An NBA man says: The right coach could fix the Hawks
Johnson and Woodson: The partnership seems near its end. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
I spoke for 30 minutes Monday with a man who has been an NBA head coach and who knows the game and its personnel as well as anyone. We spoke about the Hawks. He made these points:
• Mike Woodson is a good coach who deserves great credit for lifting the Hawks from 13-69 to 53-29 over the course of five seasons. But it became clear in these playoffs that his players had stopped listening, as players invariably will after hearing the same voice for so long.
• It’s one thing to go down swinging in the playoffs, but no good team should ever be beaten the way the Hawks were by Orlando.
• Even though Joe Johnson pulled another playoff disappearance, he remains one of the toughest players to defend in the league. He’s the focal point of every opposing scouting report.
• Josh Smith is a tremendous talent who has become a very good player, but his relationship with Woodson has become poisoned. Whoever the next coach is — this man believes Woodson and the Hawks will indeed part ways — he must be able to correct Smith’s excesses without seeming to browbeat him.
• Al Horford is the one indispensable man on the Hawks’ roster — a terrific player who’s also a leader. That said, the man noticed that even Horford was guilty of matador defense during the Orlando series, a telltale sign that the team had stopped responding to its coach.
• Mike Bibby has little left and could well become a distraction if/when he loses his starting job. The Hawks probably need to move him.
• Marvin Williams has been a huge disappointment.
• Woodson’s basic precepts — Iso-Joe on offense, switching every screen on defense — can work well in the regulation season, where opponents essentially have to show up and play, but they don’t work in the playoffs because teams have a chance to prepare at length. Both Milwaukee’s Scott Skiles and Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy outflanked the Hawks.
• Jamal Crawford was the reason the Hawks went from 47 wins last season to 53 this.
• Assuming it comes open, the Hawks’ coaching job will be seen as a plum. Even if Johnson leaves, this won’t be a team starting over. Horford, Smith and Crawford are major talents, and there’s no telling what Johnson could fetch in a sign-and-trade. The right coaching hire could elevate this team immediately.
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170 comments Add your comment
Reid Adair
May 11th, 2010
12:13 pm
Mike Woodson and Joe Johnson have to go. Mike Bibby needs to be on the bench; if that’s going to be an issue as your source suggests, Mark, then he needs to go also.
Mark Bradley
May 11th, 2010
12:18 pm
OK, enough delaying. Here’s who I’d hire as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.
glenn
May 11th, 2010
12:18 pm
I think if I was going to choose a coach it would be Byron Scott . He really got alot out of a really thin Hornets team . He really shouldn’t have been fired .
Sautee
May 11th, 2010
12:30 pm
Najeh,
I’m guessing it was Kevin Loughery
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman" Jones, SR
May 11th, 2010
12:33 pm
As a long time Hawks fan going back to the days of Lou Hudson, Zelmo Beaty, Walt Hazzard, and Bill Bridges I am tired of the team’s management screwing up the team. Leave the team along. Yes we can’t beat the Magic, the Cavaliers, and the Lakers, but who can. We match up plenty good with the Celtics and we are better than the Bulls, the Bucks, the Bobcats and Heat. We need to sit tight. The last time we let management do anything they traded Mr. Dominique Wilkins. Worst move in the team’s History. Keep the coach and the players and let the idiots in the management and the media be quiet!!!!!!
tidog
May 11th, 2010
12:37 pm
Woodson is a victim of his own success. His inability to evolve as the team evolved will cost him his job. For all his success in Atlanta he may not land another head coach job. He’ll have a hard sell trying to convince a GM that he’s capable of more than isolation offense and switching defense. He has the NBA and IU pedigree, he may end up a being a very good college coach.
Mark Bradley
May 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
I disagree, tidog. I think Woodson will be a head coach in the NBA next season.
tidog
May 11th, 2010
12:49 pm
@ Mark Bradley, we’ll agree to disagree but time and GM’s will tell.
THE GUY WHO CANT SEE WHY MARVIN WILLIAMS IS IN THE LEAGUE!
May 11th, 2010
12:52 pm
I WANT TO FIGHT MARVIN WILLIAMS!
THE GUY WHO CANT SEE WHY MARVIN WILLIAMS IS IN THE LEAGUE!
May 11th, 2010
12:57 pm
COACH WOODSON WILL COME OUT OF A FULL TIME OUT, AND RUN THE SAME SH*T! WATCHING THE HAWKS IS DRIVING BEST BUY’S STOCKS WAY UP! I HAVE SMASHED 2 FLAT SCREENS WATCHING THAT SH*T!
Numberonehawksfan
May 11th, 2010
1:09 pm
Woodson first needs to be congratulated for a job well done, bringing this team from no-where to a first round capable NBA team. He has taken this team as far as they can go with him at the helm. It is now time to get a coach to work on details with this team. There is no reason they should run so much ISO and the switching defense is a bail out(for Bibby, who can’t guard anyone that can dribble a basketball) that all good teams will trash eventually by finding the mismatch. I didn’t see any adjustments and if they were made, the team chose not to follow them which by all accounts means Woodson’s done here! The next coach has to come in and make sure that you are able to get J Smoove (my favorite player who has caused me to go bald–just kiddin–I always cut my hair bald anyways) to number 1, stop handling the ball beyond the three point line, 2 stop shooting from 18 feet and farther and 3 but most important, there is never a call that is changed once it is made, get your AZZ back on defense! If I see one more picture of J-Smoove arguing a call while the ball is on the other side of half court, I swear…Please Spirit Group, make a move, a good move. As presently constructed, your team is only a first round out and next year, Milwaukee will be better and you lost to New York 3 of 4, they’ll be better. Miami has cap room, they’ll be better. Have we reached our pinnacle, 53 wins, two 2nd round sweeps (no-shows)?
chem
May 11th, 2010
1:15 pm
Rough night of “sleep” Brad?
BYC
May 11th, 2010
4:26 pm
“why does everyone assume it’s all Woodson’s fault? The team improved every season he was the coach.”
I am tired of hearing this weak argument. Tell me how specifically how Woodson is a good coach? I personally account the record improvement to young players naturally getting better and the improvement in the roster.
Roster from our 13-win season:
NO. PLAYER POS HT WT YRS DOB FROM
== ====== === == == === === ====
00 Tony Delk G 6-2 189 8 1/28/74 Kentucky
1 Josh Childress G 6-8 210 R 6/20/83 Stanford
3 Al Harrington F 6-9 250 6 2/17/80 St. Patrick’s (NJ) HS
5 Josh Smith F 6-9 225 R 12/5/85 Oak Hill Academy
7 Tom Gugliotta F 6-10 250 12 12/19/69 North Carolina St.
10 Tyronn Lue G 6-0 178 5 5/3/77 Nebraska
13 Boris Diaw F 6-8 215 1 4/16/82 France
14 Predrag Drobnjak C 6-11 270 3 10/27/75 Serbia
15 Donta Smith G 6-7 215 R 11/27/83 Southeastern Illinois
36 Royal Ivey G 6-3 200 R 12/20/81 Texas
40 Jason Collier C 7-0 260 4 9/8/77 Georgia Tech
42 I-Kevin Willis C 7-0 245 20 9/6/62 Michigan St.
44 I-Michael Stewart C 6-10 230 7 4/25/75 California
54 Obinna Ekezie F 6-9 270 4 8/22/75
We had a bunch of really young rookies and 30-yr old veteran role players!
Woodson doesn’t do anything well! He was brought in as a defensive coach and his defensive got destroyed in the playoffs. His offense is non-existant. His team is mentally weak and undisciplined. He either blows at evaluating talent or developing it. He can’t coach in game or make adjustments. He can’t work the refs to get calls. What exactly does he even do as a coach? We started at 13 freaking wins, of course we are going to improve!
tae27
May 11th, 2010
5:00 pm
this team still isnt getting out of the second round even with a new coach.. the lineup is to flawed
BYC
May 11th, 2010
5:03 pm
“If Woody was coaching Orlando’s players and Stan Van Gundy was coaching Atlanta’s do you think the outcome would have been any diferent?”
Imagine a world where Woodson coached the Magic and SVG coached the Hawks…
Lebron would openly announce he is going to New York after winning last years championship. Jameer Nelson would be called a bust after riding the bench for five years. Jason Williams would be running the point, by which I mean dribbling the ball past half court and handing it off to Vince Carter. Rashard Lewis would stop playing defense or moving without the ball since he knows Vince will be shooting it. Dwight Howard would have no post moves and would regularly get into foul trouble after trying to guard Jeff Teague all game. Horford would drop 30 points a night posting up Jason Williams. Joe Johnson and Crawford would be raining threes from an inside-out offense. Josh Smith would average 5 dunks, 5 blocks, 5 steals, and 0 jumpshots as the league’s DPOY. The Magic would get blown out in games 1 and 2 (in atlanta), blow a 10-point fourth quarter lead in game three, and get blown out in game 4.
Free Advice
May 11th, 2010
7:09 pm
The right man for the Hawks I think is Vinny Del Negro. Just as I think the right man for my Chicago Bulls might be Mike Woodson. As for Joe Johnson…You can keep him. The comments he made after game 3 wouldn’t be tolerated up there.
JMatt
May 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
Whoever this coach is…hire him! He dissected the Hawk’s problems and solutions well. The only thing I say is that I would not resign Joe Johnson (he can’t work in a set offense only one-on-one) and I would trade Josh Smith plus a pick to get a great point guard like Stephen Curry. Who need J-Smooth’s kindagarden attitude.
TRUTHSPITTER
May 13th, 2010
5:48 pm
Hubie Brown or whoever you spoke with does not know what they are talking about. Does this person know Bibby personally? Is that how they can jump to the conclusion that a guy that probably only wants to win a championship before becoming a coach one day like his dad is gonna make trouble and a bad name for himself? That’s just stupid. He was right on Marvin but anyone can tell you that. He was right on the strategy but anyone can tell you that things work differently when giving time. Finally, just because you think this person has a wealth of knowledge does not make it true. Maybe if you give up the coaches name we can decide if we think he knows a damn thing.
wuffe
May 18th, 2010
12:53 pm
Hey … why dont the Hawks put Obama at the point, and if anyone messes with him, he’ll have his men in black take them out!… Nuff said.
P
May 19th, 2010
4:24 pm
Wake up ATL!…You all let a very good coach go!…Joe Johnson is not in the same class as D-Wade,Lebon James or Kobe!…& by the way Josh Smith is not as good as he so thinks he is!…Marvin Will-a-joke is just that a “JOKE”,Mike Bibby is now ready to be a back-up point guard for some other team @ BEST!…Al Harford has no low post game!…BRING BACK WOODSON!