Atlanta Hawks: New era begins
“We would be good, but not good enough.”
When Danny Ferry said it, I felt like Micheal Keaton in “The Paper” (underrated flick, by the way).
“He said the headline! The guy actually said the headline!”
Ferry succinctly summed up the frustrations I’ve heard expressed so many times by my blog people. That’s why the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive to Ferry’s decision to extract the franchise from two burdensome contracts.
But already I sense some anxiety among you about the next step. No doubt that feeling is heightened by Ferry’s failed (for now) pursuit of a trade for Dwight Howard, who’s status is in limbo. I’ve seen Hawks fans already fretting that no superstar would ever actually choose to sign with this franchise.
None of this surprises me, of course. It didn’t take me long in this job to learn that a sense of insecurity and pending dread appears to be a common symptom of your affection for the Hawks.
But, more than that, these concerns are reasonable. You recognize this is just the first step in a plan that’s difficult to execute. Bold moves may be necessary at times but they don’t always or even usually lead to more success than the status quo.
Ferry’s decision to take a step back comes with significant risk. That’s still true even if you believe there never would be any greater reward for staying pat.
Ferry chuckled when I told him that elation among Hawks fans about the trades had been supplanted by some nervousness that there would be no follow-through.
“I can’t give you all the answers,” he said. “We were good but not good enough, and now how do we find a way to get even better than before?”
Some tweeps interpreted Ferry’s comments about the status quo not being good enough as a shot at his predecessors and the team’s ownership. I didn’t read it that way–and, besides, Bruce Levenson himself was blunt in acknowledging that the franchise’s basketball operations needed a fresh philosophy.
On the day Ferry was introduced as GM, he mentioned that the organization seemed a bit too humble in light of its accomplishments. He seemed a bit incredulous when reporters peppered him with questions about his plan to make the Hawks better.
“They’ve been good here and I have to come to that with respect,” Ferry said. “There are teams that are trying to get to where the Atlanta Hawks are at now.”
These new Hawks are now behind those Hawks and it’s up to Ferry to get them where they’ve never been. He has the assets to do it now: expiring contracts, productive young players with reasonable deals, draft picks and massive cap space in the near future.
In fact, those chips should help alleviate your worries about free agents choosing Atlanta. Ferry has the tools to bring talent here in trades (the cap space will make that simpler, too). It’s telling that when Ferry is asked about free agents, he usually comes back to trades.
“There should be options but it’s also not all going to happen on July 15,” he said. “We have through to the trade deadline and we will continue to build on our team.”
Ferry decided that the Hawks’ good wasn’t good enough. It may take a while before my blog people can hope for greatness and it’s possible it may never come. But you said all along you wanted the Hawks to shoot for a championship and now they can at least try.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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264 comments Add your comment
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
10:08 am
We don’t want Javale McGee. If you want to know why I say that then go to google and type in his name. You will see the most searched terms in relation to his name. Look at the FOURTH most popular search.
Enough said!
MsDee
July 12th, 2012
10:10 am
Wow, Rev in Tampa, I see what u mean..lol
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
10:11 am
Oh, and while you are there, enjoy Shaq breaking down “the best of the worst of Javale”
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:15 am
I could go for someone like Jordan Hill.
As for those players I named earlier give me Mayo and Scola I might not be so sold on Haywood after all.
@ Sam
Only BIG DOG is the one that keeps talking about Gerald Green I don’t even know him and have never seen him play and I’m for one am not sold on him.
A BIG NO to Iguadola dude is cool and all, but I’d rather Josh man the SF position.
People don’t realize that Josh’s frame is a SF frame and not a PF frame, but because of his athleticism he can play PF, but going up against others like Drik and Gasol while he may blow past them because of their height and even size he can’t really stop them.
MsDee
July 12th, 2012
10:15 am
Dang, he is really ’something special’..did u watch the ‘top 8 dumbest plays’ by him on youtube? It is hilarious!!
MsDee
July 12th, 2012
10:21 am
Too funny!! Yea, I may have 2nd thoughts of him joining us but well, at least he would still bring some kind of attention to the game! Not exactly what we were asking for tho..
Bravesfan79
July 12th, 2012
10:21 am
All this talk about trading for a SF is crazy. I say resign Macgrady, let him be the backup SF, and let Morrow (who’s 6′6) start at SF, and play a more uptempo.. faster offence.
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:21 am
It’s funny about Javale Mcgee though having heard a damn thing about him all year after he was traded to Nuggets and now articles are swirling saying Denver NEEDS to Re-sign him.
I’ll go this far Mcgee is a product of the culture of the Wizards something the hawks haven’t had to worry about.
Then inmates run the asylum over on the Wizards team their trying to change that and the one person they have yet to release was big part of it (Blatche).
drmaryb.(""_*).
July 12th, 2012
10:24 am
A Man’s Worth!
“Players like Matt Barnes, Carl Landry, Jordan Hill, and Pietrus might not be superstars, but those guys are the glue to championship caliber teams. The Hawks should get there eyes outta the sky for now (Dwight, Iguadola) and focus on players who are realistic.”
___________________
Based on this factual statement, then … what good are these guys on a non-contender like, The Atlanta Hawks?
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:24 am
Haven’t not having sorry
drmaryb.(""_*).
July 12th, 2012
10:25 am
How good is jelly, IF you don’t have peanut butter & two slices of bread?
Remidtown
July 12th, 2012
10:26 am
“The Hawks should get there eyes outta the sky for now (Dwight, Iguadola) and focus on players who are realistic.”
That’s the exact logic that led to their recent mediocrity. Settling for players that are not elite and paying them like they are. Every team needs some complementary players but the Hawks need to focus on who they want to build their team around. If D12, fine. If someone else, fine. But it sure as heck better be an elite player or they won’t be much better off than they were before.
drmaryb.(""_*).
July 12th, 2012
10:28 am
Dumb … Dumber … Dumbest!
“We don’t want Javale McGee. If you want to know why I say that then go to google and type in his name. You will see the most searched terms in relation to his name. Look at the FOURTH most popular search.
Enough said!”
-Rev in Tampa-
____________
Sell dumb someplace else … we’re all stocked up here.
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:30 am
Who’s to say the Hawks are a non-contender as currently constructed?
We keep tossing that word around like a hot potato, but we don’t know what moves Ferry is thinking about.
Right now as constructed we have two legit PG’s something that not many contenders did have.
Some of these players are a bit better than most of the blog gives them credit for.
It wasn’t long ago that Stevenson was on that Championship Mavs team. We need someone like him and Ivan on the team tough nosed players.
I’d actually like to go after Mcgee at the very least like I said in my last post his attitude and antics were a result of Washington Wizards culture even John Wall had to virtually come out and say as such. That as they(wizards) were currently constructed they weren’t making any noise.
Once Mcgee got traded I really didn’t hear a whole lot of issues out of the Nuggets when he was playing with them.
UGA
July 12th, 2012
10:38 am
One FA SF to keep an eye on is Martell Webster, he will be cut loose here sometime from Minn. Delfino is also another one out there who is still available. If memory serves me right, the Spurs went after Josh Howard last season and he is still out there.
I am not sure how Anthony Randolph would fit with us…….
We should maybe look at another cheap big like Mehmet Okur. If we had to go big by putting Smoove at SF, he would be the shooter inserted as a C
doc
July 12th, 2012
10:39 am
from mark bradley:
Said Ferry, speaking Wednesday night: “The status quo wasn’t going to be good enough to reach our goals, and we weren’t even going to be able to sustain that.”
yup to that! it speaks to jj’s contract, the limitations going forward and the probable decline already in full sight if everyone is willing to open their eyes. last years winning percentage was a mirage to me. it happened but i dont think it could have been recreated in a full season with a real pre-season camp for everyone. it was an anomaly. we were in decline and had been since mid year 2009 under woody.
mark also went on to say that it was going to take several players to make up for what jj brought. it was not a done deal, the team, once put back together, it would get back the success of the former regime. as a surgeon, i would see folks come in bleeding or really sick and have to do something about it. if surgery was done there was a recovery time and sometimes people did quite well after the healing took place. we were bleeding and we needed a surgeon to come in and cut it open and begin to put it back together. that is where danny is. if people didnt see or or didnt accept it for what it was, it will be a long season on comparisons and what ifs.
yes, there will be many detractors that come here going forward. if the jamal vs guard of the day discussions seem long, wait until the jj vs the way it is types come to the board. reality is for the jamal argument, we did about as well with him as we did without him. certainly, we didnt have the bucks last year to bring him on board for what he rightly felt his services deserved because of? yes a big contract signed to get bigger with each passing year. amnesty? as we saw, never, in this thrift conscious organization. so be it.
jamal wasnt a deal maker in the playoffs any more than jj was. his second year saw us fall in the regular season numbers wise. people dont bring that up and only talk of things that support their argument. if he is the deal maker, it doesnt stop with the end of the season, start in the playoffs, or who we play. got that, if he is true deal maker? he is consistent, otherwise he is just a sum of the parts, only. both years jamal did well against the magic, one a win and one a loss, he wasnt a deal maker as we saw he couldnt get past the bulls as a deal maker. i doubt jamal would ha ve made a difference against boston because of who is coaching them. doc if needed,would have shut down his strengths just as his protege did in thibs. my hunch.
the reason i digress? it is, i say this about jj as well. that is the main argument on why he needed to go. he had his shot, got paid well for it. bottom line, it was never going to come to fruition to win big because he was ONLY a part within the sum of the parts and not a deal maker.
in a team game, it really wasnt any of those guys, jj, jamal or any other individuals, fault because on offense the premium guy needed was someone with a true inside presence or a group of players able to continue to play in a team oriented style of offense when the going got tough. we had neither and it is why this team never raised itself to above the second round. it was that old lack of team balance and/or the insistence that folks go one on one or rogue when times got tough. two coaches have now failed to get that across or recognized its importance.
there will come many detractors over these moves. i welcome these moves as i tend to be more a realist and saw something had to be done. yes, it is a question of timing. any surgeon knew that is a critical component. would the patient get well on his own or did he need to have more drastic measures? would waiting give them more of a chance or make the healing worse? or worse yet, does waiting make it impossible to recover?
i think danny gave us his true insights by moving so fast. this was all prepared in his mind before his papers were signed. he moved with guile and respect to what came before him but he moved. if nothing else it was a stroke of genius, if meant or not, to move in a trade with the nets. they were the biggest player for the one player who could have dominated this conference for years to come in d12. by trading jj before the nets could put all the pieces together to make all parties happy, he essentially sent d12 packing. maybe it is not to us but it is not to play against us. that in itself is huge and cant be under stated. again, that is genius there. if you cant get stronger, dont let anyone else get stronger if it is within your grasp.
now how long will the anesthesia last? how long will it take to recover? will we ever recover to the level we were? my gut says yes, based on what danny has done thus far in such a short time. he appears to have a lot more savvy and smarts than his two predecessors put together and then some. on second thought, throw in the past three. these are also big questions that we will all have to fight about; it was either act or allow the patient to die bleeding out in front of us or with every day delayed making the recovery longer if it was going to survive to play another day.
Ken Strickland
July 12th, 2012
10:39 am
OBRIEN-From the last blog. You put a lot of faith in our ability to resign Dwight, or do a sign and trade if we trade for him without an assurance of an extension being signed. First, you must consider the fact that so far we have yet to convince his best friend JSmith to sign an extension. Secondly, to do a sign and trade, both parties involved must agree to trade, and you don’t know if Lopez would want to to be traded after playing a yr with GWallace, JJohnson, DWilliams, MBrooks and REvans.
Thirdly, we will already be stuck with the bloated contracts of past their prime underachievers Turkalou, Jefferson, and whoever, which we’d have to take off Orlando’s hands if we traded for Dwight. I would hate to think we traded Horford, Teague and maybe Zaza, along with 2 first rd picks, only to end up with a big 7′ injury prone OC that’s regressed in every area except scoring.
Don’t forget, Lopez just signed a $15M a yr contract, and what we would get back, other than him, would depend on what Dwight agreed to sign for. Unless Dwight commits to a contract extension, forget about his butt. We don’t need him as a 1yr rental. Remember, this is the same Dwight Howard who last yr agreed not to opt out of him contract, leading the Magic to think he would resign if they gave in to his wishes to get rid of the HC and GM. We all know how that’s turned out.
Since Dwight has been in the league, how many teams have managed to win NBA titles without him? Next season, we’ll have a ton of cap space, and at least 1, maybe 2, 1st rd picks, and a GM that’s proven to be capable of getting the job done. If we don’t complete a trade for Dwight, look for Josh to be traded by the trade deadline if he can’t be convinced to sign an extension.
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
10:41 am
“Once Mcgee got traded I really didn’t hear a whole lot of issues out of the Nuggets when he was playing with them.”
On a continuum between George Karl and Flip Saunders, where would you place Larry Drew? Closer to Karl or Saunders?
Mike
July 12th, 2012
10:42 am
@Gene
Are you serious, really serious?
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
10:47 am
Geno,
It is hard for me to believe you are scooping ESPN. They are saying nothing about it… yet.
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:48 am
@ Rev in Tampa
Larry Drew is no Flip Saunders nor is he George Karl I wouldn’t know where to rank him.
But it wasn’t just the coaches fault for that culture the players created that because at the time they were all wayyyy too young. With barely any veterans on the team and I mean actual Vets like a Ray Allen and Derek Fisher people that knows how the NBA works.
EmirS.
July 12th, 2012
10:48 am
@Ray
True we do have two legit PGs…. but we don’t have LeBron or Wade.
True Stevenson was on the Championship Mav’s team….but so was Dirk, Kidd, Barea, Chandler, Brewer, Butler, and Marion.
The point I’m trying to make…is as currently constructed….we are in no possible way a legit contender. We are one of those team’s that can make the playoffs but everyone knows (including our very own fans) that we have no chance at a title. Kind of like the Grizz, Pacers, Sixers, Jazz, Nuggets, and Clippers. We fall into that group. If you wish to break it down even more we fall with the Nuggets, Sixers, and Jazz. (imo)
McGee is clumsy. Am I the only one that sees McGee as a better replica of Marvin? He reminds me of Wilt from Fosters Home of Imaginary Friends (I got a little sister and one TV). I don’t even care for his stats. I, personally, can’t stand watching the guy play. I feel like he’s gonna fall over any second.
Mike C.
July 12th, 2012
10:48 am
Geno is lying though his teeth right now.
UGA
July 12th, 2012
10:52 am
Read the Korver to TWolves is off, they were going to give up a 2nd round pick, maybe we get him now
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:53 am
@ EmirS
We don’t know how the landscape of the NBA will be once the season starts.
Right now yeah it’s easy to say Heat, Knicks, Bulls, Nets, Celtics, Pacers, Sixers, and Hawks.
But remember last season everyone said the exact same thing and what happened.
Bulls lost Rose and Noah and got booted out the playoffs. Sixers and Pacers both advanced which I don’t think most people though was suppose to happen.
Every season is different is my point you don’t know like me if Atlanta is a contender or not. We only guess yes I understand we only have one All-star player in Horford technically two all-stars, but I’m more wanting to wait a minute before we start saying we’re not contenders.
Ray
July 12th, 2012
10:55 am
As for Mcgee I wouldn’t mind giving him a shot is all I’m saying if it doesn’t work out trade him along with a few other people in fact he could be a better trade chip to get D12 like most people hope for.
Rod from College Park
July 12th, 2012
10:55 am
doc,
After your long rambling post answer this question for me. Last year would you rather have had Jamal on this team at 6 mil or Kirk Hinrich at 8 mil? Simple question.
Having and inside presence or guys going one on one was not why we lost in the playoffs. We lost simply because we could not execute offensively. Thats is. Miami had no inside post presence, and they played one on one ball with kick outs to shooters all playoffs long and they won a championship. We lost this year because of coaching, and the inability of our star player to take over games when we needed him to.
doc
July 12th, 2012
10:58 am
ray doesnt it say something that after trading nene having a replacement but also a pretty good project in mcghee if they liked him they would try and sign him and to my knowledge they havent? what they offer is going to be my take on what karl thought about him and his ability to play a team game and be smart enough to grasp it. we need players like karl likes to succeed as his model is to do it without a superstar based on a team oriented game.
Ken Strickland
July 12th, 2012
11:00 am
DOC, DOC, DOC-What can I say. Brilliant, just brilliant. Extremely well presented with no hint of the bias, or the obsession so many fans seem to have for or against DHoward. Like I said above, we’ll have 1 or 2 1st rd picks, a potential core of Josh, Horford, Teague, Williams, Zaza, Ivan, Jenkins and Scott, and a ton of cap space that will allow us to sign and/or resign basically whoever we want.
And don’t be surprised to see Pape Sy become a serious challenger for the starting SF position. If he’s as pumped up as reported, and his outside shot has improved, he would be a load at SF with his PG skills.
Buddy Grizzard
July 12th, 2012
11:00 am
“Last year would you rather have had Jamal on this team at 6 mil or Kirk Hinrich at 8 mil?”
Kirk Hinrich, hands down. The problem with Kirk in the playoffs was that he was underutilized. The problem with Jamal was that he was over utilized. Yes, Kirk’s offense was terrible. But Jamal’s offense was terrible against Chicago and his defense was non-existent. When I look back at Jamal in the Chicago series, I wish Drew had played him less. When I look back at Kirk in the Boston series, I wish Drew had played him more. That was an easy one Rod from C.P.!
MsDee
July 12th, 2012
11:02 am
The Minnesota Timberwolves plan to amnesty center Darko Milicic in order to give an offer sheet to Portland Trail Blazers restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, a league source says.
Buddy Grizzard
July 12th, 2012
11:03 am
Blog troll get a life, we all know how to click over to espn.com.
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
11:03 am
Those posts about the Howard trade and other stuff is not from me obviously.
MsDee
July 12th, 2012
11:05 am
“After several months of trying to trade Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan called the All-Star center Wednesday night to see if he’d reconsider giving Hennigan and the Magic’s new regime a chance to keep Howard in Orlando, a source close to Howard said.”
Wow, I wonder how THAT chat went???
Basement Boy
July 12th, 2012
11:07 am
Hi, I’m the Basement Boy Troll (BBT for short) and I have returned to ruin your Hawks Blog Day. I am bored and my mother only left me $3 in spending money and a spam biscuit for breakfast. So I will torment you guys because I am a mindless, bored and childish troll.
Atlanta Hawks: New era begins | Atlanta Informer
July 12th, 2012
11:08 am
[...] News here – Atlanta Hawks ← Code enforcer wakes woman up in bed with citation Cancel [...]
Rod from College Park
July 12th, 2012
11:17 am
Buddy,
You have to be related to Kirk Hinrich. No way anyone would ever support that guy unless they were related. He was truly one of the most useless players the Hawks ever aquired. He stayed injured, was not good at all defensively unless he played the 2, and was terrible offensively. The guy was useless. Only time he really ever contributed to this team at all was during the Orlando series and Jamal outshined him then. Get over it. No one is worrying abliut Kirk Hinrich. Especially for 8 mil. He was worse thatn Marvin production wise.
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
11:18 am
Ray,
Although I was clowning on McGee, I mean you no disrespect.
Too often last year we would watch Josh hanging around the three point line, or Marvin never moving inside the three point line, or JJ pounding the ball for 3/4 of the shot clock. But then after the game Larry Drew would complain about the lack of offensive rebounding and ball movement.
Larry Drew always blamed the players, but I lay the blame at his feet. He does not have SUFFICIENT control of the team. They are certainly not the Wizards, but there was, and will continue to be, dysfunctional team play because of Larry Drew.
I believe Javale McGee would only contribute more to the dysfunction.
pointguardslim
July 12th, 2012
11:20 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG7smUGa8h0
Josh Smith and Al Horford @ SF + PF
better defense, better ball movement. Maximizing scoring at the PF with Josh eating up jumpers is not what the Hawks need.
Get Brandon Bass or Mike Scott or Horford in PF if you want stand still midrange jumpers.
Josh at SF enhances the whole team with his defense blocks posting up and boards.
Ra'mon
July 12th, 2012
11:20 am
Should the Hawks try Darko?
doc
July 12th, 2012
11:21 am
rod i dont think you read what i said or you wouldnt as. anyway, i will answer that i would have easily preferred jamal for no other reason as he was healthy at the start of the season. who wouldnt? hinrich had just had surgery facing up to 3 to 6 months on the shelf. if amnesty is out of the question as i stated in my prose, how the f@ck do you think we were going to rid ourselves of a guy that had undergone the knife, not really knowing when he would return so we could have the money to then get jamal in a trade? reality rod, reality.
there wasnt a sucker big enough, even it the nba to pick up hinrich on those terms. so after a lock out, people scrambling to create teams on the fly, just as we did, there was never going to be a suitor of hinrich for sure or a stupid taker. why do you even bring up that as a legit question, when you look at reality? and please answer specifically that question if nothing else.
yes, i would have preferred a healthy jamal at 5 mil for 2 yrs for a broken hinrich at 8 mil for 1. that is the rub, who would take hinrich rod? and dont come back with we should have never taken him. i can also say bibby should have never come here with another bad contract to save the basg and bk with woody from themselves, but once here, you got to go with it. otherwise, it is just psychotic to continue. again, the reason jamal wasnt bought at a premium? my opinion, is that would take us into a very bad tax essentially doubling what he cost us to give to others in a robin hod cba agreement for being in the tax setting rich giving to the poor and we are not rich. rod, he was not the deal maker, sorry to remind you or inform you if you didnt hear before only a piece easily manipulated by other smart coaches as we all saw. he wasnt the deal breaker or real deal and neither was jj. we tried it and we failed it. time to move on or be psychotic or certainly very obsessive compulsive.
prediction, if we lose there will be a lot of psychotic behavior here this coming year.
as an aside, 6th moy awards are sweet measure an accomplishment and represent a good regular season, unfortunately, they dont predict success in the post season. anyone willing to only look back a few years can see? how many blew it up in the playoffs and took it to even greater heights? how many have been the mvp? ever? ever shined greater than the star on their team and get the ring?
pointguardslim
July 12th, 2012
11:23 am
and the point is team basketball. Josh Smith as the stretch 4 is not maximizing anything.
Art Vandelay
July 12th, 2012
11:23 am
I don’t understand is why the Lakers are so gung ho to bring D12 in. They already have the 2nd-best center in the league in Bynum, and he’s still got room to improve physically and mentally; do they really think swapping him for Howard would add more than a couple of wins over the course of a full season? Seems to me that LA is more concerned with star power than actual basketball ability.
Art Vandelay
July 12th, 2012
11:29 am
11:26 and 11:27 are not me — it’s the same 12-year-old troll who’s been amusing himself all morning by spoofing everyone else’s screen name. Grow up, bud.
Rev in Tampa
July 12th, 2012
11:29 am
T-S,
Being a blog troll does not afford the anoymity it used to:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jul/10/s-r-must-provide-info-anonymous-commenter/
doc
July 12th, 2012
11:29 am
good to see you around some ken s along with big rat, some old timers. glad they are still kicking.
btw, joe mama. i stand corrected based on newer joe pa info. enjoyed the polite discourse just the same.
Art Vandelay
July 12th, 2012
11:30 am
Of course, if AJC would just invest in a real blog system that actually allows users to have and keep a consistent identity, none of this would be an issue. Unfortunately, they seem to be perfectly content to stick with this useless system from 2003.
doc
July 12th, 2012
11:32 am
i see someone has imitated me. thanks for the flattery.
two before 11:29 can be attributed to someone else.
any ideas who? heh heh
be well t-s my friend.
doc
July 12th, 2012
11:33 am
meant big ray. some may have fun with the slip.
doc
July 12th, 2012
11:35 am
make it three as i didnt see one as i posted the same time.