Get Mike Fratello

[KB21]

I think everyone on here knows where I stand on this. Now that the season is over, I believe the time is right for the Hawks to make the move and bring Mike Fratello back to Atlanta to be the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

I'm not one that has bashed Mike Woodson for every little thing on here, and I'm not about to become one of those. I just think the Hawks are at the stage in their development where getting Mike Fratello could take them to the next level in the playoffs.

One of the first things Mike Fratello would do is establish a level of toughness that this team doesn't currently have, both physically and mentally. You can't be a team that feeds off emotion and win over the long haul, and I think the playoffs showed that the Hawks are a team that can feed off the emotions of their own fans yet collapse when they are visiting a hostile environment.

Second, I think Mike Fratello would do a better job of getting this team to play defense. I think the ability to play consistent defense is there with this team, but for some reason, the message doesn't consistently get across and the effort on that end isn't consistent.

The defense and rebounding that Mike Fratello would stress would allow this team more opportunities to push the ball and force the action offensively, which is a philosophy that Mike has lived by in the past, particularly with the Hawks during his first stint. Also, I think Mike will bring more organization to the half court offense when the Hawks are forced to play that style.

I just think it is the right time to bring Mike back to the team. However, I will say that I would rather keep Mike Woodson than go after a first time NBA head coach.

[hawkman]

I agree. Fratello may be the best available.

[Wretch]

I also agree about Fratello. The guy just knows how to get the most out of whatever team he's coaching. Many will think it's just a retread, and for some that may be true. I watched the Hawks in the 80's, but I was too young to appreciate or understand what Fratello did for those teams. My respect from the Czar has come watching him after he coached the Hawks and listening to him on TNT.

Another name that I like is Rick Carlisle. The guy just seems to win everywhere he goes. Behind him I like Del Harris and Avery Johnson. Van Gundy I like, but I don't know anything about his ability to coach a team offensively. Which is also what I think our biggest problem is.

We got guys willing to do the dirty work and capable of playing good D. More than anything, I think that is the biggest factor in being a good defensive team. I don't think the next coach has to be supremely better than Woodson at creating a defensive scheme. (Though I do think they need to be better at adjusting said scheme on the fly - key word adjusting).

The problem with our offense scheme though is apparent. We have none. Defense and rebounding is a good place to start...yes it will initiate the break for us...what happens when the opposing team gets back on D though? Exactly. It's like Woodson is a broken record playing only half of the song.

Too many times I have heard:

"Childress is a great guy to come off the bench. He gets so many points and they really don't run any plays for him."

"Horford has shown that he can play in this league. He's close to averaging a double-double, and they don't even run any plays for him."

"Josh Smith is going to be a very good player. He's so young and can do so many things, and when you think about it...he's doing all this and they don't run any plays for him.

...just who are we running plays for? I have an answer:

That's about it. Even with the Celtics throwing the ENTIRE team at him, every defensive player aimed at Joe Johnson, our plan remained...dump the ball to JJ. Then defend and rebound on the other end...and get it back to JJ. We need more than that.

I have been one of the biggest Woodson critics on the board, and for quite some time. I do not think he's a terrible coach. He is though an AVERAGE head coach at best. At the very least, he is simply not the right coach for this group of players. And just as the time has come for these guys and this roster to mature, it is time to get some maturity out of the head coaching position.

We do not need a college coach. We do not need a "very good assistant coach." We need someone that has shown that they know what the hell is going on at this level. If that coach isn't right, we fire his ass and bring in another one with the same resume.

It is time for progress this offseason and for me, it really starts with the head coaching position. I sincerely hope that we allow Mike Woodson to walk.

[TheTruth]

If he wants to coach, I would love to have him here. Just listening to him call our games makes me excited about the possibilities. He actually knows what he is talking about.

[KB21]

I've said it before, and I will say it again. Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown are, bar none, the best TV analysts for NBA basketball out there. You will learn a lot about the game of basketball by listening to those two gentlemen analyze the action during the course of the game. It really isn't shocking that Mike is a Hubie Brown protege, as he was Hubie's top assistant in Atlanta and New York before Mike got the Hawks head coaching job.

[AHF]

Quote:

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Just listening to him call our games makes me excited about the possibilities. He actually knows what he is talking about.

That is the same way I felt listening to him and having watched him previously here in Atlanta. I am not married to Fratello but I would sure be thrilled to see him as our coach next year.

[NJHAWK]

Also if we need some outside shooting we can see Randy Whitman is up too and what better defensive center to sign as a free agent but Tree Rollins.

[KB21]

Quote:

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Also if we need some outside shooting we can see Randy Whitman is up too and what better defensive center to sign as a free agent but Tree Rollins.

Don't reply to the post if you cannot contribute something to the discussion.

[Ikeatlanta]

Anybody wonder why?????????????????? Oh for two plus seasons at that.

[AHF]

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Anybody wonder why?????????????????? Oh for two plus seasons at that.

Yeah. Fratello only won 40 and 49 games his last two full seasons before Memphis deteriorated. How can that compare to Woody's best two seasons of 30 and 37 wins?

[AHF]

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Anybody wonder why?????????????????? Oh for two plus seasons at that.

For full seasons for Fratello and Woody:

1 of 14 seasons where Fratello didn't win at least 40 games

4 of 4 seasons where Woodson didn't win at least 40 games