Report: Mike Woodson could leave Hawks for Sixers
One report has Mike Woodson coaching again next season -- but in Philadelphia. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Even before this season began, it was clear the year would be a referendum on coach Mike Woodson. He was entering the last season of a two-year deal (he wanted at least three) and every time he asked management for an extension, he was told, “We’re going to wait until after the season.”
Now that the Hawks are struggling with Milwaukee in the opening round of the playoffs, whether Woodson is re-signed/wants to stay is as big an issue as ever. In fact, some reasoned speculation now has him leaving on his own — to Philadelphia.
There is an increasing belief that Charlotte coach Larry Brown is finally ready to retire from coaching and return to Philly, where he still maintains a home, to become president of the Sixers. According to a story by Yahoo Sports, Brown already has his wish list: Washington Wizards executive Milt Newton would be his general manager. Woodson, his former assistant in Detroit, would be his coach.
To think: Hawks general manager Rick Sund might not even have a decision to make.
Excerpts from the Yahoo story:
Still, the possibility is strong that Brown will coach the 76ers, because Woodson wouldn’t leave an Eastern Conference contender unless the Hawks low-ball him in contract talks at season’s end. His deal is expiring with Atlanta, and several sources familiar with the Hawks’ plans predict an offer that Woodson could easily refuse. …
The possibility of Brown coaching the 76ers could rest largely on how things play out with the Hawks. There’s been a cool relationship between management and Woodson, and sources say that the organization’s priority isn’t to reward him with an expensive contract extension. The Hawks are pooling resources to get maximum money available for Joe Johnson. The message has been made clear to the Hawks: Offer Johnson a max contract extension on July 1, and they’re likely to keep him.
Sources say that this is the reason Atlanta is willing to sell its first-round pick for $3 million this summer, and the reason that they’ll likely offer no more than a three-year contract for $1.8 to $2 million a year to a possible Woodson successor. Woodson could expect a bigger offer to stay on the job, but perhaps not by much. For Woodson, the 76ers could offer leverage to leave, but he would have to weigh leaving a legitimate Eastern Conference contender for a flawed roster in Philadelphia.
Woodson has aired complaints about his contract status and that of his assistants on a few occasions. One would think if the Hawks were overly concerned about losing him, they would’ve attempted to sign him by now. Losing consecutive games to the Bucks in a series doesn’t help his cause, even if the Hawks may still go on to win the series.
OK, let’s open the flood gates: What are you thoughts on Woodson potentially leaving?
♦
Earlier post
♦ TUESDAY COUNTDOWN: L.T.’s boozy draft, Ben’s brain, NHL ‘extraction’
♦
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212 comments Add your comment
danny
April 27th, 2010
11:52 am
go woody! go hawks!
Rock Preston
April 27th, 2010
11:53 am
Drew 7…..are you for real????? Character doesnt win games my man! He is paid to win games…playoff games. Hard to win them when you make no adjustments (like Skiles has) and is too stubborn to admit what he has been doing (no offensive plan) isnt working. Pride and stubborness will get him what he deserves which is the first thing smoking outta the ATL.
need the right player
April 27th, 2010
11:54 am
Right on DawgBoi! Just makes sense…(read the comments finally)
Count me in
April 27th, 2010
11:55 am
After 3 weeks of NPR fundraising, I guess I’m just stuck in contribution mode! Where can I send a check to make this happen. ANYTHING to get Woodson out of Atlanta. Is it possible to get him to Philadelphia before Game 5. I’ll take my chances in Game 5 with an interim coach – or Byron Scott. Either way, just not Woodson!
Blue
April 27th, 2010
11:56 am
Mr. Schultz,
I think your silence about the situation speaks volumes about what your insiders are telling you.
Coach K
April 27th, 2010
11:58 am
Anyone who cannot teach effective pick-n-roll defense doesn’t deserve an extension. Other coaches are eating Woody’s lunch. You cannot constantly switch on D on a big man/small man PnR and expect success. Time to move on and get a coach who can teach D.
TBD
April 27th, 2010
11:58 am
Sell Thrashers, put more $$ in coaching & tall center. Go for coference finals. Better to have 1 good team, than 2 bad ones.
PlusSizeModel
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!
Wait…wait…
AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!
No city deserves this idiot more.
Drew7
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
Enter your comments here
fanfan
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
what is Mark Price’s title?
Kenbud
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
Just have this sinking feeling we’re going to lose JJ and Coach Woodson …… and that’s fine.
Marcus
April 27th, 2010
12:04 pm
See multiple problems here …. we basically hit the the ‘reset’ button if that yahoo! scenario goes down:
1. This Hawks team, clearly talented and clearly flawed, needs its 2010 1st round pick to get a player in here to address our obvious defensive shortcomings.
2. If we are that cash-strapped such that we have to sell our 1st round pick to keep JJ, then we likely don’t have enough money to pursue a defensive difference-maker in FA (our only other option) … which means this team doesn’t REALLY improve. We basically repeat 2008 and 2009.
3. If Woody goes ……… who is to say that the new coach will want to have the same roster makeup …. which means we just re-upped some expensive contracts over the last 2 off-seasons (Marvin, Bibby, Zaza, Smoove) and some upcoming contract extensions (Horford) that we will have to eat or trade if the new coach decides to blow things up.
If everything goes down like that, we basically become the FL Marlins of the NBA…minus the fire-sale after a World Championship.
Yunel Asscobar
April 27th, 2010
12:05 pm
Jeff – would LOVE to see Woodson go. The cherry on the sundae would be taking Wren with him! The Atlanta sports scene would improve exponentially. Avery Johnson would be a good fit and winning coach. If they can’t get AJ, you may want to consider the position….the “I do know more, but can’t talk about it now” statement would indicate that ASG has already approached you, eh? Would hate to see you leave this post, but hey, you would be an immediate upgrade over Woodson.
PlusSizeModel
April 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
“Maybe Paul Hewitt would take it…but we aren’t lucky enough for that i don’t think.”
Now that’s some good comedy right there!
Pryncess
April 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
Buh bye Woodson! You’re a cool dude, but you’re just not cutting it here in Atlanta. Your coaching style doesn’t correlate with our players. It’s either get rid of the team or get rid of you…well that’s simple.
Count me in
April 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
I know ASG is leaking money like a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, but where is this coming from that they can’t afford a real coach to replace the person masquerading as an NBA coach? They just paid a boat load of money to re-up Bibby, Pachulia and Williams (doubling down on the already bad decision to draft him ahead of Chris Paul and Deron Williams). Sorta made good business sense not to fire Woodson the last two years and end up paying two coaches. Then they certainly could not have afforded a proven coach. But with Woodson’s contract expiring, what makes anyone think, based on ASG’s recent signings, that they wouldn’t be in the market for a Tier 1 coach?
bobby
April 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
Byron Scott, Maurice Cheeks, Lawrence Frank have all had success in the NBA more that Woody. It is proven that second time or even third time around NBA coaches can have success look at Rick Carlisle (Ind.,Det.) in Dallas, Scott Skiles (Chi.) in Milwaukee, Alvin Gentry (Lac) in Phoenix. Mo being a former point guard might really help with the growth of teague. Just a thought on how it could play out. If Woodon wants to leave let him, otherwise a 3 year deal for about 1.75 a year, and a 500k buyout for the last year, seems appropriate as an offer.
Ron White
April 27th, 2010
12:11 pm
Bring back Terry “Tater” Stotts.
SportsPaige
April 27th, 2010
12:11 pm
the sooner Woodson leaves the better. Bring in Avery Johnson or Byron Scott. But the ownership is such a joke that I don’t know what they can offer that would bring in an able replacement. With that said, I think we all know that ANY warm body they prop up as coach is better than Woody.
Ron White
April 27th, 2010
12:12 pm
Of course that was a joke, what do you think I do for a living? Pfft.
Count me in
April 27th, 2010
12:12 pm
You guys have me convinced now. Let Joe go and replace him with … anything. Even Childress in a rotation run by a real coach would be just as good as 5 more years of Joe’s dispassionate indifference towards playoff basketball. Now I see why Phoenix didn’t put up much of a fight to keep him. Hopefully, ASG has learned what the Colangelos knew – Joe ain’t worth a max contract.
Now, there’s a lot of convincing to be done to get me to see D-Wade leaving Miami for the ATL. I know the Hawks have a LOT more talent. But, I think Wade just likes Miami and will like it a lot more with Stoudemire.
Tech fan
April 27th, 2010
12:13 pm
Take Paul Hewitt. Please.
Mrs. Hewitt
April 27th, 2010
12:17 pm
That’ll work for me. It’d be better next year after Paul is fired and paid the $7 million, though, if you guys don’t mind waiting.
Jesse
April 27th, 2010
12:20 pm
Let him walk. We need a coach who can motivate these guys on the road. No reason for the difference in play on the road except coaching. These guys simply don’t listen to him, and he doesn’t make them listen. Bench them if they aren’t running an Offense.
JMar
April 27th, 2010
12:22 pm
I’ve been praying for the day Woody was out of here for years. Please let this happen.
CrazyDiamond
April 27th, 2010
12:23 pm
Let me get this straught: Spend to close to the NBA cap but hire a coach on the cheap? Replace Woody – which is a good move – with a caoch willing to take a smaller salary? I’ve said before that Woody has taken this team as far as he can and we need a proven winner to replace him. We need a bold move by the Atlanta Spirit Group on this one … wait … We are so screwed.
Joes
April 27th, 2010
12:24 pm
Don’t bring Mike Woodson back we need Avery Johnson.
The hawks are missing something that is defense I think Avery Johnson would get the hawks better on defense.
Let him Joe
April 27th, 2010
12:24 pm
Don’t sign Joe and get Wade. If Woody leaves bring home Doc Rivers.
Ted Striker
April 27th, 2010
12:26 pm
The average NBA coach typically has a shelf-life in one city that lasts somewhere between a dog’s lifespan and a helicopter pilot in Nam. If Philly offers Woodson, he should take it. I’m not a hard-line Woodson critic; he’s not spectacular, but he’s very solid. My perennial complaint has been an inability to spread minutes a little better, so the team can perform better in the playoffs.
p.s. Who’d have ever thought that Philly might be more likely to sign Mike Woodson that they would be to sign Josh Smith?
Joes
April 27th, 2010
12:26 pm
Atlanta is the worst sports city in the country I hate to say it but it’s true. Braves and Hawks are always inconsistent the Falcons are the best sports in Atlanta atleast they have a great owner that wants to win.
Joe
April 27th, 2010
12:27 pm
This is the BEST news I have read all morning. Finally, Woody go!!! Bring in a real coach!!!!
sippin the koolaid
April 27th, 2010
12:28 pm
really feel like the hawks have been exposed as undercoached or maybe just outcoached by skiles. reformulated an attack that has really used the strengths of his team to torch the hawks. even when we are playing good defense,jennings or even ridenour have run circles around bibby and/or whoever else is guarding the point. then when we have run ourselves into a mess, dish to the open man, and whammo, we are down by ten again. Hate to say it, it does not look good right about now. everything said, I think Woodson probrably has done as much improving as he can with this team. Sure would like to see marvin do something in this series. Man, sure could use teagues quickness on jennings if he had come around a little sooner. Seems like we have a problem drafting NBA ready players, with the exception of Horford. Good Luck Hawks, looks like you will need it.
gtm
April 27th, 2010
12:29 pm
Let him go. We’ve hit our ceiling with him. Sund seems to know what he’s doing so far, so I hope he continues to push the team forward over the offseason.
Justin
April 27th, 2010
12:35 pm
Adios woody
BIG UGLIES WIN GAMES!
April 27th, 2010
12:37 pm
Just like Bobby Cox, he should have been gone years ago!!!
Fan
April 27th, 2010
12:38 pm
Steve Smith for coach!
Flappin Hawk
April 27th, 2010
12:42 pm
Are U kidding? It’s been time for a new coach for years. Sund knows this. Woody’s eventual departure has been his plan from day 1. Woody has served his purpose ala Doug Collins in the early Jordan Chicago years. Now it’s time to bring in a coach that has an offensive mindset. Iso-whoever is great, but if you don’t have anything beyond iso, except for a few predictable plays, your screwed. The Bucks have nowhere near the talent the Hawks have, but they pass the ball to the open man and move to the open area. It’s obvious to all that Woodson will not take us to the next level. If the Hawks loose a home game he will absolutely be history. Can’t wait to see who the next coach will be.
j. naismith
April 27th, 2010
12:47 pm
talk about head cases, this is a starting 5 of john smoltz’s.
gcs
April 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
Thank you Sixers! That would be incredible.
.
wadeinthewater
April 27th, 2010
12:50 pm
I agree with DawgBoi and needtherightplayer. If you’re going to spend big bucks then do so on Wade. As for as a coach, rumor was that Coach K was giving consideration to the pro ranks. Atlanta is not that far from Tobacco Road. for that matter, throw some of the bucks at Skiles. Look what he’s done with the ones he has now.
gcs
April 27th, 2010
12:51 pm
This is not bad news, it is great news. Woodson is the one thing holding the Hawks back. B’bye.
.
extremus
April 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
I’ve felt for some time that the Hawks are one of those vast majority of NBA franchises that gathers a core of young talent for an eventual three or four-year push to see how high they can go before it’s rebuilding mode again. They simply don’t have the market or the invested ownership (see also: Braves) to compete with the larger markets for their best players come free agency, and that also likely extends to their coaches. This is the last season we’ll likely see the Hawks with the same personnel and potential for quite awhile; they’re going to fade back into the pack once more come next year.
The reason Bobby Cox is able to go out on his own terms is that the Braves were able to create a culture of winning which drove their fans’ expectations and their own since 1991; only in recent years (mostly since the purchase by Liberty Media) have we seen that culture shift to penny-pinching, which is why the Braves seem to be a franchise at the crossroads right now. But the Hawks have never quite reached the level where they managed to create that same atmosphere of champioship-caliber expectations and swagger; the closest we ever got was during the days of Wilkins, Rivers, and company. I don’t think these Hawks will get over the hump, even to the Conference Finals, because for all their talent and athleticism they still lack the ability to remain consistent on the road, and there’s still a lack of maturity and motivation far too often. True championship teams don’t play down to their opponents’ level, and the Hawks are guilty as sin of that.
mn possum
April 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Open the vault and hire Doc Rivers. If necessary, give him an administrative title to make the offer more alluring.
K.B.
April 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
With the talent that the Hawks have there will be no shortage of coaches lining up to take his place.
Eric C.
April 27th, 2010
12:58 pm
I look forward to seeing Mike Woodson reach the first round of the playoffs in Philly
Paddy
April 27th, 2010
1:00 pm
You can be sure that whatever the decision the ASG make on Woody it will be the wrong one. They have not gotten one right since since buying the team. It will be a money based decision. It has to be, right? The ASG has no money.. No Money + no clue = DISASTER. Run away Woody as fast as you can, this time the sky is really falling!
tidog
April 27th, 2010
1:02 pm
The hawks have been exposed, Players, coach, offense and defense. Everyone knows the hawks are athletic without a low post presence. the post players survive on talent and guts, not height. The bucks have exposed the flaws in CMW offensive and defensive scheme. Coach is unwilling or incapable of making game to game adjustments and significant in game adjustments.
G'Vegas Dawg
April 27th, 2010
1:02 pm
Woody has taken the hawks as far as he can. This is not saying that the hawks aren’t capable of doing more and doing it better. However, the hawks can go no further with HIM. I, like many hawks fans are appreciative of what Woody has done with our franchise. However, I am not sure how a young team like the hawks are suppossed to draw inspiration or energy from a coach who looks confused on the sidelines and sounds like he is about to fall asleep during interviews. Woody needs to be in a place to develop young talent and then move on or be in a front office job evaluating talent. He doesn’t have the sideline presence to be a head coach on a young and explosive team like our hawks.
Matt the Brave
April 27th, 2010
1:07 pm
He did a great job building this franchise up, but I think that it’s time for someone else to step in to take us over the top. I have no idea who that is right now, but I think that Woody’s hit the wall for what he can personally do for this franchise. Philly would be an ideal place for him to go to because they would build it up just like they did the Hawks. After that, then Woody’s free to go wherever he wants because he’ll be known as the coach that can build teams up from nothing (I’m looking your way, New Jersey….).
dantheman
April 27th, 2010
1:10 pm
Jeff,
Any chance if the Mavs go down to the Spurs that Cuban jettisons Carlisle? If so, what about him?