Having hired Danny Ferry, the Hawks must be taken seriously
Four words not often heard: An impressive Hawks hire. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Three cheers for the Atlanta Hawks, and not just puny “hip, hips,” either. Make these full-throated “hoorays.” A franchise that has chosen wrong so often has finally done it right. It has hired a basketball man of impeccable pedigree and plans to get out of his way.
Danny Ferry has done two tours with the San Antonio Spurs, the gold standard of NBA organizations, and in between he was general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played for the NBA title in 2007 and won 66 games in 2008-2009. That Ferry has chosen to become GM of the Hawks says he’s sold on an organization that has, to be frank, been the toughest of sells.
Bruce Levenson, one of the Hawks’ many owners, introduced Ferry on Monday by saying, “For every question we asked Danny, he asked 10 of us.” That was a polite way of noting the interviewee was actually the interviewer. At issue wasn’t why the Hawks should hire him — that much was apparent — but why he should deign to work for these owners.
Had Ferry remained unsold on these owners, he’d have taken the Philadelphia job (he’d also had an audience there) or stayed in San Antonio. Of Levenson, Ferry said: “I was struck by his humble approach to the past, especially for a team that has done well.”
Let the record reflect that, of the first thousand adjectives that might attach themselves to Levenson, “humble” isn’t among them. But this ownership just managed to convince a pragmatic man that it’s serious about changing, serious about winning in a way it hasn’t been to date. (Sure enough, Levenson went so far as to acknowledge “missteps” — also a departure.)
Know this about Ferry: He left Cleveland after five good-to-excellent years — yes, having the world’s best player under contract had something to do with it — because he and owner Dan Gilbert no longer shared a vision. In the willingness to do whatever it took to keep LeBron James, Gilbert fired coach Mike Brown. Ferry, whose contract was expiring, chose to walk away. “We were on different pages,” Ferry said, “and I think I’ve given you what I’ll give you [as rationale].”
Burned once, such a man would be doubly sure to ask tens if not hundreds of questions of any prospective employers. “I was in a good spot where I was,” Ferry said. “I would not have made this decision if I didn’t think this was a good opportunity and a good challenge.”
Danny Ferry is the son of Bob Ferry, who in 1959 was the first-round pick of the Hawks, then based in St. Louis, and who would become GM of the Baltimore/Washington Bullets. Danny Ferry had such a golden career as a player — national champ in high school, three Final Fours in college, an NBA crown with the Spurs in 2003 — that if you ask, “Who’s the best coach you ever had?,” he can tick off four Hall of Famers as candidates: Morgan Wootten of DeMatha Catholic, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Lenny Wilkens of Cleveland and Gregg Popovich of the Spurs.
And Danny Ferry, basketball lifer, didn’t come here to rubber-stamp the whims of Levenson and the Gearons. “I’m allowed to do everything,” he said, responding to a question about having the Hawks rely more on statistical analysis. “If we take a common-sense approach, I’m very confident the answer [from ownership] is going to be yes.”
There will be time to discuss deeper issues — the state of the Hawks’ Core Four, the status of lame-duck coach Larry Drew, the enduring question of what to do with Josh Smith — in the days ahead, but for now it’s enough to know that the new GM believes he’s inheriting some “really good players” and that he’s committed to “building something even stronger from what’s already there.”
If you’re looking for a Ferry credo, this will do: “We want to be a value-based franchise.”
If you’re seeking an assurance that these owners, who have spent nearly a decade alienating their constituency, are serious about changing, know that Ferry asked Levenson, “Are you willing to do this the right way?” — and was satisfied with the answer.
These owners have gone from wanting to dump the Hawks from wanting to keep them and run them the way the Spurs have been run. Said Ferry: “I would not have come here if I thought [the Hawks being sold] was an issue. Bruce and I were just saying we’d hoped we’d both still be here 12 years from now.”
There was a time — like, say, last week — when the thought of 12 more years of these Hawks under these owners would have induced howls of anguish. But now these owners have seen fit to hire Danny Ferry to run their team, and you have to admit: That’s one heck of a restart.
By Mark Bradley
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175 comments Add your comment
Devil's Advocate
June 25th, 2012
6:52 pm
I love the hire but that has got to be the funniest headline in AJC history. These same Hawks:
1. Let key pieces of the 87-88 team walk instead of bringing them back for another run.
2. Traded Nique while only a few games out of 1st place in the East
3. Hired Lenny Wilkens
4. Signed Moses Malone and Steve Smith
Big names do not make a serious team.
clark kent
June 25th, 2012
6:59 pm
Welcome Danny to the worst ownership group in professional sports.
Watch your back.
Anyone still naive enough to be giving money to the A$G should have their head examined.
Nikki
June 25th, 2012
7:02 pm
I like the Ferry move. However, I think the move is the equivalent of using a cup to keep a boat from sinking. There is no way Ferry can rescue this Hawks team and still be anchored to that absolutely RIDICULOUS Joe Johnson contract.
kevkat
June 25th, 2012
7:04 pm
donte080
June 25th, 2012
6:27 pm
You couldn’t be more wrong. Never said I was satisfied, I’m not and expect to see some changes, where I disagreed strongly was your comment that Ferry has nothing to work with….
you can’t grasp the difference?
Ohhhhh…I get it. You consider Ferry has something to work with because the Hawks have more talent than the Wizards or Bobcats and are a perennial playoff team huh? I can only go on what you said..perennial playoff team which is correct i guess.you are right, he does have engough to work with for a perennial playoff team..course any other team with a .500 record or above has a shot at the playoffs..maybe not perennial. Look what he inherits.. a player currently not worth $120 million, a forward who wants out and one who’s a starter that really needs to come off the bench because he’s not consistent. I apologize..he can work with them.
wayne
June 25th, 2012
7:08 pm
Just saw an article from CNN news. says Hawks are after Steve Nash. Who knows I guess?
cccwwww
June 25th, 2012
7:11 pm
move number one bring back John Koncak to play center!!!!!!!!!!!!
CJ
June 25th, 2012
7:13 pm
I, for one, do not expect much out of DF in his first year or two. I agree with some of the other posts I have read. He had LJ in Cleveland and could not find a winning formula there for a championship. Of course we now realize that LJ could not carry the team by himself but needed other “superstars” to carry some of the load. He tried in Cleveland but just could not do it. DF in SA had a lot of good people in place when he was hired. He did not have to do a lot of work there more or less maintain. He has a lot of work to do in the ATL before they become a true contender. Amnesty JJ, regardless of cost, trade J Smoove, release MW because you can’t get anything for him, get rid of most of the bench with a couple of exceptions such as Zaza who is a decent backup. Other than that he does not have much to do.
RA
June 25th, 2012
7:16 pm
OMG! That almost passes for optimism, but it still smells like Bradley…
donte080
June 25th, 2012
7:19 pm
I’d much rather be in Hawks position than 2/3 of the teams in NBA…that’s why IMO Ferry choose us over Philly, they are like we were 3 years ago in thinking they have something they don’t…….I would rather work with a team that has some pieces….if Ferry plays it right (and he may not have enough time to get it done the way I want) but Josh should be able to get us at least a lottery pick from….Marvin is still young enough someone would dump a late 1st rounder in a risk for him….not much we can do about Joe’s contract unless someone is desperate for the last missing piece (Bulls or Clippers or maybe even Dallas) otherwise we utilize his declining skills at the most optimal (IMO move him to SF and get a SG in draft or a center in trade of Josh),,,rebuild this team around Horford and Teague, that’s a good nucleus if we trade and draft smart…..
Some knick clown keeps posting here that he thinks they are a rising team….hard for me to see that, they seem to screw it up every year in draft and FA signings…they make us look like the model franchise…Portland is always pushed as a model franchise, but look at where they are….same for Phoenix, who do they have you can build on? Toronto when they got Colangelo hasn’t done squat….everyone here (including you, kevkat) in atlanta are way too negative, there’s alot worse run franchises then we are…..hiring Ferry is a good thing for this franchise….
Greg
June 25th, 2012
7:23 pm
We don’t need role players here. We need starters. Joe Johnson need to allow his contract to be restructured so we can attract some good talent here. As long as the Hawks have his contract over their head we won’t be able to afford a cold.
steven a smith
June 25th, 2012
7:32 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
June 25th, 2012
4:52 pm
Ferry is the best GM this team has had in 17 years. With that said, this article makes the same mistake that Atlanta sports fans make when evaluating the Falcons. Just because the people in charge look the part doesn’t mean they deserve to be taken seriously.
The Hawks should be taken seriously only when Ferry reconstructs this team into a championship contender, just like the Falcons should be taken seriously only when they start winning playoff games. Until then, they are both pretenders. Ferry’s pedigree doesn’t mean anything until it translates into results.
Obviously Poop is the type of guy who sees the glass half empty… Dude needs Tony Robbins motivational tapes,,,GET THEM NOW DAVENPOOP!!!
kevkat
June 25th, 2012
7:38 pm
donte080…I never said anything against the hiring of Ferry, on the contrary, I think it’s very good.. All I’m saying is he’s got his work cut out for him. It’s human nature to become “negative” as you say but that’s mainly a result of being frustrated as any true fan will get when he or she goes through years of what looks to be promising only to be dissappointed. But he is a good hire and if he’s given the reins to do what he needs the outlook could be promising.
Mark Bradley's Fan Club
June 25th, 2012
7:44 pm
I don’t know that we can say that it’s time to take the Hawks seriously, but it shows the Hawks are serious. That’s good enough for me. When they are able to field a team that has a legit shot at a title, then we can take them seriously. With Ferry in control, I’d say we’ve got a decent shot of that happening.
Danny Ferry
June 25th, 2012
7:46 pm
I’m impressed by the Hawks’ UPSIDE!! Buy those tickets, fools, er I mean fans!
Suckers.
Moobs Johnson
June 25th, 2012
7:53 pm
Maybe Ferry can pull off the same type of moves that Waddell did with the Thrashers under the same ownership group. That lead to great success.
NekiEcko
June 25th, 2012
8:03 pm
@Sam Amick
Well, that didn’t take long: with Atlanta GM Danny Ferry in his first day on the job, the message is spreading that he’ll be looking to shake up the Hawks’ roster and rebuild in some capacity. No specifics yet, but forward Josh Smith has tremendous value and an expiring contract (next season at $13.2 million), center Al Horford will be healthy again and is an attractive piece as well (four years, $48 million remaining) and shooting guard Joe Johnson has the sort of deal that any sane GM would try – and likely try in vain – to get rid of (four years and $89.3 million left).
chris
June 25th, 2012
8:05 pm
Great great day for Atlanta Hawks fans…sitll a bit of patience needed for Ferry to put his stamp on this team but I feel that the ownership has finally done something right! I like Larry Drew as a person and as a coach, it remains to be seen if he has what it takes to get us to the championship level. The Hawks have become somewhat like the Braves and Falcons content on getting into the playoffs then finding excuses why we dont go far into them. I think Atlanta is ready for a championship basketball team and I believe Danny Ferry while he cannot wave a magic wand over night will, over time be the person to do just that.
will
June 25th, 2012
8:05 pm
This is a good move in the right direction, for the hawks. Good Job!
donte080
June 25th, 2012
8:09 pm
kevkat, I hear ya. Of course, if things here were all rosy, we wouldn’t have needed to hire him in the first place. It will be interesting to see how he shakes things up..
I dropped my fried twinkie
June 25th, 2012
8:15 pm
Damn I am Old. I remember Danny with pretty Black hair. I still have ALL my hair with a few grey.
kevkat
June 25th, 2012
8:19 pm
donte080
June 25th, 2012
8:09 pm
kevkat, I hear ya. Of course, if things here were all rosy, we wouldn’t have needed to hire him in the first place. It will be interesting to see how he shakes things up..
Agreed!
doyle
June 25th, 2012
8:25 pm
this is a new beginning ..for those that want to blow this team up what the hell is u smokeing..at lease we make the play off..some thing that half the team in the nba can’t say.it funny how some off u forget the bad yrs before we star to win.i don’t and want..whats a good fan?one that hope and pray your team win a champinship that what we all want..all you can hope for is that your team play hard if you have the money go see the game live if not watch it on tv pull for the home teams..just saying
Najeh Davenpoop
June 25th, 2012
8:27 pm
“Najeh, you don’t think the falcons deserve to be taken seriously?
How long you been a Falcons fan?”
Since Deion was returning kicks. In other words, long enough to know that the last time they won a playoff game, Michael Vick was the quarterback and Rich McKay was the GM.
Again, just because they look the part doesn’t mean they deserve to be taken seriously. The current iteration of the Falcons has accomplished less than the current iteration of the Hawks.
bowman
June 25th, 2012
8:43 pm
The arrival of Danny Ferry is an opportunity for a change of culture for the Atlanta Hawks. It worked for the Atlanta Braves when the organization brought in John Schuerholz. Like Schuerholz, Ferry has a past with some success. The palate may be more crowded that it was for Schuerholz but Ferry has a chance to paint his own masterpiece. Player issues come an go. The key here is for the Atlanta Spirit group to stay out of the way and give Ferry time to do his work.
Swingman912
June 25th, 2012
8:43 pm
Everyone saying he couldn’t get the right pieces around Levron forget that Cleveland isn’t the most popular destination, and look what it took for Lebron to win a ring. 2 perennial All Stars and some consumate role players. Bottom line, you can’t blame Ferry for LeBron not winning. And I’ll take Ferry over Subpar Sund anyday….CHUUUCH
Jfreak13713
June 25th, 2012
8:51 pm
I like the Ferry move as it shows the owners are at least somewhat serious about this team. I wish they would have made a play for Stan Van Gundy instead of keeping Larry Drew but one step at a time I suppose. I remember the Falcons began to turn things around when they hired a good GM and then a good coach. Hopefully, Ferry will land or keep the RIGHT coach and then put a good team together.
Jimmy
June 25th, 2012
8:57 pm
Doesn’t matter who the Hawks hire. They will still suck.
Benny
June 25th, 2012
9:02 pm
Maybe both offers (Philly and ATL) were fairly equal, and it could be that he and his family preferred living in ATL over Philly. Whatever. I’ll take it. This is better than when Stan Kasten was GM, in which the Hawks had success in spite of his efforts, not because of. Better than Pete Babcock, who signed Blair Rasmussen, brought in JR Rider, etc. Better than Billy Knight, who passed on CP for Marvin Williams. Also passed over Deron Williams. Wonder how things worked out for those 2 guys.
Dawg
June 25th, 2012
9:12 pm
Ferry gives the Hawks credibility that they haven’t had in decades. The 6 year contract shows that the owners may be finally getting it.
Good move owners.
crackbaby
June 25th, 2012
9:16 pm
MB – Can you back up your glowing praise of Ferry with some examples of great draft picks and scouting prowess?
I don’t see any evidence offered from his past three jobs. Did Ferry pick Delonte West for the Cavs?
You call him a basketball lifer – so was Lenny Wilkens.
all for one.....
June 25th, 2012
9:18 pm
My GM Danny, it only takes five on the court baby. Show these morons how fast someone can put a competitive champion on the court. Please for all the rest of us intelligent life forms. Please show us HOPE.
all for one.....
June 25th, 2012
9:21 pm
PS. Danny absolutely do not draft whoever the Hawks were going to draft. Whoever he is, he will be out of league in no time. Draft me, Our kind of ball players. l know you can pick 2 ballers out of the top 50 in any draft. Thank you and Welcome, My friend. Big Fan
Pete Babcock
June 25th, 2012
9:42 pm
Great hire!!! First order of business, get Josh Smith the hell out of town.
Moobs Johnson
June 25th, 2012
9:44 pm
I dropped my fried twinkie – not a fan of either Richt or Bobo. The administration supports mediocrity and will keep the two idiots until the big money dries up from lack of interest.
Glenn in Snellville
June 25th, 2012
9:55 pm
When was the last time the Hawks made it to the NBA finals? Why would you question the credentials of a man who has? I worked one summer coaching the Bullets in summer league for Danny’s Dad, Bob, who also incidentally won an NBA Championship. Great bloodline, winners.
Atlanta THRASHERS Fan
June 25th, 2012
10:23 pm
Dear Atlanta Spirit Group,
After what you did with the THRASHERS, and the hearts of hockey fans in this region, each and every one of you can burn in the Eternal Flames of Hell.
You pieces of subhuman garbage will NEVER, and The Rock means N_E_V_E_R, directly or indirectly see another dime of my money.
I will never support the Hawks again as long you pieces of excrement own or run them in any capacity.
Sincerely,
A Loyal THRASHERS Season Ticket Holder You Sandusky’d
Tree Rollins
June 25th, 2012
10:31 pm
Seems like a good move to me. I have followed this team closely for 35 years. I feel like there is some hope, but I am not going to rush out and buy any tickets. The only real contender we had was during the Nique years (86′ to ‘88). We need a real post up player and I think we need to make a big move to have a legit chance at a title. We really are a long way off from the Heat, so the organization needs to be creative. Not going to be an easy thing to do I’m afraid. But, good luck to the team.
Tree Rollins
June 25th, 2012
10:34 pm
This does not allow me to forgive the ASG however for what they did to the Thrashers. Absolutely pathetic how they handled that in a city as large as Atlanta with such a potentially large fan base.
Wink
June 25th, 2012
10:37 pm
First, he’s a Dookie!
Second, he’s a Dookie…hate all Dookies! (NCAA hang over)
That said, he is better than Mr Half Way Retired Sund!
Levenson, he’s the lawyer right…it great when you have multiple owners skilled at lying…of course he would be great in cross examination and public spin.
Now if we are to believe this hire is for real…Marvin should be gone…a Dookie get to rubber stamp the exit of a TarHeel…surly he can’t pass that up….unless…………..?
I say they are still up for sale, and buying time…really what could he or Pat Riley do with two jacked up contracts for Joe & Marvin and no one wants the players…the best player (Josh) wants out & no cash to bring in any Free Agent, and we have the 23 pick. Come on let’s get real, Charlotte has the 2nd pick and they have no clue who they will pick…so really what is the value of the 23rd pick!
What can Ferry do to change this…he just a Big Fish in a little bowl…but he is still just a Fish….waiting to be fed by who….ASG….minimum two year hunger!
Welcome to ATL…Danny Boy!
IceColdATLien
June 25th, 2012
11:12 pm
If he brings even half of what the Spurs do and makes it part of the Hawks’ organization, then it’s obviously a big win for ATLiens everywhere.
He actually has some good assets to play with (Josh, Al, Jeff, even Marvin and Joe could be useful to the right teams), so let’s see what the wunderkind can do.
Rick James
June 25th, 2012
11:23 pm
I guess job one is to convince Josh Smith to resign or trade him for someone who can replace his production..
Eb
June 25th, 2012
11:25 pm
Ferry has no idea what he’s up against with these asinine owners. He will either exit upon realizing they lie or he will sit back collecting checks while towing their line as Sund did. Bottom line is these owners have proven consistently over the last 9 years that they are cheap, not very bright, and want to be in control. This is a recipe for disaster no matter who they lure into the front office.
keepinitreal
June 25th, 2012
11:32 pm
One thing that’s been obvious is that the ASG owners are a very insecure group. They don’t take criticism very well. But sometimes insecurity can be a motivator for getting things done. My guess is these guys got tired of hearing about their do-nothing ways and decided to make a splash just to prove everyone wrong. Hey, I’ll take it.
Ferry has a very difficult job ahead of him, but for the first time in a long time, it doesn’t feel like the Hawks are stuck anymore. We’ve got a new GM with new ideas who’s not going to be married to the status quo. That’s the best news we’ve gotten in a while.
mdr
June 25th, 2012
11:35 pm
Ferry drafted Lebron, something anyone in the world could have seen was the correct move. He also worked for the Spurs, but was not GM and did not have anything to do with building that team. This could be a good hire. Staying the same was certainly not the answer, but I don’t see the reason for the unbounded optimism hinted at in this column. I will take a “wait and see approach” to this, just like I do with every move made by this core of owners.
Mark Bradley
June 25th, 2012
11:53 pm
Ferry did not draft LeBron.
chuck
June 25th, 2012
11:53 pm
Ferry needs to pick either Horford or Smith and trade the other one. We can’t play both and Horford isn’t a good option at Center and Josh is awful as a small forward. If Ferry is really a great BB mind, Smith will be the one to go. We need a center, small forward, and a backup point guard out of the trade for Josh and the draft.
CP
June 26th, 2012
12:00 am
Does Danny have Jerry Sloan’s Number?
DP
June 26th, 2012
12:03 am
I don’t have to take the Hawks seriously, and I don’t. Nor do I have to take Mark Bradley’s opinions on the state of the Hawks seriously, and given his advocacy for the max deal for Joe Johnson that hangs like a millstone around the franchise’s neck, I don’t.
Hawks fan
June 26th, 2012
12:04 am
I know its easy to crap on the hawks ownership, but in all seriousness the hawks payroll is in the top bracket of the NBA. They just didn’t use the money wisely with Joe. Hopefully this GM has better common sense to know what a player is worth paying.
Hawks fan
June 26th, 2012
12:05 am
I agree Chuck