How the Hawks might get it right: Find a coach for Josh Smith
"Good luck in your next job, Larry." "Same to you, Rick." (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
As sometimes happens in the fast-paced world of 21st Century sportswriting, events have intervened. The Hawks announced at 1:59 p.m. Friday that they have exercised their option to keep Larry Drew as head coach. A new post will be forthcoming, but I’m leaving this up as a reminder that … well, that it wasn’t MY idea.
The other day, someone who follows the Atlanta Hawks in a journalistic capacity asked: “Do you think Josh Smith really wants to be coached?” That’s not just a great metaphysical question — it’s the key to this offseason and the seasons to come.
After thinking a bit, I said: “I think he does.” And right there I had my blueprint. At this moment in their strange history, what do the Hawks need to do?
Keep Josh Smith but find him a coach.
There are three major variables: Smith has one season remaining on his contract and has made noises about wanting out of here; the club holds an option on coach Larry Drew, and general manager Rick Sund is out of contract after June 30. Put simply, the Hawks have a chance this summer to change their dynamics without having to buy anybody out.
In place since June 2008, Sund has acquired two talents of the first rank: Jamal Crawford in trade in June 2009 but since gone to free agency, and Jeff Teague, drafted in 2009. Four of the Hawks who started Game 6 against Boston this month started Game 7 against the Celtics in May 2008. Think about that: A team that hasn’t gotten past Round 2 is still trying to make Billy Knight’s grand design work.
Drew arrived in 2004 as Mike Woodson’s chief assistant and was promoted when Woodson was shown the door after presiding over five consecutive seasons of improved results. Drew’s selling point to ownership was that he’d be able to get more out of the players than Mean Ol’ Woody, but all he has gotten is a (slightly) worse record and (many) more jump shots.
For the Hawks to get really good, as opposed to trying to stay pretty good a bit longer, they’ll need more dynamic management. They’ll need a GM who can stand up to ownership and swat away bad ideas. (Such as: Promoting the top assistant of the guy you’ve just fired.) They’ll need a coach who might actually make the players listen. But in both cases, they’ll need men who recognize that the Hawks’ future must revolve around Josh Smith.
And that’s scary. He could leave after next season. But the guess here is that Smith would look favorably on staying if he knew he, and not Johnson, would become the centerpiece. That’s scary, too. Smith can look like the best player on the floor and the worst player in the world in the span of 30 seconds. But he just finished his eighth NBA season and hasn’t yet made an All-Star roster, and he has arrived at a personal crossroads: He can either maximize his gifts and become a superstar, or he can continue to play at 70 percent capacity and be remembered as a guy who never figured it out.
I’m inclined to give Smith the benefit of the doubt, for this reason: In eight NBA seasons, he has known only two head coaches, and one of them has been with him for all eight. He didn’t play college ball. He’ll turn 27 in December, but I’m not sure Smith has really been taught how to play.
Woodson came the closest, but his manner grated. Say this for Woody, though: He had nearly convinced Smith not to hoist so many jump shots, but then he was gone and Drew offered free rein. In his final season under Woodson, Smith took seven 3-pointers; in his first season under Drew, he took 154.
I’m not sure Smith sees Drew as more than the nice-guy assistant, and Smith doesn’t need a buddy. He needs a firmer hand on his shoulder and a voice of experience in his ear. He needs someone who has been around the NBA, who has a reputation as being good with players without being an enabler. Dwane Casey, since snapped up by Toronto, would have done wonders with Smith. Nate McMillan, who’s between jobs, could have the same effect.
As for a new general manager: Start with the organizational charts of San Antonio and Oklahoma City. (Two assistant GMs worth knowing: Dennis Lindsey of the Spurs and Troy Weaver of the Thunder.) But here we come to great imponderable regarding the Hawks: Would anyone of consequence be willing to work for these owners?
For the sake of argument, let’s say someone would. (Given a suitable pay packet and the assurance that meddling would be kept at a minimum.) Let’s say there’s a rising executive who wouldn’t be afraid to tamper with the Core Four and a learned coach who would welcome the chance to turn Josh Smith into one of the best players in the sport. If so, these Hawks might yet have a future that’s not just more of the same.
By Mark Bradley
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127 comments Add your comment
Born2Buzz
May 18th, 2012
1:26 pm
We need a miracle, not a new GM or coach. Until the ASG is gone the Hawks are dead to me.
The travesty that this ownership group has been and what they have done to Atlanta should be a 32 pt headline article. Come on Mark, you need to start pounding the ASG and not stop until they get out of town in disgrace. The Hawks are their best effort and you see where that has gotten us. They gave away our hockey team and are running down our arena. Like I said, its a travesty and a disgrace.
JSS
May 18th, 2012
1:28 pm
@ Marcus…
LD is back, but it does not mean Tyrone Hill has to be one of the voices in his ear anymore…
Hilltopper
May 18th, 2012
1:32 pm
Get a coach who tells Josh: “The next 3 pt. attempt puts you on the bench.” PT is the only thing youngsters seem to understand. Again, where is Ted Turner when you need him?
Statick
May 18th, 2012
1:35 pm
I agree with the article. Of course we need another coach for the Hawks, one that can actually coach and gain the respect of the players. As for Josh, his time here is over he should move on to another team. Build the team around Horford and Teague. Get a real center in here and put Al back at forward where he belongs.
Yonson
May 18th, 2012
1:39 pm
If Drew’s option was picked up, I think it is safe to assume that Sund’s worthless arse will be back as well. A new GM probably would want to pick his own coach.
This franchise is a mess thanks solely to the Atlanta Spirit. It is really disheartening.
Spyro
May 18th, 2012
1:40 pm
Also, can people stop saying that his problem is three pointers? I can live with the three pointers; I can’t live with those stupid, fallaway 20 footers. At least he gets an extra point behind the line!
tyger
May 18th, 2012
1:47 pm
Bradley drinks from the can of dumb issh…
LD did a marvelous job with the Hawks this year…
Sund worked with the resources he had…none…
Josh has been in the league 8 years…
Josh has repeatedly requested to be traded…
That’s the bottom line…
He does not want to be here…
He’ll turn on the next coach and next after that…
If you don’t trade him now, he holds the cards…
We’ll be in for a season long Superboy episode…
Granted Josh is not a public disruptor, give him credit…
But his people speak volumes for him…
No secret ATL operating with limited resources…
Teams that go far pay luxury taxes…
Hawks reluctant to pay luxury taxes…
Ownership has self-imposed limitations…
Players, coaches have to beat the odds to win big…
Thus far, it has not happened…
They’ve gone as far as investment will take them…
Now they are up against the financial wall…
They have no salary cap room and little for free agency…
Joe Johnson at $21M per year…eats 40% of salary cap…
Everyone else gets a super-sized Scoobie snack…
Hawks have to create cap space…
Ownership will not amnesty anybody…forget about it…
Re-negotiate and extend a contract…doubt it…
Trade for draft picks and non-guaranteed Ks??? Yes!
Leave the Coach/GM alone, they did all they could do…
They didnt heave fall away 20ft. jumpers w/ .09 sec. left…
They didnt jack up 3 pt airballs in the last minute…
Take opportunity to infuse young talent for next phase..
Draft is deep all the way through 30, get picks…
Build future around Horford/JJ – who is going nowhere….
This is a chance to right the ship…
Get a Hibbert instead of Teague…
Get a Rudy Gay instead of Shelden Williams…
Get a Deron Williams instead of Marvin Williams…
This is an opportunity…after 8yrs – it is what it is…
Josh Smith is the key...?????!!!!
May 18th, 2012
1:52 pm
Here’s an idea…How about we watch tape on the Spurs and do exactly what they do!!!! They may not be the most exciting team to watch, and Ginobili drives me crazy, but they know how to play as a team. If the Hawks players are too egotistical to adjust to team playing then get rid of them and bring in players that know how to play as a team. Yes, that means get rid of Josh and bring in two B players that have been on championship teams. Good grief the Hawks playing style is frustrating!!!!
www
May 18th, 2012
2:02 pm
keep josh smith, jeff teague, al horford and zaza pachulia.
trade everyone else.
add jerry sloan.
is it too late to trade joe johnson for jamal crawford?
Heisenberg
May 18th, 2012
2:41 pm
As much as I like Big Al, he makes for a logical trade candidate. An all-star player in his prime under contract for multiple seasons at a fair value. It would keep Josh at the 4 (and fewer long jumpers). Just need to get back quality & value that can play the 3 or 5. Kenneth Faried, Nicolas Batum, or Jared Dudley are a few good young small forwards that would be an upgrade over Marvin. Marcin Gortat, Spencer Hawes, Al Jefferson, Brook Lopez, Greg Monroe, and Tiago Splitter are a few good young centers that could compliment Zaza. Will let the capologists determine what other pieces would need to be included.
The downside to trading Big Al is it would be very hard to get back a player with an equally hot WAG.
Sonny Clusters
May 18th, 2012
2:51 pm
We kept clicking on the picture but there was no video. The page sure jumps around, though. Has somebody been eating jumping beans?
Paddy
May 18th, 2012
2:53 pm
Drew is the only coach the ASG can afford! Thats why they picked up his option!
welikebaseball2
May 18th, 2012
3:06 pm
How depressing…Mark releases this article just before we find out the Hawks picked up the option on Drew. Ugh. I think I’m going to be sick.
welikebaseball2
May 18th, 2012
3:14 pm
tyger: I agree that the players are responsible for a fair share of the blame, but people mistakingly get this notion that it’s ALL about the players. Look, if I’m at my best doing one thing & the coaching scheme doesn’t put me in position to do it, but puts me in position to do things I’m least effective doing…who’s to blame? Yes, we need players, coaching scheme had a lot to do with our inability to score the ball & our inability to put our guys in position to do what they do best…which is NOT shooting jumpers. Going further, the GM is as much to blame for the ineffective coaching scheme as the coach…because he hired the coach.
bali
May 18th, 2012
3:39 pm
nice dream mark….but same old rules the day…..do you think the hawks will ever get it right…i do not…josh smith will cry that he wants out but in the end will sign a long term contract with the hawks…he will never become the player he could have been and the hawks will keep playing the same games they always have…coach drew will probably be fired at the end of the 2013 season ..and the beat goes on
bfred
May 18th, 2012
4:22 pm
How hard is it for a coach to say “unless it’s a set play, if you shoot from more than 12 feet or with more than 10 seconds left on the shot clock you will be substituted for at the very next whistle”???
It’s the same thing I remember beating my head against the wall over with Francouer: “Take a called strike or your benched.” Never happened.
willie
May 18th, 2012
4:27 pm
Whoever thinks Josh is this team’s problem hasn’t been watching.
The Hawks move to keep Larry Drew, and more hope fades | Mark Bradley
May 18th, 2012
4:34 pm
[...] This offseason could have — and still might, theoretically — been a time for recalibration. The Hawks could have found a better coach (Nate McMillan would have been my first call) and a new general manager (Dennis Lindsey and Troy Weaver, assistant GM’s with San Antonio and Oklahoma City, would have been my starting points) and tried to reshape the prized Core Four to reflect the growing reality that Josh Smith, not Joe Johnson, is the key to brighter tomorrows. [...]
Thrashers fan
May 18th, 2012
4:34 pm
Ship them to Winnipeg and give us our NHL team back!
Charles
May 18th, 2012
4:36 pm
Trade Josh Smith and Marvin Williams to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum. Move Horford to power forward and draft a small forward. Then, win multiple championships.
JSS
May 18th, 2012
8:34 pm
Ha ha, some folks still think Andrew Bynum is available on these blogs! Ain’t happening unless the name attached to the trade is named Howard or James!
JSS
May 18th, 2012
8:36 pm
And poor former fellow Thrasher fans, still beating a dead horse! The real curse followed them North!
Barney Strickland
May 19th, 2012
11:31 am
What the heck are you talking about? The guy is 28 yrs old! If he can’t perform and be coached like a professional, get rid of him. We must have player who stick to a plan- not someone who heaves it up from 20 feet! Remember the greatest TEAM of all time was the 2004 Pistons…. no stars …all TEAM …. Champs 4ever!
Josh > Joe
May 19th, 2012
1:38 pm
Josh has more heart and fight than JJ.
I have never seen an “all star” that was inept as JJ. I do not fault him for his outrageously over-inflated ridiculously overpaid contract. He and his agent are brilliant. But I can fault the ownership and perhaps the GM.
I can fault Joe for his bad defense, poor ballhandling, bad decisions and disappearance when the moment calls for a real All Star.
As long as Joe is here and the centerpience, then the Hawks will not be taken seriously on the court. As long the owners are the owners, then the Hawks will not be taken seriously as a franchise.
Josh, Teague, Horford + a moneyball 3 point shooter and a tough minded big man would be fantastic. Keep Zaza too b/c he has heart.
Trade Joe.
Sell the team.
Save the franchise.
hasan
May 19th, 2012
10:07 pm
To all of the Josh Smith haters, bashers, and trade demanders. I want all of you to look at the Hawks, roster from starters to the bench. Then think about the fact that Al Horford, only played 11 games. Then after all that is done look at all of the teams from the east that made the playoffs. Then think about the fact that amongst those teams the Hawks was actually the 4th seed. Then after all is thought about tell me who got the Hawks to where they were this year. Josh Smith, did all he could for the Hawks. Yeah he do take some bad shots every now and then but come on the guy was clearly the best player on the floor. Look who he had starting along side him. Jeff Teague, who is still in the learning process. I think Teague will be good but his costly turnovers and his decision making is a concern but I’m sure it’s something he can correct. Joe Johnson, come on. Everytime he play all I say is I can’t believe this guy gets over 100 mill. That’s all that needs to be said. After that everybody else would start here and there. The only constant the Hawks had this season was Smith. I remember one game Smith had 28 points and the rest of the team was in single digit numbers. So for the Hawks to be a 4th seed that told me a lot about Smith. He’s coachable and he have a huge ceiling to only get better. What he did this season with the Hawks was very impressive. Just about every eastern team that made the playoffs is far more talented then the Hawks and only three of them were seeded higher. Build around Smith, Horford, and Teague, and the Hawks have a team.
TheGr8_1
May 25th, 2012
9:50 am
Josh is the best player on the ATL HAWKS period. Just as KB stated, keep Josh, Jeff and Al and trade the rest. Dwight would be a absolutely GREAT addition. I think he’d love to play for the Hawks along side Josh and Al, a absolutely great front line.
TheGr8_1
May 25th, 2012
9:53 am
Josh is not he player that Nique was but if you trade him you’ll have the same affect which would ultimately affect the pocket of the franchise. I have about 10 friends I ersonally can say do not like the Hawks since they done Nique the way that did. They all are Celtic and laker fans for that reason and the same will happen if Josh is traded.