Packfill

Very interesting.

What is really interesting is that the GM does not have the authority to fire the coach. Who is running this ship? Was BK even involved in the Bibby trade?

Quote: WTF was wrong with the Chills pick? The fact that he is not as good as Deng or Iggy.

Quote: Quote: I can't believe that they printed that? It would NOT surprise me one bit if BK himself is Sekou's source. This seems very, very strange that Sekou would report something like this and risk his access to Woody and BK. Maybe BK finally decided not to play good corporate citizen and let it be known what has been apparent for so long, that he is hand-cuffed by this dysfunctional ownership. No one can tell me it is a coincidence that we took on Bibby's salary at the same time that the Thrashers started to re-build by dumping an UFA who would have demanded top dollar or at a time when the Hawks are receiving several million dollars in insurance payments for Speedy. They have basically traded Hossa for Bibby and are paying for Bibby in part with Speedy's busted knee. Without the perfect financial storm lining up, they likely would have done nothing to address this team's gaping holes. This is a huge story and it will be interesing to see if it has legs beyond the die-hard fans or local media. Hopefully, ESPN and others will pick up on the story of a GM who is powerless against an incompetent head coach and a dysfunctional ownership group. My guess is the owners have informed BK that his tenure is up at the end of the year and he is trying to save face in hopes of landing a job in the future.

Quote: The way this got leaked makes me think BK is getting frustrated with the owners. The way this leaked is probably a move by BK to save some face when the owners fire him.

Quote: Quote: Considering all the opportinities we've had in the draft and considering this is the 4th year of rebuilding I would have to say that 38 wins is pretty weak considering how bad the conference is. This season has definitely been a disappointment to me so far. Even if they make the playoffs they have to play a LOT better than they have been to make me see this season in a positive light. Then you are one of the fans this article, by Sekou, was written for. My point was... most fans on this site expected around 38 wins before the season ever started. Now in December the team was rolling and people were buying into them........that is when some fans may have been "foolish" to buy into the Hawks too much. Since my expectations were only a 38 win season I am NOT down in the dumps about the current Hawks. In fact I'm higher on them now then ever. The schedule is getting easier, we have a legitimate PG, so the playoffs are within reach. Ya, that is sipping on a little koolaid but come on...they are only 1.5 games out of the playoffs while the Wizards are in a free fall without Arenas and Butler and the Nets are without Kidd while Harris and Diop are too hurt to play. I think once people take an honest and objective look the Hawks are very close to where many of us thought they would be. Walter likes to argue with me when in truth we are only argueing over a difference of opinion of 4 games. Walter thought the Hawks would win 34 games while I thought 38 games would be the win total. That 4 game difference is all that is needed for Walter to start name calling posters fools for expecting a 38 win season.....LOL. I'm just glad I didn't predict 39 wins or somthing totally CRAZY like that. Then Walter may call me a moron and my feeling would be hurt beyond repair. I would be forever scared. I think the reason that people, including Sekou, are down on the Hawks is because they have been putrid for about two months now. If they were trending up it would be one thing, but that is not the case. Given how bad the east is right now it would be flat out embarassing to miss the playoffs.

That is a great quote from Sekou.

Josh Smith would really benefit from some good coaching and, failing that, a brain transplant.

My understanding is that the team is only interested in signing free agents who are younder then 24 years of age so as to insure that the team remains one of the youngest teams in the NBA for the foreseeable future. The rationale is that it gives BK and Woody a ready-made excuse for not winning games. From one perspective, this is the smartest thing BK and Woody have done as it has given both remarkable job security.

Quote: Exactly, I don't think he expects us to be making precision passes and running the whole clock making the defense work until we find an open guy, I think he is stressing that running isn't working because some of our guys start playing recklessly when we run thinking they are Magic Johnson. The best thing that we can do is slow things down when the players are moving too fast for themselves, at least under the philosophy that any player can bring the ball up court that we employ. Personally I would rather have a traditional method of having the PG handle the ball up and down the court and throughout the half court but that's not how we do it. I think even casual fans of the game of basketball realize that the PG should be bringing the ball up the court when the other players on the team are not capable of doing so. It just baffles me why Woody does not realize this. It baffles me that the players do not realize this as well, and pass to the PG regardless of what Woody has mandated (or hasn't mandated).

Quote: Quote: So what you are saying is that the GM has done a pretty bad job putting together this team? EDS, this entire team is f'd up at his point. From the players, to the coach, to the GM, to the ownership. To blame it on one single entity, and think that ish will change, is kind of being naive. Couldn't agree more.

Quote: Coach, these are professional players. If they need some sort of rah-rah speech with a 7 point lead going into the 3rd quarter, then I truly don't know what to say about them. There are so many problems with this team, especially when they go on the road, it isn't even funny. You talk about 3rd quarter adjustments? - JJ and Bibby had consecutive turnovers to begin the quarter. - Then they missed their first 4 shots - Then JJ and Bibby had consecutive turnovers AGAIN - By the time Smoove finally hits a little bunny shot, the game is tied at 39. - We didn't hit a shot outside of 5 feet THE ENTIRE QUARTER and were 3 - 17 overall in the quarter. I mean, seriously. What would you have done differently to start the 3rd, as far as a lineup? It wasn't like Chill was playing like anything, so why even take the time to bench Marvin? Unless you bench Marvin for ZaZa, and move Smoove to SF, which is a disaster in itself. So do you bench Smoove in favor of ZaZa? I say that, because Horford did have a pretty good first half, so the logical person would be to bench Smoove, right? I'm sure people would've had a fit if Smoove didn't start in the 2nd half. The problem with this fan base, is that most people think the answers are so simple. You guys should know better. Most of us either watch or follow very closely what this team does on a nightly basis. This team has found every way possible to lose a game this year, from bad coaching moves/plays/decisions, to players just playing like garbage after playing great the quarter or half before. We get a legit PG who is also a shooter, but now we turn the ball over like a 9 year old YMCA team? Everybody's favorite bench players finally get some time, yet, they can't hit or do ish when they get in a game? Go to Marvin more . . when he's only shooting 36% FG and has failed to score in double figures in 5 games this month . . after having only ONE sub 10-point game the entire year before February? His eFG on his jumper has now fallen below 40%. So seriously man, what would you have done differently, that would've prevented the cold shooting and the dumb turnovers that caused them to rapidly lose the lead last night? So what you are saying is that the GM has done a pretty bad job putting together this team?

Quote: I didn't jinx ish. These players jinxed it themselves with those 22 turnovers. It was a less than inspired effort by the players, no doubt.

Quote: MAYBE BECAUSE HE REALIZES THAT MIKE WOODSON IS AN IDIOT? He never Runs any Curls For Marvin Williams who is one of the best Mid range shooters in the game. He Allowed Marvin Williams to go 2 quarters without any touches. (Those first half shots came off the offensive glass.) MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WOODY HORRIBLE SUBSTITUTION PATTERNS? It's obvious to anyone that watches basketball that Marvin Should Play More with the second Unit to get touches. But our Idiot coach plays Marvin the entire first quarter and didn't use him effectively with a bunch of guys that frozed him out. Then in the second quarter he goes with an entire unit of none scorers with the exception of Jeremy Richardson but he's inexperienced. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OUR IDIOT COACH HAS LET MIKE BIBBY RUIN OUR TEAM?? Mike Bibby Thinks that Josh Smith is a go to player?!? For seven possessions straight against the Spurs he went to Josh Smith. THAT SAD THING IS THAT OUR IDIOT COACH MUST THINK THIS ALSO BECAUSE HE JUST SAT THERE WITH THAT SILLY LOOK ON HIS FACE AND ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN. MIKE WOODSON MAKE ME WANNA PUKE FROM JUST LOOKING AT HIS SILLY FACE DURING THESE GAMES!!! Marvin has only been making about 37% of his shots for the month of February, so I don't think the absence of plays for Marvin Williams right now is a black mark against Woody.

Quote: It don't sound like a victory, but to be able to win 2 of these 5 road games, means that our objective has been achieved. As always, it doesn't matter which games you win, just as long as you win. These guys aren't the least bit afraid of the Spurs. Don't be shocked if they win tonight. Way to jinx it.

Quote: Or maybe Magloire wanted to play here instead?? ... has he signed with anyone yet? I'm still holding out hope that we sign PJ though. I think guys like PJ and Magloire will be more interested in signing with teams that are more of a sure thing to make the playoffs and advance beyond the first round.

Quote: Woody is an idot, Josh Smith sucks, Marvin Williams sucks, JJ sucks, Bibby sucks, Childress sucks, Salim sucks, Horford sucks, Salim sucks, Solo sucks. I know alot of people go overboard on the hate, but we all need to be honest too. This team is 9 games under .500 and has been a big disappointment. I think criticism of BK and Woody in particular is warranted, given the teams slow development and lack of smart play. Thank goodness the team beat Golden State (which, bye the way, was missing two starters), or they would be in a enormous free-fall right now. I still think the Hawks make the playoffs because NJ probably drops down, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls start making a move either.

Huge win for the Hawks last night.

Quote: Just a few months younger than portland (altho they are also skewed down by oden who doesn't play this year) now that we traded our 3 old guys for a younger old guy and signed a young guy of course, if we sign a big that is 24+, then we'll age again Now if only the goal in the NBA was to build the youngest team possible, the Hawks would be all set!

And again: Re: Name your top five. [Re: emeans] Posted: 06/28/05 09:08 AM 1. Chris Paul 2. Deron Williams 3. Andrew Bogut 4. Marvin Williams It is real close between 1 and 4. I think for me the determining factor and the reason I favor acquiring a point guard is because having a good point guard will immeasurably improve the teams play on the court - proper spacing, ball movement, creative passing have been missing from the Hawks for at least a decade. I really enjoy good team basketball and crave some creativity on the court that only a good point guard can bring.

I quote (myself): Re: Let's not get carried away BEFORE they play. [Re: Wretch] Posted: 06/23/05 12:38 PM Excellent post. I think people are getting carried away by labeling Marvin as a potential superstar. He clearly is not a can't miss prospect in the LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony sense. The guy is a good athlete (not as good as Smoove) with some good skills, but he could just as easily become Billy Owens (for those that don't remember, he was an extremely talented, multi-skilled player for Syracuse that never lived up to his billing) instead of James Worthy. Quite frankly, if he were drafted, there is no guarantee he becomes as good a player as Smoove or Harrington - both of whom will improve upon last season (Harrington because of the experience of starting for a year and Smoove because of experience). The Hawks desperately need a center and a point guard. They are in position to address one of those needss. Both Deron and Paul have demonstrated the ability to be potential superstar point guards.

Quote: Quote: You want loser mentality? You sound like a woman who stays with a man even though he is beating her and cheating on her. Sure, he is nice sometimes and maybe one day he will not be a good for nothing druggy/womanizer, but chances are he is not going to change. He may shine up one day a year to go to your mothers birthday party, but he will get drunk and be hitting on your underage cousin before the end of the night. I think if missing the playoffs is the only thing that guarantees getting rid of BK and Woody then the teams long term health is better served by missing the playoffs. With BK and Woody this team is on the slow boat to mediocrity - at best. With all due respect EDS, this is BASKETBALL, not The Young and the Restless, or some episode of Cheaters. No non-bsketball analogies can compare with making and not making the playoffs. And even if we DO make the playoffs, but get swept, a great case can be made for Woody and BK STILL being fired. Hell, Marty Schottenheimer got fired for losing a playoff game, even though he won 14 regular season games. So if we win 36 games, and barely squeak in, then get swept in the playoffs, the ASG should STILL pull the trigger on both guys. But this is about the players, not the FANS expectations on where the team should be. It's just like a bubble team that hasn't made the NCAA tournament in 8 years, finally squeaking in the big dance, but drawing a #13 seed. Let a team like Georgia somehow win the SEC tournament, and get into the Big Dance. Now they'd have no shot at winning the tounament, and they'd probably lose that 1st round game. But the experience those freshmen, sophomoes, and juniors would get, could be built upon for next season . . regardless of whom the coach is. You could still make a good case for firing the Georgia coach. And most of you can't even agree on what coach to bring here anyway. So it's not like some messiah coach is gonna come hre, and instantly transform us into 55 game winners anyway. If you know of one, fire Woody right now. Even I'm for a coaching change these days. But I'm not going to wish against this team making the playoffs, if Woody is still the coach. That's anti-fan to me. With all due respect Mr. Northcyde, this is PROFESSIONAL basketball at the highest level, not college. These players get paid very good money to play hard every day. And if these players care about making the playoffs then all they need to do is start playing some sound fundamental basketball, play some defense, make the extra pass, fight for rebounds, etc. Run the offense for goodness sakes!

Quote: The youngest team in the league making the playoffs would be huge. Not only because we'd have a really young team that could be perenially playoff bound but more importantly, you gain an immense amount of confidence by going there and it can really straighten a young teams mind frame. The youngest team in the league is Portland.

You want loser mentality? You sound like a woman who stays with a man even though he is beating her and cheating on her. Sure, he is nice sometimes and maybe one day he will not be a good for nothing druggy/womanizer, but chances are he is not going to change. He may shine up one day a year to go to your mothers birthday party, but he will get drunk and be hitting on your underage cousin before the end of the night. I think if missing the playoffs is the only thing that guarantees getting rid of BK and Woody then the teams long term health is better served by missing the playoffs. With BK and Woody this team is on the slow boat to mediocrity - at best.

Quote: Anyone else been surprised at how quick he looks compared to other NBA players?? I was expecting him to be in the kinda "lower tier" of athleticism for NBA PG's, but he can get just about anywhere on the court he wants pretty easily. He is a better athlete then I thought as well. Problem is he is less NBA ready then I thought he would be.