Atlanta Hawks: Larry Drew to return as coach
The Hawks said they’ve exercised the option on coach Larry Drew’s contract for next season. The team signed Drew to a two-year contract with an option in 2010.
The Hawks have posted an 84-64 record with Drew as coach. They lost to Boston in the first round of the playoffs last week, ending a streak of three consecutive years in the second round. But the team’s owners and management cited the team’s 40-26 regular-season record as a success in light of several injuries to key players, including center Al Horford.
“Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries,” Hawks GM Rick Sund said in a statement released by the team. “The Hawks have reached the postseason in each of his years on the bench, and we feel Larry’s experience, expertise and dedication to the game were a key ingredient to our success.”
Sund’s contract expires next month. He’s been in talks with the team’s owners about re-signing but hasn’t committed to a return or publicly addressed his future. Sund’s other options include retirement or taking a part-time role with the Hawks or another team.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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601 comments Add your comment
Grandad
May 22nd, 2012
3:04 am
On a different note:
not[e]
note with an *e
not not
note
High-sider
May 22nd, 2012
3:18 am
^Correction: Do you realize [that] Jamal Crawford had the 5th best [or highest] [single player] +/- statistic for the Hawks during that 2009-2010 regular season which was a positive [+] 256?*
EmirS.
May 22nd, 2012
5:18 am
So Lakers are out. Lets move back to Pau Gasol. I think now, more then any other, is the right time to try and get him. I’m willing to bet right now, that by the start of next season, he will not be with the Lakers.
Just Joe
May 22nd, 2012
6:39 am
Hawks need to figure out what they want to do with the SF spot. That position is too important in the East (Lebron, Pierce, Deng, Melo, Granger, Iguodala).
Are you better off going with a defense-first player? Who are the best SF defenders in the league? Who has Marvin Williams’s size, but more athleticism? Hawks need to identify this player and then go get him. Is it Kawhi Leonard? Is it Jeffery Taylor in the upcoming draft (short arms, but very athletic)? What about free agent & former Hawk for about three minutes, Damion James? Wes Johnson in Minnesota? Corey Brewer in Denver? If Joe stays, finding a lockdown defender at SF, who has the ability to at least make the hustle plays on the offensive end, would be a big improvement for this team. Then we just have to pick a PF (Josh or Al), and go find a defensive minded center. Starting five = defense first at SF & C, get your points from the PG, SG & PF positions.
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
8:16 am
G’Dad, there is no way that all of those players are more valuable to their team than D12. If Miami had D12 instead of D. Wade, do you think they would not be winning this series versus Indiana? If Pop had D12 right now instead of Duncan, do you not think that the Spurs would be the favorites? Lebron, Durant, D12, Kobe are the top four. Some of the players you mentioned, have gone seasons with out reaching the playoffs. Before last season, when was the last time D12 went without reaching the 2nd round of the playoffs? D12 on your roster, healthy the entire season, guarantees you a top 5 seed regardless. Wade didn’t do that, Kevin Love hasn’t done that, CP3 hasn’t done that, even the great Kobe couldn’t get out of the first round before Pau came to town. Besides the one year Jameer Nelson was overvalued and voted into the All Star game, D12 has consistently been the only all star on that roster. Superstars win championships! Superstars + great coaching win dynasties. And I don’t want to hear about Detroit, because that was the exception (even though many agree that Rasheed Wallace possessed super star talent), not the rule. Look how many coaches Magic, Bird, and Jordan had over their careers. If Van Gundy had won a title by now, he would have more staying power, but he hasn’t. As it stands, he’s an underachiever. Dirk and Cuban went through 3-4 coaches before he finally got a title. A guaranteed 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks (along with 10+ shots altered) a game, is elite status. Do you notice how Phil Jackson never takes a job where a superstar isn’t? Or how Doc Rivers is the SAME coach who was about to be fired the season before KG and Allen joined the Celtics? Pop has had Duncan (the greatest PF ever) through out his stay there, and never been in jeopardy of losing him. And Van Gundy was the very same coach who saw his former team win a title the very season after he was let go.
Rod from College Park
May 22nd, 2012
8:39 am
“D.Howard – Quit on his Teammates !
D.Howard – No longer the best [5] in the league.
Durant, Kobe, C.Paul, Bynum, K.Love, Duncan, KG, Rose, LBJ, D.Wade,
The (10) above are either better or more valuablr to their teams.
I think I might be able to name 5 more if I thought about it ?”
I see Grandad’s been smoking again. SMH
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
8:45 am
Did you guys know Josh finished second for the Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award to P. Gasol for Community outreach? Is it me, or have the Hawks PR definitely not done a good job of publicizing the philanthropist acts of Josh. And MC didn’t report anything on those actions either.
Dawg
May 22nd, 2012
8:45 am
Jamal Crawford does not play with the Hawks. Jamal does not play with the Hawks. Jamal never played defense with the Hawks.
Move on, get over it, Jamal is gone. Jamal is not a winner. He is a great scorer but he is only a one dimensional player.
Jamal is gone, our salary cap situation is still here.
This is a discussion of DH, no JC.
BIG DOG
May 22nd, 2012
8:45 am
GO GET D12
ARTHUR NEED BUY HAWKS
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
8:52 am
This is an overseas free agent who is rumored to have interest from the Hawks to sign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd3cQ6xveUk&feature=related
BIG DOG
May 22nd, 2012
8:53 am
If there is a time geta franchise player in D12 it’s now.
Arthur buying Hawks would make him a more of successful business man, D12 would be on his way to ATL.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
May 22nd, 2012
8:55 am
Share your trade
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7mhfc78
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
BIG DOG
May 22nd, 2012
9:00 am
Teague, Marvin, Josh, Ivan, D12
Pargo, Green, Tmac, Turk, Melo
Coach Bill Laimbeer
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Clarification
May 22nd, 2012
10:17 am
“Kirk Hinrich has not been double teamed sice high school, so your point is NLLIFIED again.”
Hey Rod, tell it to High-Sider. He’s the one who brought up Hinrich’s lack of scoring as a way to defend JC1. Double team or no, those numbers for Hinrich’s consecutive games, and JC1s numbers the previous year ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
If Hinrich was a failure in scoring only 22 points over a 4 game span, when scoring is NOT his primary role, then just how much of a failure was Crawford scoring only 29 in a 4 game span WHEN HIS PRIMARY ROLE WAS TO SCORE?
Clarification
May 22nd, 2012
10:22 am
“^Correction: Do you realize [that] Jamal Crawford had the 5th best [or highest] [single player] +/- statistic for the Hawks during that 2009-2010 regular season which was a positive [+] 256?*”
Yes, I realize this. That’s why I chose the 09-10 season for showing you that it was fiction that Jamal “played a significant amount of time with inferior players”, as you had said. I was trying to be fair by using his most efficient year.
terrell
May 22nd, 2012
10:39 am
Rod, Bynum more important to the Lakers, than Dwight is to the Magic? lol
terrell
May 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
Orlando is a 3 pt shooting team. How in the heck do you think they get all of those open looks?
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
10:45 am
Any team that trades for D12 needs an equal who will be the focal point of the offense in the last two minutes of the game. Sure, you can pretend that Howard can become a 70% free throw shooter with more work, but that kind of assumes that he hasn’t already put in the work to become a 70% free throw shooter. So I will personally assume that he will remain closer to 55% for the remanider of his career. So it makes for an interesting team dynamic to have a guy who needs to touch the ball on almost every half-court possession yet becomes a liability when the game is on the line. I don’t see that dynamic working too well by simply designating an inferior player with the job of the team’s “closer”. (Funny, here is one very specific example when I could see value in someone like Jamal Crawford, because while he is an iferior player, he is clearly a terrific closer who can get off a shot… sometimes even a quality shot… from pretty much anywhere on the court). If any team trades for Howard, they would do themselves a favor to inspct the players who have been around him when the Magic were successful (Hedo and Rashard during career years) as well as the most recent players around him (a fading JRich, Hedo and Jameer). IMO, dominant centers MUST have an elite wong player in order to do more than just fill the seats of the home arena. An elite wing who can make 85%+ of his free throws is what would be needed… and someone with enough game & resume that Howard won’t treat him like a subordinate. That was the way Shaq & Kobe won for years. And it is one of the reasons Pat Ewing never won a title (that and some guy name Jordan who played in the same conference).
Najeh Davenpoop
May 22nd, 2012
10:50 am
” IMO, dominant centers MUST have an elite wong player in order to do more than just fill the seats of the home arena.”
The NBA is going to really have to step up their efforts to market the game in China for this to happen.
Ray
May 22nd, 2012
11:03 am
@ BIG DOG
Teague, Marvin, Josh, Ivan, and D12
lineup that get killed on a nightly basis
Teague, ?, Josh, Horford, D12
Is what it really needs to be btw I know any trade made with Magic would involve us taking on someone like Hedo, but he needs to be let go he’s only slightly better than V-Rad for higher pay.
I say both Smith and Horford should be held onto those two are the key to the future with Teague in the mix as well.
Joe and Marvin are the key to our continued misery of a NBA town.
@ Ra’mon
All the more reason Josh wants out of ATL people don’t get to hear this stuff about Josh Smith only thing I hear about Josh is all the negative ish the media gives us or trade requests or when he would be traded.
I don’t see this guy staring in any commericals on T.V no Billboards and he could be advertising for Kia right now. This is why I hate the ASG Josh will walk for nothing to a team like L.A (hope not) He’ll go somewhere like Boston for real though in a heartbeat we’ve all heard him talk about our fans vs there fans.
What makes it worse Boston since the Big 3 is almost on their way out both Josh and D12 could be had by them Dwight would be a bigger star than Rondo and Josh gets the crowd he wants.
Ray
May 22nd, 2012
11:14 am
Whatever we do this offseason first thing is to KEEP JOSH SMITH! I’d rather stick with the same thing than to watch him walk away for nothing.
At least if we have him under contract the changes that need to be made will happen we get a coach the level of at least an OKC or Spurs
Get a GM on the level of again Spurs, Boston, or Chicago.
In fact someone tell ASG to take a page out of the Magic or Lakers Book those two are not content with just making the playoffs they want it all.
Lakers want it so bad their willing to probably move both Pau and Bynum what does ASG do keep L.D(doesn’t have a championship pedigree) and signing Joe Johnson like he’s = to Kobe
Truth about Joe Johnson he’s not more than a Kevin Martin(who makes a lot less) cause out west Joe would be killed by the likes of Manu, Kobe, Harden, Martin or anyone else.
He’s highly lucky because after D-wade the SG crop is extremely weak on the east coast.
terrell
May 22nd, 2012
11:14 am
Nothing will change until we get rid of the curse of 2005. (Marv). Gotta move either Joe, Al, or Josh ALONG with Marvin. I vote for Joe and Marvin. GTFOOH! Make some calls Ricky boy.
Ray
May 22nd, 2012
11:38 am
@ terrell
That’s what I’m saying I vote Joe and Marvin one hasn’t lived up to his over hyped draft status the other checked out on us once he got that max contract.
Yet Josh the unsung hero was really the only one who carried us throughout the season with help of course from everyone not named Joe and Marvin
Hold onto Horford
Upgrade Zaza to starting Center he may have stone hands, but dude has shown he’s better than just a backup C.
Darft Any C we’re going to have to get a Project Big, but if we stay put in the draft get Fab Melo at C no more SG’s or SF or foreign players we don’t even know about.
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
11:42 am
Najeh, yeah, my spell checking focus wanes, like the mental focus of some Hawks.
Ray, how do the Hawks ensure that Josh doesn’t walk in 14 months, when he has most recently suggested that he wants to play for owners focused on winning and fanbases who don’t allow opposing fans to have a presence? Should the ASG use lie-detecting machines to find out who is purchasing tickets and only allow Hawks fans to buy?
Melvin
May 22nd, 2012
11:45 am
Spurs/Thunder, the real championship series. Who you like?
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
11:48 am
Actually, Josh’s agent would be responsible for him doing commercials for KIa, Sprite, Kroger or QT… not the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks ran two commercials during the season that featured an individual player, one was Teague (you could barely hear him speak) and the other Josh.
Now, the AJC coverage of the Hawks? Well, only look at the fact that Sekou Smith broke the story about LD resigning before the AJC. That, and we’re 12 pages into the weekly blog that we’ll get between now and October.
Melvin
May 22nd, 2012
11:51 am
Just wondering if Josh leaves the HAWKS, what would Astro Joe have to complain about then? Lord forbid if the HAWKS find a way to have Josh and D12, AJ may have a heart attack.
Ken Strickland
May 22nd, 2012
11:53 am
I’m certain Magic fans were screeming for some of the same drastic changes that some of you are screeming for with the Hawks, and their GM gave in to those requests. He made a lot of trades and changes, and look at were it’s gotten their GM, HC, and franchise overall. Wholesale or drastic change isn’t always the answer.
For the most part, most fans operate from an emotional prespective, or from personal attachments to, or dislikes for, certain players. They seldom embrace or operate from a logical perspective, and very often put perferred players or HCs before the team. Now I like JJ and Josh, and they both bring a lot to the team. However, they also take a lot away from the team as well. One is too demonstrative and reactionary, and the other is the complete opposite.
If trading Josh helps us acquire the type of player we need in the middle, then I say trade him, particularly with the dynamics of him wanting out of Atlanta and becoming a FA after the season. If trading JJ gives us the same opportunity, I say send his butt packing. Both players are very talented and versatile, and both tend to be disruptive to the teams ability to maintain OFF consistency and flow.
We need a starting caliber SF that’s more athletic, versatile, and more consistent as a scorer, and an OC that’s more athletic with good rebounding and DEF ability.
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
11:53 am
Melvin, give me the Spurs… in 7.
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
12:06 pm
Melvin, yeah, it would truly be funny to watch the Hawks front office respond to a team like the Mavs winning last year and potentially the Spurs or Celtics winning this year, by acquiring a collection of uber-athletes who leave some fans wondering if their elevator reaches the top floor.
BTW, did you ever share your thoughts on MC’s analysis of that Boston play that supposedly didn’t get executed properly?
Ray
May 22nd, 2012
12:35 pm
@ Astro Joe
True, but ASG could also help promote the Hawks better than they have an maybe do an update for Phillips I remember you guys complaining about how it looked.
@ Ken S.
See the thing about O.S as GM in Orlando after that Finals appearance dude sent way tooooo many people packing.
Rafer Alston, T. Lue, Hedo, Keith Bogans, and even rookie then Courtney Lee
While that doesn’t look so bad you lose vet leadership.
Otis Smith biggest mistake was giving away Pietrus, Gortat, and Lewis imo. Plus couple that with giving away Hedo at the time he did and these veterans as well.
High-sider
May 22nd, 2012
12:51 pm
“Jamal Crawford does not play with the Hawks. Jamal does not play with the Hawks…
…Move on, get over it, Jamal is gone..He is a great scorer…
…Jamal is gone, our salary cap situation is still here.” – Dawg
That’s the [primary] problem. That’s why the Hawks [for the most part] were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this 2012 postseason – because Jamal [Crawford] is gone and no longer plays for the Hawks. Can you say “regress,” “regressing” and “regression”? I hope you realize [that] the Hawks “regressed” this postseason without Jamal Crawford.
Ken Strickland
May 22nd, 2012
1:00 pm
RAY-Magic GM OSmith got rid of just about everyone on that finals team except DHoward and JNelson. He mistakenly bought into the idea that the grass is greener on the other side. Therefore, he released or traded away most of his team to try and get better. This is exactly what a lot of Hawks fans are advocating we do, and for the same reason. I firmly believe we should add to what we have rather than getting rid of what we have.
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
1:04 pm
Spurs in 5 games. If OKC doesn’t win this game, Scott Brooks will be on the hot seat all of next season for a Finals appearance or bust.
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
1:11 pm
Ray, I agree that the Hawks are collectively poorly marketed. If LD doesn’t want to conduct a weekly radio show, they should designate an assistant or 2 to do that on the local flagship radio station. A weekly 10 minute interview with a memeber of the coaching staff would be a great start and it doesn’t seem like that would be asking too much. I just don’t see them being all that creative with how they engage local media. But again, I am speaking more generally about the Atlanta Hawks and not any single player.
Ken Strickland
May 22nd, 2012
1:26 pm
HIGH-SIDER-The Blazers won 54gms in 08-09, 50gms in 09-10, 48gms in 10-11, and made the playoffs each of those yrs. After acquiring your BELOVED Jamal Crawford, the team missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record 28-38. His feast or famine scoring, ball domination, and total lack of DEF, certainly didn’t do much to improve Portlands fortunes last season.
I’ll bet they now realize what we finally realized when we refused to resign him. After all, we successfully replaced him with players that weren’t as dynamic as scorers, didn’t dominate the ball or the OFF, and actually put forth an effort to stop the other team from scoring.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 22nd, 2012
1:39 pm
“Should the ASG use lie-detecting machines to find out who is purchasing tickets and only allow Hawks fans to buy?”
Maybe not lie detecting machines, but I wonder if they can disallow people wearing the opposing team’s colors and/or jerseys to enter the building. Imagine if they said in advance that anyone wearing green to the Hawks-Celtics series couldn’t get in even if they had a ticket. Can’t stop Celtics fans from entering, but at least the crowd won’t look like a Christmas tree. Is there anything in the NBA rulebook against that?
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
1:50 pm
KenS, the same way you say the Magic made a mistake and changing their core, the Wizards made the mistake of not trading their core soon enough when they kept appearing in the playoffs but not advancing. The difference between the Magic is they’ve been to the finals, the Hawks haven’t even gone to the ECF yet. I’m sure the Wizards wish they would’ve traded Arenas, Butler, and Jamison when they were merely just a first round playoff team. Imagine what they’re going price would’ve been then.
My beliefs are that the Hawks have two credible options, and the rest is just a crap shoot. The first is as someone said earlier, going all out to sign Steve Nash. Offer Nash the most your cap limitations will allow, and fill the roster out with veteran minimums and your two draft picks. If you take this approach, use a page out of Boston’s book, and don’t play so much for home court advantage in playoffs. Just play to stay healthy until the playoffs come and long as you’re a top 7 seed (not matching up with Miami), you will beat any other team with a full strength roster. Nash has 3 seasons left of playing at a high level, because he seems to have John Stockton genes (who I bet could walk on a court tomorrow and still average 7-8 assists a game). You sign Nash, I assure you Josh Smith re-signs here for a reasonable cost, because he knows Nash will make him a all star borderline superstar. Nash also takes a lot of pressure off of Joe for the remainder of his contract, because unlike the iso, Nash NEVER picks up his dribble. And as AJ said, Nash instantly improves the attendance at home for the Hawks.
The second option as we know is to trade Josh or Al. Of course I believe it should be Al traded, and not Josh. I believe if you trade Al for the right pieces, it will demonstrate to Josh that the Hawks are committed to making the roster better and winning. Al is a good player. The thing that gets me is, rumors came out before of Josh and Kirk being shipped to the Lakers for Gasol. Now Boston’s Rivers wants to trade for Josh, and wanted to at the trade deadline. These are two championship organizations who are both calling to get Josh, not Al. In MLB, if the Yankees or Red Sox don’t call and inquire about trading for you or signing you, you haven’t done much in your career because they only go after big name players. In the NBA, the Celtics and Lakers are rarely on the bad end of a trade. So if they were/are attempting to trade for Josh and not Al (and say what you want, but I have no doubt that Kupchak would trade Gasol for Josh today), that lets me know they see something in Josh that they desire. Last off season, the Lakers attempted to trade Gasol also for Kevin Love, not Al. So the players they’ve attempted to trade for are Paul, Love, and Josh (rumored of course). My thinking is I want the player that championship organizations want. Since high school, Josh has had two coaches Woody and LD. Al has had Donovan, Woody, and LD. Donovan is better than 60% of the head coaches in the NBA. So if one HAS to go (and without a pass first point guard who can open things up, it seems that way), I choose to keep Josh.
Melvin
May 22nd, 2012
1:52 pm
Astro,
Just like some of the players invovled in that Boston play, I don’t remember the play that was drawn up…LOL
Ra'mon
May 22nd, 2012
1:58 pm
AJ, I look at ASG, and it makes me wonder how did they ever become wealthy enough to purchase the team. Because it seems as if they do not have a good business sense when it comes to the NBA. You look at Cuban, BEFORE the championship. He brought excitement to the team and knew it was going to take investing more money than what he purchased the team for, to make the team profitable. I don’t know any intelligent investor who doesn’t know that it will take more capital after the acquisition of a company to improve the current state of that company. ASG bought the Hawks with a Dollar Tree budget. And they’re attempting to make a profit, and build a winner with that same Dollar Tree budget. I’m not talking about on the roster. I’m speaking of the front office staff salaries, the coaching staff salaries, marketing, the overall experience at the arena, and more.
Rod from College Park
May 22nd, 2012
2:36 pm
“I’ll bet they now realize what we finally realized when we refused to resign him. After all, we successfully replaced him with players that weren’t as dynamic as scorers, didn’t dominate the ball or the OFF, and actually put forth an effort to stop the other team from scoring.”
That’s the part you idoits seem to not understand. We did not successfully replace him. Did you watch the playoffs. We averaged 81ppg. I surely did not see any of our guards stopping Rondo, or Pierce from doing what they wanted to do in our series. I can’t see how it could have been much worse.
darrell starks
May 22nd, 2012
2:48 pm
Who in the world wan’t Gasol ? specially in the ATL, this guy has no heart.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg
May 22nd, 2012
2:50 pm
If we had Jamal in the playoffs, we would have had ISO Jamal instead of ISO Joe. Either way, our defense would have been worse.
Jamal is gone. You all need to be fixated on another man.
High-sider
May 22nd, 2012
2:52 pm
@Ken Strickland
“HIGH-SIDER-The Blazers won 54gms in 08-09, 50gms in 09-10, 48gms in 10-11, and made the playoffs each of those yrs. After acquiring your BELOVED Jamal Crawford, the team missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record 28-38. His feast or famine scoring, ball domination, and total lack of DEF, certainly didn’t do much to improve Portlands fortunes last season.
I’ll bet they now realize what we finally realized when we refused to resign him. After all, we successfully replaced him with players that weren’t as dynamic as scorers, didn’t dominate the ball or the OFF, and actually put forth an effort to stop the other team from scoring.” – Ken Strickland
How can say you [and management] successfully replaced a dynamic scorer [Jamal Crawford] who helped your team advance to the second round of the playoffs last year with “other players” who played for your team [this year] which was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this postseason?
So, I guess the decision to trade Andre Miller for [out-of-shape] Raymond Felton had nothing to do with Portland’s failure to make the playoffs? And so, the [season-ending] injury to Greg Oden had nothing to do with it – the Blazers’ failure to make the playoffs? And so, the medical retirement of Brandon Roy had nothing to do with it? And so, the firing/termination of Nate McMillan who was replaced by a “rookie” interim head coach [Kaleb Caneles] had nothing to do with it? And so, the midseason trades and player acquisitions which disrupted the already fragile team chemistry and cohesion had nothing to do with it? And so, a deep Western Conference had nothing to do with it? So, it was all Jamal Crawford’s fault [that] the Blazers didn’t make the playoffs?
northcyde
May 22nd, 2012
2:52 pm
Ken Strickland
May 22nd, 2012
1:26 pm
HIGH-SIDER-The Blazers won 54gms in 08-09, 50gms in 09-10, 48gms in 10-11, and made the playoffs each of those yrs. After acquiring your BELOVED Jamal Crawford, the team missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record 28-38. His feast or famine scoring, ball domination, and total lack of DEF, certainly didn’t do much to improve Portlands fortunes last season.
I’ll bet they now realize what we finally realized when we refused to resign him. After all, we successfully replaced him with players that weren’t as dynamic as scorers, didn’t dominate the ball or the OFF, and actually put forth an effort to stop the other team from scoring.
******************
(( clapping for Mr. Strickland ))
True basketball fans already know what is up, when you acquire a Jamal Crawford. And why aren’t reports surfacing that the Lakers are looking at Jamal Crawford . . but Nick Young?
When it comes to shot selection, Jamal is the guard version of Josh Smith. If Jamal would simply drastically reduce the number of threes he takes per game, he’d be one of the more efficient guards in the league. He consistently shoots in the low to mid 40% FG from 16 – 23 feet. He can create his shot often enough to knock down 20 footers all day.
But he doesn’t. And that’s why he stays hot and cold all the time.
If there ever was a guy that takes “hero shots”, it’s Jamal. Maybe only Kobe takes as many “hero shots” than Jamal.
Maybe one day he’ll understand that his quickness and ball handling ability should be used to exclusively set up mid-range jumpers and drives to the hole.
But as long as he’s jacking up about 40% of his shots from three point range, he’ll never be consistent enough as a scorer for good teams to covet . . . unless they are truly desperate for ANYBODY who can score, regardless of efficiency.
Jamal is simply a tall version of Nate Robinson, with the exception that Nate is normally a slightly better shooter.
darrell starks
May 22nd, 2012
2:54 pm
You don’t have trade no one just add pieces that’s it.
Keep Josh, Horford, Joe, if Josh Walk at the end of the year so beat it let him go, that’s 13mill of the cap.
The Hawks have a good team now, when before there was no point guard to take this team 2 next level, Teague is coming in 2 his own and should be the leader of this team next year, give him the keys and let him run this thing.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
May 22nd, 2012
2:55 pm
Melvin, funny.
Najeh, we’re talking about the ASG. Do you really think they would require a paying fan to change their shirt color to enter the arena? Isn’t this the same ownership group that was selling the gear of oposing teams a few seasons ago? They see one color… and the Celtics fans were wearing it at Philips a few weeks ago.
Ra’mon, I agree. I think what we now know is the difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is not just about the number of 0s, it’s also about how effective you manage your enterprises.
Again, this is why I tend to give the GM, head coach and players a little slack (in terms of overall performance), because it simply can’t be too easy to operate within an organization with an utterly incompetent set of leaders at the top. Sure, you can do some good, but my guess is your individual effectiveness is compromised by the incompetence of those who make the ultimate decisions.
darrell starks
May 22nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Bring Javale Mcgee and amnesty Marvin contract.
TEAGUE, JOE, JOSH, HORFORD, JAVALE
PARGO, TAMC, MARVIN, IVAN, ZAZA
GREEN, MELO, VLAD
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
May 22nd, 2012
3:01 pm
My bad Marvin is gone.
TEAGUE, JOE, JOSH, HORFORD, JAVALE
PARGO, GREEN, TMAC, IVAN, ZAZA
MELO, VLAD, ?
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
May 22nd, 2012
3:12 pm
If Josh walk at the end his contract 13 mill is of cap, with signing of Mcgee your already set for 2013.
TEAGUE, JOE, 13mill , HORFORD, JAVALE
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!