Unfortunately, Woody and Staff Must go..

[Diesel]

I awoke from my dream seeing it very clearly now. Wood and the staff has to be replaced and I say with my guy Westhead.

First why.

It's not because of Woody's strategies. I just think that Woody has mislabeled this team and really it was through his assistants.

While Woody got credit for being the assistant that built the Detroit defense, Herb was the offensive guy. I believe it's Herb's and Armond's offense that totally contradict what this team need to do.

I started to think about those Pistons. They were not a real uptempo team. They were a team with Shooters at every position (except C). Moreover, they were a team that would walk it up, run a few picks for Rip, and if he didn't get free, drop it out to Rasheed for the three.

The Detroit offense works for Detroit mainly because of their people. They have big forwards who can shoot, they have stronger rebounders, they have smart guards.

Our situation is a little differnt. We don't have big Forwards. We don't have a PG with the BBIQ of Billups or the shooting capacity.

Now, it makes more sense... why Smoove would sit out there on the three point line.. or why Lue would sit out there on the three point line. They were imitating RWallace and Halmilton. We are the poor man's Detroit. But you can't be Detroit without players like Detroit.

Here's my remedy for Woody.

Get Westhead in here. You can keep Armond. Westhead will change the offense. Make him your second in command, let him have Carte Blanche run of the offense. He will play to these guys strength, running. They will use up 15 seconds of the 24 second clock, they will run other teams have to death, they will create easy buckets because other defenses won't be able to get set, It will be easier for Smoove and Marvin and Chillz to do what they do naturally. It will be easier to play Jones a little more. Never again will I see JJ trying to dribble through traffic and get the ball stripped.

Now, where Armond because Important is that in the halfcourt set, Westhead can use some of the Princeton offense, with the backcuts and the cuts through the lane. But no more of the Piston's offense.

If Woody won't accept Westhead, then make Westhead the head coach.

Westhead is a perfect (Hubie Brown type) transition coach because he doesn't have anything to lose. He's not looking to coach much further beyond the Hawks. He has something to prove. He has a wealth of experience.

[macdaddy]

A running game seems attractive because we're young but the main guys on our team (Marvin and Smoove) are poor ball handlers. Maybe it wouldn't matter because they'd be catching and driving or catching and passing, but I could see us setting a record for turnovers.

I'm up for anything though. A change is in order. I understand we have injuries but that's not the only problem.

[Diesel]

Actually, all the Marvin and Smoove has to do is finish. The ball goes to the ball handler in the Westhead system. You never saw James Worthy bringing the ball up. The most that Smoove or Marvin or Chillz would have to do is take 2 steps before the dunk (which is what they do naturally).

The problems we have happen when you try to make JJ, JS, and MW go one on one from the 3 pt line and drive to the goal. It's foolish because none of our players save Speedy is good enough to dribble through traffic.

I'm hoping for the coming of Westhead! Woody needs to get this guy as top assistant.

[Guest Walter]

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Actually, all the Marvin and Smoove has to do is finish. The ball goes to the ball handler in the Westhead system.

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Maybe if you have Magic that's the case but Speedy is not remotely the type or level player that Magic was, same with anyone next to Worthy. Fact is, we would have to ball-handle by committee in this system and frankly running is not to JJ's stength IMO. He doesn't take it to the rim now and I can't see him being particularly adept at it (which is necessary) on a running team.

I'm not saying we shouldn't run more, but let's not kid ourselves. If that's OUR gimmick, we're equally as screwed.

W

[Diesel]

Speedy didn't seem to have a problem with Byron Scott's version of Showtime!

[Guest Walter]

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Speedy didn't seem to have a problem with Byron Scott's version of Showtime!

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Just wondering because the rest of us might have a problem with a Speedy-run version of showtime.

You didn't take into consideration JJ in a running (only) offense. He doesn't drive as it is. What's your take about playing to your best player's weakness?

W

[TexasPete]

Paul Westhead sucks. The guy hasn't done anything in any position since the Lakers in the early 80's. The man is not on anybody's radar. Period.

We need a change in the worst way. But Paul Westhead is a looney idea. Why not Doug Moe? Or Kevin Loughery. Or, Red Holtzman. Thats right, Red is dead. Excuse me. LOL.

[Diesel]

given our circumstance, he's the exact kind of guy that we need.

1. A guy with a Philosophy that can work for our betterment.

2. A guy who has experience (championship ring).

3. A guy who doesn't mind being a transitional guy.

Pete do you honestly think anybody who's "on a radar" is going to look at a position as Hawks HC. Not only we're giving them 20 million per year.

[KB21]

Armond Hill hasn't been on the staff in 3 years. He's on Doc's staff in Boston and has been since 2004.

You really need to drop this Paul Westhead idea as well. Some on here may think you are actually serious about that lame idea.

If a coaching change is to be made, it needs to be made with an idea of who this team wants long term in mind. There are only two coaches available that I would fire Mike Woodson to get right now. Mike Fratello and Paul Silas.

I don't really care what anyone thinks about how Fratello and Silas coach offensively. The fact is, both coaches know how to coach defense, and the Hawks aren't going to come out of the hole they are in until they get to the point that they can consistently defend the basketball.

[Diesel]

Put yourself in Fratello and Silas' shoes. Do you go to a franchise knowing that you can be fired as soon as July?

Now, that's about the dumbest idea ever posted.

[bfwolf]

I disagree with this. Smith and Marvin's ball-handling skills are adequate for a forward, and their quickness is above average. What we DON'T want them to do is take jump shots on the perimeter. Give them the ball and let them take it to the hoop. If the defense collapses, kick it out to the good 3 point shooters on the team (e.g. JJ, Lue, Salim). If the defense doesn't collapse, these guys are capable finishers.

[Diesel]

Even simplier than what we can do in the Half court set is that we need to get the ball up quicker. We waste so much time walking it up. With a team like ours, from the rebound we should be running. From the inbound we should be running. If nobody comes out to meet the PG, he should go in for a layup.

I watched San Antonio just out think us. They waited for us to get lazy and then they were off running. And Marvin... for somebody who is supposed to be such an Athlete, he was dragging ass like Pete Chillcut.

In the halfcourt set, we should have movement away from the ball. Picks and screens away from the ball.

[bfwolf]

No doubt, Diesel. Even MORE frustrating than the fact that we don't try to use our athleticism by running a more up-tempo style is the fact that we waste even MORE time off the clock by attempting to run pick-and-rolls nearly every possession despite the fact that none of the guards on this team who come off the pick are good enough passers to EVER get the ball to the rolling big man (not to mention the fact that I'm not sure any of our big men would know what to do if they got the ball on the roll). So what happens? The opposing team WITHOUT FAIL doubles the ball-handler until they are able to reset defensively. Net effect: 5 seconds wasted off the clock, which then increases the odds of the Hawks settling for a bad shot late in the shot clock.

[Diesel]

What has been the norm lately is that the big sets the pick for JJ, JJ comes off the pick and there are 2 to 3 guys in front of him. At this point, 1/2 of the time, JJ puts the ball on the floor and tries to dribble passed (1/3 of the time it's either a offensive Charge or the ball is swiped, 1/3 of the time, JJ gets to the basket and scores, 1/3 of the time, JJ misses), the other 1/2 of the time, JJ kicks it to either Shelden, Speedy, or Salim. When Salim gets the ball 98% of the time, regardless to where he is, Salim will put it up. When Speedy gets the ball, he will dribble and either pass back to JJ, pass to somebody else, or go in for a layup. When Shelden gets the ball, he will either look for somebody not covered or put up a shot. I would rather just see Shelden get the confidence to shoot. He has probably the best looking shot on the team beside JJ.

This whole set fails to score more than 50% of the time. We run it just about every time. It just depends on who sets the pick Zaza or Shelden.

Now Zaza has some offensive moves... but he needs some polish.

However, I'm thinking that this Piston like offense doesn't really work for us.

RUN RUN RUN!!!

[TexasPete]

Paul Westhead isn't the only coach who likes to run. Marc Iavaroni is a runner as well and he knows the PHX system backwards and forwards. I would also look at Stan Van Gundy, a good coach and class guy who would take the job now. We need a new approach right now.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Diesel, teams have only been able to do this, because of the absence of Lue. When Lue was healthy, JJ would immeadiately look to him, and Lue would drain the jumper and punish that team for trying to double JJ.

If Marvin doesn't have the confidence to either catch and shot the ball as soon as he gets it . . or immeaditely take it to the hole, then Chill should be out on the floor with JJ, to give him a high percentage option to go to.

People need to get over the fact that Chill has an ugly shot, and truly see that this guy is a very efficient offensive player for this team.

ZaZa does have offensive moves, but he'll turn it over 30% of the time when he touches it. He at least gets to the FT line at times.

Fans just have to start realizing that we're not the type of team that can afford to have 2 of their top 7 players out of the lineup, and expect everything to be OK. Everybody has a role on this team. So when a person is out, you're not expecting a player who hasn't been in the league more than 2 years, to assume extra duty.

This isn't necessarily directed at you, because I think you understand the situation we're in right now. But the youth of this team prohibits us from really persevering through these injuries.

- If Lue is hurt, we just can't expect Salim to do the exact same things that Lue brought to the offense.

- If Chill is hurt, Ivey or Bozeman can't do the things that he did for the team.

- If Smoove is hurt, Shelden isn't ready to be the type of all-around efficient player that Smoove was.

- If Speedy is hurt, Lue, Salim, Ivey, or Bozeman can't run the team, and more importantly, defend like he can . . although if Lue's offense is on, it'll make up for his lack of defense.

- If Marvin is hurt, it takes away a major athletic player out of the lineup that we can't replace, which forces Smoove and Chill to make up for what Marvin brings to the table.

- If ZaZa is hurt, we virtually have no offensive post game to go to.

- and if JJ is hurt, we're screwed anyway, because no one on the team is capable of pumping in 20 - 30 points on a moments notice.

Each of those 7 players are VITAL to the success of this team. Every other player on the squad is merely a complimentary player that should be getting spot minutes, with Shelden getting the majority of those minutes because of his rebounding and defensive abilities.

This season has proved that if one of those 7 are out, that the rest of the team has problems picking up the slack. If two or more are out, we almost never win.

It's as simple as that.

I agree that Woody's time may be up. But he's not the #1 reason why this team loses. We lose because we desperately need ALL 7 of these guys in the lineup . . healthy.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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Paul Westhead isn't the only coach who likes to run. Marc Iavaroni is a runner as well and he knows the PHX system backwards and forwards. I would also look at Stan Van Gundy, a good coach and class guy who would take the job now. We need a new approach right now.

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LOL @ Westhead. My boy in college used to call him "Westidiot".

If the decision is to can Woody, I wouldn't be against bringing in an Ivaroni or a Van Gundy.

A lot of you guys wanted Rick Adleman. Even he may be able to get this team to the next level . . which is a borderline playoff level.

But once again, we need our top 7 players healthy. Without that, we can't expect the full potential of this team to be maximized, no matter what coach we bring in here.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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Even simplier than what we can do in the Half court set is that we need to get the ball up quicker. We waste so much time walking it up. With a team like ours, from the rebound we should be running. From the inbound we should be running. If nobody comes out to meet the PG, he should go in for a layup.

I watched San Antonio just out think us. They waited for us to get lazy and then they were off running. And Marvin... for somebody who is supposed to be such an Athlete, he was dragging ass like Pete Chillcut.

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And they're the oldest team in the league, and know how to play at any pace. That's what experience will do for you, even if athletically, you don't have the superior team.

Conversely, we're the youngest team in the league, and make a lot of "young" mistakes.

That's why I ask some of you guys "what kind of team do you want to support?"

- Do you want to trade some of our kids right now, to bring in veteran players that know how to play the game?

- Or do you want to stick with the kids, and continue to let them go through their growing pains, even if it still means that they may not reach that 35 win level this year?

You gotta pick a side Hawks fans. It's either go with the kids . . or give up with what we've acquired over the last 2 - 3 years, and start anew.

Risk #1: The kids may not develop into stars, even though Chill and Smoove are easily better players than they were in their rookie seasons. But there is no guarantee that anybody, outside of JJ, will be a star on this team in 2 years.

Reward #1: Keeping the kids around may be good for the overall chemistry of the team, when in turn, may elevate one or two of these kids to that "star" level.

Risk #2: Trading the kids for veteran players is the same thing that the Hawks used to in the Babcock era. If we don't acquire the right players or have the right coach, we're still at the same level and we're screwed for the future.

Reward #2: Bringing in veteran players, while keeping at least 2 of our best young players, may be the quickest way to getting this team back to respectability.

So pick a side Hawks fans, and learn to accept the risks and rewards of the decision.

[Diesel]

Look, if we had the situation to go after a younger coach who wants to be in the league for a long time, I would be all over the Terry Porter or Rick Adelman train... In fact, after the transition, those are my coaches in order...

BUT we have a transitional coaching position. I don't think any of the coaches that you mention will be interested in that. Westhead is a perfect candidate because he's old and because he's not looking for a future in this league. SEE HUBIE BROWN & Memphis... That's transitional coaching.

[Diesel]

IF there was one kid for vet trade that I would make, it's something like Ivey/2nd for Brevin Knight (depending on how hurt he is). I just think we need another strong ball handler. I would also consider trading Salim for Anthony Roberson. When I consider both players, I think they have the same strengths, I just think Roberson is a better ball handler and could be groom into a PG much easier.