I say, start the Paul Westhead campaign!!!

[Diesel]

Who's onboard?

[joannes3000]

After reading about this last meltdown, why not? There's a point where you have to draw the line and start putting blame where it needs to go. A huge lead lost, even to PHX, is enough for me to wonder what gameplan Woody had going into the final frame. I mean seriously, we could've just played oldschool Cavs ball and won that thing.

[bonethugz]

it's no shame losing to one of the best of the best but, anybody with experience will be better.

[bootsybug]

diesel, why do you feel westhead would be a good candidate? i don't know much about him and would like if you can run down his qualifications.

[KB21]

Westhead is not a viable candidate even if the Hawks were looking to make a move. The last time Paul Westhead coached in the NBA, his defense gave up an average of 130 points per game. He won only 44 games in 2 years with the Denver Nuggets while trying to install the run-n-gun offense he used at Loyola Marymount. So, he's not a viable candidate.

There are really only two "experienced" candidates that are available that would likely make a difference. Those two are Paul Silas and Rick Adelman. Those of you that don't like Woody probably will not like Paul Silas. Paul Silas is an old school coach that believes in playing defense first, and he is also a coach that has always worked better with veteran players than with young guys. He buried Baron Davis on the bench during Baron's rookie year.

Rick Adelman is somewhat the opposite. He will install the Princeton offense that uses a lot of back door cuts and requires pretty much every player on the team to be unselfish and good passers (especially from the post and high post), but his teams at Sacto didn't play defense very well. He hasn't coached a good defensive team since his days with the Trailblazers in the early '90s.

[Plainview1981]

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Westhead is not a viable candidate even if the Hawks were looking to make a move. The last time Paul Westhead coached in the NBA, his defense gave up an average of 130 points per game. He won only 44 games in 2 years with the Denver Nuggets while trying to install the run-n-gun offense he used at Loyola Marymount. So, he's not a viable candidate.

There are really only two "experienced" candidates that are available that would likely make a difference. Those two are Paul Silas and Rick Adelman. Those of you that don't like Woody probably will not like Paul Silas. Paul Silas is an old school coach that believes in playing defense first, and he is also a coach that has always worked better with veteran players than with young guys. He buried Baron Davis on the bench during Baron's rookie year.

Rick Adelman is somewhat the opposite. He will install the Princeton offense that uses a lot of back door cuts and requires pretty much every player on the team to be unselfish and good passers (especially from the post and high post), but his teams at Sacto didn't play defense very well. He hasn't coached a good defensive team since his days with the Trailblazers in the early '90s.

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Well, Woody's style isn't getting it done either way.

95PPG on offense and 97PPG given up.

[joannes3000]

Good points about Westhead, doc. I wouldn't mind if Adleman threw his name in the hat as we do have a nice core of decent passing/unselfish, athletic players that would look pretty nice running a Princeton offense. And besides, if we're talking about neglecting defense, I think we'd be a litle better equipped to run a motion-type offense instead of a run-n-gun offense.

[drzachary]

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Who's onboard?

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It should be very much self-evident that I'd be onboard.

[Swatguy]

I think we should consider Floyd Mack. I believe he can be persuaded. If not Darron Rogers.

[Diesel]

I think Westhead would be a good candidate for 3 reasons.

1. He has something to prove in the NBA.

He created Showtime in LA. It was his offensive system. He brought Pat Riley in out of the announcing booth. It was Magic Johnson would had Westhead removed because he didn't like the speed of the offense.

IN Denver, Westhead took a bunch of no name guys and Alex English and made one of the most potent scoring attacks ever. His NBA Record is 184-224 (.451). He has guided collegiate programs at LaSalle, Loyola Marymount and George Mason, compiling a record of 285-223 (.561) in 18 seasons. He is one of 2 coaches who have won a NBA Championship and been to the final four of the NCAA tourney.

He has to prove that he can play successfully at this level again.

2. He knows how to coach pace.

When he coached Denver, his pace was 113.7 (1st out of 27) while the League Pace Factor was 97.8. One thing that our troops should do is outrun the competition. We don't have the defensive game. We don't have enough shooters, but we have wing players who can finish. That's Westhead's specialty.

3. He's a good transitional coach (ala Hubbie Brown).

He's old enough to teach these guys the right way to play uptempo basketball, but he's also a guy who's old enough that he won't coach for years and years.

Let's face it. We don't have the money or reputation to get a big name coach. So in the meantime, let's take somebody who has something to prove but won't be here longer than he needs to be.

[Diesel]

The Clear question is why would any good coach come here. We are in ownership hell. A good coach takes the job, Belkin gets the team and the good coach gets the axe...

Every potential coach knows this about Atlanta... It's going to be hard to get a good coach to go through our ownership difficulty.

Westhead has something to prove but doesn't need as much time.

[Diesel]

With the Lakers previous to that, he won the championship and then won 58 games the season after that. He built Showtime.

The problem in Denver is that His GM saddled him with Rauf at the PG and they drafted Laphonzo Ellis who was always hurt. He finally got some defensive help with Deke on his way out, but Deke couldn't do it all by himself.

[KB21]

He was also fired in LA after two and a half years because Magic Johnson hated him.

He didn't build showtime. The Lakers went to another stratosphere when Pat Riley came in and built showtime.

[Yubs]

As long as we're throwing names in the coaching hat, how about Steve Smith? Let's face facts, no experienced coach will come onboard with the ownership situation as it is (as many have previously stated), so why not go with someone who will (probably) come as cheap -- mayber cheaper -- as Woody?

Steve Smith comes off very knowledgeable during Hawks broadcasts, and would probably command immediate respect from the players due to his accomplishments. Plus, he has history here and seems to genuinely care for the Hawks. Yeah, I don't think Smith has any real coaching experience, but listening to him talk it sounds like he has a real grasp of what it would take.

But hey, if not a head coaching job, at least an assistant job. Seems like he would make a pretty decent coach.

[Guest Walter]

...and I'd rather have an assistant coach or two over Westhead.

I really believe that Adelman and Van Gundy in that order might consider the position IF BK has to give up a little power. Both are coaches that COULD outlast any ownership fiasco as they would both be seen as proven. I'd love either one.

W

[gsuteke]

the internet gangster is making some sense here fellas.

[TheDude]

Quote:

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The Clear question is why would any good coach come here. We are in ownership hell. A good coach takes the job, Belkin gets the team and the good coach gets the axe...

Every potential coach knows this about Atlanta... It's going to be hard to get a good coach to go through our ownership difficulty.

Westhead has something to prove but doesn't need as much time.

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i disagree about westhead but good point about the ownership. we might as well be talking about flying pigs because it ain't gonna happen. no way spirit hires another coach in the midst of all this ownership squabble.