Chris Grant the Lead Candidate now

[exodus]

If this guy does get hired i will give him the benefit of the doubt just like I did with BK and Woody. But if they retain Woody as a coach then i will suspect that the new GM is just Gearon's lap dog.

[Seano]

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If this happens then I wish the league would step in and take ownership away from these yahoos and let a real owner come in that wants to win.

People say that a lot on this board, but that just isn't going to happen. You can't strip someone of their ownership just because they're incompetent (if you could do that, then Donald Stirling might have gotten the boot years ago). The NBA does not have anywhere near that kind of authority. And if the League didn't step in and lay down some authority in the Seattle situation....well then, they're not going to step in anywhere. Stern just washed his hands of Seattle and looked the other way while all that garbage has gone on.

And honestly, they wouldn't have the right to step in here even if they wanted to. Yes, the ASG sucks like an Electrolux- but they own the team, and it's their money. It's just our bad luck that we're stuck with these wankers, and really the only thing you can do is learn to live with it. Sucks, but that's the way it is....

[DrReality]

What's really scary to me is that ASG really thinks they know what they are doing. Every more they make just makes them look more baffoonish. If this happens, and I think it will, it will mire the franchise in a funk for years.

Gotta hope the Falcons have made the right decisions and will give us something to cheer about in the winter.

[mattlanta]

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First, it was hiring head coach after head coach that has no experience. Now, it's hiring GM's that have no experience aswell. These aren't things winning franchises do.

I see nothing has changed with you and your pessimistic views on Atlanta's organization.

Tell me... would you also happen to be a big of My Chemical Romance or Fall Out Boy?

[EazyRoc]

The other BK isn't looking so bad now, huh ?

[Plainview1981]

Modern rock blows. The team hasn't posted a winning season in a decade. Yes, I'm negative.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Old BK wouldn't be so bad either. I understand people want him gone, but look at what else is out there for common sense sake.

Technically he didn't get fired, but they forced him out.

[mattlanta]

I don't even believe Billy Knight was as bad as people had commonly thought of him to be. Sure, he made a mistake drafting Marvin instead of Chris Paul, but most of the 'so-called' experts were already craving about Marvin. And keep in mind that Chris Paul wasn't THAT great of a college player. I can see how people can be mad at the guy if he drafted someone who played like a total no-body in college instead of someone who really had the skillset of someone like Kobe Bryant - but that wasn't the case with Marvin and Paul. Marvin was craved as one of the best players to come out in a decade. We obviously went for talent instead of need, but BK has also gotten it right when he's used that draft strategy. For example, this most recent draft where we acquired Horford. You can say all you want about him being lucky, but BK still got the picks right because keep in mind that we didn't really need a forward. We needed a point guard a LOT more.

I've said it many times before, not only here but in Real GM too. BK has as many chances as any other general manager to draft a bust. This team showed great promise in the playoffs, and maybe people aren't giving the credit to all those who deserve it. BK molded this team in one way or another, and I really believe that.

Was it BK's fault that Woodson can barely develop his young players? Was it BK's fault when Woodson glued his rookie power forward on the bench and tried to ruin Shelden's career?

I think people are putting far too much blame on BK. I don't know... call me crazy, but I didn't really think BK was that bad, and I kind of wanted him to stay but Woodson to get packing.

[Seano]

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If this guy does get hired i will give him the benefit of the doubt just like I did with BK and Woody. But if they retain Woody as a coach then i will suspect that the new GM is just Gearon's lap dog.

Yeah, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he proves to be a bad GM or an obvious shill for the ASG group, then let him have it with both barrels....but it's kind of unfair to be throwing him under the bus before he's even taken the job, simply because of his past associations. I did that at first, but then I calmed down. The reality is that he has no track record as as the top dog in any basketball organization, so as far as I'm concerned he is a completely unknown factor. Maybe we'll luck out, and he'll be decent. Or maybe we'll get really lucky, and he'll be good. Maybe rather than being some kind of clone of Babcock or Knight or Ferry- he'll have learned from the mistakes those general managers made, recognized their flaws and weaknesses, and maybe that in turn could help him become a better GM? That'd be nice, eh? Who knows, but we shall see....

[Diesel]

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I don't even believe Billy Knight was as bad as people had commonly thought of him to be. Sure, he made a mistake drafting Marvin instead of Chris Paul, but most of the 'so-called' experts were already craving about Marvin. And keep in mind that Chris Paul wasn't THAT great of a college player. I can see how people can be mad at the guy if he drafted someone who played like a total no-body in college instead of someone who really had the skillset of someone like Kobe Bryant - but that wasn't the case with Marvin and Paul. Marvin was craved as one of the best players to come out in a decade. We obviously went for talent instead of need, but BK has also gotten it right when he's used that draft strategy. For example, this most recent draft where we acquired Horford. You can say all you want about him being lucky, but BK still got the picks right because keep in mind that we didn't really need a forward. We needed a point guard a LOT more.

I've said it many times before, not only here but in Real GM too. BK has as many chances as any other general manager to draft a bust. This team showed great promise in the playoffs, and maybe people aren't giving the credit to all those who deserve it. BK molded this team in one way or another, and I really believe that.

Was it BK's fault that Woodson can barely develop his young players? Was it BK's fault when Woodson glued his rookie power forward on the bench and tried to ruin Shelden's career?

I think people are putting far too much blame on BK. I don't know... call me crazy, but I didn't really think BK was that bad, and I kind of wanted him to stay but Woodson to get packing.

Old BK didn't leave because of any of the mistakes that he made. Old BK left and I think under his own accord because he was being disrespected. His power as GM was being snatched away from him. You can't make a guy a GM then stop him from making trades and stop him from firing a coach. The ASG needs to learn to let basketball people make basketball decisions. IF they had lost faith in BK, that's one thing.. IF that were the case, they should have come out before the playoffs and said, We and BK no longer see eye to eye and to alleviate the situation, we have asked Mr. Knight to resign his position of GM.

However, they let this hawks team go into the playoffs... come out of the playoffs with Momentum and then turn around to the guy who you have publickly screwed and tell him, we will give you one more year of us telling you what to do and not allowing you to do anything. BK being a man of principle said "_UC_ that!" and he resigned.

Now, same guys are trying to bring in a replacement GM. AND They have already made it clear that Woody can't be replaced. What kind of s--- is that? ANd they want him to be cheap. Yeah, we're going to get a guy who used to get BK's coffee. A guy who has never sat in the seat before. A guy who is probably going to make some screw ups much bigger than BK's. Agents are going to run circles around this guy.

I suspect, our first signing will be Alan Henderson. He needs a few more Hawks bucks to get his record company going.

[DrReality]

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Modern rock blows. The team hasn't posted a winning season in a decade. Yes, I'm negative.

What's the difference in being a pessimist and being a realist? One and the same in the case of the Hawks.

[jerrywest]

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Old BK didn't leave because of any of the mistakes that he made. Old BK left and I think under his own accord because he was being disrespected. His power as GM was being snatched away from him. You can't make a guy a GM then stop him from making trades and stop him from firing a coach. The ASG needs to learn to let basketball people make basketball decisions. IF they had lost faith in BK, that's one thing.. IF that were the case, they should have come out before the playoffs and said, We and BK no longer see eye to eye and to alleviate the situation, we have asked Mr. Knight to resign his position of GM.

However, they let this hawks team go into the playoffs... come out of the playoffs with Momentum and then turn around to the guy who you have publickly screwed and tell him, we will give you one more year of us telling you what to do and not allowing you to do anything. BK being a man of principle said "_UC_ that!" and he resigned.

Now, same guys are trying to bring in a replacement GM. AND They have already made it clear that Woody can't be replaced. What kind of s--- is that? ANd they want him to be cheap. Yeah, we're going to get a guy who used to get BK's coffee. A guy who has never sat in the seat before. A guy who is probably going to make some screw ups much bigger than BK's. Agents are going to run circles around this guy.

I suspect, our first signing will be Alan Henderson. He needs a few more Hawks bucks to get his record company going.

When Diesel thinks he has the talent to write great posts. Alas, he wastes too much of his brain cells thinking about Marvin/Shelden/Al Harrington.

[TheDude]

You know many times various people have sent letters to the owners to complain about this or that....i would say that if there were ever a time to email the owners, now would be it since a decision has not been made and we actually could have some type of effect on the decision. Probably not, but a better chance than in most cases. What's their email address?

[DrReality]

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You know many times various people have sent letters to the owners to complain about this or that....i would say that if there were ever a time to email the owners, now would be it since a decision has not been made and we actually could have some type of effect on the decision. Probably not, but a better chance than in most cases. What's their email address?

As I have posted before, I think the owners think they have it all figured out and any input from us will be wasted effort.

[beenthere]

I know Chris and think that he will be an excellent choice. He's a hard worker and not afraid to speak his mind. Just because he worked for Pete Babcock, Billy Knight and Danny Ferry doesn't mean that he's going to be a clone of any of them. Look at the differences between the three. I think that the fact that Chris has had experience under three different GM's is a plus. It gives him a broader perspective on how things should and shouldn't be run. Additionally, in Cleveland under their owner's direction, Chris worked to change the culture up there into a more professional, first class operation. It can be scary when someone gets their first big time job, but if you look at the history of GM's, more come from a background like Chris as opposed to be recycled. Again, I think that he will do an excellent job, represent the organization well, and communicate to the fans and media, unlike Billy Knight.

[Diesel]

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I know Chris and think that he will be an excellent choice. He's a hard worker and not afraid to speak his mind. Just because he worked for Pete Babcock, Billy Knight and Danny Ferry doesn't mean that he's going to be a clone of any of them. Look at the differences between the three. I think that the fact that Chris has had experience under three different GM's is a plus. It gives him a broader perspective on how things should and shouldn't be run. Additionally, in Cleveland under their owner's direction, Chris worked to change the culture up there into a more professional, first class operation. It can be scary when someone gets their first big time job, but if you look at the history of GM's, more come from a background like Chris as opposed to be recycled. Again, I think that he will do an excellent job, represent the organization well, and communicate to the fans and media, unlike Billy Knight.

I'm not against guys getting a chance. However, this is not the place for a guy who needs a shot.

Let me ask you. IF you were going into the hospital for a life or death procedure, would you want a new guy right out of med school or would you want a guy who has done it before?

To me... this is a life or death situation for the Hawks. Right now, we have momentum. We have the people of Atlanta and the NBA buzzing. We have a team of young guys on the cusps of something great. We have only 2 more guaranteed years with JJ. Our follow up to that is to hire a GM. This is a decision that will make or break this team.

You characterized your friend this way:

Hard Worker... ---- Who doesn't work hard? Babcock was a hard worker. Isiah was a hard worker... It means nothing.

not afraid to speak his mind There's a big difference in speaking your mind when your ass is not on the line and actually making important decisions. The guy who speaks his mind is a guy who has already been giving a decision and he's making commentation on how he feels about it. That's not the same as a guy who makes the decision. Everybody is a critic? Vecsey and Terrance Moore are not afraid to speak their mind... but neither of them is worthy of being GM either.

Just because he worked for Pete Babcock, Billy Knight and Danny Ferry doesn't mean that he's going to be a clone of any of them. Well, Grant received no formal training. He's a guy that worked his way up under these guys. Sorry, but it's impossible for him to not have some of the residue of a Babcock, Knight, or Ferry way of doing things. Don't you find it funny that Billy Knight ran this team getting guys similar to a Donnie Walsh team (Long, versatile) at Indy. Knight has the residue of Walsh on him. Grant will have the residue of those guy on him like it or not.

[Packfill]

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I don't even believe Billy Knight was as bad as people had commonly thought of him to be. Sure, he made a mistake drafting Marvin instead of Chris Paul, but most of the 'so-called' experts were already craving about Marvin. And keep in mind that Chris Paul wasn't THAT great of a college player. I can see how people can be mad at the guy if he drafted someone who played like a total no-body in college instead of someone who really had the skillset of someone like Kobe Bryant - but that wasn't the case with Marvin and Paul. Marvin was craved as one of the best players to come out in a decade. We obviously went for talent instead of need, but BK has also gotten it right when he's used that draft strategy. For example, this most recent draft where we acquired Horford. You can say all you want about him being lucky, but BK still got the picks right because keep in mind that we didn't really need a forward. We needed a point guard a LOT more.

I've said it many times before, not only here but in Real GM too. BK has as many chances as any other general manager to draft a bust. This team showed great promise in the playoffs, and maybe people aren't giving the credit to all those who deserve it. BK molded this team in one way or another, and I really believe that.

Was it BK's fault that Woodson can barely develop his young players? Was it BK's fault when Woodson glued his rookie power forward on the bench and tried to ruin Shelden's career?

I think people are putting far too much blame on BK. I don't know... call me crazy, but I didn't really think BK was that bad, and I kind of wanted him to stay but Woodson to get packing.

I do not remember anyone, other then maybe KB21, that said Marvin was one of the best players to come out in a decade. It is not like he dominated in college or anything.

[Packfill]

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/

This kind of pub we don't need,

Hawks flying on the cheap

With so many pressing matters to consider, starting with coach Mike Woodson's status and Josh Smith's future, the Hawks need to hire a GM who has run a team and made franchise-altering decisions.

But true to form, the Hawks are going the cheap route and will hire a first-time GM, someone like former front-office employee Chris Grant, who has never called the shots and now is helping Danny Ferry in Cleveland.

According to league officials who have talked to Hawks ownership, they're turning the post into an "entry-level" position. Hiring Grant or Ernie Grunfeld's aide in Washington, Tommy Sheppard, will save the Hawks money, as they're expected to pay no more than $600,000 to $700,000 per year, making their new GM among the league's lowest-paid. But while saving millions, it doesn't look like the best way to handle their basketball business.

After taking Boston to Game 7 in the playoffs and generating some excitement among the locals for the first time in years, the Hawks risk what looks like a bright future by putting some huge decisions in the hands of someone who has never negotiated with an agent or had to determine the fate of a coach and lead a search for a new boss.

The Hawks won only 37 games in the regular season but took 66-win Boston to the limit in the first round, perhaps indicating that they badly underachieved from November through April. GM Billy Knight is out and his successor has to figure out whether to retain Woodson and how much to pay Smith, who had some monster games in the Boston series, along with deciding what to pay Josh Childress, who's also entering restricted free agency this summer. Plus, the new boss has to determine how best to address Mike Bibby's free agency in July 2009.

This is a crossroads offseason in Atlanta when too much can go wrong because a first-timer is calling the shots. But the Hawks' only contact with Billy King, a proven, capable GM, was by phone. Another ex-GM, John Gabriel, didn't get an interview, as was expected. When the Hawks have hired their new man, he'll earn much less than the majority of executives who run teams pocketing from $1.5 million to $5 million annually. That doesn't bode well for their future. ...

Hopefully that article is a joke, but if the new GM, especially if it is Grant, does get a bargain basement contract then that is a sign the organization is being run on the cheap.

[Dsinner]

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If this guy does get hired i will give him the benefit of the doubt just like I did with BK and Woody. But if they retain Woody as a coach then i will suspect that the new GM is just Gearon's lap dog.

Yeah, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he proves to be a bad GM or an obvious shill for the ASG group, then let him have it with both barrels....but it's kind of unfair to be throwing him under the bus before he's even taken the job, simply because of his past associations. I did that at first, but then I calmed down. The reality is that he has no track record as as the top dog in any basketball organization, so as far as I'm concerned he is a completely unknown factor. Maybe we'll luck out, and he'll be decent. Or maybe we'll get really lucky, and he'll be good. Maybe rather than being some kind of clone of Babcock or Knight or Ferry- he'll have learned from the mistakes those general managers made, recognized their flaws and weaknesses, and maybe that in turn could help him become a better GM? That'd be nice, eh? Who knows, but we shall see....

I'll put it this way... as much as all of us (including myself) think we know about running a team (D's hourly trade of the day & others for instance), this guy knows 100x that. The big question is will he be allowed to show us what he knows or will his strings be wound a little tight.

[Diesel]

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'll put it this way... as much as all of us (including myself) think we know about running a team (D's hourly trade of the day & others for instance), this guy knows 100x that.

I have never heard of a GM who didn't make mistakes.

I have never heard of a GM who would claim his experience prepared him to be ready for the job day one.

Grant is no more ready to do the job than you or I. Seriously. 100X? Please. He has been in a good position to see how things are done, but as far as being in a position to build his own team or to make big decisions... Come on.

Moreover, let's call one example in to back me up:

How much managerial experience Did Joe Dumars have before he started?

Joe stepped right off the basketball court and into the GM's chair. He was not primed. He didn't shawdow anybody. He just took his knowledge of the league and knowledge of players and he built a championship team.