Update: Hawks are given permission to interview Casey
The Atlanta Hawks have sought and received permission from the Dallas Mavericks to speak with Mavs assistant Dwane Casey regarding the Hawks’ coaching job, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Through team spokesperson Arthur Triche, Hawks general manager Rick Sund declined to comment.
The Hawks made their request Saturday, one day after announcing they would not offer Mike Woodson a contract extension. The request was granted by Dallas GM Donnie Nelson.
In Sunday’s edition of the New York Daily News, Mitch Lawrence identified Casey as the favorite to succeed Woodson. (Lawrence also reported that the Hawks are up for sale, which would be major news.)
Casey worked under Rick Sund as an assistant to Nate McMillan for five seasons when the Hawks’ general manager was GM of the Seattle SuperSonics. Casey interviewed for the Hawks’ coaching job in 2004, when then-GM Billy Knight chose Woodson instead.
Casey was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves for a season and a half but was fired by then-GM Kevin McHale in January 2007 when the T-Wolves were 20-20. (The team would finish 32-50.) Casey’s record as an NBA head coach is 53-69.
The reasons for Casey’s firing in Minnesota have never been delineated. But ESPN.com Insider John Hollinger called the move “McHale’s Folly” and wrote: “Somebody, anybody, tell me what [Casey] did wrong.”
Casey has already been interviewed by the New Orleans Hornets for their coaching vacancy and is believed to be in the mix for the Chicago Bulls’ job.
(Oh, and if you’re wondering what I think of Dwane Casey: As noted earlier, he’d be my first choice.)
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279 comments Add your comment
Fire Sund
May 16th, 2010
6:04 pm
41 BLOCKS PER FOUL COMMITTED. TEAMS HAVE A DUNK FEST ON HIM = 2.5 FOULS TO GET 1 BLOCK. DUDE!
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
6:04 pm
Yep Jody . . even Big Baby Davis . . who is short at 6 – 9 . . but is a girthy 280 – 285 lbs, is using his body effectively against Dwight Howard.
Boston Frontline:
- Perkins: 6 – 10 . . . 280 lbs ( and Dwight Howard says he plays him the best of anybody )
- Garnett: 6 – 11 . . . 250 lbs ( and has extremely long arms and has been a former Defensive POY )
- Wallace: 6 – 10 . . . 230 lbs ( and possesses some of the same defensive skills as Garnett )
- Big Baby: 6 – 9 . . . 290 lbs ( and uses all of that bulk to body-up Howard when he’s matched up against them )
*********************
Hawks frontline:
- Horford: 6 – 10 . . . 245 lbs ( is a decent defender, but doesn’t have the strength or bulk to handle Howard )
- Smith: 6 – 9 . . . 240 lbs ( a great weak side shot blocker, but once again, he lacks strength to play decent on the ball defense on good post players )
- Zaza: 6 – 11 . . . 275 ( has the size, and sometimes play Dwight well . . I thought Woody should’ve thought about starting him at least one game )
- Jason Collins: 7 – 0 . . . 255 ( has the length, but all he did was foul a lot when guarding Howard )
- Randolph Morris: 6 – 11 . . . 275 ( in his little stint in Game 2, he may have played Howard the best . . he’s just useless everywhere else )
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
6:07 pm
A lot of ISO from Orlando in the 2nd half of this game as well. Funny how teams play when they get down in a game.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
6:09 pm
Arthur Blank should buy this team and put some real money into it. Then we could be serious. As it stands we are no where near a championship, and not a contender for any free agent but our own. We cannot even go after a top tier coach, much less a player.
If we were able to get a legit center, (Bosh is too much like a forward) how could we play Horford and Josh Smith? Would one have to come off the bench? Would Josh play the three?
We need to focus on the reasons we cannot stay on the court with Orlando. The East will go through Orlando for the next few years. It was obvious all year that we would get swept by them.
No coach could have solved that with the current roster.
BosnianBaller
May 16th, 2010
6:10 pm
Bring back Fratello
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
6:14 pm
Think anyone on the Magic is watching the Kisscam?
Courtney
May 16th, 2010
6:19 pm
What about Mark Price?
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
6:20 pm
@ keepitreal . . . . if we do get a legit center, and he helps us defensively, then yes, either Horford or Smoove needs to come off the bench. You still play whichever one coming off the bench 30 – 35 minutes. But against certain teams, if the defensive center anchors the team the best, then sit Horford or Smith down.
Say a rotation like this:
C – Defensive C ( 20 min ) – Horford ( 18 min ) – Zaza ( 10 min )
PF – Horford ( 15 min ) – Smith ( 33 min )
or
PF – Smith ( 33 min ) – Horford ( 15 min )
At either rate, we need to give Horford a little more run at PF and reduce his minutes at center. if we can get bigger guys to play the position, and maybe have Horford go up against reserve centers when he plays the 5 spot, that may work out better for us.
*****************
We worked a rotation like that all year with Jamal Crawford alternating from PG to SG, so we could do the same with Smoove or Horford ( preferably Smoove ). And on most occasions, you probably want Horford and Smoove finishing a game anyway, so that probably won’t change.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
6:23 pm
Northclyde, Can Josh cover the better small forwards in the league? Do you think his ego would allow him to come off the bench. Damn that Jameer Nelson is a player.
GeorgiaYankeesFan
May 16th, 2010
6:31 pm
As usual, Atlanta’s paper of record gets scooped by another town’s newspaper. Unless a story falls in their laps or they are reporting some other outlet’s news, AJC reporters are basically paid to watch games. Nice work if you can get it.
Seen-a-lot
May 16th, 2010
6:33 pm
In his more than twenty some years as a executive (SUND), any NBA championships on the books?
Justin
May 16th, 2010
6:34 pm
Some of you clowns are just ridiculous with your rants. They haven’t even interviewed Casey yet and already some idiots are already saying he can’t do the job….why not just say what some of you really want………A WHITE COACH!
More of the same
May 16th, 2010
6:41 pm
Casey can’t coach, but it’s important to hire another African-American coach in Atlanta.
Frustrated Homer
May 16th, 2010
6:48 pm
Isn’t there another van Gundy available? Someone who actually did well in New York? Why is he not in the running? Does TV pay THAT well?
Kool Aide Consumer
May 16th, 2010
6:57 pm
Race is not relevent. You are both wack.
Byron Scott
May 16th, 2010
6:57 pm
Hey GM, what about me. I can take the hawks to a sixty win season and to the NBA chapionship in two years. Give me a chance and you will not be sorry. Don’t give me a chance and you will be sorry.Why hire a un-proven coach like Casey with a losing recoerd?
George
May 16th, 2010
7:01 pm
Get this guy now.
Fire Sund
May 16th, 2010
7:03 pm
Boston, guys who play Center:- Perkins: 6 – 10 . . . 280 lbs ( and Dwight Howard says he plays him the best of anybody )
- Garnett: 6 – 11 . . . 250 lbs ( and has extremely long arms and has been a former Defensive POY )
- Wallace: 6 – 10 . . . 230 lbs ( and possesses some of the same defensive skills as Garnett )
- Big Baby: 6 – 9 .
Atlanta guys who play center:
Horford: 6 – 10 . . . 245 lbs ( is a less than decent defender, but doesn’t have the strength or bulk to handle real centers)
- Zaza: 6 – 11 . . . 275 ( has the size, and sometimes play Dwight well . . I thought Woody should’ve thought about starting him at least one game )
- Jason Collins: 7 – 0 .
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
7:09 pm
@ keepitreal . . .
1) Can Josh cover the better small forwards in the league? . . . . No chance. Josh has great straight ahead speed, but he isn’t the most nimble side-to-side guy in the world. At the scoouting combines, they call this lateral speed. Things have always looked ugly whenever Josh was matched up against a quick slashing SF.
Plus, if you put him at SF, you take him away from the rim to protect the paint. That was part of the problem in the Orlando series. Josh had to constantly make decisions on whether to help Horford or whomever was playing center vs Dwight, because he also had to worry about Rashard Lewis shooting 3s. In those times in which you saw Rashard wide open, it was usually because Josh was trying to help on the inside.
2) Do you think ( Josh’s ) ego will allow him to come off the bench? . . . And that’s the million dollar question. The new coach would probably have to convince him that not only is this the best thing for the team, but he’d also have to assure Josh that he’d get his minutes and be in the game at the end.
Could Josh humble himself to do it? Man I don’t know. He’d probably fight it at first, because that would create the image that Horford may be a better player than he is . . . ( that’s up for debate, by the way ). But a coach would say . . . “you could be like Lamar Odom . . a supersub off the bench that is still a big key to the team.”
Bynum doesn’t start with the Lakers because he’s better than Odom. He starts because he balances the team out better than if Gasol was at C and Odom started at PF. The Lakers are so dangerous because Odom can play both SF and PF . . and Gasol can play both PF and C.
So that’s what Smoove would have to be sold on. That he could help the team much in the way Lamar Odom does the Lakers.
Steve
May 16th, 2010
7:20 pm
Sure hope we get him. Should have gone after him last time around.
20-20 in Minnesota was a ridiculous accomplishment for that team.
Jody
May 16th, 2010
7:27 pm
northcyde,
Good break down. Actually, I don’t think Al Horford is a full 6′10. I think he’s actually 6′9 1/2 and Josh is actually 6′8 3/4. With that said, I love both of these guys. However, it may become necessary to move one.
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
7:28 pm
Fire Sund . . . that’s pretty much the picture. They have 4 guys who can play center, and play it decently either because of their length, size, or smarts. And all but Big Baby is a threat to get a shot block or at least alter shots.
We have 3 guys who can play center, but all have deficiencies in their defensive game that keeps them from playing it well. Horford can get a decent amount of blocks and altered shots, but not necessarily against the man he’s guarding. Zaza and Collins are no threat whatsoever to get a shot block.
Horford’s quickness can slow down most centers in this league ( which is why his defensive FG% numbers are so good ). But against the good centers, he’s going to have trouble on most nights slowing them down.
Like I’ve been saying on the main Hawks Blog . . . the guy to go get, if Atlanta wants him, is Jarvis Varnado out of Mississippi St. He’s super skinny, but is the NCAA career leader in blocked shots. If we can’t find that defensive center that can play man defense or block a shot or two, Varnado may be someone we need to look at.
The NBA combines in Chicago take place on Wednesday and Thursday for most of the college guys who are projected to go in the 1st and 2nd round of the draft. We’ll get a decent feel for if a guy like Varnado can play on the next level. Hopefully his stock doesn’t go up too high after the Combines. He’s a projected 2nd round pick that could work his way up to the 1st round, with a good showing at the combines.
There are a few center prospects that we may want to look at here as well.
We’ve gotten burned over the years trying to draft for need though, so it’s probably wise to take the best player available with that 1st round pick, regardless if it’s a position of need or not.
ryan
May 16th, 2010
7:31 pm
Breaking News the Hawks are up for sale!
Atl Resident
May 16th, 2010
7:34 pm
Now who is this Casey dude again?
Mystikal
May 16th, 2010
7:37 pm
I dont think resigning Joe would be best option long term if he’s gonna start to decline with 3 yrs, $40+ million still on the books. Remember Joe has played big minutes (40+) over the past 3 or 4 seasons; that is a lot of wear and tear on those legs. I think (if possible) rather than lose him for nothing do a sign and trade. I’d like to see him go to the Clippers for this year’s 1st rounder, Deandre Jordan, a future 1st rounder, and cash/trade exception. Laugh now… finished? Okay get it all out… Alright now we admit hawks need a true center, but looking at the landscape of the league they are few and far between. DeAndre Jordan is young, but has a similar build to Dwight Howard, but he’s slightly longer. He is very raw (like Dwight was coming out), but has great measurable and with personal coach in his corner like Dwight/Bynum had (Ewing/Kareem), he could be really good.
northcyde
May 16th, 2010
7:38 pm
Fire Sund . . . that’s pretty much the picture. They have 4 guys who can play center, and play it decently either because of their length, size, or smarts. And all but Big Baby is a threat to get a shot block or at least alter shots.
We have 3 guys who can play center, but all have deficiencies in their defensive game that keeps them from playing it well. Horford is average to below average in blocks and altered shots, but not necessarily against the man he’s guarding. He is a good man defender against most centers though. Zaza and Collins are no threat whatsoever to get a shot block.
glw
May 16th, 2010
8:00 pm
northcyde,
I am thinking along the same lines as you about playing time at Center and Power Forward. Its not that Horford is ineffictive at Center, its just that he would be more effective if you could limit his minutes there, ideally 15-20 minutes a night. and 15-20 minutes at power forward. I agree it would be a tough sell for Josh coming off the bench, but maybe a good, strong coach can get him to buy into that. Assuming Joe resigns (and that is a big if), a bench with Jamal, Bibby, and Smoove would be awesome.
Jon Koncak
May 16th, 2010
8:08 pm
This hire would be a complete JOKE! Explore some options!!!
And yes indeed, we DO need a BIG!!!
I like JJ. However, he would keep us from getting the BIG we have been needing! Until we get one the Magic will continue to control us inside. I just watched Boston use their Big’s keep Howard under control. What is his average against us? i’m not sure, but it seems like about 33 pts. and about 18 rebounds. Check his stats today against Boston and tell me we don’t need a BIG.
I don’t think think Phil Jackson could win here without the BIG i’m talking about. Let’s take some time and calculate our real goals and direction. And if we do sell this team……..PLEASE let it be to a more Author Blank type. Imagine what we could do with that kind of owner!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitch
May 16th, 2010
8:11 pm
We just saw a flat-out blueprint as to how to defend and beat the Magic. Who wans the architect of that blueprint? Tom Thibodeau. How’bout his blueprint on taking the swagger out of LeBron, Mo and the Cavs?
The Celtics showed all the reasons why the Hawks were so pathetically prepared to play the Magic.
If this guy, Thibodeau, isn’t at the top of the list…and Casey is…Sund just wants familiarity…and, quite frankly all the mediocrity that goes with it.
AG
May 16th, 2010
8:13 pm
As you can see in the Celtics Magic game, coaching makes a big difference. The Celtics did not let the Magic get those open three looks and Howard was frustrated every time he touched the ball. I am thinking true change is a proven coach and I am really starting to lean towards Byron Scott. I am sure he is more than ready. If not him Avery. If I were going to chose a rookie head coach it would be Laimbeer. Funny, Mark is not saying much about him.
Kardashian's right cheek
May 16th, 2010
8:15 pm
I think Ty Corbin would be a fine choice. Thoughts?
AG
May 16th, 2010
8:17 pm
Thiodeau would be an interesting choice as well. I don’t like the Casey choice. The coaches I mentioned earlier would sale tickets as well and show a commitment to excellence. I hate everyone saying we need a big. Hortford is our center. He should be switched sometimes to play PF, but it is all about coaching. Leave our team intact, sign a couple of good free agents who can shoot (ride ourselves of West, etc.)
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
8:18 pm
Again, let me stipulate that Dwane Casey isn’t yet the Hawks’ coach. He might not get offered the job. He might take another job. But the local club has expressed interest, which I think is a good notion on Rick Sund’s part.
ryan
May 16th, 2010
8:27 pm
Why is everybody so hung up on Ty Corbin what experince does he have as a head coach he does not have a wining record. I just think its because he is a former Hawk.
Kardashian's right cheek
May 16th, 2010
8:30 pm
ryan
Does Casey have a winning record? The answer is “no.”
t_height
May 16th, 2010
8:33 pm
the hawks need a good coach but even better assistant coaches. The hawks need to bring in Hakeem as an assistant to help out with horford and josh. The hawks should also bring Garett Siler aboard to play center. Woodson didn’t sign him this offseason because he doesn’t know how to coach young players. He is the reason why Josh has not come closer to his real potential, salim, royal ivey, acie law, solomon jones, sheldon williams, Donta Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams has not played to their potential because he didn’t know how to coach the young guys. Woodson really could kill a Rookie/players career. Woodson wanted guys to trust him but he didn’t trust his players, thats what killed them. I’ve never seen a coach that only plays his starters and one bench player for an entire season. The hawks are going to need more than just someone who can coach the guys they have during the game, they need someone who can make players out of them as well and I think Avery Johnson has that in him. Sometime you have to spend money to get what you want.
vava74
May 16th, 2010
8:33 pm
This is a repost of a blog entry to Mark Bradley’s previous piece on Dwayne Casey.
IMO, Casey has written all over his forehead “WOODY 2.0″
The contents below is of the exclusive responsibility of its author.
“steve brown
May 11th, 2010
3:13 pm
fyi
This, in a nutshell, is the surprising (?) result of a quick Q & A session I did with Dave/College Wolf of TWolves blog, the site covering Minnesota of the Bloguin network.
For your pleasure (?), here is the complete transcript, I think it should work as a warning for Ed Stefanski and all of us Sixers fans.
(S4G): Casey’s record as T’Wolves head coach in 2006/2007 was 33-49 and was 20-20 the year after, when Mc Hale fired him and put Randy Wittman in his place (Wittman went 12-30 the rest of the way…). What do you remember of that stint, other than they were surely troubled seasons in Minnesota, and that coaching Szczerbiak, Olowokandi, Ricky Davis, Marco Jaric etc surely wasn’t an easy task?
(CW): Yes, we had bad teams, but don’t forget though that we also had KG near his absolute prime. Those seasons he was one of the (arguably) Top 5 players in the league. With that said, the Casey Coaching Era (CCE) was quite a while ago, so I apologize for not being to elaborate with tons and tons of details for you and your readers.
However, a few things stick out in my mind, and I can assure you that they were not good things. First off, Casey was nearly an epic fail at coaching X’s and O’s. At times, some of us Wolves fans wondered if he had any idea if he knew what he was doing at all. He was especially terrible coming out of timeouts.
It might not have been as bad as I am making it sound, but our playcalling/execution coming out of timeouts was absurd and horrendous. It seemed like we would never score, and most times it resulted in a turnover or terrible shot.
Again, it probably wasn’t *that bad*, but the fact that it is something I’ve never forgotten about the CCE has got to mean something. Casey’s substitutions were illogical and nonsensical. We fans were pulling our hairs out because his lineups and distribution of minutes made absolutely no sense.
Also, it didn’t seem like Casey had “control” of his team at all. Granted, we had a few bad apples back then, but he was far too passive and timid to be the leader of our team at that time. Now, it could have been simply that these things were factors of Casey being a rookie head coach. I don’t know.
Perhaps he has gotten better the past two years as a bench coach for the Dallas Mavericks. For his sake I hope that he has learned a thing or two.
(S4G): Why did Minnesota decide to give him the team that year? Was it another “Randy Ayers case” (=lack of better options) or what?
(CW): I am not entirely sure. Glen Taylor and McHale were doing their best to “win now”, and I think they viewed Dwane Casey as a hot-shot up and coming assistant coach, in the same mold as someone like Nate McMillan.
It’s not that they had a lack of better options, because they went out and actively recruited Casey. It was just a complete swing and a miss, because it was obvious that Casey was in way too far over his head. At the time, I had thought he was one of the worst coaches I’d ever seen. Little did I know what to expect from the Randy (Dim)Wittman era…
(S4G): Which were Casey’s strengths as a coach, and what was he missing?
(CW): I honestly cannot remember any “strengths” besides the fact that he was a nice guy. Also, I think he did a decent job getting our players to play defense during his 20-20 second season, although the stats might say otherwise (I didn’t check).
He was missing everything. Namely: experience, presentation, advanced game knowledge/strategy, good assistants, and good players.
(S4G): Can being fired by Kevin Mc Hale be considered a plus in a coach’s resume?
(CW): No comment
(S4G): Would you recommend the Sixers to give the helm to Casey? Why? Any other team where he would be a good fit?
(CW): No, I would not recommend him being the new head coach of your team. He just doesn’t strike me as a guy that will ever be a truly successful NBA *head coach.* I think his ideal position is that of an assistant coach for a veteran contending team. Those players would be much more likely to listen to him and his ideals, rather than a rebuilding team full of youngsters.
I realize that the Sixers are a veteran, contending (hopefully) team, but I wouldn’t want you guys to waste your championship window because a coach like Casey was hired. I think you guys could do much better.
I don’t think he would be a good fit as a head coach anywhere in the NBA. As an assistant coach, yes. You could probably do worse with the plethora of no-name assistants that have been floating around the league for years.
Thank you for enlightening us, Dave…
Conclusion: please say “NO” to Dwane Casey !!”
Next !
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
8:36 pm
We basically have two power forwards to build around, nothing at small forward, no center, a very speculative point guard in Teague, an aging star at two guard who has broken down at the end of the last two seasons and is a free agent, the nba’s sixth man of the year, who could not guard Nelson nor any of the Buck’s guards, Biby and Mo off the bench and not much else.
Maybe Woodson will look better after another week or two of getting over that Orlando/Milwaukee performance but either way, we have alot of work to do.
I would trade Josh only because Horford is the type of quality guy (a winner)that you ideally want on the floor and in the locker room. Josh and Marvin should be able to bring us something worthwhile in trade. Josh could wind up being a superstar if he gets in the right situation. But we need help at guard and center. We should try to get Childress in to repalce Marvin. Marvin is not the future.
Management and the current owners are saying we only need to tweek a couple of things, but I do not see us getting past the second round with this nucleus even if Johnson stays, so it looks like rebuilding time to me. Unless we are just happy to get into the playoffs.
I would trade Josh Smith and Marvin for a decent center and a couple of good draft picks. We have no shot at Wade, James or even Bosh (who would not help that much). I am a Josh Smith fan, but I believe he needs to go because he is one of the only players we have with any real trade value.
Dan Alexander
May 16th, 2010
8:37 pm
I dont understand why Dominique wont come out of his analyst chair and coach the hawks already. I guarantee he can get respect from any players we have. then get chris bosh and a 7 footer in the draft. (sorry hockey fans) ATLANTA SPIRIT SELL THE THRASHERS TO CLEVELAND FOR LEBRON JAMES. or alot of us go in and buy the hawks out
Brennan Huff
May 16th, 2010
8:41 pm
The Hawks should give Dan Majerle a strong look. I think he could be the next Scott Brooks. Maybe he could get these guys to play to their potential.
t_height
May 16th, 2010
8:43 pm
i also want to point out how good Boris Diaw became after leaving Atlanta with Woodson. i don’t think Billy Knight was a bad GM, Woodson didn’t know how to coach the players. The only players that he has coached that has improved his game is Horford.
joeygt
May 16th, 2010
8:43 pm
1h
Permission
May 16th, 2010
8:44 pm
The hawks have to get “permission” to interview a mediocre assistant with dallas? Are you serious????
Rajin Mojo
May 16th, 2010
8:46 pm
How about Phil Jackson or Pat Riley—they’ve both won titles?? But, it would take about $15 mil to get either—the cheap morons who own the team will not pay that kind of coin.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
8:55 pm
Stoudemire and a 1st round draft pick for Josh and Marvin and our second round pick?
fire sund = truth serum
May 16th, 2010
9:01 pm
who is a loser
fire sund = truth serum
May 16th, 2010
9:02 pm
vava is wrong
Wanted: True Center
May 16th, 2010
9:07 pm
I say we trade marv, bibby, or J smoothie and crack into someone’s lotto. Bare with me but, Hassan Whiteside (7′0 240) is long, strong, and a shot blocking freak(Thundering Herd i know). A great project with right personnel and tremendous upside.
t_height
May 16th, 2010
9:07 pm
Stoudemire is a good player but I still like the potential of Josh more if there is a coach that can bring it out of him. Josh biggest problem is he is on the court too much. he needed to sit and watch more to see what was going on in the game instead of thinking he was getting paid to play street ball and the same goes for Marvin.
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
9:10 pm
That’s way too much to give up for Stoudemire, keepitreal. He has bad knees and plays the same position as Al Horford.