Atlanta Hawks: Coach countdown
In the latest tangential, incremental update on the Hawks’ coaching search, Byron Scott tells Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that Avery Johnson is the favorite for the Nets’ job. (Love how they managed to get Phil Jackson in that headline, too.)
ASG honcho Michael Gearon Jr is back in town. Mark Jackson is in town to meet with the owners today. Larry Drew interviewed yesterday. Dwane Casey is waiting. That might be about it for the final candidates.
So who do you want? AJC wise guy Jeff Schultz likes Johnson but was nice enough to ask for your input, too.
I went on 790 The Zone yesterday and was asked which guy I considered to be the frontrunner for the position. I answered the way no one seems to want to hear nowadays: “I don’t know.” I could have speculated that it’s Casey because of his ties to Sund, which seems to be the thing to do. Of course, a couple weeks ago Johnson was all the rage, with some media declaring him the favorite before the Hawks had even talked to the other three. Now you add Jackson to the equation. Drew has his supporters in the organization, too.
The point I’m trying to make is, the Hawks are having internal deliberations about the candidates. This is what happens in organizations, especially when there are multiple owners with perhaps differing opinions. Rick Sund is in charge of the search but obviously ASG will have its say. So who is the favorite? I suppose it depends on whom you ask in the organization and when you ask them. Some time soon the Hawks will decide on a coach, make him an offer, sign him and announce to everyone that he’s been their guy all along. I look forward to that day.
– On a more important note, I’m pulling for summer commenter Ken Strickland to make a full recovery. Stay strong, Ken.
MC
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199 comments Add your comment
Grandad
June 8th, 2010
12:27 am
Rondo:
Be careful of what?
I like puppies.
Grandad
June 8th, 2010
12:39 am
Ken S. – We’re in harmony my friend.
“I like him more as an option
as a backup SG in certain situations.”
He’s a spot up shooter [3 pt.specialist]
no longer a [1] penetrator & can’t really
get his own shot anymore.
*Plus Mbenga, I’m still on that bandwagon.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
12:43 am
O’Brien, I know Hubie doesn’t want to coach, that’s why I said I wish, lol. Its easy to tell Hubie is the best coach who isn’t employed with an NBA gig at the moment.
But I’m getting excited about the possibility of adding Mark Jackson. With the talent of this team, how could Jackson do any worse than Woody? I mean really when you look back, how many great decisions did Woody make as a head coach? Majority of these players grew up watching Jackson play at a high level. Although Jackson wasn’t an all star player, he was a leader and always a threat when on the court. And you can tell that he was a smart and crafty player. I want Jackson to be the coach for the Hawks because Jackson seems like he desires the job the MOST out of the candidates. To me that means he’d be the most dedicated and loyal to the position.
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June 8th, 2010
12:44 am
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Ramon
June 8th, 2010
12:49 am
If Redd would be willing to take a significant pay cut, I think Redd would be a great addition to the Hawks, even with JJ. Redd could be viewed as one of the biggest reasons the US were victorious in the Olympics. It was his (and Miller’s) shooting that kept opponents out of zones against the US. I could see a line up of Teague, Redd, JJ, Smoove, Horford with a bench of Crawford, Marvin, Bibby, and whoever is added for the frontcourt being very successful. Imagine Teague driving the lanes with two spot up shooters in Redd and JJ keeping the defense honest.
fayncdawg
June 8th, 2010
12:58 am
WHY HASN’T ANYBODY MENTIONED BRIAN SHAW???
Grandad
June 8th, 2010
12:59 am
drmaryb:
If you’re still up / I mentioned earlier /
(for KS to read):
“The Shack”
by ‘William P. Young’
If you have |||not||| read this book?
It would be a blessing to me if you ‘would indeed’ read this book.
Sincerely, G-dad.
fayncdawg
June 8th, 2010
12:59 am
BTW RAMON: IF REDD IS HEALTHY!!
ReddJonn68
June 8th, 2010
2:19 am
Give Mark Jackson a shot I love Avery as a man & all he stands for but he has a history of coaching his teams down to the other teams talents. I just feel Mark will be another Doc Rivers, I see him improving our guard play just thru his experience. If we can get anything from our guards we are in the mix, just look at what OKC did 2 the Lakers & how Jameer Nelson bad plays killed the Majic against Boston
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
7:11 am
Fayncdawg, I mentioned Brian Shaw about 2 weeks ago, and mentioned about him implementing the triangle offense.
drmaryb
June 8th, 2010
7:21 am
Grand-Daddy
I have not read The Shack, but, I will be at Barnes & Nobles today – when they unlock the doors!
(Like a Summer Mom, camping out over-night in curlers & PJ’s).
I heard about the BOOK in 2008 – I guess that makes me 2000 & late! LOL!
Grand-Daddy spank that puppy – NO treats for him – NOT today. ; 0
Billy Ray Boogerman
June 8th, 2010
8:42 am
DISCOMBOBULATED is the only way to describe the ownership of the Hawks franchise. Other than Avery Johnson, you have a list of mediocre people. I know, you guys want to get it right, You’re going to mess it up AGAIN!. Woodson was doing a good job with the team, but the “Self-Centered Egotistical Attitude of the decision makers just could not and would not leave the guy alone. Whoever comes in will need to stop one of the local Pharmacies to pick up a years supply of Ritalin for some of his players. Get off your Gluteus maximus and hire a coach, even if its the WRONG one. Just HIRE one.
Big Ray
June 8th, 2010
9:03 am
But back to Mark Jackson. When I see that he got an interview, I just have to shake my head. A top 10 basketball team giving Mark Jackson an interview? I’d love to see who pushed to have him brought in.
Yep. But these are the people of the organization that all of us fans are supposed to be unequivocally supporting, dragging our families out, every time there is a home game.
Big Ray
June 8th, 2010
9:21 am
While Woodson can’t be blamed for anything that happens next season, it’s stupid to even suggest that there won’t be problems and obstacles. Expectations have to be realistic. Changing coaches is not all that needed to happen, but it was a start. The coach is not the end-all, be-all when it comes to winning and losing, but there is no denying the amount of influence a coach has on a team, and the game. Otherwise, why have them, and why do some get paid so much? Again, reasonable expectations (no smarmy BS, suggesting that all should be good now that Woodson is out of the way, as a way to take a stab at fans that wanted him gone):
1) The new coach’s philosophy and system won’t be learned overnight. There will be an adjustment period of sorts. How long is anybody’s guess. Let’s hope the coach’s ability to communicate, coupled with the maturity and effort of the players is both consistent and in earnest.
2) We need better leadership on the floor. Whether that comes through trade or through guys stepping up, it’s needed. One of the things a coach can’t be held accountable for is his best player’s personality and leadership characteristics. The coach can influence this, as Doc Rivers did with Rajon Rondo, back when Rondo’s attitude wasn’t helping the team. But he can’t MAKE it happen. So it was with Woody and Joe Johnson, who is anything but the floor leader we need.
lewis
June 8th, 2010
9:26 am
dwane casey will be hired
they trust sund
we should too
no choice
Grandad
June 8th, 2010
9:42 am
drmaryb – Bless your heart.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
9:44 am
I understand people talking about the inexperience of Mark Jackson. But truthfully, if the Hawks are now getting to a place where its all about Championships, and not simply making the playoffs. Wouldn’t that mean that Mark Jackson has won just as many championships as a coach, as all the other coaches in the league? Since the year of 2000, only FIVE coaches have won titles (Phil, Pop, Larry Brown, Riley, and Rivers). So there’s just as much of a chance that Mark Jackson can become a championship coach, as it is for Avery, Casey, and whomever else. Its not about if you’ve been a coach before, its about do you simply know the GAME. And Jackson’s assist numbers would clearly prove that he knows and sees the ins/outs that are happening on the court way before they happen. I actually think that Jackson would be a great hire, and I think the team would last longer with him, than they would with Avery. I just feel the team would all boycott Avery before the season is over.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
9:47 am
Big Ray, you know, I wish (its not going to happen) the Hawks could do a sign and trade with Joe to Denver for Billups. I mean if Joe was to leave, and Denver was on his list, I don’t know anyone else we could get back better than Billups in a sign and trade.
Feudfinder
June 8th, 2010
9:51 am
Ramon, you are right but to some extent. You gotta have a very convincing coaching experience to add to your resume. That goes a long way brother.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
10:01 am
Feudfinder, you do realize analyst for networks, watch more game footage and analyze films more than some assistant coaches? Also if you have a person who’s been playing basketball (especially point guard) from the age of 9, and spent over 12 seasons in the NBA playing at a high level, wouldn’t that be like saying he has AT least 14 years experience in basketball (12 NBA + College) ? I just think if you watch the way he played, that he will be a good, wise addition to the team.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
10:06 am
Also, the money the Hawks save by hiring Jackson, could they then take that and build a quality coaching staff to support Jackson? Maybe even bring in Brian Shaw, Eddie Jordan or someone to be the top assistant.
Feudfinder
June 8th, 2010
10:19 am
Ramon, I agree totally with you. I think Mark Jackson was an excellent player, especially in the professional level. He PROBABLY could be what the Hawks had been looking for, but the flaw any employer will for is his inexperience. Now does that mean he will never be a good coach? That question remains to be answered.
Hamp
June 8th, 2010
10:21 am
I remember Doc Rivers coming becoming a coach. Someone had to take a chance on him I don’t think Mark jackson is such a bad idea if you surround him with solid assisantants. When he played for the knicks they were a hard nosed defensive team. For the hawks to be so big and so athletic they are really soft. They need a little bite to them.
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
10:26 am
Lol @ Mark Jackson backing down Teague during practice, lol. “Come on, Kid!” lol…
Jackson gives the Hawks a personality and an identity to take on. Jackson would give the Hawks a nasty edge, that I would LOVE to see the Hawks have.
ant banks
June 8th, 2010
10:38 am
i feel sorry for whoever the next coach is, if we ever go on a 4 game losin’ streak. y’all have ripped every last candidate before they are even hired. damn, y’all ruthless. lol.
playin’ the DA-devil’s advocate or dum azz. how many former great players went on to become a GOOD coach? how did isiah, bill russell, wes unseld work out? i know larry, scott, avery worked out. i think its a 50-50 shot wit’ mark jackson.
i mean the man obviously knows basketball. i don’t see why he can’t break down film and motivate these players to do what was practiced.
Feudfinder
June 8th, 2010
10:42 am
Hamp, it could well true, but looking at things from ASG perspective, I don’t THINK the organization wants to go that route. But what do I know? I hated psychology when I was in college. That’s all I know. I will never be good at reading minds.
gcs
June 8th, 2010
10:42 am
They should call this coach search “The Biggest Loser”.
.
O'Brien
June 8th, 2010
10:59 am
@ Blast,
I understand the chain of command, but at the same time, it’s not like Woody wasn’t producing. Plus Sund has gone on record to say that he leaves the assistant coaches up to the HC. So my impression is, he would tell Drew to work it out with Woody. I don’t see Sund getting involved.
Remember, Woody’s assistants made a suggestion to him to play the bench more 2 seasons ago. Woody said he refused. His assistants recommended doubling Wade during the playoffs, and again, Woody refused.
Woody is the HC, so ultimately, its up to him to make that decision. And if the GM starts telling the HC what he should do and shouldn’t do, or who he should play and shouldn’t play, there will be turmoil. We dont want that.
@ Ken,
1) I like John Salmons too (if JJ leaves and we get nothing in return)
2) Michael Redd has an ETO, so I don’t think he will be available.
3) Shannon Brown – I like him, but I think he is more of a combo guard
4) Kyle Korver – I like him, but I think he will be out of our price range
5) Damien Wilkins – I like him as a backup SF.
6) DJ Mbenga – Would be a good pickup, especially since we can probably get him for cheap
Tow other guys I like are Matt Barnes (backup SF), and Anthony Morrow (shooter). And I also think the Hawks need a 3rd PG, one who plays defense and can keep the offense going like you mentioned. Plus if Bibby gets hurt, or if Teague struggles, its nice having options.
Ted M
June 8th, 2010
11:07 am
Bill Laimbeer for Hawks coach.
The Truth
June 8th, 2010
11:08 am
To all of the fantasyland Coach-Searching-Hawks-Fans, there is no slam dunk choice for a coach candidate. Each one will bring some pluses and minuses to the table. However, I will agree that the ideal candidate will have fewer minuses as compared to the other selections but those fewer minuses could be the dagger.
Remember not so long ago we had Woody as our coach. On paper, Woody was the ideal choice for the then young rebuilding Hawks. He came to the Hawks after a stint as an assistant coach on the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons NBA Championship team and was a long-time assistant under Larry Brown. Prior to working with Brown, Woodson was an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks for three years beginning in 1996. He later took a coaching job in Cleveland before being invited to join Brown’s staff. In addition to his coaching experience, he spent 11 successful years as an NBA player.
Back then, Woody was a brillant selection because apparently the only criteria was the experience factor (which he had plenty of). What we know now about Woody is that he came up short in areas that the maturing Hawks needed the most. Just to name a few; his offense was less then stellar and in general not a very good X’s and O’s coach. Also, he was not a very good evaluator or developer of talent. Since we were in a rebuilding mode, these things mattered the least. But as our winning percentages increased with playoff appearances, his shortcomings became more glaring. However, on the plus side, Woody was a likeable coach by most of his players. When they decided to play for him, they played hard which explain our recent successful regular seasons.
So as we evaluate our slate of candidates, let’s (at least) be real about the expectations. We are certainly hoping the new coach can at least accomplish all of what Woody did in addition to filling his shortcomings. While the experience factor is very important, it is not the silver bullet; let’s not overlook the other intangibles things (that I previously mentioned) that make a coach successful. As we look at a successful coach like Doc River to search for answer to our own clues, one thing becomes very apparent, the formula for winning a NBA championship does not rest with just the Head Coach but the Entire Organization.
It is true that Doc Rivers came to Boston with some impressive coaching experience where he head-coached for more than four NBA seasons. Rivers won the Coach of the Year award in 2000 after his first year with the Magic. But he was fired in 2003 after a disastrous start to the season. At that point, was his glass half emty or half full? Some Hawks Fans might have passed on him with that kind of baggage. Only a strong organization like the Boston Celtics saw his full potential after he spent a year working as a commentator for The NBA on ABC (calling the 2004 Finals with Al Michaels).
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
11:28 am
I still think it’s unbelievable that a top 10 team in the NBA that has aspirations to improve their position in the league, would even consider hiring a coach with absolutely no coaching experience whatsoever. Even more unbelievable is that the fans would be totally OK with this.
LOL @ all of that talk of being “elite” and whatnot last year. Now this year, people are more than willing to see a guy with no experience being hired? That pretty much proves that people truly believe that ANYBODY off the street could coach the Hawks better than Mike Woodson.
I know O’Brien was joking last night with the name Sam Cassell. But I’d much rather for him to be a candidate for the Hawks coaching job, than Mark Jackson. At least Sam can say that he’s won a few titles, been a floor leader on some real good teams ( Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota ), and most important, has a few years under his belt as an assistant coach.
And let me put this out there. If the development of Teague is the main reason why people want Mark Jackson as the coach of the Hawks, that should NOT the reason to hire the dude. We need a coach that can make the ENTIRE TEAM function better, not just one player. Especially a player that could easily be the next Marcus Banks.
As for Doc Rivers, Doc never won more than 45 games in his first 8 seasons as an NBA coach. But give him 2 Hall of Fame players, and Voila . . . here comes championships to Boston, with Doc getting a ton of credit.
Big Ray . . . if a team is a top 10 squad ( like we were last year ), then you dang right the fans should come out and “unequivocally support, by dragging our families out, every time there is a home game.”
And if it’s unrealistic to do it for every home game, do it for as many games as you can. Other fans in other cities do just that, when their team is a top 10 squad. The fans and families make supporting that team their #1 entertainment priority. Why can’t the fans and families in Atlanta do the same?
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
11:34 am
Truth . . Doc Rivers was well on his way to being fired again in Boston, if not for Ainge making those blockbuster trades to bring in Garnett and Ray Allen. People act like everything was all peaches and cream with Doc. LOL. Check out this article by Bill Simmons back in November of 2006. Read it carefully. See if it doesn’t sound like the same things that plagued the Hawks, with Doc being talked about in a Mike Woodson fashion.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/061115
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
11:39 am
Northcyde, Doc didn’t win over 40 games, but his teams OVERACHIEVED. His team always bought into whatever it was that he was selling to them, and committed to it. Doc’s Orlando team didn’t have much talent on their, yet they still made the playoffs. In that case, why would you hire a head coach with so much experience, but never won a title either (and none of the candidates have won titles)? If they’ve had this experience, and don’t have any jewelry, wouldn’t there success rate (0%) be lower than an unknown? Also, to expect a coach to come in and magically lead a team to the finals when they haven’t before, wouldn’t that be the definition of insanity? Neither one of these coaches have had a job that they weren’t FIRED from. So why not give some one else a chance? And by the way, Cassell wasn’t the PG for Houston. Cassell was just a rookie playing behind Kenny Smith who was leading the team. And Mark Jackson’s teams with the Knicks and Pacers were way better than anything Cassell ever had with the Big 3 in Milwaukee. Jackson is 2nd in the NBA in Assists. That means out of all the great PGs who have played the game, Mark Jackson has more assists than all but one! There’s your experience.
JoJo the Godfather
June 8th, 2010
11:51 am
Hawks need to hire the biggest name they can find. If that’s an ex-player with no experience, then so be it. This team needs to be more marketable. Grab some story lines (good or bad).
drmaryb
June 8th, 2010
12:30 pm
Mark Jackson
Played 17 years in the NBA. He’s no quitter!
DevN
June 8th, 2010
12:35 pm
Hawks not Avery’s first Choice..
Guys I dont think Avery J is coming to ATL unless he is sure of not getting the Nets job. He mentioned it very clearly during the TV session talking about Labron. While Jamal Mashburn was suggesting places like Knicks, Bulls and Heat for LaBron – Avery jumped in and mentioned he should go to Nets – and Jamal Mashburn responded with : oh I know why the nets – they have a coaching position open that Avery is very interested in. He must be pretty sure about landing the Job to shamelessly plug that on national TV.
So unless something has changed since the first round playoffs and now – I think Avery is expecting the Nets job and he’s going to other interviews as a backup only. Sund probable realize that too and that might be the reason there is no offer yet from Hawks.
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
12:43 pm
Ramon . . the only arguments you’re making for Jackson is that
- he garnered the 3rd most assists in NBA history
- he doesn’t have a ring, like all of the other coaching candidates, so he can’t be any worse
- surely he can do a better job than Woody, even though he’s never been a coach
- he just deserves a chance because he really, really wants the job
The problem with that, is that there isn’t a single thing X’s and O’s ( the very thing Woody was criticized for ), that we can see Mark bringing to the table.
I think somebody said this on Page 1. The only thing Mark Jackson represents. . is NAME RECOGNITION. ( even JoJo just did it ). And unfortunately for our fan base, that may be more important than actually bringing in a guy who can actually coach.
If we were 29 – 53, I probably wouldn’t care as much who is the coach. When you’re that bad, it’s mainly about the amount of talent you have on a team.
But we were 53 – 29 last year. We were a top 10 squad last year. But we played poorly in the playoffs. If Joe Johnson is brought back here, I’m not going to be happy at all if this teams doesn’t win around the 50 win mark, and improves its showing in the playoffs.
The whole point of not re-signing Woody, was to UPGRADE the coaching position, not to simply “give a guy a chance”. This is like saying that if JJ leaves, we should give Marvin a chance to be a #1 or #2 option in the offense. All he needs is a chance. Do people really believe that Marvin can become a 20 ppg scorer, if his usage went up?
Ramon . . . here are some questions for you:
- what is Jackson’s offensive philosophy?
- what’s his defensive philosophy?
- how is he going to address the growing issue of Horford wanting to play the 4?
- how is he going to handle Josh Smith?
- what does he think Teague needs to work on the most?
We can’t answer any of those questions, because we know NOTHING about the dude. He doesn’t go into detail like an ex-coach ( Hubie Brown or even Doug Collins ) does on the air, so we have no idea how he thinks the Hawks should play.
Look at our division and the coaches in the division.
Orlando – Stan Van Gundy
Washington – Flip Saunders
Charlotte – Larry Brown
Miami – Eric Spolestra ( but could be replaced at any moment by Pat Riley )
If Pat Riley coaches the Heat next year, we’re talking about 4 coaches who have at least been to at least an Eastern or Western Conference Finals, with 3 of those coach reaching the NBA Finals, and 2 of them winning a title.
And your solution to the Hawks is to bring in Mark Jackson?
I’m just surprised at this fan base now. All of that whining and crying about how horrible Woody was, and how he was keeping us from being elite. Now, people are more than willing to possibly take a step back by hiring a coach with absolutely no experience?
This would be like the Cowboys hiring Emmitt Smith to coach the team.
Ken Strickland
June 8th, 2010
12:49 pm
What’s up everyone, and thanks again for the continued support. I’d like to present my idea about putting together a serious title contender to go along with a quality HC. First, we spend the extra 3-5M per yr to resign JJ, and move him to SF. We then sign someone like MRedd, but at a reduced price of course, or JSalmons, to replace him @ SG. Next, we sign C DJ MObenga, which would make our roster look like this:
STARTERS:
C-AHorford
SF-JJohnson
PF-JSmith
SG-JSalmons/MRedd/MBrown
PG-JTeague
BENCH:
C/PF–ZPachulia
C–DJ MObenga
PF/C–RMorris or Draft pick
SF–MWilliams
SG/PG-MBibby
SG/PG-JCrawford
DRAFT PICK or FA
This would be a starting lineup that would be solid on both ends of the court, with no appreciable weaknesses. This would also be a solid, versatile, talented and deep bench. And to top it off, we won’t have to break the bank, disrupt team chemistry, or trade any players away to make it happen. In the hands of the right HC, this roster could accomplish what the Celtics have accomplished so far.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
O'Brien
June 8th, 2010
12:57 pm
From the LA Times;
“But Rivers says his job is to make his players believe. “I’m not in the business of trying to prove to the masses,” he said. “I’ve just got to prove to 15, and that’s the guys in the locker room.”
Woody didn’t care about the masses either, but he lost some of the 15 along the way.
I hope the new coach has the same mind-set. Don’t worry about what us fans think about Teague, and Marvin, and Bibby etc. Just get the team to believe in each other and the coach, and give maximum effort every night. Combine that with some actual coaching, and the Hawks will be alright.
And I’m with northcyde. Mark Jackson might turn out to be the next Doc Rivers, but given where the Hawks are, we should not take that chance.
Both Casey and Avery Johnson got fired from their first head coaching jobs, but at least they have some head coaching experience (and assistant coaching experience).
Plus, hopefully they learned from their mistakes along the way, some of which may have contributed to them being fired. The Hawks will have to give Mark Jackson a chance to learn from his mistakes on the job. And when you have the players like we do (especially if JJ comes back), I dont think thats the way to go.
I think we should go with Casey or Avery (based on the 4 choices we’ve been reading about).
jmoney12
June 8th, 2010
12:58 pm
mark jackson.
Jerry West
June 8th, 2010
1:08 pm
Damn, Northcyde just served Ramon. And then threw the Emmitt line in for the finishing move.
Best of Atlanta
June 8th, 2010
1:10 pm
————————————-
….. Nesbitt for Heisman …..
————————————-
Jerry West
June 8th, 2010
1:14 pm
Ken S.,
Your roster isn’t really plausible. If Joe resigns, all the Hawks have to work with is the MLE. That’s not enough to snag Salmons, and I can’t see why he’d want to come here and fight for shots.
Not to mention Mbenga’s garbage.
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
1:15 pm
Ken . . I don’t know if Redd has declined his player option for this year yet. He’s scheduled to make 18 mill next year. That’s a lot of money to be turning down, seeing that his last two years have been injury-plagued. He may not make 18 million total on his next contract, if it’s a 3 year deal.
It would be great to add those 2 guys, but the likelihood in that happening is very slim. Plus, I would bet that Milwaukee would be hoping that Redd returns for one more year, to give them the option to either keep him for a deep playoff run, or trade him at the trade deadline to bring in help.
And it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Bucks sign Salmons to a multi-year deal that averages close to 8 – 10 million per year. They’re far enough under the cap to be able to do that, and still not be a luxury tax team.
If Bogut returns to form ( although it may be difficult for him to do so ), that Bucks team becomes a major player in the East again next year.
The options to replace JJ, if it comes down to that, may not be pretty at all.
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
1:22 pm
Jerry is right.
Whatever potential high quality replacement we get back for JJ, has to come via a sign and trade. Other than that, we only have the MLE to work with. And I doubt players are going to take pay cuts in order to play here.
We already have our JJ replacement. His name is Jamal Crawford. I guess the issue is now, who replaces Crawford in the 6th man role that he played? LOL . . I guess we have to bring Flip back?
Big Ray
June 8th, 2010
1:29 pm
Northcyde ,
I meant that as a joke and a poke in the ribs. I have no idea why the Hawks are looking at Mark Jackson for a team that was top 10 last year and expects to “raise the bar.” I can offer a conspiracy theory, if nothing else: Perhaps they already KNOW Joe Johnson is leaving, and this team will have to not only be re-tooled, but will have a different identity.
Not that you don’t know this already but so much was invested in, and built around Joe Johnson. He leaves, and that ALONE changes the culture and identity of this team. Maybe Sund knows he’s going, and that this will change so much. And maybe he wants what all GMs seem to want at some point when they take over a team: his own guy in place at head coach.
Sund inherited a lot when he came here. A coach, a “franchise player” and a bunch of guys who were the former GM’s draft picks. His only installments of note include Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, and who? Mo Evans? Everybody else was Billy Knight’s doing. The thing is, Sund has no lottery picks to work with in Atlanta, and if the team continues to be successful, this won’t likely change (unless he gets one through some sort of trade). And he was smart enough to stick with the talent he does have (Horford, Smith, etc) and the status quo (Bibby, Zaza, Marvin…all guys who could be upgraded, but maybe there wasn’t sufficient opportunity at the time) on tap.
Was that why Woody was let go? Perhaps not, but it could have played into it. Sund may have also thought that Woody was not the guy he wanted during an impending re-tooling. I don’t know….
Like I said….it’s a conspiracy theory of sorts, though a mild one in comparison to some you’ve probably already heard.
Oh, and you know there will always be those who think that ANYBODY would do a better job than Woody. Fortunately, that isn’t everybody, and not even most people.
For the record, I don’t want the Hawks to take a shot at Mark Jackson. But if they do, I hope he proves me to be deaf, dumb, blind, and flat out stupid. I really do not want to be right on this one, because I think it has the potential to be a complete disaster.
Big Ray
June 8th, 2010
1:41 pm
I never saw replacing Joe Johnson as a possibility. How do you do that? You can’t. Name 10 guys that average 21, 5, and 5. Then tell me if any of them are available, and for how much?
If you ask me, none of the S&T deals for Joe Johnson are going to be for equal value or appetizing to the discerning basketball fan. But it’s what happens when a player wants to leave, and it’s the most you can hope for. We have to get something back. If he walks, we’ve lost several million (since we have little more than the MLE to work with, rather than the amount Joe makes per year on his now expired contract), two first round draft picks, a player with talent and ability, and our leading scorer. If this happens, its trouble, plain an simple.
A new coach can’t fix that (as in make us just as good a team or better).
Jamal replaces Joe in the lineup. He does not “become” Joe or take on Joe’s role and responsibility. He just doesn’t have the full capability on either end of the court. He won’t get you 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He might get you the 21 points (or he might not, depending on how we run things).
I’d rather add somebody both bigger and younger than Flip for the sixth man role, but more importantly, I’d want a more solid bench. Better yet, forget an electric-but-streaky scorer. Bring me two solid guys, one at the SF, one at the SG positions. Both need to be able to play defense, both need to be able to score some. I’ll take two guys who can add a minimum of 15 ppg and 6 rpg between them that can “D” it up, than one guy who can’t play “D”, but can score 18ppg if he’s on. Really, I want more than that, but the defense will be key.
I’d recommend the young (and hungry) Ronnie Brewer for one of those spots. He played well for the Jazz before they cut his time a bit and had to let him go altogether for the sake of budget cuts.
northcyde
June 8th, 2010
1:41 pm
For once . . we agree Big Ray.
Big Ray
June 8th, 2010
1:48 pm
Ramon ,
Hate to disagree with you, but I’d say Northcyde’s argument on Mark Jackson has a great deal of merit. I’m not a fan of hiring Jackson as head coach either, only because I’d much rather take the chance on the potential of a draft pick I’ve never heard of (as long as it’s not a lottery pick) than hiring a guy who has never coached in the NBA, not even as an assistant.
An argument can be made for surrounding a guy like this with a very solid, veteran staff. However, this is not a proven thing. It worked for Doc Rivers. Didn’t work for Vinny Del Negro (I thought adding Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris was genius, but apparently that did not make Vinny a good coach or the right guy in Chicago).
Of course, my opinion is not worth two cents with the organization, so if they pick Mark, then all we can do is sit back and watch. And grip. And pi$$ & moan. And complain. And do all the stuff we normally do if/when things aren’t going right. LOL….
Ramon
June 8th, 2010
1:50 pm
Northcyde, I only know that Mark Jackson loves pick and rolls, back side screens that frees up shooters, and he loves initiating the offense through the post. Defensively, he believes in hard nose man to man defense, and double teaming super stars but only after they put the ball down on the floor. He believes in the second unit being even more defensively aggressive than the first. At least these are the statements and comments he’s made through the last few years of watching him on ABC. As far as Xs and Os, I didn’t believe in Jackson being a valid candidate until AFTER he passed the Sund initial interview. If Woody was lacking so much in Xs and Os, I figured there was no way, Sund would recommend the owners interview Jackson, after having already interviewed Avery and Casey. I would think Sund must have seen something in Jackson that he liked to still be interested. Remember, Corbin, Portland’s assistant, Monty Williams, and a few more candidates didn’t make it past Sund’s interview.