Whither the GM slot?

[_sturt_]

Admittedly I haven't read every thread, but its interesting to me to see how much talk there is here about everything else except for who the Hawks new GM should be... how many years had people written out-loud prayers on HawkSquawk for Pete Babcock's replacement, but now, even as McDavid has practically said he will bring in a veteran GM with some success, this board appears strangely silent on that. To me, next to the bigger issues that the league has, this is the biggest decision sitting on the stove. And aside from the silly notion of MJ becoming Hawks GM, I'd love to know who are the prime candidates considered by the experts here... anyone wanna step up to the plate?

[Diesel]

I'd like to stick with Billy Knight. Give him a few years. I think he did a good work in Indy and learned from Walsh a lot. However, in Indy, he was said to be in charge of their dealings that led to them having:

Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson at the same time. He also made sure that Reggie and Smits got fair contracts. I don't think he was there for the ONeal or the Bender trades.

Secondly, in Memphis, he completed the SAR trade, the Battier drafting, But he also did the Williams for Bibby trade?

All in all, he has a good track record.

The only other person who I have heard mentioned that intrigued me was Chris Wallace of Boston. He has a good track record? But he's going to PTL is my gut feeling.

One person who I would love to see in Atlanta is Geoff Petrie. Can you beat the job he has done for the Maloof Brothers? I think he's saavy enough to pick winners. He built around Webber and now that team doesn't even need Webber. It's the deepest team in Basketball.

However, ideally(Realistically), I would like this:

McDavid (I guess) Owner.

Knight - GM/VPOBO.

Nique - VP of media affairs (or whatever it means to be the liasion to the people).

Croce' - Team President. -Provides Enthusiasm to an unenthused place.

Fratello - Head Coach -Final Say on all personnell matters.

English - Top Assistant.

Mahorn/Steve Henson/Brian James/Dwayne Casey - Assistants.

Scouts -Mark Slonaker/Chris Grant/Harold Ellis/& More.

Fratello is asking for 6 mil a year according to the Clipps and why they discounted him.... However, if we can get him to trim that to 5.....

This could be a good work.

[CHORO44]

I really like Petrie also but Sacramento isn't letting that guy go anywhere. I also think that he wants to win a Championship with his team before thinking about leaving.

I'm really tired of the Coaching and GM carousel. It seems like every year teams pick from the same collection of people. Dunleavy, Knight, Frattello, Van Gundy, etc...always the same names. I realize the league is built on relationships but I'd like to see our team take a more radical approach.

I say we hire Kenny Smith as our GM. I know he's just an ex-player and anaylst but the guy is a winner and he knows the NBA in and out. Kenny is open and honest about what he sees talent wise in NBA players. I honestly think he could build a solid team and he just needs some experience. Whether or not becomming a GM is in Kenny's plans is unknown but I bet with his knowledge and contacts that he could restore our franchise to respectability.

[Diesel]

Kenny or NO...

We'd still need a guy in here who can pump the town up. Kasten never gave a darn about marketing strongly to the city. I like Croce for this deal but if Kenny Smith was given the position, I think he could do something with his good friends like Barkley and the like.

[chickenstanly]

Just out of curiosity, why do you believe that

Rick Barry has yet to land a coaching or upper

management position ? The guy is a true

basketball brain and probably enough of a

perfectionist and jackass to stand up to

today's players and their ego's. [His may be

larger than theirs

Maybe the same problem as Kareem is having ?

It's amazing that in this era of hiring former

players to coaching and management positions

that two guys of such legendary status cannot

get a shot. Instead, guys like Doc Rivers, Nate

McMillian, Byron Scott, John Lucas --- all good

players but hardly on the level of Abdul-Jabbar

or Barry --- all get pushed along instantly.

I mean, when Bird wanted to coach -- Bird got

a job. Same with Zeke. And Magic.

I'd like to see these two get a decent shot

whether here or elsewhere. Any thoughts ?

[BlackHawkDown]

Remove that ugly shmoe from your post. Isnt it bad enough we have to hear his stupid commentary during the games now we have to see him on the web. HEE HEE. But seriously I hate that guy please remove him.

[chillzatl]

But i've always wondered about Kareem. Hasn't he experessed many times that he'd like to get a shot at coaching? I'd swear I remember reading something like that a while back.

[Diesel]

I don't think either interviews well. It's like they have been shut OUT.

It must be something. For so long, I thought Barry was a shue in for the GS job.

Rambis has been too, but it looks like he will get a good shot with the Clipps.

[Diesel]

The other thing is you can't come in on the first day and Hope to be a Supervisor. Why won't these guys become Assistants?

Magic, Bird, Thomas were all put in position because of their sellability. You're talking about guys who were megastars. Isiah start was with an expansion Toronto team. He was an easily recognizable face. Bird was the Hometown Indy team. Magic was with his Lakers. Barry should look to be an assistant like Scott, McMillian, and DJ and Mahorn and all these other guys are doing.

[Guest]

Wallace traded for Baker?He built a very untalented

team in Boston....No thank you!

They reason Bird/Rivers/Rick C got coach spots and

guys like Nique can't is because they played with

brains instead of just basically athletic ability.

[Diesel]

Then what about Rick Barry?

Magic?

Barry was about one of the smartest players to play?

I think English will make a good HC one day too. I just think that there's a lot of guys who need to be assistants before they coach.

Also, Mahorn never exhibited more than Athletic Ability on the court, but John Wooden proclaimed Mahorn as a guy he expects to be coach of the year material one day.

[Guest]

Then what about Rick Barry?

Magic?

Barry was about one of the smartest players to play?

I think English will make a good HC one day too. I just think that there's a lot of guys who need to be assistants before they coach.

Also, Mahorn never exhibited more than Athletic Ability on the court, but John Wooden proclaimed Mahorn as a guy he expects to be coach of the year material one day."

If you look at most of the coaches/players they counted

more on brains.There are exceptions to almost every

rule.You will have a situation to where you can say...

Well, what about him?There is always exceptions.

Mahorn looks like a overall smart man while guys like

Nique and Barkley aren't.Those guys counted more for

they're skill than thinking.Mahorn is a thinker.Being a

role player you almost have to be a thinker.

You can try and argue anything with exceptions because

they are always there....But rule is that the role players

and less athletic players are going to be better coaches.

[chickenstanly]

Kareem wants to coach in the NBA. He coached last

year in the CBA [i believe] Wherever it was, he won

the Championship and promptly resigned. In reading

an article about the season, the players had nothing

but praise for him and his ability and willingness

to work with them and teach.

What gives here ? Diesel's right about the mysterious

"shut-out" status that these two seem to have.

Both are brilliant, thinking individuals. Both are

former NBA champions and MVP's. Both want to

coach badly.

I don't understand it.......