CNN/SI Article: Some coaches/GMs won't make it

[DrReality]

Billy Knight, Atlanta Hawks GM

You can't fire coach Mike Woodson -- at least not if you have any shred of conscience. Not when you give him a roster like that. Yes, Joe Johnson is better than we all thought. But Marvin Williams continues to struggle while Chris Paul is clearing space in his trophy case for the Rookie of the Year award. Where is the effort? Why are Reggie Evans, Vladimir Radmanovic and Chris Wilcox being dealt at yard sales while Esteban Batista plays seven minutes a night? The Hawks' owners -- whoever they are -- need to act fast with Knight before he pulls an Al Harrington-for-Stephon Marbury out of his hat. Because you know that's coming.

Don't think it will happen . . . but it would be better if it did sooner than later.

[KB21]

Please.

It just kills me how some of these morons think Billy Knight is doing a terrible job. These are the very same morons that would be calling for Billy's head 4 years from now had he passed on Marvin Williams, saying that Atlanta had a chance to take a guy with star potential. Idiots.

Billy Knight has taken over a salary cap strapped team that didn't have the athleticism nor skill level to compete, turned over 100% of that roster in two years, and has built a young, improving team that can run other teams off the court. It continues to amaze me at the morons that believe Billy should have been able to build a winner by now, considering that his rebuilding project is only in its second year.

And where does this idiot get the idea that an Al Harrington for Stephon Marbury deal will happen? When has Billy Knight ever shown that he is willing to give out a bad contract, much less take one on in a trade?

I swear, if I could meet these sons-a-bitches face to face, I'd tell them they were morons right to their face. They don't have a god damn clue about what the Hawks and Billy Knight are trying to build.

[tmac13]

Damn KB, taking it a little personally aren't you?

[KB21]

Oh, it's to the point that I'm going to write up an article and send it out to different publications in an attempt to get it published.

There are several teams in the league that are in a worse situation right now than the Atlanta Hawks. At least the Hawks have an upside. A team like the Knicks has no upside, but you don't see the media lamblasting them at every turn.

[Buzzard]

I don't know KB. Most owners are results oriented (numbers and or/results are all that matters). We did well this year. A nice improvement, but next year probably needs to be more of the same.

I like BK and what he has done, but the bottom line is always the true measure of success. Most owners are successful millionaires due to the fact that they live by that principal.

If these owners gave BK a five year time frame. We better be in the playoffs two years from now. I do think they will give him that, provided we continue to improve next year.

[KB21]

I highly doubt most of these owners found their hundreds of millions overnight. It's ridiculous to expect a team to completely rebuild and be a playoff caliber team in just two years time.

[SmooveTheFuture]

Billy Knight dropped a big stink bomb drafting Marvin Williams number 2. If Marvin doesnt pan out that alone will cost him his job. Also getting anything for Delk and not trading Al at the deadline which could end up leaving us with nothing. Only time will tell but hes far from a good GM.

[Buzzard]

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Oh, it's to the point that I'm going to write up an article and send it out to different publications in an attempt to get it published.

There are several teams in the league that are in a worse situation right now than the Atlanta Hawks. At least the Hawks have an upside. A team like the Knicks has no upside, but you don't see the media lamblasting them at every turn.

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Oh yes they do. The Knicks are the most dysfuctional team in the NBA and the press writes about it everyday.

Only difference is, they are split between hating Brown or hating Thomas...the press is after both our GM and coach for the most part....

[Buzzard]

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I highly doubt most of these owners found their hundreds of millions overnight. It's ridiculous to expect a team to completely rebuild and be a playoff caliber team in just two years time.

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OK, and five years is overnight in whose world?

[KB21]

Who has been on the job for five years? Billy Knight is in year #2 of rebuilding the Hawks.

[Buzzard]

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Who has been on the job for five years? Billy Knight is in year #2 of rebuilding the Hawks.

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This draft will be his 3rd and he took over the team and fired Stotts the season prior to that; didn't he? I think and hope he has next season and then the full season after that, results are probably expected by then and should be.

I did say this in my original post, unless we totally flop next year he probably has his job for two more seasons...I hope ownership will honor that. BK will then have a total of 4 drafts and 4 and a 1/2 years on the job rebuilding the team.

Maybe my time frame is off, But I did think he took over the team while Stotts was coaching. I don't know what you read, but it was nothing of mine that said we should be in the playoffs after only two seasons of rebuilding.

[ATLJA316]

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These are the very same morons that would be calling for Billy's head 4 years from now had he passed on Marvin Williams, saying that Atlanta had a chance to take a guy with star potential. Idiots.

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[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

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Billy Knight, Atlanta Hawks GM

You can't fire coach Mike Woodson -- at least not if you have any shred of conscience. Not when you give him a roster like that. Yes, Joe Johnson is better than we all thought. But Marvin Williams continues to struggle while Chris Paul is clearing space in his trophy case for the Rookie of the Year award. Where is the effort? Why are Reggie Evans, Vladimir Radmanovic and Chris Wilcox being dealt at yard sales while Esteban Batista plays seven minutes a night? The Hawks' owners -- whoever they are -- need to act fast with Knight before he pulls an Al Harrington-for-Stephon Marbury out of his hat. Because you know that's coming.

Don't think it will happen . . . but it would be better if it did sooner than later.

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Chris Paul is clearing out his trophy case, but the hornets will still be in the lottery, only #13 instead of number 5. So what? Unless Chris Paul makes NOK a championship team this year or even a playoff team, then his drafting means nothing except for nominal improvement in the standings. But if Marvin's potential is better then you haven't lost anything by taking him. Hell we aren't a playoff team even with Chris Paul.

[chillzatl]

he's done great by clearing our cap, getting GREAT free agents in JJ and Zaza and drafting Smooth. The jury is out on Chillz. I'm not worried about Marvin. We may not be as good today as we would have been with Paul. But that doesn't mean we won't be better off in the long run.

[Dakin]

No matter what Knight is doing right or wrong, the truth is that huge years by Chris Paul (ROY) and Boris Diaw (most improved) have been terrible PR for Billy Knight and what he's doing. Of course a deeper look is necessary to really annalyze the situation, but that's a step that speculative writers arent willing to take.

Im just relieved that JJ is playing like an all star and Marvin has shown flashes of his enourmous potential. That shuts people up a little bit at least.

[TheDude]

CAN WE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NOT BRING UP CHRIS PAUL?!

name a GM...any GM in the league...any freakin GM in the entire NBA...

and 99% of them would have picked Marvin Williams over Chris Paul...the fact that Chris Paul is producing WAY over what people thought should have ZERO bearing on whether we should have drafted Marvin or not...ABSOLUTELY ZERO...

if you want to bash Billy for not bringing in the Wilcox's or whatever fine, but his drafting has been top notch.