contribute consistently,
(5) appreciates and understands the value of creating and taking advantage of favorable match up situations, while immediately addressing unfavorable match up disadvantages,
(6) committing to an uptempo style of play, rather than using it only to rescue the team from the effects of a pitiful half court OFF system,
(7) effectively utilizing the bench and giving adequate rest to all starters,
(8) and last but not least, offering encouragement and support to all players, as well as recognizing problems and addressing them, rather than making excuses and blaming the players for not playing hard enough, or just ignoring them.
When you’ve been beaten down by Cleveland and Orlando the way we have over the last 2yrs, and you refuse to make a single adjustment or change, how stupid do you have to be to think anything will change?
If a new HC can take the talent and experience we now possess, especially if JJ returns, and instill the same aggressive fighting spirit that we displayed in 07 when we took Boston to a 7gm series, and install more effective OFF & DEF systems, we can do what Boston is doing right now in the playoffs.
Hawks fans: How does three rookies sound to you? | Atlanta Hawks: Fan Nest
June 7th, 2010
9:27 am
[...] on how you feel about it). As Hawks beat writer Michael Cunningham reported a few days back, Mark Jackson is still in the mix, and was anybody taking this seriously until now? Some of the rumors suggest that Jackson is [...]
Ken Strickland
June 7th, 2010
9:37 am
DOC/DRMARYB-I got the results of my tests. They did a 12 pt biopsy and found only 2 cancerous spots, and that’s the good news. The bad news is the doctor said I have a very aggressive cancer, and on a scale of 1-10 it was an 8. Since by prostate was too large for the H.I.F.U. treatment, he decided to try and shrink it by using hormone treatments.
He said I could suffer side effects similar to what a women goes through during menopause, which means I could suffer hot flashes and mood swings. I just hope I don’t get the urge to squat when I urinate, or the urge to go shopping or cry when I get good news. And if I end up like these delusional WOODY LOVERS and develop a man crush on the new HC, I’ll tell the doctor I’d rather deal with the cancer than the treatment.
cp
June 7th, 2010
9:56 am
I read a rumor that the Hawks will make their coaching decision this week. It also said its between Casey and Avery. I don’t know how true it is but I guess we shall see.
O'Brien
June 7th, 2010
10:02 am
Ken S,
Judging by your humor, I am glad to see that you won’t let cancer get the best of you. I’ll keep you in my prayers.
As for JJ staying, I think the two main keys will be:
1) money – is the Hawks offer comparable to what the other teams are offering?
2) Has the team reassured him that they will spend what it takes to get to the next level?
JJ’s reason for signing with another big name free agent will be to increase his chances of winning a title, so if he stays, management must use their exceptions, or make some trades to improve our depth.
I hope they dont tell JJ that if fans dont show up, they can’t spend the money to improve the team more than they already have, especially if they give him a raise to $18 mil.
Drmaryb,
AJ posted this sports illustrated link on the other blog. Here are the main points;
“Assistant Larry Drew will interview on Sunday for the team’s head coaching opening, followed by ESPN television analyst Mark Jackson on Monday, according to several league sources.
Drew and Jackson will be the final candidates to interview for a job that was made available when Mike Woodson was fired, according to sources, after which general manager Rick Sund and owner Michael Gearon Jr. should make a final decision by mid-week, sources say.”
It says Gearon has been out of the country, so that’s one of the reasons for the delays. Hopefully MC is working on a new blog that will shed some more light.
JustAThought
June 7th, 2010
10:03 am
So the question for Avery Johnson is ……………….coach for an unknown owner (Russian guy) or the inept bunch of ASG………………easy anwser! New Jersey here I am!
GeeMack
June 7th, 2010
10:04 am
Someone from the Hawks organization needs to have the entire team at the Finals so they can see how championship ball is played. Lakers vs Celtics is championship ball 101.
GeeMack
June 7th, 2010
10:08 am
O’Brien & Ken
I think JJ is looking to play for a title.
I don’t think he has confidence in the ownership to bring in another player that could push the Hawks to the championship level.
Ken Strickland
June 7th, 2010
10:12 am
Also, I told an old high school friend and basketball teammate about my situation, and he in turn told some former classmates and teammates that I haven’t had contact with in yrs and yrs. As a result, I’ve been getting unsuspected calls from them, and as it turns out, all of them have dealt with the same prostate problems and have provided a wealth of info.
Who would have ever thought that me being diagnosed with cancer would end up allowing me to rekindle old long lost friendships. I guess it only goes to prove that there’s both good and bad in almost everything. I intend to organized a sort of reunion for all of us. I guess I’ll call it the PROSTATE REUNION TOUR.
Oh, I go back to the doctor on the 1st of Sept to find out the results of the hormone treatment. And based on the results, they will present me with my treatment options, and I’ll make my decision. Not only am I going to beat this, but I’ll be able to enjoy a better quality of life now that I’ll be able to enjoy maintaining my new found BLASTS FROM THE PAST friendships.
FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU IN HAWKS NATION FOR YOUR CONCERN, ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPP0RT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now back to basketball. It appears the field of HC candidates has been narrowed down a bit. It’s looking more and more like Casey is the Hawks front runner. With the problems that existed with the Hawks under Woodson, I doubt if Sund will seriously consider candidates like Mark Jackson and Steve Smith, who have absolutely now coaching experience on any level. It appears AJohnson and Casey are the 2 main front runners. I know it would be difficult for me as a player to have to listen to AJohnson’s voice after yrs of enduring MWoodson’s.
drmaryb
June 7th, 2010
11:08 am
Ken S.
Thks for the update, I was really wonderin’ what was going on? Sounds like you are in an early stage and will benefit from early detection as well. With having BPH prior to the cancer, seems like your treatment options.
are somewhat narrowed.
Your “humorous” bone appears to be well and in tact! BTW, you couldn’t handle being a woman – its way above your pay-grade! That, my friend, is Gargantuan work indeed. Just when you think, you’ve got it all figured out? Here comes menopause! Uugghh!
I pray the hormone therapy is swift & highly effective. Meanwhile, keep those posts coming!
The Sunday morning breakfast club was quite impressive, the researchers have given great insights into
The history of Casey & Mark – both! Casey is more impressive than I ever knew!
I was never too warm to Johnson, he reminds me of an irritating micro-manager, I once worked with.
Very short shelf-life there.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 7th, 2010
11:14 am
” I just hope I don’t get the urge to squat when I urinate, or the urge to go shopping or cry when I get good news. And if I end up like these delusional WOODY LOVERS and develop a man crush on the new HC, I’ll tell the doctor I’d rather deal with the cancer than the treatment.”
I literally laughed out loud. Funniest comment I’ve seen on this blog in a while. Glad to see you keeping your sense of humor.
ant banks
June 7th, 2010
11:16 am
KEN SANDERS,
much love to you brotha!! we have differed on my fronts, but i respect your basketball accumen and you as a person. thanks for opening up. i will keep you in my prayers. GOD SPEED to your recovery. i am lookin’ forward to many years of your posts!!
bigdave
June 7th, 2010
11:28 am
James Anderson could be a steal at 24.. i forgot he declared.. not sure where he is on anyone’s board..
a pure scorer.