Atlanta Hawks: Larry Drew says lineup change, trades may be needed to disrupt team’s ‘comfort zone’

Larry Drew looking to upset team's 'comfort zone' (UPI Photo)

Larry Drew looking to upset team's 'comfort zone' (UPI Photo)

In the immediate aftermath of another home beatdown, L.D. sounded the alarm about the Hawks and said changes to his starting lineup may be in order.

But after sleeping on it, watching the game video and holding a team meeting this morning. . . well, L.D. basically turned up the volume on the alarm. He said he’s still looking at changing the starting lineup and added that a trade might be necessary before the Feb. 24 deadline to shake up the status-quo.

It seems that team meeting didn’t go as Drew had hoped. He said he asked every player and coach why the Hawks seem to play with more urgency on the road. There were a variety of answers, Drew said, but he concluded the Hawks too often fall into a “comfort zone . . . a safe zone” at Philips.

So Drew has that in mind as he looks at possibly changing up his starters.

“Just to give us a jolt,” he said. “Just to get us out of a comfort zone. We are 50-plus games into the season and I think at this stage we need something to give us a jolt, to wake us up. We have, in my opinion, fallen into a bit of a comfort zone with everything. It may be time to do something just to rattle the cage a little bit. ”

L.D. said he hasn’t made up on his mind about changing the lineup and didn’t get into any specifics about what they might be. He said it’s possible he could experiment with different lineups in practice over the next couple days.

Drew didn’t sound like a coach who was simply ticked at his team for a bad loss. Rather, he sounded like a coach who has come to realize that sending out the same players in the same roles is good enough to be on pace for 52 Ws but isn’t going to lead to a much better ending for the Hawks than last spring.

“I am not one to react on emotions but I have had this feeling for a little while,” L.D. said. “I have been in situations where it has been like this, where a team has had to do something just to shake the cage a little bit. It’s something I’ve been thinking about. Will I do it? I have a couple days to practice and make a decision.”

L.D. already has shown a willingness to be flexible with his lineup, sending out six different groups of starters when all of the candidates have been healthy. But if the right mix of players just isn’t on this roster, then it’s out of Drew’s hands and in the wheelhouse of Hawks GM Rick Sund, who has said he’s always looking to improve the team but isn’t interested in “lateral moves.”

The Hawks are a good team so a blockbuster deal isn’t necessarily in order. But Drew acknowledged there have been internal discussions about how to shore up the team’s weaknesses through the trade market.

“With the trade deadline coming up, there is always discussion about possible trades, personnel changing,” he said. “There is always that dialogue going on about looking to improve the team. ‘Would this be a good fit? Would that be a good fit?’ There is always that possibility. Certainly at this stage we have to continue to explore those possibilities.

“I don’t think at this stage . . . at least I don’t feel comfortable, totally comfortable with where we are after 52 games. We have had some bad losses here at home. That may be a sign, I don’t know. I never want to throw out the possibility of making our team better.”

Atlanta’s weaknesses have been pretty obvious for most of the season. The Hawks struggle with defending dribble penetration, defending in transition, rebounding, and scoring consistently in the post or at the rim when they aren’t making their favored jump shots. The Sixers, hardly contenders, exposed them all last night by competently executing a sound game plan, and certainly the East contenders are capable of doing the same no matter how much energy and effort the current Hawks regulars might generate.

It’s getting late in the season for the Hawks to still be trying to shore up their issues. So it’s understandable that Drew might be feeling that the only way to change things is by drastically altering the way he uses his players or through acquiring different players.

“At the end of the day, regardless of what happens [with trades], we still are going to have to go out there and improve our club,” he said. “After last night’s loss, I do believe we do have to look at our situation very seriously and possibly look at a lineup change, possibly doing something that will jolt this team. Because I don’t want this team to get into a comfort zone. The minute we get into a comfort zone, what happened last night, that is the end result.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

460 comments Add your comment

Air Zaza

February 9th, 2011
6:43 pm

Mayo/Thabeet for Jamal/Etan

W.R. Terrell

February 9th, 2011
6:47 pm

Well at least LD is looking to do something. I disagre with him on the “comfort” zone at Phillips arena. The Hawks just need players that want to play. All that “HIGHLIGHT” stuff is for the birds if you’re losing. No question about the talent on the Hawks team, but, basketball mindset is a “ZERO”. A trade could be a possibility because there’s only one on the HAWKS team that is not expendable and it’s not
smoove or joe. I would like to see some pride and effort. I enjoyed them more when the Hawks were trying to rebuild, at least they played hard on a nightly basis. We are not going to make the playoff folks because of two missing ingredients. Honor and Pride, we do not have that many players on the Hawks who know what those two words mean, but, I betcha they are enjoying the dollars.

Peter

February 9th, 2011
6:48 pm

They don’t have a clue what a legit point guard looks like….. a real center of stature, or a small forward who can bang or slash or shoot.

The Hawks are athletic….SO WHAT ?

And Please JJ trowing up 30 shots a night ?

Daddy Long Long

February 9th, 2011
6:50 pm

LOLOL No way we trade Josh Smith. Com-e-dy!! Jamal Crawford is a STARTER in this league. Enough…

Dept. of Unintended Irony

February 9th, 2011
6:50 pm

“He didn’t seem too happen with Coach Roy did that with his son,”

Tarheel speak for something, I’m not sure what.

lewis

February 9th, 2011
6:54 pm

nick young is better than Jamal imo and Kirk Hinric is better than Jamal so….no

Don Mohow

February 9th, 2011
7:00 pm

Honestly, the only teams interested in Jamal right now are probably Cleveland, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Portland. There’s not a lot that we can get from those teams to solve our problems. Devin Harris is the only player I’d want from one of those teams. Outside of that, the other players are either too old, overpaid, or not available for trade.

Don Mohow

February 9th, 2011
7:02 pm

As far as Mike Bibby goes, it’s almost impossible to trade him unless he’s one of the complimentary pieces in a trade surrounding another player. Outside of Horford who is obviously the one untouchable piece we have, Jamal and Josh are our only valuable trade assets.

honest_abe

February 9th, 2011
7:11 pm

it shouldn’t require the “right” coach to get a team captain motivated to play.

i know josh smith stuffs the stat sheet. (if only fantasy basketball translated into championships – sigh) i also know he’s the reason why the hawks let teams back into games with careless, stupid shots early in the shot clock. i also know he’s one of the main reasons why the hawks get blown out by a mediocre philly team at home! the hawks always point to a lack of energy as a cause for their slow starts. but, if one of your leaders decides which games and what plays he wants to give it his all, the lackadaisical attitude trickles down to the team.

yes it would be “addition by subtraction” (as one poster mentioned) getting rid of “j smoooove” anybody see that clipper game? he was obviously “motivated” to play. he played some wicked d, brought tons of energy and crashed the boards. now why doesn’t he bring this every night? why is he the biggest cherry picker in the nba? because he’s lazy and immature.

along with some other og bloggers i used to be josh’s biggest fan. the fact that he’s from atl and has amazing hops doesn’t hurt. but most atl fans can spot a loser and he fits that description to a t. the guy has the ability to post up smaller defenders and blow by bigger ones. but he only does this every so often. instead he wants to shoot jumpers and lead the break. the guy is a knucklehead and as long as he’s a hawk they won’t even come close to winning a championship. ya i said it!

get rid of him while he still has value. all star snub? ya right. the coaches of all people see that the guy is a headcase. now gm’s are a diff story. they still take gambles on “potential”

drmaryb (*_*)

February 9th, 2011
7:14 pm

“And he gets paid probably the lowest salary in the NBA, so i think LD is just happy to be a HC.”
______________________________

I believe the Bucks coach an Tom in Chicago all signed a very similar contract to that of Coach Drew. Check it.

RA

February 9th, 2011
7:15 pm

Okay, here’s the thing. You can plug the hole at center with Za Za…temporarily, but the Glaring weakness is at the point. Bibby is no longer a starting point guard in the league. He’s a guy that could stabilize the second unit of a contender. Teague should be the starter. He’s got all the tools, but for some reason (probably lack of pt) he just isn’t. If the Hawks are going to make a trade, they need a point guard, a good one. I wouldn’t trade Josh Smith, there are only a hand full of players in the game that brings as much as he does to the table. Al is untouchable. Everyone else is fair game. I’d even throw in a 2nd round pick to sweeten the deal, but the Hawks need a guard, as in NOW!

tedoo

February 9th, 2011
7:16 pm

honest_abe

joe johnson scored 6 points last night wat are you talking bout?Josh got his point average and was still on the floor wen joe got pulled early in the game because he wasn’t doin ish

ag

February 9th, 2011
7:17 pm

Phil, you sound like a woman..”Josh quits on EVERY play” For every play he quits on, he hustles 100, and makes 20 great plays for the play he takes off. Okay, it was ONE game. We have problems, but the problem is not Josh, it is our PG play. or lack of it and defense. I think upgrading Marvin to will be good. I will love to rent Carmillo for this season for Marvin and JC.

Sautee

February 9th, 2011
7:20 pm

Drew is in a bit of a pickle as far as I can see. If he truly wants players traded, then he has a hard time devaluing them by demoting them to the bench. If he wants to just send a message, then it’s less dicey.

And knowing the ASKG, the Hawks will sit on their hands unless it means taking on less salary than they give.

I for one, will be shocked to see a trade of significant proportions.

Big Ray

February 9th, 2011
7:21 pm

Good to see LD mentioning the need for a trade. Now if only his bosses will listen to him.

Big Ray

February 9th, 2011
7:23 pm

Phil, you sound like a woman..”Josh quits on EVERY play” For every play he quits on, he hustles 100, and makes 20 great plays for the play he takes off.

Not quite. And if hustle were all that was necessary, then Mario West would be a starter.

ag

February 9th, 2011
7:24 pm

Last night the biggest cultprit was Joe, but the way he has been playing, I am giving him a pass. Every good dog has a bad day and last night was his. Unfortunalty it affected the entire team.

honest_abe

February 9th, 2011
7:25 pm

who said anything about joe? i’m not a huge fan to tell you the truth and maybe he ain’t worth all that money. but it’s not his fault the asg is the most incompetent ownership group in the history of sports and poor to boot. he still plays his ass off and is our most consistent scorer. i don’t see him take plays off. his game has developed. he knows his strengths and weaknesses and he plays to those.

josh on the other hand….. hey nobody is arguing his talent. he’s probably the most talented player on the team. i just think he’s a loser. straight up.

ryan

February 9th, 2011
7:26 pm

Andre Miller is on the block he is decent PG Mayo has a lot of baggage maybe still go after Steve Nash .

Air Zaza

February 9th, 2011
7:26 pm

@Don Honestly, the only teams interested in Jamal right now are probably Cleveland, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Portland.

Memphis needs a guard who can score off the bench more than all the teams you listed. Charlotte and NJ are good the way there are. Portland, Cleveland, Memphis would trade with us.

Cleveland- Crawford for Mo Williams and MIA 1st

Portland- Andre Miller and filler for Jamal Crawford

Memphis- O.J. Mayo and Thabeet for Jamal Crawford

Clearly, the Memphis likely offer is much better for us. Get us the player with the highest potential who fits and a center who could play with our lack of depth. Portland gives us the best PG but no center. Cleveland deal just sucks.

Willy

February 9th, 2011
7:27 pm

I like what Drew’s saying but I get the feeling he’s a toothless tiger. Ricky brought him in for tweaks not major changes. The lazy crazies are running the asylum.

ag

February 9th, 2011
7:27 pm

Big Ray, Josh has a big heart.. I bet he is one of the few who was pissed about last night. We are getting TRADE Josh, but he had the BEST statiscal game! Okay, he took jumpers (I did not see the game), AGAIN COACH THIS 25 YEAR OLD KID UP!!!! “Josh, your man can’t stop you on the block, POST HIS A$$ up”. Then your point guard waiving his hand so Josh will be in position. I bet Billups, Nash, etc, will make sure he is where he is suppose to be!

MJC

February 9th, 2011
7:29 pm

Let’s trade the only player on our team not named Al Horford that actually does s**t.

DO YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY WATCH THE GAMES? JOSH SMITH IS THE 2ND BEST PLAYER ON OUR TEAM AND IS ONLY 25!! BUT NO, LETS TRADE HIM FOR SOME 35+ PLAYER OR EXTREMELY TERRIBLE PLAYER BECAUSE YOU THINK SMOOVE TAKES TOO MANY 3S. I KNOW HE IS THE 2ND BEST 3PT SHOOTER ON OUR TEAM STATISTICALLY, BUT TAKING 2 3S A GAME IS JUST TOO MANY. /sarcasm

Seriously guys?

Steve

February 9th, 2011
7:31 pm

Dawglasville “Outside of Horford this team has no heart.”

Quote of the day!!! Well, I would say ZaZa plays with heart as well, but his skillset is extremely limited.

Josh Smith does show some heart, but he loses his composure FAR too easily. The rest of the team could star in the next zombie film with JJ being max contract zombie king. They play like the spoiled babies just going thru the motions to collect a paycheck they aren’t earning.

I don’t are what their record is, it isn’t worth anything. They can’t beat ANY of the elite teams. None! They get blown out frequently by teams that are younger and more hungry but less talented(Chicago, NO, Milwaukee). It’s sad and pathetic how little heart this team plays with.

I really like Larry Drew, but he will never win with these players. If you have lackadaisical players, then a soft spoken coach is not going to be able to get max effort out of them. This team needs a Mike Fratello type of coach to get them to play harder. Either that or we need to jettison about half of these underperforming slugs.

Ethan

February 9th, 2011
7:34 pm

Josh Smith is everything wrong with the attitude for the Hawks. Trade him…a year ago. You’re already a year behind.

MJC

February 9th, 2011
7:34 pm

“They can’t beat ANY of the elite teams.”

So Miami and Orlando don’t count?

Ethan

February 9th, 2011
7:38 pm

Why when I read these comments, so many fans are willing to settle for mediocrity. How many All-Star appearances does JSmoove have?…Oh yeah, zero. How many games does he dribble the ball down the court, or shoot insane perimeter shots, or give up on offense as to not get the foul. I dont care if he creates highlights every now and then. His attitude and thought process during the game LOSES games for us.

Josh Smith is WAYYYYYY overrated. He has pro skills, and an amateur mental capacity.

shake&break

February 9th, 2011
7:38 pm

Start your best players at their positions. Move JC1 into the starting line up at shooting guard and let JJ play small forward. Move Teague into the starting lineup and let Smoove and Boss run and gun. Let’s try to outscore teams if you can’t defend.

Bring Marvin, Bibby, Wilikins, Mo and Zaza off the bench. It amazes me how most on here blame Sund for not trading, but then say in the same sentence no big name player wants to come to Atlanta. Thus, some of this is not Sund’s fault. You can’t blame the man if ATL is a place no superstar wants to go. Plus, you just won over 50 games and are now in 4th place in a division with Boston and the Big three of Miami. Chicago is fading, so where did you really expect the Hawks to be at this point. Look at the overall record and where the team stands, not the individual performance (no matter how bad last night was).

I was once under the belief that Josh needed to be traded, but now I disagree. With the right point guard Josh, Joe and AL could be a great trio. Outside of Orlando (who have a worse record than the Hawks) and Boston (who rely on old men at center other than perk) who really has a big name big man. NJ does and Milwaukee and look at their records.

The Hawks are not that far away. A trade for a point guard that can score would keep the trio is important however. I am not that worried about defense. I think Nash with no defense would provide a much more disciplined Smith and would free up JJ and AL for the shots they need.

cp

February 9th, 2011
7:39 pm

LD is saying all the right things but he has said a lot of things before that he hasn’t acted on. He was talking about accountability all summer and I have yet to see any with this group…………If Bibby is still starting the next game then LD is all talk and no action. Bibby is the weak link and its clear to anybody watching the games. He looks tired and he cant defend anybody….

I see a lot of bad trade scenarios on here…. Thabeet is hot garbage. I would rather watch Zaza out there than Thabeet and I’m no fan of Zaza’s… Thabeet cant play. He is tall and he might block the occasional shot but that’s about it. Dude is flat out terrible…….OJ Mayo is not a pg. They tried to play him at the point and it did not work. He is a sg

It was not a bad pick

February 9th, 2011
7:40 pm

If we trade Marvin, it will haunt us more than passing on Roy,Gay and Rondo for Shelden Williams…Jamal is our best trade piece by far..He will not be in atl next year, get him out of here

Air Zaza “Mayo/Thabeet for Jamal/Etan”

You are a smart man, that would be a great deal and could push the Hawks over the top..THE HAWKS NEED A CENTER…the rest is there….although, no way i would start Josh over Marvin at sf..But it is time for Al to play his natural position..If we had true c, guard penetration would not hurt us that much…The Hawks guards are not the problem..Lack of size is killing us..Drew has size, but just like good old woody, drew refuses to play a center and send Josh to the bench….In the end Drew is going to hurt the Hawks..

Ramon

February 9th, 2011
7:40 pm

Where in the world are all of these user names coming from? And where were they Saturday when the Hawks won?

cp

February 9th, 2011
7:43 pm

Mo Williams is hurt and dude is having a terrible year shooting the ball. There are a few articles regarding Mo and how he is depressed because Lebron left. Dude almost retired because Lebron decided to go to Miami. We dont need that type of head case on the team. If his head was on straight I wouldn’t mind having him on the team but dude has been on some other shid since Bron left.

MJC

February 9th, 2011
7:43 pm

Commenters when the Hawks win: This was a great win, blah blah blah

Commenters when the Hawks lose, no matter how good of a game Josh has or how terrible of a game anyone else on the team has that costs us the game: TRADE JOSH SMITH

MJC

February 9th, 2011
7:45 pm

Ramon

February 9th, 2011
7:40 pm

Where in the world are all of these user names coming from? And where were they Saturday when the Hawks won?
—————————–

I know.

lewis

February 9th, 2011
7:47 pm

I used to hate on Josh just as much as everyone else who knows nothing about the Hawks on this blog. I’m a sucker for Horford, what can I say. But the reality was pointed out to me repeatedly by those who are truly students of the game, and Josh really is an amazing player.

He’s frustrating to watch because we all see his potential, but my main gripe about him that stuck with me over the offseason was his walking down the court. This year, he’s been all hustle. He is by far the defensive leader of the Hawks. He would average 11-14 boards a game easily if not for Al, a notion his 29-16 beast mode performance affirmed. His interviews display clear knowledge of how to play the game right. I cannot imagine how much a real point guard would help him offensively. He is a phenomenal passer. I would really hate to see him go.

Deandre Jordan is really solid.

Steve

February 9th, 2011
7:47 pm

To the guys saying don’t trade Josh you need to get past him being the second or third best player on the team. The point is .. we are going nowhere and everyone one of you know it. To get better you have to make a move, or just sit here spinning your wheels.

Ok. Now that we all agree on that, let’s look at WHO the Hawks could legitimately get ANYTHING in return for.

Horford – Our best player and still young. No way you trade this guy, even if he has a little trouble d-ing up against the one or two centers in the league who actually have a little offense in the post.

JJ – Do you really think anyone is stupid enough to take on his contract? The only team that might is Denver to replace Melo and give the fans something .. but why would they not just sign Melo to a little more than JJ is making and be done with it? Seems silly because Melo is a better player.

Marvin – Get real. He has a fluid shot. Plays solid defense. Rebounds well enough. The negative part is he is completely passive. If he developed a ‘I am going to dominate’ attitude he could be a better shooting, less nimble version of Kevin Durant. Instead, he remains the most underperforming player int he league. That being said, if he could get on a team where he was expected to be THE man, instead of the fourth option, then maybe he would flourish. So yes, you might be able to get something for Marvin. Maybe.

JC – He plays better nearly as good as Joe and has an expiring contract. If the Hawks don’t think they can sign him, they would be wise to move him since they just have to know that they are nowhere near good enough to win it all. That being said, I don’t think Sund really understands just how far away these Hawks are because of the inflated record.

That leaves Josh Smith and a bunch of nothing. Smith is not fluid with the ball in his hands. Smith is not even an average shooter. He will NEVER develop into a true scoring threat. He is just a cleanup and fast break kind of offensive player. He is solid on defense, though his block shots make him seem better than he really is. The reality is that he will likely never get much better than he is now, no matter what coach. He just isn’t fluid enough. Why not trade him at his ceiling rather than wait around for him to decline? He is the PERFECT trade bait for the Hawks. Granted, they would likely not improve without him, but you just never know until you look around.

So yes, Josh is one of our better players ..but I completely disagree that he needs to be coached up. Most NBA players dont get much better due to ‘coaching’. They have been playign the game far too long. They do get better with more playing time, but that is something that Josh is definitely not lacking. Move him now or regret waiting.

Bibby, Teague, Zaza, and anyone e

Air Zaza

February 9th, 2011
7:50 pm

@cp Thabeet PER is last year is better than Zaza this year. Thabeet is athletic and barely plays as he behind a top 5-8 center in Marc Gasol. Zaza plays with Collins. Zaza is the 48th best center in the NBA at 14 mpg. Thabeet got that last year and was in the top 30. Thabeet is a better talent than Zaza. Zaza might be better but Thabeet is only a 2nd year player. Thabeet would get a chance on this team that he doesn’t get in Memphis. Same can be said for Mayo in Atlanta. Both players need to play and both can be good or in Mayo case, very good. Let’s bring them in.

Air Zaza

February 9th, 2011
7:54 pm

@cp Mayo is a PG for us. Memphis has a good PG and their system needs a PG who is a facilitator. In Atlanta, the PG job is just to start the offense up, which involves a lot of passing from everyone. Mayo is very smart too. He can play PG for us. Our offense is perfect for combo PG’s like Mayo is. He will take some time at first but should catch on before April.

It was not a bad pick

February 9th, 2011
7:54 pm

Marvin gets bashed on here everyday for being drafted #2 and not scoring big, but i did some research that some might find interesting…Al was drafted #3 and his career avg are not much better than Marvin..Keep in mind Al was the 3rd pick of the whole draft…
Al Career – 9.7rpg 2.3appg 12.7ppg
Marvin Career 5.4rpg 1.3appg 11.9ppg

this proves my point, Marvin and Al are our best 2 players easily, both our being held back ..Al is not a true center and could easily get 20 and 10 at pf along with a couple of blocks ….Marvin is more than just a catch and shoot sf…the guy can do it all…easily a 20 ppg sf along with lockdown d on most sf in the NBA…

J from the A

February 9th, 2011
8:03 pm

If we want to post fantasy trades that at least meet CBA guidlines, how about:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=67janlz

JC1 FOR S. Nash and R. Lopez. The Hawks could throw in whatever picks/fillers needed to make the trade happen. Why would Phoenix go for this? Well, they won’t, but … Lopez is somewhat expendable and this move would shed over $12 million in salary for the Sun’s next year.

mykhalc

February 9th, 2011
8:05 pm

quit talkin’ LD…BLOW this damn team up!!! and if that still doesn’t work, blow ‘em up again…and again…and again. etc etc etc

mykhalc

February 9th, 2011
8:05 pm

and Al start askin’ about a trade!!!

lewis

February 9th, 2011
8:06 pm

Marvin is best at PF, he is almost solid against starters so he should probably come off the bench.
SF/PF rotation of Al/Josh/Marv off the bench.

I like Dalembert and Udrih a lot.

Everyone is expendable except Joe, Josh and Al.

jason

February 9th, 2011
8:07 pm

@It was not a bad pick

Have u been smoking milk? did u say marvin is better than Al??? All star! ALL star!! Trade josh in a 3 team trade. Hawks get nene Aaron brooks. Denver gets Shane Battier and jordan Hill. Houston gets josh. Mkaes sense eh? eh?

fan

February 9th, 2011
8:08 pm

should have kept woodson

jason

February 9th, 2011
8:10 pm

It was not a bad pick

February 9th, 2011
8:12 pm

jason

No ..I think Al is our best player but if you look at his stats, they are not #3 pick type stats..come on, Marvin gets bashed for averaging 10+ppg..Al stats are not much better..If we play Al at pf, he would easily average 20+, we are holding him back,

TIRED OF MEDIOCRITY

February 9th, 2011
8:13 pm

MO WILLIAMS OR SAMUEL DALAMBERT!

terrell

February 9th, 2011
8:13 pm

New starting lineup
Teague/Jamal/JJ/Josh/Al

Bench
Bibby/Marvin/Damien/Zaza/Twin
Mo/JC2/Etan

TruthSeeker

February 9th, 2011
8:14 pm

I feel bad for Larry Drew. He knows this team needs a shakeup, but what can he really do? Give Jeff Teague and Jason Collins more minutes? It goes without saying that that’s not going to get this team over the hump.

LD is hamstrung by the GM. Getting Sund to make a deal is like passing an act of Congress. If he didn’t do anything that improve the team after our historic beatdown against the Magic last spring, he’s clearly not going to do anything now.

Sund is killing the Hawks. Those awful contracts he gave Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams in order to maintain the status quo are unforgivable. We had a window of time to make a move in the East, but with Miami and Chicago on the rise that window’s shut just about shut.