Terrible summer?

[JTB]

You're kinda saying what he said most were satisfied with, "well, we look better so ...{insert pie-in-the-sky-ism}". You're both essentially agreeing we have a much better coach now, hence the improved performances you mentioned.

I don't think Ferry is a failure here. I think he's accomplishing exactly what he wants (don't spend, stay in playoffs, stay employed). The brand of ball we played this past season makes it more palatable, but it's not much different than the prior 8 years results-wise.

I'm starting to feel that way too but ferry has to know that getting a star will keep him employed even longer.

I don't mind what ferry is doing or the way he's approaching it but what would piss me off is if we try to do this spurs east thing...and we end up firing ferry in 2-3 years!...then i would think this is all a waste.

[kerrypack]

we'd have to have another pickup coming, maybe a luxury tax trade?

[ag82]

Are those made up quotes to prove a point? If so, that's about the dumbest thing in existence.

[ag82]

Miraculously finding a team DUMB AND DESPERATE ENOUGH to erase our mistake with Joe becomes "brilliant negotiating by our impressive new GM."

How can this be a knock on ferry? I mean, you are taking something positive and saying the only reason he could do it is because Brooklyn was fun and desperate. So he took advantage of a dumb gm.. Isn't that what we want??

And how can you talk of results when the season hasn't started yet??

[buckeye242424]

Players want to come here.  The real problem is Danny Ferry's inability to connect with star players.

Players want to come to Atlanta? I have to disagree, save Deke and JJ over the past 20 years.... I can throw Sap in the mix, but that's it.

[Wretch]

How can this be a knock on ferry? I mean, you are taking something positive and saying the only reason he could do it is because Brooklyn was fun and desperate. So he took advantage of a dumb gm.. Isn't that what we want??

And how can you talk of results when the season hasn't started yet??

It's as much a knock on Ferry as drafting Josh at 17 is a knock on Billy Knight. Both are no-brainer moves that each GM gets way too much credit for. Neither are bad moves.

Also, not talking about results of THIS season. My distaste is for the manner in which Ferry approaches team building. I believe we will be ok under his direction.

JUST ok.

[Wretch]

And yes, we were EXTREMELY lucky to have FOUND someone to take Joe off of us.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Players want to come here.  The real problem is Danny Ferry's inability to connect with star players. 

 

((( DING !! )))

 

 

You win $10,000 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Honestly?  People are mostly buzzing over change.  It's the high that comes with transition and without substantial results, it will eventually fade.  In the mean, people are excited because of the buzz and because:

 

- Joe's contract is gone

- Knucklehead Josh has been removed

- Marvin is gone

- Cap room has been created

- We hired a highly regarded coaching prospect

- We play smart basketball on the court

- We pushed the #1 seed to game 7

 

So naturally, everything that Danny Ferry does gets the gold seal of approval.  Things that should normally be underwhelming or cause for concern suddenly become positive:

 

Finishing six games under .500 becomes "doing far better than expected without our best player."

 

First round exit vs. a slumping, unimpressive, and probably overrated top seed becomes "an inspiring series by a hungry underdog vs the best team in the East."

 

A team of vets that have pretty much peaked individually becomes "an exciting team with potential that's maturing and learning to play together under a new coach and a new system."

 

Letting talent walk out of the door for nothing becomes "a shrewd move to maintain cap flexibility."

 

Mid to late first round draft picks (that historically have about a 2% chance of becoming Allstars) and disposable 2nd round picks that usually don't even make the roster become "promising talent that could be the future of the franchise."

 

Miraculously finding a team DUMB AND DESPERATE ENOUGH to erase our mistake with Joe becomes "brilliant negotiating by our impressive new GM."

 

Which brings me to the most dangerous examples of this kind of sugarcoating:

 

The same Cavs GM who built the underwhelming supporting cast for the Cavs from 2005-2010 becomes "just a victim with no real control because it was LeBron who was the real GM."

 

The ASG, one of the WORST ownership groups in the history of ATL sports, if not all of sports, whom we absolutely despised for awful decisions, meddling, incompetence, keeping the status quo, and being out of touch...*OVERNIGHT* they become "an afterthought after their brilliant decision to hire the wonderful Danny Ferry whom they have obviously surrendered complete control to."

 

Call me a hater, but I'm not buying into the hype.  Change does strange things to people.  The same people who forget that they did the exact same thing when Billy Knight took over and gushed over him for simply...dumping the roster.  It's a good move to be sure, but it was not the stroke of genius that everybody praised him for.  For me, it's the same for Ferry's Joe Johnson trade (which was the catalyst for the Ferry-love).  Getting the rights to swap picks with those guys WAS a very shrewd move that could have paid off big, but if you're honest...we lucked up in that deal BIG TIME.

 

I have felt the same way since Ferry's first moves as GM.  Outside of Bud, our moves have been underwhelming and yes, this is another underwhelming summer.  Not by any means bad at all but overall...uninspiring.  This is exactly how he built LeBron's Cavs, except we don't have a LeBron...but somehow, people expect the same or better results.

 

The fact that people can't see that, and are just so hopelessly optimistic, is blowing my mind.

 

Oh wow.  This is the Post of the Year.  

 

This is the truth . . . the whole truth . . . and nothing but the truth.

 

Brings a tear to my eye.

 

 

[JTB]

((( DING !! )))

You win $10,000

Really?....you guys believe that ferry has an inability to connect with star players?

You must believe this because of the Cleveland days.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Really?....you guys believe that ferry has an inability to connect with star players?

You must believe this because of the Cleveland days.

 

- Missed on Dwight . . . . no surprising

- Hit on Millsap . . . . . . . . very good contract

- Missed on Deng . . . . . couldn't secure him

- Missed on Gasol . . . . . went after him way too late, probably a long shot

 

Not only does he not have an ability to hit on star players, he bypasses other talented players that do not fit his image of what a ball player should be.

 

The test for our GM will be if he can re-sign Millsap.   But as of right now, our current GM is nothing more than a Billy Knight/Rick Sund hybrid.

[noble]

I don't get why people really think players want to come to Atlanta to play. They have houses here sure, but playing for a team that has a weak fanbase, poor ownership, and an average supporting cast just isn't what they want to do. They want rings and money and the Hawks have no rings, and don't like to overspend. They will go somewhere that the team will give them one or the other or both. As a Hawks fan it really drives me crazy to think this team needs to do something drastic and refuses to. If they don't get a big time player, you are pretty much looking at the Hawks for the next however many years. The names will change again, and like the last 30 years I have seen the Hawks the results will be the same. Middle of the pack team with middle of the pack results.

Edited August 2, 2014 by noble

[buckeye242424]

I don't get why people really think players want to come to Atlanta to play. They have houses here sure, but playing for a team that has a weak fanbase, poor ownership, and an average supporting cast just isn't what they want to do. They want rings and money and the Hawks have no rings, and don't like to overspend. They will go somewhere that the team will give them one or the other or both. As a Hawks fan it really drives me crazy to think this team needs to do something drastic and refuses to. If they don't get a big time player, you are pretty much looking at the Hawks for the next however many years. The names will change again, and like the last 30 years I have seen the Hawks the results will be the same. Middle of the pack team with middle of the pack results.

Yeah, a lot of good points there. Even though we make the playoffs, seemingly ever year, it's like kissing your sister. Not cool....

[yungsta]

I'm wondering why the hawks don't have respect. We make the playoffs every year but that doesn't seen to grant us any league respect no matter how long or consistently we get to the playoffs.

 

maybe cause those playoff years were filled with early playoff exits and embarrassing blowouts losses?

Edited August 3, 2014 by yungsta

[Vol4ever]

I don't get why people really think players want to come to Atlanta to play. They have houses here sure, but playing for a team that has a weak fanbase, poor ownership, and an average supporting cast just isn't what they want to do. They want rings and money and the Hawks have no rings, and don't like to overspend. They will go somewhere that the team will give them one or the other or both. As a Hawks fan it really drives me crazy to think this team needs to do something drastic and refuses to. If they don't get a big time player, you are pretty much looking at the Hawks for the next however many years. The names will change again, and like the last 30 years I have seen the Hawks the results will be the same. Middle of the pack team with middle of the pack results.

This is a great post and exactly what's going on with the Hawks. Great players who want to win don't sign here because they know the Hawks won't spend the money to add pieces to them for a championship run. It's sad but those in the know just shake their head.

[MaceCase]

we have made the playoffs the most in a row then anyother current team. I am not saying its that good but we DO have a title in the 50's even though it wasnt in atl. Does it still mean we are gonna get then new gold tags on our jersey even tough it was in the 1950;s anyone know?

The Hawks have the longest consecutive streak in the East correct but there's a lil ole team by the name of San Antonio that hasn't missed the playoffs since they drafted a guy named Duncan.

And yes the Hawks will get a gold tab because the franchise did win an NBA title and it doesn't matter how long ago it was or in what city, a franchise is a franchise. The Kings won their's under a different name and in a different city and will get a tab, only the Thunder won't sport one due to the whole mess of how they moved from Seattle.

Personally I think it's a poorl executed plan trying to emulate the World Cup. I don't see the sense in having 2/3rds of the teams sporting a gold tab on their jerseys for a full 82 games. It's especially going to look ridiculous watching a team like Philadelphia be in the midst of a 30 game losing streak in the middle of February going up against the equally hapless Kings proudly displaying their tab.

I think it should only be reserved for the actual Finals teams or teams that make the playoffs. Make it like the actual FIFA star system so you can differentiate the cream of the crop teams with multiple titles instead of a dumb off color tab that you have to squint at to read and voila, the NBA can make money by selling both "normal" regular season jerseys and "special" playoff edition jerseys to fans.