It's (almost) unanimous how much BK sucks

[AHF]

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Giving him the benefit of the doubt on this issue there were a lot of another things in the article that proved where he and the ASG were in regard to Woodson/BK.

How about the comment where he said we hadn't drafted a Bowdler or Ed Gray either? He fails to mention that under the ASG we have been picking in the high lottery whereas the picks he talks about were well into the first round. There is plenty in that article to be concerned about, not just the Jax and Riley comments.

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I agree that the Bowlder and Gray comment wasn't very applicable. It would have been more useful to compare our picks to Skita, Araujo, Darko, Kandi, etc.

Read generously, the comment simply means that Babcock got nothing out of the draft and at least we are getting something productive from our picks. If Gearon was suggesting that the success rate for mid-round picks should be the same as lottery picks than obviously that is meaningless. BK has done very well in the mid-round thus far, though. Perhaps comparing Babcock's string of losers against Boris Diaw and Josh Smith would have been a better point if he was trying to promote our drafting acumen.

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He also talked about nobody batting 1.000 as a GM. Bradley wondered if BK were any better than .250. This guys says nobody bats 1.000...as if BK had just missed one or two picks. His lack of intelligence as an owner is scary.

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If he really believes that BK is doing great things then I would shake my head. However, I don't think the ASG can effectively replace BK until the Belkin situation is resolved so it is pretty tough to tell. Even noted Hawks basher Chad Ford acknowledged this. Merely saying that no GM bats 1.000 is a platitute - it is totally true but it really doesn't provide any meaningful analysis because it simply states that something short of 1.000 should be expected. That begs the question - how far short is the minimum expectation and how does that compare to BK's actual performance?

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For all of those fans on here who don't believe he truly likes BK or Woodson that much and is keeping them because of the lawsuit...I disagree. Because he goes to great lengths to defend these guys, this is hardly an act. And the fact that he think BK has done a good job...were in deep crap.

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I do think Gearon goes to great lengths to defend these guys. I think that is a combination of PR damage control and genuinely thinking these guys are quality NBA people who have just not succeeded yet.

We are in deep crap for as long as the Belkin suit continues. When it goes away we will be in a position to reassess how deep we are in it. If BK and Woody are retained at that point and the team hasn't dramatically improved, we are definitely up a creek without a paddle. If the Belkin restraints are lifted and we are kicking butt as a team or we get rid of BK and Woody, then the hand wriging will prove to have been a product of our circumstances more than the willful blindness of our ownership.

[TexasPete]

If the ASG still trust Knight to run this next draft and give him carte blanche...then the lawsuit has nothing to do with how they feel about him.

If the lawsuit is truly holding things up in regard to making changes then they may let BK have some latitude to make the draft moves but they would all want to be involved. Because if the suit was interferring with their ability to make a change in their GM they would not give him carte blanche because they wouldn't believe in him enough to do so.

My feeling is that the ASG think, like you said, that BK and Woody are two guys whose ship is coming but hasn't arrived yet. Therein lies the problem. BK has had plenty of time to show his skills and he always leaves us wanting a lot more.

My biggest issue with the ASG is they need to shut up and produce. The vast majority of their fanbase wanted BK and Woodson out. If they want them back it is their right but don't keep going public with all the excuses. It makes them look bad. They should just keep quiet and hope better days are ahead. If things get better then nothing more needs to be said. If they get worse, likely with Woody/BK, then that too speaks for itself. Even these fools have to see the light eventually right?

[AHF]

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If the ASG still trust Knight to run this next draft and give him carte blanche...then the lawsuit has nothing to do with how they feel about him.

If the lawsuit is truly holding things up in regard to making changes then they may let BK have some latitude to make the draft moves but they would all want to be involved. Because if the suit was interferring with their ability to make a change in their GM they would not give him carte blanche because they wouldn't believe in him enough to do so.

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I am not sure I follow this 100%. Assume that the Hawks can't attract a viable GM candidate with the ownership situation in flux.

Why does it follow that the owners making decisions themselves would be better than allowing BK to continue to run the front office?

Personally, I would want my say in any draft scenario as an owner but most good owners stay out of the kitchen and let their people do the job they were hired to do.

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My feeling is that the ASG think, like you said, that BK and Woody are two guys whose ship is coming but hasn't arrived yet. Therein lies the problem. BK has had plenty of time to show his skills and he always leaves us wanting a lot more.

My biggest issue with the ASG is they need to shut up and produce. The vast majority of their fanbase wanted BK and Woodson out. If they want them back it is their right but don't keep going public with all the excuses. It makes them look bad. They should just keep quiet and hope better days are ahead. If things get better then nothing more needs to be said. If they get worse, likely with Woody/BK, then that too speaks for itself. Even these fools have to see the light eventually right?

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I don't think that damage control is a bad idea. I don't think Gearon did a good job of it with this last series of appearances/interviews, though.

[Swatguy]

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If the ASG still trust Knight to run this next draft and give him carte blanche...then the lawsuit has nothing to do with how they feel about him.

If the lawsuit is truly holding things up in regard to making changes then they may let BK have some latitude to make the draft moves but they would all want to be involved. Because if the suit was interferring with their ability to make a change in their GM they would not give him carte blanche because they wouldn't believe in him enough to do so.

My feeling is that the ASG think, like you said, that BK and Woody are two guys whose ship is coming but hasn't arrived yet. Therein lies the problem. BK has had plenty of time to show his skills and he always leaves us wanting a lot more.

My biggest issue with the ASG is they need to shut up and produce. The vast majority of their fanbase wanted BK and Woodson out. If they want them back it is their right but don't keep going public with all the excuses. It makes them look bad. They should just keep quiet and hope better days are ahead. If things get better then nothing more needs to be said. If they get worse, likely with Woody/BK, then that too speaks for itself. Even these fools have to see the light eventually right?

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BK's cool. He'll do the right thing. And some will change their screen names Again.

[TexasPete]

You can't do damage control is this situation...like the tornadoes that just hit Kansas, some disasters are too big for damage control. The damage in the eyes of most Hawk fans has been done. Gearon ran the large risk of having his smoke piss off even more fans and that is exactly what happened. Did you see the responses on the blog? Most people don't appreciate hearing BS when they have eyes of their own.

We all know there were injuries but that doesn't tell the whole story. We also know that BK has passed on two rookies of the year, has 13M tied up in backup PG's, and has put together a highly flawed roster. Thanks, Gearon, but no explanation necessary.

As far as BK, if the ASG wanted a different GM because they were growing weary of mistakes, but could not afford or attract a different one, the last thing they would do is give BK carte blanche. They would want to be involved at some level in the process. Because if you really believed that the wrong man was calling the shots not even the ASG would continue to just let him run amok. No way.

My guess is BK has carte blanche because these guys like him. They have no intention of replacing him. The basic point is in business that if you have lost confidence in somebody you watch them closer.

[AHF]

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You can't do damage control is this situation...like the tornadoes that just hit Kansas, some disasters are too big for damage control. The damage in the eyes of most Hawk fans has been done. Gearon ran the large risk of having his smoke piss off even more fans and that is exactly what happened. Did you see the responses on the blog? Most people don't appreciate hearing BS when they have eyes of their own.

We all know there were injuries but that doesn't tell the whole story. We also know that BK has passed on two rookies of the year, has 13M tied up in backup PG's, and has put together a highly flawed roster. Thanks, Gearon, but no explanation necessary.

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Again, I think Gearon dropped the ball on doing damage control here. I would have fallen on the sword more than he did and focused on the upside of our existing players.

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As far as BK, if the ASG wanted a different GM because they were growing weary of mistakes, but could not afford or attract a different one, the last thing they would do is give BK carte blanche. They would want to be involved at some level in the process. Because if you really believed that the wrong man was calling the shots not even the ASG would continue to just let him run amok. No way.

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First, I don't think it is so much a matter of not being able to afford another GM because GMs are generally not a huge expense. We could pay someone what he pay Anthony Johnson if we were in a position to attract a good GM. However, I don't think we can attract a good GM while the ownership situation is so unstable. Any new owner (i.e., Belkin) is very likely to fire the existing GM if there is a shift in management. Most GMs would rather have security in their job than simply the promise of a guaranteed contract.

A GM would also be walking into a scenario where the team is legally restricted from advacing payroll above the salary cap or from signing players to deals longer than 4 years. Those are pretty harsh handicaps to ask someone to walk into without any long-term job security.

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My guess is BK has carte blanche because these guys like him. They have no intention of replacing him. The basic point is in business that if you have lost confidence in somebody you watch them closer.

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Second, I just don't know whether the owners are involved in the process at all or if they have simply given BK carte blanche. Michael Gearon Sr. is a former NBA GM so I suspect he is involved to some extent in this whole process -- which may also be why he went over the top in defending BK and Woody. Not that this hypothetical scenario engenders great trust in the ownership, I am just saying I don't know whether they have given BK a blank check or simply the authority necessary to do his job while remaining involved in the process themselves.

[TexasPete]

I always enjoy the dialogue. I have had tickets since 1985 and I am walking away from some pretty good seats because I hate it when guys BS. If things are bad then so be it. It is what it is, you know what I mean?

What puts me off with these guys is there constant stream of excuses. They should not publicly acknowledge every mistake for sure. But, when you talk with these guys behind the scenes it is always rosy...and they LOVE their draft picks, would do each one all over again. That is what you hear. The problem is the results are so bad on the court. One thing you never get with the ASG is basic accountability. Gearon or Levenson don't ever step up and say..."you know, there is no excuse for what has happened here and we are going to work hard to fix this thing quick".

It's always the injuries (injuries were rampant everywhere), the coach is learning, the fans will love Chill when he gets healthy, Marvin will be great at some point, Shelden was a good pick because of his interior toughness and will be great next year, no GM bats 1.000, we are on the right track, the coach is well respected, we will prove you wrong, sometimes progress isn't measured in W's and L's...yada, yada. It's just a free flowing excuse machine from all angles.

Curiously, the GM is a troll hiding under a bridge that you can go months without hearing a peep from. The whole thing is just wacky. I know a well run organization when I see one, as many people do. This isn't it.

[Guest Walter]

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I always enjoy the dialogue. I have had tickets since 1985 and I am walking away from some pretty good seats because I hate it when guys BS. If things are bad then so be it. It is what it is, you know what I mean?

What puts me off with these guys is there constant stream of excuses. They should not publicly acknowledge every mistake for sure. But, when you talk with these guys behind the scenes it is always rosy...and they LOVE their draft picks, would do each one all over again. That is what you hear. The problem is the results are so bad on the court. One thing you never get with the ASG is basic accountability. Gearon or Levenson don't ever step up and say..."you know, there is no excuse for what has happened here and we are going to work hard to fix this thing quick".

It's always the injuries (injuries were rampant everywhere), the coach is learning, the fans will love Chill when he gets healthy, Marvin will be great at some point, Shelden was a good pick because of his interior toughness and will be great next year, no GM bats 1.000, we are on the right track, the coach is well respected, we will prove you wrong, sometimes progress isn't measured in W's and L's...yada, yada. It's just a free flowing excuse machine from all angles.

Curiously, the GM is a troll hiding under a bridge that you can go months without hearing a peep from. The whole thing is just wacky. I know a well run organization when I see one, as many people do. This isn't it.

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...I particularly like the "troll hiding under a bridge"...

It's an excuse machine alright. Let's put the fans aside, if I were a veteran player like JJ I would be either pissed off or defeated before next season based upon the last 2 years and the slim prospect for significant improvement. To hear this from ownership demonstrates such a disconnect with reality. Maybe the players get a different sermon, but likely they get nothing different at all. I really think players might be trying to figure out a nice exit from this situation. Eventually, a not so nice one. Ownership better catter to them if not us. The truth here is liberating and needed. Change is needed.

W