What direction should the Hawks have gone in for the head coaching position?

[Admin]

Reading that Bradley article and comments from people here criticizing the ASG makes me ask "WTH". As in what the hell did you expect them to do? They can't (and shouldn't) hire Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan isn't available, neither are any of the great coaches. These are the options that the ASG had as far as I can tell:

1. Retain Woody - we could probably maintain the currently level of play if we kept Woody.

2. Hire a 2nd-3rd tier coach who has been fired at least once such as Byron Scott, Avery Johnson, Dwane Casey - hiring any of these coaches would cost more (although that shouldn't be a consideration considering we're a 53 win team) and they have all been considered failures (justly or not) on previous teams. Scott is likely waiting on the Lakers job so he probably wasn't available and Johnson was obviously looking for the big check plus a team that has a high lottery pick, young talent, and plenty of room to make moves so while I think he would have gladly coached the Hawks there's little chance we could have hired him considering the Nets job was available. So basically that leaves Casey and a handful of other retreads available and none of them are coaches that would be considered as clear upgrades to Woodson.

3. Promote from within - the choice here is to give a guy a chance who knows the players well, is clearly more intelligent than the previous head coach, and who also publicly acknowledges the key weaknesses of the team that the entire country sees and vows to correct them. This is a high risk / high reward type of hire in that it could waste a year or two of our key players prime career years but he's also the most likely to know the changes that need to be made as far as personnel goes and he'll be able to get us up and running in his system far quicker than any other coach could since he's been running the 2nd team for years. Plus the ASG knows him well and surely trusts him.

4. Hire an assistant from another team - to me this is the same type of high risk / high reward type of situation as promoting from within except that the coach wouldn't be as familiar with the players and the Hawks organization wouldn't be nearly as familiar with his style of coaching.

5. Hire a college coach - I don't know the exact number but the vast majority of college coaches fail to make the transition to NBA head coach.

[NJHAWK]

It was a tough choice between 1 Woody, 2 Avery ( especially if the reason he wasnt hired was ASG twiddling they're thumbs like Bradley wrote ) or 4. Tyrone Corbin who learned under Sloan. Make no mistake though imo all 3 would have been better options than Larry Drew.

[macdaddy]

Larry Drew should have been an interim head coach when BK wanted to fire Woody and we wouldn't be guessing what he can do in the offseason. were any of the problems that Woody was let go for now not also problems 2 years ago?

[NJHAWK]

Larry Drew should have been an interim head coach when BK wanted to fire Woody and we wouldn't be guessing what he can do in the offseason. were any of the problems that Woody was let go for now not also problems 2 years ago?

Yup, just like BK couldnt make a coaching move then, Sund couldnt hire the guy he wanted now.

[BusBoyIsBack]

LD FTW

[coachx]

It was a tough choice between 1 Woody, 2 Avery ( especially if the reason he wasnt hired was ASG twiddling they're thumbs like Bradley wrote ) or 4. Tyrone Corbin who learned under Sloan. Make no mistake though imo all 3 would have been better options than Larry Drew.

How can anyone pretend to know this ?

Do you have a crystal ball ?

[Sothron]

Yup, just like BK couldnt make a coaching move then, Sund couldnt hire the guy he wanted now.

Knight wanted to fire Woodson three times and three times he was told no. The reason why is that the ASG did not want to pay Woodson's contract and also have to hire a new head coach and pay that salary as well. Sund wanted Casey and he couldn't hire who he wanted either.

I have no idea why we even have a general manager to be honest. Gearon Jr. thinks he's God gift to cheap basketball teams so why not let him call the shots since that's what happens anyways.

[KB21]

It was a tough choice between 1 Woody, 2 Avery ( especially if the reason he wasnt hired was ASG twiddling they're thumbs like Bradley wrote ) or 4. Tyrone Corbin who learned under Sloan. Make no mistake though imo all 3 would have been better options than Larry Drew.

I continue to be amazed at the Hawks fans that wanted Avery Johnson when he is just a more popular version of Mike Woodson relative to the style he employs on the basketball court with the isolation heavy based offense and the slow pace his teams play at. Again, I state that Avery was the guy some fans wanted simply because of the superficial desire to get someone with a big name. It certainly isn't because he would have brought to the team the change in offense and the up tempo style Hawks fans have been wanting for the past 2-3 years.

[DJlaysitup]

Whatever anybody thinks about Avery Johnson (I thought he would have been good here)...it doesn't matter now. Avery did the smart thing (kinda like BK/Woody, although they MADE the worst team)...

Get in with the worst team and then there is nowhere to go but UP! Cash those checks as you move from laughingstock to poor to average and then to above average (say like winning the first round of the playoffs then getting swept next round against real contenders)...those are good resume points and you don't really have to do much since you are getting great 1st round picks.

Add to that Avery has a rich arsed owner who will likely get him a top free agent. Perfect! how could you mess that up?

[Brotha2ThaNite]

I wanted Mark Jackson but I'm only a fan.

Sund/Hawks Front Office gets paid to make these decisions so I will got with who they picked.

LD sounds like a good coach. I wish him well.

[Buzzard]

Knight wanted to fire Woodson three times and three times he was told no. The reason why is that the ASG did not want to pay Woodson's contract and also have to hire a new head coach and pay that salary as well. Sund wanted Casey and he couldn't hire who he wanted either.

I have no idea why we even have a general manager to be honest. Gearon Jr. thinks he's God gift to cheap basketball teams so why not let him call the shots since that's what happens anyways.

BK is the one who chose Woody and gave him that guaranteed contract; then when he realized he made a mistake wanted to fire him and pay another coach to do Woodys job; while Woody still got paid. You can say the ASG is cheap; but that guaranteed contract to a coach with no head coaching experience was the mistake. The ASG learned from that big time, at least give them that.

If Drew fails, we now have much better options after just two years.

[Sothron]

BK is the one who chose Woody and gave him that guaranteed contract; then when he realized he made a mistake wanted to fire him and pay another coach to do Woodys job; while Woody still got paid. You can say the ASG is cheap; but that guaranteed contract to a coach with no head coaching experience was the mistake. The ASG learned from that big time, at least give them that.

If Drew fails, we now have much better options after just two years.

All money due to coaches is guaranteed except for option years. BK could have hired anyone and the contract would have been guaranteed. You can't refuse to fire a coach because the money is guaranteed. Or at least you shouldn't...

[Buzzard]

All money due to coaches is guaranteed except for option years. BK could have hired anyone and the contract would have been guaranteed. You can't refuse to fire a coach because the money is guaranteed. Or at least you shouldn't...

That is my point. We have option years built into LDs contract. ASG learned from their mistake with Woody.

Maybe but firing a coach who has gotten you back into the playoffs, while also taking the world champion Celtics to seven games would not be a easy decision. This is the thing a lot of fans miss IMO. Woody for all his faults did well that season against the Celtics; and our fans and city were seriously hyped during it as well.

Maybe it should have bought him only one more season; but what the hell, we have a new coach now.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Buzzard

[bird_dirt]

I vote 3b. - hire from within (LD), and give him a year on the job. if he's a success and gets the hawks to the ecf, you look like a genius. if he fails, cut him loose and say, "sorry, we tried you out, but it isn't going to work." then bring doc rivers back to a-town (who you really want as a coach, but had to wait for the c's contract to expire).

[Brotha2ThaNite]

I vote 3b. - hire from within (LD), and give him a year on the job. if he's a success and gets the hawks to the ecf, you look like a genius. if he fails, cut him loose and say, "sorry, we tried you out, but it isn't going to work." then bring doc rivers back to a-town (who you really want as a coach, but had to wait for the c's contract to expire).

If he gets them back to the second round, if they do not get beat by 20pts more than 1 game.... you can call Sund a genius :blow out candles:

[coachx]

If he gets them back to the second round, if they do not get beat by 20pts more than 1 game.... you can call Sund a genius :blow out candles:

:cant believe:

Huh ?

[itsslomotionbaby]

well its like JOSH SMITH SAID"now that we have a coach, we got to convence free agents to come here." thats why we we needed a coach with a name to peek fan intrest and free agents even if mark jackson has flopp written all over him, how much more of an influence would we have if we had him as a coach with free agents.

its sad i saw no air time at all for a larry drew hire on sportcenter. its like asg pickedup a dull pair of clippers.its like they got a 500 dlr. paint job at MAACO.

[Brotha2ThaNite]

:cant believe:

Huh ?

Celtics vs Hawks 2008

23pt beat down... game 1

22pt beat down... game 2

25pt beat down... game 5

24pt beat down... game 7

_________________________________

Heats vs Hawks 2009

19pt beat down... game 3

26pt beat down... game 6

Cavs vs Hawks 2009

27pt beat down... game 1

20pt beat down... game 2

_________________________________

Bucks vs Hawks 2010

18pt beat down.... game 3

Magics vs Hawks 2010

33pt beat down... game 1

30pt beat down... game 3

That is just crazy to see a playoff team to get beat down that many times.

If LD can get these guys not only in the playoff but to show he can adjust and get these guys to play hard I will say Sund did a great job by hiring LD as the coach.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Brotha2ThaNite

[Wretch]

I voted for #2, but I've been thinking...

Hiring LD isn't a terrible idea as long as we don't piddle around in the dirt with him or the next 4-5 years. We need to LET HIM GO as soon as it is apparent that he cannot get this team over the hump. If AJ wasn't the right fit for this team, I could just hear the excuses being made for him. I don't think anyone will be making excuses for LD.

At the same time though, I voted for #2 for a reason. And it's much the same reason for Bradley writing that article. Folks, it's time for a change in philosophy around this team. Other squads prepare for free agency, they go after the right players and the right coaches, they make bold moves...while it seems like every year we tinker with this team. Hiring a high profile coach is as much about experience and talent as it is about sending a signal to the fans, the players, and the rest of the league.

It's been 40 years since this team has gone past the 2nd round.

-FOUR FREAKING DECADES-

Certainly we haven't been doing something right and honestly, this promotion of LD strikes me as more of the same. There is a chance that LD could be the next great assistant to rise from the shadow of a HC, but I doubt it. Even if he does, I guarantee you that we'll find a way to screw that up too.

[KB21]

I voted for #2, but I've been thinking...

Hiring LD isn't a terrible idea as long as we don't piddle around in the dirt with him or the next 4-5 years. We need to LET HIM GO as soon as it is apparent that he cannot get this team over the hump. If AJ wasn't the right fit for this team, I could just hear the excuses being made for him. I don't think anyone will be making excuses for LD.

At the same time though, I voted for #2 for a reason. And it's much the same reason for Bradley writing that article. Folks, it's time for a change in philosophy around this team. Other squads prepare for free agency, they go after the right players and the right coaches, they make bold moves...while it seems like every year we tinker with this team. Hiring a high profile coach is as much about experience and talent as it is about sending a signal to the fans, the players, and the rest of the league.

It's been 40 years since this team has gone past the 2nd round.

-FOUR FREAKING DECADES-

Certainly we haven't been doing something right and honestly, this promotion of LD strikes me as more of the same. There is a chance that LD could be the next great assistant to rise from the shadow of a HC, but I doubt it. Even if he does, I guarantee you that we'll find a way to screw that up too.

I'm not sure how you think Larry will be more of the same when everything he is talking about doing is completely different from what Mike Woodson did. Even the players are saying that Larry is completely different. My guess is, you are still caught in the baseless idea that Larry will be similar to Mike because he was on his staff for 6 years.