sturt

attitude. Perhaps he's got something up his sleeve that's not going to get revealed until Thursday night. Beyond that, I've suffiently poised myself to be okay with disappointment. Let's be honest... BK doesn't have that much better a draft resume' than his predecessor. Sure, he got Gasol which is more than Babcock could say for himself... but notice where BK was drafting for all those other slots where he picked up players that are now sixth and seventh players instead of starting... and expectations quickly diminish. Sorry if you've heard me say this before, but all I know is that teams rarely get to the promised land w/o having the benefit of at least one top 3 pick on their roster. No, you don't get to the promised land all at once with one year's draft. But I'm not sure when you'll have a better shot at it... though, I shudder to think, then again, maybe we will, indeed. I continue to hope that if he's not going to get to trade up, he'll be able to trade down from #6 and get something advantageous, even if its another 1st rounder for 2005. #6 just isn't a historically good place to be, and all the moreso in a supposedly deeper draft where a team like us needs players and where several other teams need specific help at specific positions... It just seems weird if someone doesn't make a decent offer for the pick. Sorry... just had to get that off my chest... it's been too long since we had something to be excited about, and I'm feeling sorry for my... er... OURselves.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=fanb...l&type=lgns News The Arizona Republic is reporting that the Magic's interest in a deal that would send guard Tracy McGrady to the Suns in exchange for forward Shawn Marion, the No. 7 pick, and an additional player has grown after learning that Houston guard Steve Francis has reservations about playing for them. According to the report, the Suns would want T-Mac to waive the player option allowing him to become a free agent after the 2004-2005 season. He would then be under contract until the summer of 2007 for more than $32 million for the last two years. Views Because Francis' contract will not allow him to be traded until June 30, the Magic has an opportunity to continue exploring trade offers for the NBA's two-time defending scoring champion. With free-agent prize Kobe Bryant suddenly expected to return to Los Angeles, it is not surprising to see the Suns considering another potential blockbuster move. They reportedly will not include forward Amare Stoudemire or guard Joe Johnson in the trade along with Marion. The Magic have to determine how serious Francis' reservations are, because a nucleus of Marion, the No. 1 pick overall (Emeka Okafor?), and the No. 7 pick (Devin Harris?) is pretty compelling.

...pretty sure I heard this on ESPN radio yesterday, but it might've been another source... there's some technicality with TMAC's contract that won't allow it to go through until after the draft.

With AJC quoting BK as if he feels he's done all he can do to grab Howard, I'm hoping he can trade down w/ #6... again, the draft appears too deep, and the Hawks needs too many.

Bickerstaff has indicated he would be willing to sweeten the pot in order to get the Magic to take Howard #1... they want Okafor.

There's just too much of a state of flux, imho... I will be astonished if we draft at both #6 and #17... how bout you?

What is the background of those head coaches who took bad teams and made them playoff teams? And, has any coach ever taken a sub-.500 team and taken them to the Finals eventually? NBA historians, you're name is being called.

...among those. It's conceivable that they could deal w/ the Lakers before Thursday, and that they'd still take Okafor w/ #1, assuming it wasn't part of the deal. I could also imagine, though, that the Lakers would get pretty excited about holding onto Kobe, and drafting Howard for their next generation star... they've done that kind of thing for as long as I can remember.

Diesel makes the case, though I'm not sure he means to. By all accounts, andycard is correct that it's mostly a crapshoot after the first two picks... and at the same time, I've read more than one draftologist who said this is a somewhat deep draft. So, there's definitely a case to be made. Still, it is very rare in NBA history that a team won a championship without having gained a top 3 player from a draft, and the easiest way to acquire that player is when you've been down. I think it comes down to who BK has targeted in the free agency market. If he actually thinks he can pull off the unthinkable in FA, he might move down in the draft. But if he has no real hopes of that, his back is almost against the wall to obtain Howard... even at a steep price. So in that case, maybe we're bargaining with Orlando instead of LA... it sounds like the Magic is overtly trying to trump up the Howard market for themselves, anyway.

Wondering if someone with access to the AJC, either online or hardcopy, would mind telling us cheapskate out-of-towners what Bradley had to say about Knight in his column today(?). Thanks in advance.

I was just wondering if fans here thought we should be interested in ZenMan... and if so, where he rates among the candidates. Quote: I don't think he could build a team from scratch.

Quote: Phil Jackson would never take a coaching position for the hawks... he only takes teams that have a legit chance of winnin the NBA FINALS... Maybe not... but I can think of all kinds of cases where a Pat-Riley-kinda-guy has looked at a franchise at the bottom but with some assets to build with (ie draft picks and young players), and decided to make the jump to a Miami or otherwise. It's actually quite common. Shanahan left GB for a similar opportunity w/ the Seahawks, and I know there are other examples. They've been the subcontractor... they want a shot at the contractor or even architect role.

... as a potential candidate for head coach? He's obviously ready to turn a page, and might crave an opportunity to actually build a team for once in his career... to-date, he's been a hired-gun after Chicago and LA already pretty much had the pieces in place. Certainly there are reasons he wouldn't be inclined to talk w/ BK, too, but if you presume he'd be interested... should we be interested? And if so, where does he rank among the candidates?

Not saying it couldn't happen, but I'll be surprised if Knight doesn't hire either of Woodson or Fratello... I don't think he would have waited it out if he was overwhelmed with one of the others. Quote: It looks like Mike Woodson is about to become available, as Detroit is about to win the NBA Championship. An assistant coach off a championship team is very attractive, especially considering that he was a teammate of Billy Knight at one time. Do the Hawks go with Mike Woodson, or do they follow the trend of hiring an older coach like John MacLeod or Del Harris? At one point, I thought the guy would be MacLeod, but I'm starting to think that Billy Knight would like to bring Mike Woodson in as head coach. Does Billy Knight want to go the older coach/teacher route, or does he want to bring in an assistant like Woodson that can grow with the team? Of the assistants, who is the better fit between Mike Woodson and Dwane Casey? Which coach will be more apt to run the up-tempo style that Billy Knight wants to run?

The length of the contract should tell us... if it's a 3 yr deal, then he's hiring a coach... if it's a 5 yr deal, then he's hiring someone he respects enough to give some security and, effectively, someone who he will consider his confidante as a member of the management team. If it's the former, I don't care when he makes the hire... if it's the latter, though, I sure hope it occurs sooner than later so that that person can participate in designing this team. And really, that's the attraction of the job if you ask me... to not only be a coach, but to be chief consultant to the architect. I would agree, however, with the concerns about the way that management has chosen to structure things... an incoming coach would be wise to have some understanding of what happens after he's completed 3 seasons of increasing W/L %, yet w/o any playoff wins... not necessarily any guarantees of job security, of course, but a thorough knowledge of how the management machinery is going to work, worst-case scenario.

Hawks coaching job has two faces: It's a big bust or a big chance By MICHAEL LEE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 5/27/04 _____________ How do you view the Hawks coaching job? A big opportunity 47.97% 130 A big dead end 52.03% 141 _____________ The Hawks have been without a head coach for three weeks. It might take another three -- or more -- before general manager Billy Knight hires someone to replace Terry Stotts. There are opposing viewpoints in regard to the attractiveness of the job. Knight contends that the vacancy is a great opportunity for any coach to build a team from the ground up. The Hawks have five draft picks in the June 24 NBA draft, and they have more than $20 million to spend on free agents. "I think this is an attractive situation," Knight said. Others maintain, however, that the job is career dead end -- especially in a time when coaches are more expendable than ever. "It's a bad job," said one Eastern Conference coach, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "When you decide to take a job, you have to ask yourself, 'Can I win in two or three years?' I don't know if you can say that in that situation." The Hawks do find themselves in a unique place. With just four players under contract -- Jason Terry, Boris Diaw, Chris Crawford and Alan Henderson -- the Hawks resemble an expansion team without the benefit of an expansion draft. They have not had a winning season in five years, which has allowed a losing atmosphere to permeate throughout Philips Arena since it opened in 1999. The Hawks had the worst attendance in the NBA last season and have been near the bottom the past three. And there is a perception among some around the league that the Hawks' new nine-member ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, will make it more difficult for anything to get accomplished in a timely manner. "When you have eight or nine owners, you're talking about them getting a consensus with the GM on what should be done," said Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons said. "One person probably should be the voice for ownership. Otherwise, it will show a level of disorganization because there'd be too many voices." "It's somewhat of an unknown," said ESPN analyst and former Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl, who added that he benefited from having a close relationship with Bucks owner Herb Kohl for about five seasons. Hawks owner Steve Belkin flatly denies that ownership will stand as a roadblock. "It's really not nine decision makers. It's really one decision maker -- and that decision maker is Billy," Belkin said. Knight said he won't waste his time listening to detractors. "I'm not worried about the perception," he said. "I don't foresee any problems." Knight's search has included veteran coaches with a proven track record (Dallas assistant Del Harris, Denver assistant John MacLeod and TNT analyst and former Hawks coach Mike Fratello) and longtime assistants who have yet to receive a head coaching opportunity (Seattle associate head coach Dwane Casey, Indiana assistant Mike Brown and Detroit assistant Mike Woodson). "It depends on the coach," Indiana Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said. "A younger guy might not see it as a good job. He might be intimidated by losing and what it could do to his reputation. With an older guy, I don't think you'd have that problem." (Notable if you think Knight thinks like his mentor.) Before Paul Silas took over the moribund Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cavs were in a similar situation. Attendance was awful and they were in the midst of a long playoff drought. Silas said a history of losing can affect whether a coach takes a job. "It should," Silas said. "It's very difficult to turn around a losing atmosphere. There is no magic wand that you can wave. It's not something that can happen overnight." That seems to be the one consensus about the Hawks' job: It will require patience. "It's a good job," TNT analyst Charles Barkley said. "You've got to be patient. They've got draft picks and they've got money. You've got to accept the fact they're not going to win next season, maybe two seasons." "You've got to give him at least four years," said Cleamons, who is not a candidate. "People see losing as losing, but when you're starting over, it's not losing, it's rebuilding." Knight said one of his goals was to change the atmosphere of losing. "We want people to see that we are moving in a different direction," he said. "We are trying to change the culture around the team, in the city. It's a tough task." And Karl said that begins with the coach. "This is an important hire for them," Karl said. "A lot of people think a coach isn't important right now, but this coach can be the person to turn that losing into winning. He can develop the personality of the team, the style of play. If you go there and be successful, it can be very rewarding."

I'm not qualified, and I know it... too many other priorities on the plate... so thanx for the invite, but I'll give way to the real experts here.

Not to be picky Dolfan, but I believe we started doing the HawkSquawk draft in 1999... other old-timers are welcome to correct me, but I'm fairly sure that's the case. In particular, I believe KB21 and/or Diesel may have played commish to that first-ever draft.

Quote: Last night's Pistons/Pacers game did something to me. I tried to watch it. I saw big chunks of the game pass me by, and did my best to stay interested. My notebook was out, the Bic was uncapped and poised, but...I just didn't recognize the game being played. That game last night, that was not my NBA. Couldn't agree much more.

Mark my words... there is historical precedent to believe that Philly or Chicago -- or both -- will figure in the top 3. We *may* get one of those slots just based on pure sympathy. Btw... anyone know why the so-called-lottery got moved off of Sunday afternoon? Seems strange media-wise, since Monday sports sections this time of year are begging for filler.

...about this guy than about the Hawks or Billy Knight. He's obviously never been in a position to hire anyone, and thinks you should just use newspaper articles and anecdotal opinions to decide upon a coach.

Just discovered that Barkley isn't going to buy-in with the Suns after all. What do you think?

Quote: A couple of college to pro head coaches have succeeded. Jack Ramsey and John MacLeod. Even Chuck Daly was a college to pro coach, though he did spend a couple of years as an assistant in the NBA. Mike Fratello is the same way. The number of coaches jumping from an NCAA head coach job to the NBA is almost extraordinarily slim compared to those who achieve a position from an assistant job or even just a past HC job. And given that situation, it can't be said that "it's a bad idea" with any validity.

I don't necessarily agree or disagree... I just wanted to hear what the consensus is. FWIW, I think the theories like Diesel's might be sound, but because of the relative sparce number of college hirings through the years compared to the number of hirings otherwise, they remain unproven... simply not enough data to be scientifically valid. (I recall attempting some semblance of an analysis back when Kruger got hired, but it soon became evident that it wasn't going to be meaningful... the only comparison one really could make was between assistant-coach-hires and former-head-coach-hires.) Another "fact" of life in _sturt_'s world is that coaching college hoops and coaching pro hoops seems to be the equivalent of coaching college wrestling and coaching pro wrestling. One is ballet, the other is bronco-busting. One normally attempts officiating within reason, the other tilts the floor 51% or more according to TV ratings. Still, if college players can make the transition, you'd think college coaches eventually could. But wait... the case can be made that college players usually get a whole lot more time to prove themselves than college coaches do... right?

...on Izzo. Maybe the Kruger experiment was too much, and we can't even fathom hiring a college coach now (???).