Woodson's future

[Atlantaholic]

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And here's one more thing. When Woody really shortned this rotation in March, it not only enabled us to make the playoffs, it was PREPARING this team FOR the playoffs, a time when teams usually shorten their rotation.

For all of the complaining about not playing the bench guys 8 - 12 little or no minutes, Woody knew fully well that he hd to rely on his core 7 guys to possibly have a shot in the postseason.

And he was dead on.

This is ridiculous... We were LUCKY to make the playoffs because our starters were so overplayed throughout the year.

To say Woody was thinking about the playoffs in March and fine-tuning some kind of strategy, (during the period that the rumored attempts of his firing had surfaced), instead of thinking about the best way to MAKE them and SAVE HIS JOB is just absolutely unlikely, and frankly retarded.

[JackB1]

If the Hawks can somehow beat the Celtics, you have to ask yourself "Why Couldn't Woody get this effort out of his team EVERY NIGHT"? Also, we have been a HORRIBLE road team all year and we have to prove tonite we can compete on the road when it counts. I feel like the team "got up" for these past 2 home games because they saw and heard a wild, loud crowd at Phillips that they have NEVER SEEN BEFORE.......not because of Woody's coaching. 2 Games is not enough to change my mind about Woody......not by a long shot.

[Atlantaholic]

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If the Hawks can somehow beat the Celtics, you have to ask yourself "Why Couldn't Woody get this effort out of his team EVERY NIGHT"? Also, we have been a HORRIBLE road team all year and we have to prove tonite we can compete on the road when it counts. I feel like the team "got up" for these past 2 home games because they saw and heard a wild, loud crowd at Phillips that they have NEVER SEEN BEFORE.......not because of Woody's coaching. 2 Games is not enough to change my mind about Woody......not by a long shot.

As much as I hate Woodson, I have to admit that If we win on the road in this series I really think that it would EARN him the right to stay on for next year... It would at least prove to me that he can get our guys focused to play in an environment devoid of the adrenaline and excitement of home court.

[SuperSavvyNation]

Ah give me a break, Northcyde. Perspective please. I know that you and many are caught up in the euphoria of the past two wins. It's easy to do and I'm enjoying it as much as anyone. However, I've seen enough of Woody to know that the longer that he is the head coach of the Hawks the longer you will see the Hawks struggle to be a consistent winner because he has shown he can't handle his duties on a nightly basis.

I think we all know that. My original point was proven beautifully by northcyde. Enjoy the ride, but in order to get better as a team Woody needs to be replaced by a competent head coach. He has given us an adequate sample size to come to this conclusion.

Zbo

[dalamchops]

i think MW has earned himself at least a test run for next year. The expectations will be VERY high because of how we played the last 2 games, hopefully he'll be given a short leash next year.

[bronnt]

Avery Johnson is now available. Mark D'Antoni might follow soon. I would love to have either of these guys, though D'Antoni would obviously be just a dream solution. Get him back with JJ, and hand him some athletes like J-smoove and Al Horford and see where he could take us.

[lunar]

just like the saying goes: some people are born with greatness and other have greatness thrust upon them.

this is still the woodson that coached us to a losing record. nothing can change that but just like you have to give him some credit for all those wins and loses (really only count the last two years since we could've been called the D-league all stars for the first couple years), you also have to give him some credit for these last couple wins and rejuvenating the city base. since the beginning most of the posters on this board have said that we aren't going to be able to make a final decision on woodson and knight until the playoffs start. if we don't make it, they both get fired. if they get their a$$ handed to them and don't show any heart and act like hey aren't even supposed to be here, then they both have failed and they need to be fired. BUT, if they come out and prove to the basketball community that they are a viable team in the present and especially in the future, then you are going to have a very hard time firing either of them and you are more than likely going to have to extend them.

winning is the cure for all that ails you.

[SuperSavvyNation]

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And here's one more thing. When Woody really shortned this rotation in March, it not only enabled us to make the playoffs, it was PREPARING this team FOR the playoffs, a time when teams usually shorten their rotation.

For all of the complaining about not playing the bench guys 8 - 12 little or no minutes, Woody knew fully well that he hd to rely on his core 7 guys to possibly have a shot in the postseason.

And he was dead on.

This is ridiculous... We were LUCKY to make the playoffs because our starters were so overplayed throughout the year.

To say Woody was thinking about the playoffs in March and fine-tuning some kind of strategy, (during the period that the rumored attempts of his firing had surfaced), instead of thinking about the best way to MAKE them and SAVE HIS JOB is just absolutely unlikely, and frankly retarded.

Exactly. To try and spin Woody's decisions any other way is just silly. That kind of a wacky reasoning just lets me know for sure that northcyde (who usually comes to rational conclusions) is just high on the drug that was pumped out by the Hawks improbable wins so far. When it wears off, do we really want another season of this clown? I mean, its obvious to anyone who pays attention that the axe is coming...oh yes....Do we really need to give him more time so that we can be coach searching in the middle of next season?

Woody has been in "save my job" mode for much of the season. And I think that it came at the expense of the overall team and logical decision making. Not some grand scheme in preparation for the playoffs, LOL.

[thefloydian]

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Please look at this from a larger perspective than just these past few games (which I think by and large are a

result of the players deciding to raise their intensity and focus level)

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In your attempt to discredit Woody's TERRIFIC performance in this series, in my opinion, all you are doing is VALIDATING that Woody has not been the problem all along but the PLAYERS have been the problem. If what you say is true:

1) What made the players decide to raise their intensity level? Shouldn't they have made this decision a long time ago? Did they think they would be successful if they DIDN'T play with intensity and focus?

2) If Woody is the coach and they can play the way they did in games 3 and 4 simply because THEY decided to raise their focus and intensity level, what is the problem?

Bottom line, according to your logic, if the players play with focus and intensity, apparently Woody's coaching is just fine! Well at least it is good enough to beat the league's best team in back to back games in the playoffs.

This doesn't change the fact that he doesn't understand basic basketball concepts such as when to sub players in and out when they are in foul trouble.

[jhay610]

If you separate yourself from the sheer euphoria that we are all running high on right now, and forget that the past nine years have been as bad as it can possibly get for a sports franchise, and just look at this thing with a cold, calculating eye...

What have we done?

We have won two home playoff games.

Now that isn't meant to diminish the accomplishment, because we are playing a great team and we have gone farther than we expected. But in the end, the thing the last two games have done is validate the fact that YES, we deserve to be on the floor with the C's and YES we can beat them.

Woody hasn't hurt us at home. He's even helped. But tonight is where the coaching and the heart comes in. Steeling yourself against that Green Hellhole that is waiting for us tonight and pressing in and not letting them take it from you is what shows you have arrived. Go in there and do it in their house. If they can do that just once, while holding serve at home....now that would be impressive. If the Hawks go in there and get dubbed again I will be crestfallen.

We have done what the mid-90's Hawks did plenty of times, which is win 2 playoff games. Not to be the buzzkill, cuz I bought a flight and tickets for Game 6. But if you put away your passion for this team and look objectively you'll realize that 37 wins and 2 home playoff triumphs are not where we want to be. Can Woody take us there?

I feel like I have seen the man's body of work and I just don't think so. We've got a great young team and a bright future, and a lot of very important decisions coming up....

[Traceman]

You guys are clamoring for these guys so much well please tell me what makes them such great motivators?

D'Antoni has had NUMEROUS chances to get an incredibly talented team to the Finals and he has been unable to do it. He couldn't handle two of his biggest stars in Stoudamire and Marion and it resulted in one of them being traded for a too 'old Shaq. He wouldn't listen to Steve Kerr (he of 3 rings) who said the team needs to defend better to be successful and his players were questioning his lack of a rotation and his coaching ability when he was fired. Great coach?

As for Avery, last year, he becomes just the 2nd coach in NBA history to have his 1 seed team lose to the 8 seed. Then this year, one of his best players disobeys a DIRECT order and has a party at a club during the middle of the playoffs when his team is down 3-1. Same player also waits to the middle of the playoffs to distract the team by confessesing that he smokes weed. Motivator? great Coach?

As for Woody not developing role players, what do you want him to do? It's not his fault that Acie kept getting hurt early in the season. It CLEARLY affected Acie's confidence. By the time Acie got back and ready to go, the team had moved on with a different answer at PG.

Solo is a marginal NBA player and wouldn't get meaningful minutes on ANY decent NBA team. He has potential to get better but he hasn't reached the point of deserving consistent minutes.

Salim is an inconsistent Eddie House (who is inconsistent himself) at best.

Mario? I love him but come on.

Jeremy? He was in the D-league for a reason.

Chillz (and lately Zaza) is his only CONSISTENTLY productive option off the bench.

Look, I have been as critical of Woody as anybody for his jacked up rotations and his game management but he has been a LOT better in those areas in the playoffs (and actually for the last few months). I have also praised his development of the young guys because I think they have all improved to some degree with him as coach. Bottom line, he's not the best coach in the NBA but he is not as bad as many here seem to believe.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

If Woody can outcoach Rivers and get past the Celtics then he should be here next season. Because if we can get past the Celtics, we can go to the Eastern Conference Finals.

If they lost the series then there's no point in keeping him. This is a business and the ASG will say... hey, we can resign this guy to big money or we can get one of many of the better coaches out there that will improve the team immediately. If they're smart, they'll choose the latter.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Zaza a consistent option off the bench? Not in the playoff he isn't... shooting 20% from the field with 2 TO/game in 14min/game while playing horrid defense is not my kind of guy.

[AHF]

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I agree this raises the question, why cant they play like this during the season? we BARELY made the playoffs and can't risk that again. We cant UNDERACHIEVE all season and be OK with it.

Woodson still needs to go. I have seen enough to make an educated decision. A few playoff games doesn't erase a whole season of games. I saw a spot from game 4 where Woodson was talking to Bibby during a Boston foul shot and Bibby gave him that "WTF" look again

This is similar to my view. Woodson deserves a lot of credit for making adjustments in games 3 and 4, pushing the pace offensively, etc. He has done a terrific job this series so far. It stands out against the rest of his career like Chris Crawford's 1999 playoff run. In practice, a continued strong effort this series will probably buy him more time from management that has supported him to date. Anyway, there is plenty of time to debate this after we are done with the playoffs this year - hopefully after 14 more wins! Go Hawks!

[lunar]

his defense has actually been good. it's his offense that's been horrible, thankfully we aren't asking him to be a double digit scorer this series.

[Plainview1981]

The Hawks already score alot of points. What good is D'Antoni going to do???

[bronnt]

I was in the process of trying to describe Woodson's faults as a coach, then realized my post was getting so long that no one would read it. If someone else asks what the problem with Woodson is, though, I'll open fire with both barrels. Then, in the fture, whenever someone asks "Why is it Woodson's fault?" I'll refer them to the answer I have already prepared.

[Plainview1981]

I don't believe Woody should be the coach next year. But I don't believe Mike should be either. The Hawks need to play better defense and they will not get that with Mike as the coach.

[Cwell]

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I don't believe Woody should be the coach next year. But I don't believe Mike should be either. The Hawks need to play better defense and they will not get that with Mike as the coach.

huh?Woody and Mike?

[jhay610]

he's talking about the d'antoni version of mike, not our beloved woodson