I would fire Woodson on Thursday.

[mrhonline]

Looking ahead at the schedule, I would go ahead and let Herb Brown or Larry Drew coach the Saturday game vs. San Antonio. The Hawks aren't likely to win that game anyway.

Let Woodson finish the final two road games, and have a replacement coach ready to go on Tuesday in Cleveland.

Last night's game should have been the final straw, or the ownership isn't paying attention...

[coachx]

Is it fair to just fire Woodson and not Knight ? Who is responsible for putting this group of sf's together ?

Knight has until December 15 trade deadline to make something happen. There is a deal out there that make sense somewhere.

Wat ownership remembers:

We drafted Marvin knowing he would have no immediate impact. Everyone was quite certain a PG would be better for the immediate future, but we chose to take the long road by taking who we hope will be a superstar. However his position is a log jam to say the least.

It was the GM, ownership, and the coaches decision to do this. What percentage had how much control ? Who knows.

The bottom line - ownership must trust the GM and coach to make wise decisions regarding personal and on the floor performance. Ownership has got to have lost some trust for obivous reasons

I would fire Knight and Woody. You must show accountability. It is one thing to be bad. It is another to be the worst in the league with the talent on the team.

However, I would let the year play out. If Marvin's star starts to shine he may save 2 careers. A new interm coach at this point would be nothing but a lame duck.

[mrhonline]

Quote:

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Is it fair to just fire Woodson and not Knight?

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For now, yes. Salim looks like a good pick, the owners were excited about Marvin, and JJ looks like a good acquisition.

Woodson, on the other hand, has taken a bad situation and made it laughable.

One thing at a time.

[exodus]

Quote:

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Knight has until December 15 trade deadline to make something happen

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Trading deadline is in February. Dec 15 is when free agents signed this summer become eligible to be traded.

[sinctybldh]

I think Woodson needs to go. This team needs a veteran coach that can instill discipline on this team.

[Weez]

like who? NBA coaching tends to be a merry go round...

citing Diesel's recent thoughts on the subject...the thing that this team, and indeed the entire organization, needs more than anything (at this point)...continuity.

Firing Woodson achieves nothing except providing the media and some fans a scapegoat, while it assuredly gives up all hopes on this season, and in many ways, the 'current team' which is already rumored to be fractured.

Firing Woodson accomplishes nothing...and had we won the couple of buzzer beaters that we lost, few wouild be crying for his job.

[Nicholasp27]

Quote:

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Knight has until December 15 trade deadline to make something happen.

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the deadline is in February

12/15 is simply the first date that many summer signees (and rookies) can be traded

[Diesel]

Woody seems to be saying all the wrong things...

I think he is setting himself up to be moved.

I don't think we should give up on him too soon, but he has said that "he couldn't coach Diaw".. He has said that "he's happy dispite losing"..

I just think he's giving himself the electric chair by being so..... lax...

I know that the last thing he is, but how you present yourself to the press means a whole lot when you're losing.

[Wretch]

I think the timeframe for a GM vs. coach is a little different. You can tell when a team isn't responding to the coach and this one isn't. We are not this bad. We have talent and guys who, while they may be versatile, know how to play a position.

JJ knows the 2, ZaZa is a BETTER than average center, Al is damn good at the 3 or 4. Smoove has that 15' shot down and is awesome on the break. He's starting to get better off the dribble. We've got good stuff coming off the bench...Salim, Lue, Chill. We're not offensively or defensively challenged...but for some reason, it just isn't working.

I can excuse the San Antonio's and Miami's but we're better than the bottom feeders who we're struggling to beat, we've hung in there CLOSELY with some good teams, and have absolutely MANHANDLED others for periods at a time... We just aren't consistent with it. Our offense and defense suffers lapses, guys are trying to take on too much responsibility, players are yelling at each other...there's some kind of divide in the locker room based upon experience.

We are in disarray. We've added more talent, a few vets, and we have a year under our belt with this core...but there has been no improvement. That's coaching... We're talented, but we're the worst team in the league. This team is showing NO progress or growth under Woodson. I think the fire is warming up under his chair.

BK has a different responsibility. He's got to take a team and turn it around. This doesn't happen overnight. Hell, it takes VERY GOOD GMs 4 or more years to turn around an abysmal franchise. BK started out with Babcock's lottery bound team and NO 1st round pick 2 seasons ago. I'd say the fire warms up for him over the summer.

[Final_quest]

OK I'll say it, put me on the fire Woodson bandwagon.

It's more than our losses and performances. There's something about his temperament that does not motivate. He does not have a fire, does not have charisma, and does not inspire his players. I don't think the players would care if he was gone, and that says something. We need someone to come in and give our players purpose, direction, and attitude.

As I'm typing this 790 zone is saying that Bender most likely will take over for Woodson in the next week. Don't know if it's a reliable report, but they said it on air.

[exodus]

Quote:

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We're not offensively or defensively challenged

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Actually this team is very defensively challenged. The only starters who are above average defenders are JJ and Smith. Zaza is weak on D but not really bad, like Lue and Al.

Offensively they have talent but just havent clicked yet.

[CrawDaddy]

Let's hope so. Woodson being a "disciplinarian" is laughable. Anybody think Bob Knight would be interested in the spot?

[Wretch]

Exactly...and I'm not sure but, I don't think I've heard anyone standing up for the coach. I mean, I haven't heard much talk about the coach or what he's trying to do or what he expects of them or what he's saying in any of these losses.

Just...what players talking about what they need to do.

[Diesel]

The coaches problem is that He let a lockerroom divide go public without doing something. I think that more than anything will be to his downfall.. That and saying that "he couldn't coach Diaw"...

I would have swallow dung before admitting that I couldn't coach any player who was not T.O.

[emeans]

We need a veteran coach period!! I am willing to almost take any veteran coach regardless of his past failures right now. Woodson is clueless!!

You can't have a rookie coach and a rookie team.....it just doesn't work.

If a veteran coach can't come in here and right the ship, then I am looking at BK next. I will give BK a chance with a veteran coach because BK has drafted talent pretty well, even though he hasn't drafted for need very well.

[DJlaysitup]

What was the locker room divide all about? was it in the AJC?

Anyway - I disagree with the logic that this year's team is younger but has more talent. If the talent isn't ready to go this year then it doesn't count (for this year). The Hawks started the year last year with a much more talented lineup - the losses mounted up (due to a lack of direction and the resulting selfish play IMHO) - but this year's squad is scary. Thank goodness Phoenix was hitting their shots and went to garbage time as early as they did. We could have easily finished with 60 points or less.

[Diesel]

It would be like he gets the final laugh on Babcock...

He would trade Delk for Rebraca

He would play:

Lue/JJ/Al/Zaza/Rebraca.. for 37 mpg...

They'd learn team chemistry...

[Inside_Man]

790the zone hearing rumors.

They say it will happen this week.

[swolehawk2]

The NO game should have been the final straw....it was obvious that he had lost this team...and to lose a team this early in the year...does not matter how young or what happens, is rare.

I said it after that game and I stick to it ...he needs to go.

[macdaddy]

Lenny is one of my all time favorites, but can you imagine with all these young guys. They'd go from being yelled at to being ignored.