Atlanta Hawks: ‘Alternative present’ appealing?
At Hoopinion, Bret LaGree uses his Cavs game recap to imagine how Hawks fans might have accepted a team without Joe Johnson:
Last night might have been a glimpse of an alternative present, one where the Hawks, at 12:01am on July 1, 2010, did not immediately offer Joe Johnson every cent they possibly could. A present where the Hawks, following a sober assessment of their current state and future options, chose to take a chance on their young frontcourt, trusted their fan base to accept short-term mediocrity as part of a bid for long-term relevance, and let someone else be the highest bidder for Joe Johnson’s thirties.
Last night’s Hawks game doesn’t prove anything about anything and I acknowledge that this alternative present I envisioned assumed some manner of Mike Bibby disposal to remain a pleasant thought. But say the Hawks had sold the 2010-11 season on the basis of the future. Imagine a 2010-11 season wherein the Hawks still extended Al Horford to a reasonable deal, either got rid of Bibby in some fashion or just played Jeff Teague anyway, looked forward to the options inherent in Jamal Crawford’s expiring contract coming off the books, struggled mightily against good teams, and beat up on bad teams.
It would, I suspect, be, empirically, much like this team. The difference would be the path taken to achieve similar results and if that path frequently included nights like this . . . would the Hawks be significantly worse off in terms of short-term perception? Would the future seem, if not more hopeful, at least less sadly certain?
Of course all of this assumes the Hawks would have a) received some useful players/assets in a sign-and-trade for J.J. and/or wisely used the cap space left over after his departure; b) done the same with Jamal; and c) used whatever assets the team acquired in such a way as to build a team that provided fans real hope for the future. Considering the team’s recent history of drafting, player evaluation, and resource allocation (both in terms of money and player roles), there would be some understandable skepticism about the prospects for such a scenario bearing fruit.
Still, I do think it’s a vision ASG could have sold to fans without much trouble. Normally teams that let their best player walk face a potential backlash. But J.J. (or really any of the current “core” outside of Al) wasn’t popular after last spring’s surrender to Orlando. The Hawks could have leveled with their fans and told them while the team may not have been as good this season without J.J. it still could make the playoffs (and, if not, get a lottery pick).
Then the Hawks could have gone about the process of turning J.J., Jamal, and any of their beloved “core” into a group that plausibly would be better next season than in 2010-11. All the while the Hawks could have whispered that they plan to make an all-out run at Dwight or CP3 in the summer of 2012 because ASG knows you need a top 5-10 player to win a title and will pay the tax for that chance. Failing that, the Hawks could have built a team that truly follows the Detroit model and includes tough-minded, defensive-focused players while still looking for opportunities to acquire a top 5 player or luck up into drafting one.
Instead, ASG found itself in the curious position of giving J.J. the richest contract in the league, in direct contradiction to its (unfair) cheap image, and getting ripped for it. The criticism increased when they failed to follow that bold move with others and settled into a familiar stasis. Now the Hawks are a mess with the playoffs to begin soon.
Their attendance has sagged. As LeGree points out, their esteem in the eyes of fans has declined both among those who are casual and not interested in the Hawks as entertainment, and those who are serious and stay loyal to the team but are dismayed because they saw this coming and now have little hope for future improvement.
So, even if you are skeptical that the Hawks could have competently embraced LeGree’s J.J.-less “alternative present” and then made smart moves for the future I’m sure they could have sold the plan. It turns out that would have been better than what they are selling right now.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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111 comments Add your comment
Sleepy
March 29th, 2011
3:38 pm
Vava is delusional .
Can you please give us a example of how jamal has went against the teams wishes and did anything in his own best interests first ? Can you point to anything that youve seen posted from anyone our team or another where they have said that jamal has not done anything that the coaching staff has asked ?
What I find amazing how selective some of you serious haters are with your iso cam .
You whine about Boobie Gibson scoring 11 inconsequential points while ignoring Barons 19 and 7 lol its because you simply cant blame jamal for both.
A club with real aspirations 3 best players usually show up at the same time .
typical hawk fan excuses in full display here
tyger
March 29th, 2011
3:56 pm
Hawks, cowards that’s why?
Everyone knew this team couldn’t win big after the Orlando Massacre last spring.
Yet, they gave JJ a mega-contract, despite him openly telling the fans, “he could care less about them…” Anywhere else, that would’ve been enough for a ticket out of town. You tell the customers, that pay your salary, you could care less about them and get rewarded for it??? That doesn’t pass the laugh test.
Conventional wisdom says the Hawks were backed into a corner. Not re-signing JJ would not save an equally proportionate amount of cap space, i.e. his $14M salary didn’t equal $14M in cap space by not re-signing him; so they felt stuck. Perhaps, it would be better to make one more run with him, and re-evaluate after the season.
However, while the Hawks were folding their hands, Lebron decided to take his talents to Miami; Otis Smith pulled the trigger early on an aged Magic roster; Boston followed suit; Derrick Rose naturally progressed and Philly is surging behind Lou Williams. Erstwhile, the Hawks traded Bibby for Hinrich and proceeded to lose 70% of their games down the stretch.
Most of the blame has fallen on LD, but he hasn’t missed one jumper or defensive assignment. He implemented a motion offense to get the ball outta JJ’s hands. Why? JJ is has a propensity to dribble the air outta the ball and heave last second 3’s or passes to people with no time on the clock. Nevermind the whiffs on defense or his anemia to the paint.
In sum, yes, the Hawks are better off without JJ. Of course he’s stifled Marvin’s progression. But he was on the verge of super stardom and he was treated as such. He just did not live up to his end of the bargain.
Ken Strickland
March 29th, 2011
4:39 pm
We can whine and b!tch about JJ, Jamal, Marvin and Smoove all we want, but all of there issues can be corrected with proper coaching. But can anyone name one thing Woodson or Drew did, or has done, other than talking or yelling, to correct any of their bad habits?
If for arguing with the refs, or JJ for disrupting ball and player movement to go ISO, or the PG for ignoring Marvin, or Marvin for not being more assertive, you can’t tell me we’d still be having these player and team issues.
Everyone wants to say we need a player to step up and become a team leader, when what we need most is a HC to step up and become a team leader. You can’t tell me JJ, Smoove and Jamal can’t be coached or encouraged to improve their attitude and/or approach to the gm and the team. PThibedou, DCollins and PSilas have certainly been able to get max production out of far less talented and accomplished teams than the Hawks.
They let their players know if they didn’t do what’s expected or required, they wouldn’t play. IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE. As a result, the Bulls have gone from being a team that relied almost exclusively on the DEF ability of Noah, to a solid DEF team without Noah. The Bobcats and 76ers have gotten better as the season winds down, especially defensively, while the Hawks are getting worse.
South25
March 29th, 2011
8:09 pm
The Hawks are the only team that does not have room with the salary cap. We are married to Joe Johnson for next five years.It seems we have the three stooges running the Hawks. We are stuck with this group with no expectations of playing for a championship. Why would I go to a Hawks game and know they will not being for a championship because management has no idea how to build a champion. Why would the players care they got their millions for the next five years. Good luck ownership or should we say the ship of fools.
Ken Strickland
March 29th, 2011
11:28 pm
yall probably think im stupid, and im. I just run my mouth to be heard. I know it was idiotic of my to call for woodson ouster. Now I have to find a way to save face. I know most of you see right through me but hey, stupid is as stupid does.so there…. FIRE MIKE WOODSON!!
DAM IM STUPID.
Ken Strickland
March 29th, 2011
11:30 pm
Another thing, when I called for the team to rally around my beloved Larry Drew most of you thought I was stupid, now look, see what I mean, it just goes to show you exactly how hopeless this has become. Has anybody got a cigarette?
Ken Strickland
March 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
Alot of yall heard me bragging about this Princeton offense and how it would take the hawks to the next level, some of you guys did not believe that it would. Its ok because sometimes you have to see these thing with a trained eye…like mine. I knew the Princeton offense was deadly. and I was right it did take the hawks to a new level….
Ok I already told you I dont know WTF im talking about but even a broke clock is right twice a day. so wtf I just keep right on chitting out of my mouth….
some body get some tolietpaper quick
Buddy Grizzard
March 30th, 2011
1:55 am
Wow, just when I thought I had to get on to MC for defending Larry Drew in the face of Mitch Lawrence’s reporting in the NY Post, MC lays the HAMMER down. It’s amazing to me that the playoffs are around the corner, and rather than being fired up about a potential first round matchup with Orlando we’re sitting here talking about what might have been if the Hawks had let Joe Johnson go last offseason.
What’s even more amazing to me is that, after all this time, MC states the same opinion I had in the offseason, that the Hawks would not have been much worse off (in the standings) if they had saved $120m and let Joe walk. So the Hawks gave Joe the biggest contract in the NBA and what do they have to show for it? The Hawks offensive ratings, playoff position and home won/lost record have all plumetted. And in fact that Hawks do appear to be much worse off, with very little financial flexibility to address the obvious holes in the roster.
“Is there a better city – professionally speaking – for a fledgling vocalist than Atlanta?” – Newkid
Let me name two. New York. Los Angeles.
Newkid I’m with you on daydreaming about Dwight Howard coming back to the A as a savior for the Hawks franchise. I’ve talked about it on these blogs before, the possibility of Howard joining Horford and Smith to form the best frontcourt since Bird, Parish and McHale.
On the real though, I know Billy Hume, the producer who discovered Bonecrusher and has multiple platinum album credits as a producer, engineer and writer with Lil Jon, Yin Yang Twins and many others. I also know Bruce Bennett, the producer who discovered Sugarland and has worked with Luda, Bad Brains and many more. Atlanta’s not a bad town to break as an R&B artist and I can hook Dwight’s chick up!
“Joe Johnson to the Mavericks for Caron Butler and Brendon Haywood.” – HawksGoingBackward
A much more realistic scenario, but Haywood’s contract is almost as bad as Joe’s. I keep saying it… best case scenario for the Hawks is to let NJ absorb Joe’s contract in the offseason for an unprotected 1st round pick in 2012.
Damien From Port Arthur Texas
March 30th, 2011
4:31 pm
i cant believe we dont have a center. I cant believe we are this scared of Labron and Co. I cant believe we will be gone in 6 but its true.
ShempHoward
March 30th, 2011
4:55 pm
The HAWKS PLAYERS HAVE “NO” HEART AT ALL. They collectively dont care what type of product they put on the floor. The only thing that the hawks players and coaches care about is COLLECTING THEIR PAYCHECKS. The hawks are an embarrassment to the national basketball association. IF the Hawks had given 150% maximum effort each night they played this year, they would now be approaching their 60th victory. This hawks team is capable of winning 60, but they wont even win 50 unless they show pride and play hard the rest of the way. This hawks team is a powerful team capable of winning the NBA title. But until they believe that, it will never translate that on the floor. Hopefully, the Hawks will all grow and improve their games during the offseason as well as acquire a good free agent during the off-season who will carry them over the top.
big o
March 30th, 2011
5:00 pm
Again…. Bring Howard home He will come get rid of LD keep the team in tact add Dewight win title