Hawks: Stuck (Hoopsworld article)

[Plastic Man]

Hawks: Stuck

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By Caren Sawyer

for HOOPSWORLD.com

Jan 28, 2007, 22:28

At 15-27 the Atlanta Hawks are stuck. They’re stuck with an underperforming offense, they’re stuck with a lackluster defense, they’re stuck in the 12th seed. They haven’t done much to move in to the playoffs and they haven’t fallen to the absolute bottom, which is where they would need to be to have a chance at the 1-3 lottery pick. But where they’re really stuck is with ownership.

As long as the Hawks ownership can’t resolve who owns this team no real decisions will ever be made. Without an effective ownership the Hawks won’t change their GM, they’re not going to replace their coach, and they can’t make any significant moves in free agency. Without an ownership that can make decisions they will never transform this team.

So without ownership’s involvement it’s up to Mike Woodson to develop this team and move them in some direction. This past week the direction they look to be headed is back down. After coming off a 3 game win streak they looked like they lost interest in their loss against Charlotte. In fact they looked like they were stuck in something as they’ve been a step behind in just about every game this past week.

It’s not just defense where they’ve lost, it’s their lack of offense that has the Hawks trapped in their losing ways. Against Charlotte the Hawks shot 40.5% and went 0-6 from the 3-point line, in Chicago they shot 42.9% and shot 1-9 in 3s, at Boston, although they won, they still shot only 36.1% going 2-12 from the 3-point line; Boston was just worse, shooting 31.6%. At home against Philly once again, shooting 40.4%, they didn’t get it done.

The Hawks bad shooting isn’t due to any great defensive efforts by their opponents, it’s on them, it’s just bad shooting. The Hawks are not making great decisions, their ball movement has been uninspiring, and they are not finishing.

The Hawks should have been able to beat Charlotte at home, as well as Philly, but they’ve looked uninspired. As a young team mistakes are expected but with all this youth what should be expected is more effort and energy. It’s hard to blame them, however, it’s hard to be energized when you are stuck in a quagmire, it’s a feeling that starts at the top and trickles down.

Unless the Hawks get one of the top three lottery picks there is really nothing they can do and even then one thing the Hawks don’t need is more youth. The trade market is available but even there and even if they could trade that top draft pick, they face challenges. The Hawks could be stuck in this muck for another season, and one wonders how much more of this can their fans take or how much more the NBA will tolerate?

[Wretch]

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...how much more the NBA will tolerate?

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That's what I want to know. Aside from how we all feel about the GM, coach, and the owners I think we can all agree that AT A MINIUM we should be able to make necessary changes where we see fit. Though if a contract acquired in a trade doesn't fit into the "court approved" standard we're screwed. We're screwed because there is no job security for any coach or GM we bring in. We're screwed as we head into re-uping the Josh's contracts.

This just isn't good for an already troubled franchise.

If Stern has any power at all, I can't see him sitting by in this debacle much longer.

[Guest Walter]

I don't get how anyone could condone it but we're headed right for the worst won/loss record scenario possible, with the worst ownership situation possible, with nearly the most inept management possible.

We can't control the courts. We can't control whether or not a legit GM or coach would want to come here. The only things we can control as a franchise are whether BK and Woody keep their jobs and whether or not we are in the best position to keep a top 3 pick. That's it. Let's start with what we can control.

Quote:

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Hawks: Stuck

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Caren Sawyer

for HOOPSWORLD.com

Jan 28, 2007, 22:28

At 15-27 the Atlanta Hawks are stuck. They’re stuck with an underperforming offense, they’re stuck with a lackluster defense, they’re stuck in the 12th seed. They haven’t done much to move in to the playoffs and they haven’t fallen to the absolute bottom, which is where they would need to be to have a chance at the 1-3 lottery pick. But where they’re really stuck is with ownership.

As long as the Hawks ownership can’t resolve who owns this team no real decisions will ever be made. Without an effective ownership the Hawks won’t change their GM, they’re not going to replace their coach, and they can’t make any significant moves in free agency. Without an ownership that can make decisions they will never transform this team.

So without ownership’s involvement it’s up to Mike Woodson to develop this team and move them in some direction. This past week the direction they look to be headed is back down. After coming off a 3 game win streak they looked like they lost interest in their loss against Charlotte. In fact they looked like they were stuck in something as they’ve been a step behind in just about every game this past week.

It’s not just defense where they’ve lost, it’s their lack of offense that has the Hawks trapped in their losing ways. Against Charlotte the Hawks shot 40.5% and went 0-6 from the 3-point line, in Chicago they shot 42.9% and shot 1-9 in 3s, at Boston, although they won, they still shot only 36.1% going 2-12 from the 3-point line; Boston was just worse, shooting 31.6%. At home against Philly once again, shooting 40.4%, they didn’t get it done.

The Hawks bad shooting isn’t due to any great defensive efforts by their opponents, it’s on them, it’s just bad shooting. The Hawks are not making great decisions, their ball movement has been uninspiring, and they are not finishing.

The Hawks should have been able to beat Charlotte at home, as well as Philly, but they’ve looked uninspired. As a young team mistakes are expected but with all this youth what should be expected is more effort and energy. It’s hard to blame them, however, it’s hard to be energized when you are stuck in a quagmire, it’s a feeling that starts at the top and trickles down.

Unless the Hawks get one of the top three lottery picks there is really nothing they can do and even then one thing the Hawks don’t need is more youth. The trade market is available but even there and even if they could trade that top draft pick, they face challenges. The Hawks could be stuck in this muck for another season, and one wonders how much more of this can their fans take or how much more the NBA will tolerate?

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[Lascar78]

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We can't control the courts. We can't control whether or not a legit GM or coach would want to come here. The only things we can control as a franchise are whether BK and Woody keep their jobs and whether or not we are in the best position to keep a top 3 pick. That's it.

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No we also control whether we try to learn how to win as a team and stop making us look like such a loser, or if we implicitly tell all our young talent that this ownership and city doesn't have faith in them to win together and that the only way they can help us is by giving up and quitting and trying to get lucky in the draft.

But hey after we implicitly tell them this year that they're losers and that we want them to be quitters, I'm sure they'll believe us next year when we suddenly tell them that we have faith in them and that they can win together. Awesome plan.

Hey at least when they all ask for a ticket out of town it should be easy to hit bottom and get a high draft pick next year.

[Guest Walter]

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No we also control whether we try to learn how to win as a team and stop making us look like such a loser

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We can?!? Either we are already tanking or our record indicates we can't control "winning as a team".

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this ownership and city doesn't have faith in them to win together and that the only way they can help us is by giving up and quitting and trying to get lucky in the draft.

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Boo-hoo. It could just as easily light a fire under player's asses as well AND no doubt Oden or Durant turns around this team's fortunes better than ownership lieing to them about how good they are and how much the MLE player they signed will help them.

Lascar, if you want to build your team like you raise a whimpy child, telling him or her they can be anything in the world they want to be (not true, but a fine enough maxim), then why didn't you just say so. It's not about telling this team the truth about itself (a truth they should already be aware of), that it lacks talent and certain key, difficult to acquire pieces. No it's about lieing to them. Lieing to them until you can't lie to them no more. Then lie some more. Lie, lie, lie to poor little fragile ZaZa. "You're the best GD center in the world littel buddy." Lie to SW. "We love the fact that you are a role player." Lie to them all. "Guys. We're going to win the NBA championship next year without a single change in our roster, promise you we will." Lies all around.

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But hey after we implicitly tell them this year that they're losers and that we want them to be quitters, I'm sure they'll believe us next year when we suddenly tell them that we have faith in them and that they can win together. Awesome plan.

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They'll believe us if we tell them the truth about thier prospects as a team more than lieing to them about their prospect will have them believing in us. It's not their fault! It's onwership and management. You can make that very clear and be very honest and forthright with them about why you make the decisions you do. WHAT YOU DON'T DO IS LIE TO THEM and then expect them to believe you or believe in you afterwards.

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Hey at least when they all ask for a ticket out of town it should be easy to hit bottom and get a high draft pick next year.

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You don't think JJ doesn't already want out of here?

W

[DrReality]

Quote:

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Quote:

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...how much more the NBA will tolerate?

---

That's what I want to know. Aside from how we all feel about the GM, coach, and the owners I think we can all agree that AT A MINIUM we should be able to make necessary changes where we see fit. Though if a contract acquired in a trade doesn't fit into the "court approved" standard we're screwed. We're screwed because there is no job security for any coach or GM we bring in. We're screwed as we head into re-uping the Josh's contracts.

This just isn't good for an already troubled franchise.

If Stern has any power at all, I can't see him sitting by in this debacle much longer.

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It seems to me that Stern and the other owners can exert some pressure on Belkin by letting him know that even if he does get control of the franchise, that he will in effect be blackballed. The other owners could do to him what he did to the AS. He can bluff his way past the AS but he will not be able to do the same with the NBA owners and Stern if he gets in. And the more he drags the franchise through the mud, the more backlash there has to be. Stern may not be able to do anything now because of the courts . . . . but if he gets into the league, then Stern can have his way with him.

[Lascar78]

For the 1000th time this is not the Bobby Sura year. That was the year to tank and I was for tanking that year. We didn't have the core of a team like we do now that we had to tell to quit. We didn't get completely screwed if we fell out of the top 3.

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it lacks talent and certain key, difficult to acquire pieces.

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The fact that you would actually tell them that just says it all. Joe, the Joshes, and Marvin will be out of here before you know what happened.

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You don't think JJ doesn't already want out of here?

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No I think he wants to prove that he can do what he came here to do, turn a loser into a winner. He's all about winning. I do think that he would want out the minute that you tell him that we need to lose and that we're not committed to winning at all costs.

And the simple truth is that to really tank to the point where you guarantee even say a bottom 2 spot, you have to tell them to lose, or make it obvious to them in some way. Trading Lue and playing Joe a little less wouldn't cut it anywhere but in your mind.

[CBAreject]

Boston sure did give up the other night. They had us dead to rights. Danny Ainge knows what he's doing.

Some teams know what this game is about. Others ride their moral high-horses to mediocrity.

[AtLaS]

Boston is also capped out, Pierce is on the verge of demanding a trade, and they don't owe Phoenix a top 3 protected 1st rounder

[CBAreject]

Except...

1) We are closer to capped out than you think

2) It's not like we can acquire an impact player anyway

3) The fact that the pick is only top-3 protected should make us want to tank even more.

I really don't get these idiotic arguments. If you're going to lose your pick unless it's top 3, why wouldn't you try to make it top 3?

[AtLaS]

I'd much rather give Phx a 10th pick instead of a 4th pick. I'd also much rather our players(mainly Smith and Childress) not leave if we tank and give up the 4th pick.

[CBAreject]

Yeah, we sure do have a good core. We better hold onto it

I really don't care who gets pissed off if we tank. It's not like we have something special to protect. I hope 35-45 wins for the next 10 years was worth tenaciously trying to win 30 games.

[AtLaS]

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It's not like we have something special to protect.

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Yeah Smith is nothing special, I mean he's just had 3 straight 20 and 10 games, and 5th in the league in blocks, and has absolutely been dominating since he came back, oh yeah he's only 21 I forgot about that. Chill hasn't done anything either lets get rid of him. Not to mention Chill, Marvin, Shelden, Zaza are good trade assets. Its not like we are STUCK with all our players.

[bfwolf]

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I'd much rather give Phx a 10th pick instead of a 4th pick. I'd also much rather our players(mainly Smith and Childress) not leave if we tank and give up the 4th pick.

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Why do you care what pick we give Phoenix? Are we trying to be successful or are we trying to make Phoenix be unsuccessful? If we don't win the lottery this year, it doesn't matter what pick we end up with. It won't be ours.

How exactly are Smith and Childress going to leave after this year? We've got them under contract, and they sure as hell aren't going to stop playing hard when they've got the opportunity to make big bucks coming up. If losing was going to break them, they'd already be broken.

[TheDude]

i agree. why should we instill in our youth (aka impressionable) to lose to get a high pick? this isnt like the sura days where we won some games with players at maximum their potential and learning.

we start winning more consistently now and hope for that with our youth so they can learn how to be winners. being a winner means bringing it night after night and playing with focus and determination. we have youth, they need to learn to be winners and gain experience.

if not for that horrible losing 9outof10 game stretch, we'd be in this thing man. and now we're healing and even without our starting point guard we are playing much much better.

we still depend on joe getting 24+ a night but what team DOESNT depend on their star to perform each night?

[AtLaS]

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How exactly are Smith and Childress going to leave after this year?

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lets see, um.. NOT resign with us? They won't leave until after next year but they definitely could and would do anything in their power to get out. By next year, they don't have much trade value because the team trading FOR them knows that they can bolt for another team at the end of the season.

You tell your players to lose on purpose, then get nothing out of it which makes you look like a complete ASS, trust me they will leave, meanwhile JJ asks for a trade also.

[bfwolf]

I don't think anybody is suggesting telling these guys to lose on purpose.

And it would seem to me that the key to getting them to want to re-sign is to win during their contract year, not the year before.

[AtLaS]

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I don't think anybody is suggesting telling these guys to lose on purpose.

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PLEASE define the term "tanking" for me.

How else are you gonna do it? Sit JJ? Don't play Smith?

The only way to really tank is to strip your team so bad that they can't win, when you are completely starting over, which we are not doing. It's also a lot more feasible if your pick isn't top 3 protected.

[bfwolf]

First, you cut JJ's minutes so he's not killing himself out there every night. Him playing so many minutes increases our chances of winning (bad) but also greatly increases the chances of him developing some sort of chronic injury (not that far fetched given how he has visibly worn down).

Second, you start playing Solomon Jones big minutes. Now, actually, I think this makes the Hawks a better team so you could argue that it's not exactly tank material. But it will really help to develop Solomon's game, and this guy has legitimate talent that we need to develop.

Third, you think about trading Lue to a contending team that's desperate for a good backup point guard who's only making $3.5MM per. Player moves are a little dangerous because this also affects how we play next year, but if we can get a young guy with some talent, this could eventually pay dividends. It's not like Lue is going to be on this team when it's a contender anyway. And Lue is a huge part of our ability to win this year...take him away and we definitely lose more games. I'm not 100% sold on this one, but for the right guy, I'd pull the trigger. Same thing with Zaza, whose lack of defense makes his value to us marginal, but who some other team is likely to see as a nice backup center who can get some offensive boards and get to the line.

[AtLaS]

So, in other words, you are using Walter's entire argument. Funny, but I would expect something like this.

By doing this, and playing those players those amount of minutes you are telling them that you have no commitment to winning this season, which is even WORSE than telling them to their faces. You think the players are stupid? You think JJ would be content with 34 mpg? When the other team is going off and we need offense? No, he didn't come here to sit the bench and tank seasons.