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
joe mama
May 16th, 2010
9:10 pm
I agree Stoudamire a center for horford our center.
Our power forward Josh is the second best defender in the NBA, and a triple double threat at all time.
Our center was not on the All NBA defensive team nor the All NBA team. He is our weakest link! If Bogut had been healthy he would have abused horford just like Lopez always does!
JeJe
May 16th, 2010
9:11 pm
I’d like Sam Mitchell as coach. Seems like a rugged guy who does not put up with anything and will put Smoove in his place
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
9:12 pm
Stoudemire wasn’t on the all-defensive team, either, joe mama. He doesn’t guard anybody. And Horford did make the East squad in the All-Star game.
One other red flag on Amare: If he’s so good, why is Phoenix always looking to trade him?
SlimG
May 16th, 2010
9:15 pm
Woodson took this team from nothing to playoffs. He got no respect from Jsmooth or Joe. They finally decided to play defense after he benched there a$$e$. Please Spirit manangent, get a true center and shooting guard so we can compete and then will talk about coaching. Like how many small forwards does a team need.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
9:16 pm
t height
Do you think we can get to the point of being able to stay on the floor with Orlando without a better center (not that Horford is bad, he is just out of position)? How else can we solve Howard?
Do you think it is realistic that we could get Stoudemire without giving up Josh? Is there another center that comes to mind?
Because anyone could be the coach for all it would matter if we cannot beat Orlando and it will take more than a new gameplan to get there in my opinion.
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
9:18 pm
If you’re looking for someone to guard Dwight Howard, you don’t want Amare.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
9:20 pm
Thanks Mark.
Does a potential scenario come to mind where we make a trade for that center? What do you see out there that is realistic and will still be enough to help us?
ryan
May 16th, 2010
9:24 pm
Here is an idea mark bradley how about we trade Marvin Williams for Marc Gasol and then trade Josh Smith for Chris Bosh . I am mean its just an idea but there is your front court.
t_height
May 16th, 2010
9:25 pm
the team really don’t need to lose any of the top 9 players other than Mo Evans, the team need to know where and when to play each player. Teague should get a shot at the starting position or Crawford. Marvin and Bibby need to come off of the bench and Childress need to be resigned in place of evans but put childress in the starting lineup instead of Marvin. Bibby and Marvin will bring a different kind of tempo coming off of he bench along with crawford if the team can find a true center.
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
9:27 pm
And once we have solved this Center issue, do we really think we have anyone who can slow down the quick penetrating guards that are taking over the league? Does anyone think we know enough about Teague to say that he will be the answer?
Not Drinking the Kool-Aid
May 16th, 2010
9:29 pm
I really don’t care if the coach is purple so long as he can draw up offensive sets, get the team to play defense for 48 minutes, and runs an uptempo offense. The games in which the Hawks swept Boston were up and down the court and were over at or slightly past halftime. When the Hawks are defending and running ,outside of OKC, there are not many teams that can beat them. I like Van Gundy, Thibodeaux, Byron Scott, Dwane Casey, but I prefer Avery for the way he raised the play of Dirk, a known shoot-happy soft-defense 7 footer in the 2006 season. Dirk played defense and was backing guys down in the post. Hopefully, if ASG does sell this will bring some stability to the team and just maybe some deep-pockets willing to spend some cash on a winner. I hope they keep J.J. but I would definitely try not to give him max money. I would bring in a seven footer via the draft or free agency and find a way to trade Bibby, Mo Evans and even za za. Bring back J. Childress and run up and down the court next year with Teague, Josh, Horford, J.J., Marvin, and Smoove.
HawkKingBibby
May 16th, 2010
9:30 pm
53-69? Id rather hire BILLY KNIGHT to coach the team HE BUILT.
Wanted: True Center
May 16th, 2010
9:31 pm
???, with a smart front office(SMART) we could sign and trade and just trade for key players and picks. Everyone loves marvin, but he is streaky. Smoothie just plays to much and bibby is too old. great trade pieces for a brendan haywood, marc gasol, and in a dream world brooks lopez. And maybe just maybe we can do a sign and trade with joe. maybe…
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
9:34 pm
Why would Memphis want Marvin, ryan?
Mark Bradley
May 16th, 2010
9:35 pm
There just aren’t many centers, keepitreal. And the teams that have them tend to keep them.
t_height
May 16th, 2010
9:36 pm
@keepitreal:
If the hawks were to get Stoudamire you would have to risk of not signing Joe back or signing another 2 guard that is on the same level as joe or better because Stoudamire wants big money, he has made it known that he wants to be mentioned in the class as lebron, wade, bosh and carmello, plus no one in the league is going to stop Howard. The man is a beast. It also wasn’t Howard that really killed the hawks, it was Jameer Nelson and the rest of the shooters. The hawks don’t have any shooters on the team. The same goes for the M. Bucks series, the guards and the 3pt shooters killed the hawks.
Chuck Uga
May 16th, 2010
9:36 pm
HIRE HIM! QUICK!
Q
May 16th, 2010
9:37 pm
WE WANT AVERY JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not Drinking the Kool-Aid
May 16th, 2010
9:42 pm
I really don’t care if the coach is purple long as he has offensive plays, can bring the team together to play as a team, will bring an uptempo offense, and can help the guys to pass and play defense for 48 minutes. Jeff Van Gundy,Tom Thibodeaux,Lawrence Franks, Dwayne Casey, Byron Scott, and Avery will all do fine. I like Avery because he turned shoot-first, no-defense Dirk into one of the 3 best players in the NBA in 2006 playing defense and backing guys down into the post. That is real coaching. The Hawks against Boston ran and played defense and most of those games were over around halftime or shortly thereafter in the third quarter. Hawks need to run. Start Teague, find a way to get rid of Bibby, Mo Evans, and even Za Za. Draft or pick up a center in free agency ask him to defend and rebound and run like he!!. Sign J.J. but try to get him for less than max money if you can. Bring back J. Chill and no one can run with the Hawks accept maybe OKC. What do you think, Mark B.?
t_height
May 16th, 2010
9:47 pm
I’m with you Q. We WANT AVERY JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!
keepitreal
May 16th, 2010
9:50 pm
I agree t height. But I think it was how we had to scheme for Howard that opened up the door for the three point shooters. Nelson and Jennings are both unstopable for us in the current configuration. And the Bucks will have Bogut back next year. I do not think they were a fluke.
We will have to find a way to cover the big guys and not end up with the kind of rotations we just showed in the playoffs.
Regardless of the coach.
carl
May 16th, 2010
9:54 pm
How ’bout trying to lure away doc rivers?
RAINMAN
May 16th, 2010
9:54 pm
what about byron scott!!!
Wanted: True Center
May 16th, 2010
9:55 pm
Scott would be perfect for teague and other guards…
t_height
May 16th, 2010
9:56 pm
@SlimG:
You have to realize that the draft is coming up in June and you can’t sign any free agent players that are not in your organization until July 1st (if im not mistaken). A lot of teams like to hire coaches before bringing in players so that they fit in the system. I would recommend trading the draft pick unless there is a small foward out there that will be around the early 20’s pick. I’m pretty sure there won’t be a center available.
JJ
May 16th, 2010
10:04 pm
There is but one reason I would not hire Casey: Bradley suggested him. That alone should disqualify him.
If he is hired then we’ll have to read 400 columns in the next year about how the Hawks brass hired a coach based on the suggestion of a sportswriter. I don’t think I can take it.
Jon Koncak
May 16th, 2010
10:06 pm
MB, what do you thnk about Laimbeer and Company?
t_height
May 16th, 2010
10:08 pm
I agree also keepitreal, i don’t think the bucks were a fluke either. The team is talented. I do have to state that i don’t think howard would have beat us alone if we played him with jason collins more often or just played him one on one. howard could have scored 30 or 40 pts and the hawks could have competed with that but Orlando scored more pts in 3pt shooting than they did shooting inside the the 3 pt line. They should have used a bigger lineup, move horford to the 4 spot, Josh at the 3, and za za and collins at he 5, while Howard was in the game. When Howard left the game, the team could rotate back to it original positions. That may have worked if horford would have been able to stay with Lewis. Again like I said, Jameer Nelson killed the hawks more than Howard. Penetration and getting to the basket easy killed them in both series. Look at what killed cleveland, rondo and his penetration.
VRMom
May 16th, 2010
10:09 pm
it is time the hawks get so,eome who can win now.give me avery
Mystikal
May 16th, 2010
10:10 pm
Hawks need a center!! Hawks need a center!!
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE THIS CENTER IS
SUPPOSED TO COME FROM?????????
KevinM
May 16th, 2010
10:15 pm
Casey can be considered a candidate, but he shouldn’t be the first interviewed for thie job.
You need to get Byron Scott’s attention and Avery Johnson’s attention.
You need someone who should be an improvement and is playoff proven.
The two above are: Casey, while I don’t consider him a bad option, but you can’t take a guy who has zero playoff experience as a head coach.
What improvement does that show?
Call me crazy, Adelman or Rudy T. should be looked at if you truly want to start building a championship team. Both guys handle rosters very well and have proven themselves in the playoffs.
Please, no more non-HC candiates please. I don’t have sympathy for an ownership group that says they can’t afford to get the best coach out available.
Quit being a write-off and bring us a championship level team while we are young enough to contend.
fayncdawg
May 16th, 2010
10:17 pm
The Hawks should have kept Woody if they were not going for Doc Rivers! Woody has a ring as an assistant. Does Casey have a ring?? And what big name UFA is Casey going to draw?? (And please don’t say Soft Dirk!) Obviously the Hawks aren’t interested in doing any better than getting double-digit swept out of the 2nd round! (DID DALLAS EVEN GET TO THE 2nd ROUND??) CALL THE DOC!!
KWAT
May 16th, 2010
10:18 pm
Atlanta…..Go get Larry Brown!!!!!
Wanted: True Center
May 16th, 2010
10:20 pm
Centers come from…
-Trades
-Sign and trades
-Lotto picks accumulated from trades
-and a front office that recognizes a need for a true 5 if plan on contending with orlando for 8 games of the season
fayncdawg
May 16th, 2010
10:26 pm
And I forgotm Casy was the main part of that UK scandal that got Eddie Sutton ran out of Lexington!! Gees! A mediocre assistant AND A CHEATER?? Just what the Hawks Need!!!!
fletch
May 16th, 2010
10:26 pm
I read all of your comments about Casey and I think you guys are missing the boat. You all have forgotten that Avery Johnson as a relatively new NBA coach took the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and if not for the incredible heroics of DWade and, to a lesser degree, Shaq, Avery Johnson would already have an NBA championship under his belt. One thing that the Hawks need is discipline and I think that Avery Johnson is the one that can bring that much needed element to the team. If he is available, I think they would make a huge mistake if they don’t sign him. Let’s see how serious they are about having a championship caliber team.
Crazy Diamond
May 16th, 2010
10:39 pm
Great! Get the deal done, Sund!
No more connection to Billy Knight, Mike Woodson and the looser 1984-85 Kansas City Kings, where they were team mates.
fayncdawg
May 16th, 2010
10:41 pm
I prefer Doc! I’ll settle for Avery! NO CHEATERS!!! AND I DON”T CARE IF IT HAPPENED 22 YEARS AGO!! I DON”T WANT THE CHEATER!!
Jon Koncak
May 16th, 2010
10:46 pm
Give this team a Good Big Man and move Horford to his NATURAL position trade Josh for a SF with good defensive skills and can knock down 15 footers. Find out if the young Teague can run the point. If possible sign and trade JJ for a sharp shooter and bring Crawford, Bibby and Marvin off the bench. Then I think just MAYBE we can really contend with Orlando. P.S. with this a nice x’s and O’s veteran coach would be great! (Avery Johnson or Byron Scott)
Mystikal
May 16th, 2010
10:47 pm
Josh Smith would ideally be served by playing with a super point guard a la Steve Nash, Chris Paul, or Jason Kidd. If he had one of these guys setting him up he’d look like a young Amare Stoudamire (no jumper). Being that we don’t have a guard like this, we can’t build the team around him. Really he has no position which isn’t a bad thing if you have skillz of a Lamar Odom or Rashard Lewis. But Josh can’t handle or shoot let alone make post moves. Beyond that we’ll have too much money tied up in the front court to not have a true center (Marv $8mil, Josh $11mil), than we have to resign big Al. That’s why I think Josh should be the one to go. That and he still hasn’t matured after 6/7 yrs in the league.
Bigalo
May 16th, 2010
11:01 pm
No disrespect for Casey, as he didn’t get a chance to make an impact with the Wolves, but I would prefer a guy like Avery Johnson, who took advantage of his opportunity immediately. He did nothing but win during his tenure with the Mavericks. We need someone that can help put seats in the stands. If not him, pick another winner.
Buckhead Basketball
May 16th, 2010
11:02 pm
1. This team just won 50 PLUS games- SO, you cannot hire anyone who has never been a head coach in the NBA. You especially cannot have someone who is learning on the job with this team who has tasted some level of success.
2. Not sure who is the perfect hire but there are a number of teams with an opening and if the Hawks wait too long, they will be picking from the leftovers! New orleans and chicago could pull Casey away……so, we better hire him asap. If he is on everyones list, he must be pretty good!
3. Let’s see……coaching Derrick Rose, or Chris Paul or Mike Bibby????
Get him to sign a contract NOW and make sure he uses an INK pen…..so, he can’t change his mind when given the chance to coach CP 3!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
May 16th, 2010
11:08 pm
The big news is not who will be their head coach but the fact that the Hawks are up for sale.Arthur Blank won’t buy them…. to much waste of money even for him. Hawks have pretty much been leaderless since they have been in Atlanta. If Mike Brown gets fired they should go after him.
U dont want Bryon scott
May 16th, 2010
11:11 pm
http://www.atthehive.com/2009/5/1/860620/the-past-present-and-future-of
Mystikal
May 16th, 2010
11:11 pm
GET A CENTER!! WHAT CENTER??
Trade Josh Smith to Clippers for their 1st rounder, DeAndre Jordan, a future
1st rounder, and cash/trade exception
Trade Josh Smith to Memphis for Mark Gasol, Mike Conley (not panning out),
and 2 of their 1st round picks
Trade Josh Smith and our 1st round pick to Minnesota for Al Jefferson and
Wayne Ellington
Center is the hardest position to fill because there are so few, so other than getting lucky you
have to give to get. That is why I suggest trading Josh Smith cause he has a lot of value right now and no one wants Marvin Williams. What’d ya think?
Or Avery "Control Freak" Johnson
May 16th, 2010
11:12 pm
http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2010/5/15/1473504/hawks-coaching-search-whos-next
Gotta get an Alvin Gentry like person.
Personally, I think “Thunder” Dan Merjle (PHX Assistant) should be given a SERIOUS look.
Or Anyone From Nate "Iso-here we go again" McMillan's camp
May 16th, 2010
11:13 pm
#stepyagameup
Elston Turner
May 16th, 2010
11:13 pm
Turner has studied under a successful head coach in Rick Adelman for 9 years, and according to Chris Mannix, Turner “served as Adelman’s chief game strategist and organized the Rockets’ game plans during the 2008 playoffs”. I can only assume he did the same for the Rockets semi-successful run in the 2009 playoffs, when they upset the favored Portland Trail Blazers in six, and took the world champion LA Lakers to seven games. Mannix also writes, “Turner is considered a strong communicator who has embraced Adelman’s read-and-react offensive system.”
-This might be tha move
Elston Turner
May 16th, 2010
11:14 pm
We need Read and React Baby!! No more JJ ISO’s!!!!! Teague would kill in this offense. So would bibby, but let’s be real, we need to trade this guy b4 nobody wants him.
#thatruthhurtsometimes
Elston Turner
May 16th, 2010
11:14 pm
“Elston has almost 15 years of experience as a assistant coach – most of which came under Rick Adelman, who trusted him with major responsibilities on both ends of the court, with a focus on defense – and he has experienced success at every stop during his NBA career.”