Stotts and Knight Resigned!!!

[TheDude]

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...03/11hawks.html

hmmm....

[jezmund]

I think this is the safest thing we could have done. I'm definitely glad we kept Knight. I'm not sure who we could have gotten that is any better than Stotts so I believe this is a good move.

[TheDude]

My thought exactly. I'm glad we kept Knight and not unhappy we kept Stotts. That may turn out to be a very good move. I think that ownership felt they were losing the small fanbase they had and were losing an edge on signing talent so they had to make a move, conservative as it may be.

I think having Knight as our GM will be the savior of the franchise as bold as that may sound.

[Lascar78]

I've got no problem with Knight, I think he's good. but shouldn't we have gotten carlisle or fratello if they wanted to coach here? oh well, at least it's done. I just hope they don't give stotts a long contract just yet

we should have kept mussleman

[Boondocks]

I'm actually very pleased we kept Knight, he has basketball vision and not afraid to take risks to improve (although not all his moves were succesful).

Stotts is useful, as he's a cheap coach who can keep the ship floating untill the team has settled in with it's new ownership. I feel we could have done better, but untill this organisation has it's affairs in order he'll suffice. He might even surprise us but I'm not counting on it.

Took the celts awhile to get everything running as well after their sale.

Does this mean McDavid is around the corner?

[SWISH9061]

Not to nitpick but re-signed is a better way to state it as my first thoughts on reading this was that they both had quit on their own.

I'm a big fan of Billy Knight and I'm glad to hear that he'll be staying on - I think with the right owner he's the man to turn this thing aroung.

As for Stotts, I'm ambivalent on him but I do think he earned another shot...

[TheDude]

good observation swish..didn't even notice it until i came back onto the site...

now let's see if this affirmation of positions will get some free agents here...

[Diesel]

In a way, I'm happy that we got some stability on the way. Being in a state of NOT knowing sucks. However, I would be very hesitant to suggest that this means that a deal is almost done.

I would take it as being the opposite. The deal might not get done. From the beginning the plan was for McDavid to be owner and Deib to be GM or President... However, you want to look at it. McDavid also talked about bringing in a Coach who has a big name. I don't see why that would have changed. Moreover, one of the original bidders for the Hawks was Turner/Kasten. My thought is this. IF McDavid is short on the money side of things as seems like the case, maybe Kasten has talked AOL into allowing him to keep the Hawks and make it into a money maker.

Really, that's all McDavid was going to do. A show of Good faith was that Knight was able to close a deal that got Grob's salary off the books. As I have said before, the Phillips Arena Contract is one that basically makes the deal a profit machine for whoever owns the Hawks.

Until proven otherwise, I see the franchise as having given Kasten Wiggle room to try and make the Hawks a Profit making team.

Kasten re-signs Knight because Knight is cheap and he knows how to make deals. Kasten Re-signs Stotts because Stotts give the players we have now continuity and Stotts is very cheap. I'm sure that Kasten is operating with all the power of Ted Turner in his corner so it's easy to say if we don't turn a profit, I will get my buddy Turner to buy the Hawks from you officially.

Bottom Line, is I think McDavid is finished fooling the Hawks. I don't think he ever had enough to really deal for the Hawks, Thrashers, and Arena but he had to put up a Bid Better than Checkettes Group and Better than Kasten's group.

My view is only one possibility. However, if the deal was "CLOSE" wouldn't McDavid push for the hiring of his people?

Also, If AOL and Kasten Stays, I guess Terry will be a part of the team.... BUt the Hawks will definitely LOW ball him. Being that Nobody put an offer out for JT, we can offer him an average of 6.5-7 per year and he's probably going to take it. That's just the begginning.

[Guest]

Well, we resigned a head coach that has no style, but

we'll be bad and Stotts seems like a good guy and all...

and after leaving him out to dry all summer it's glad

that he knows were he'll be.

You know what sucks...Stotts lack of style is the only

thing I can really find fault in him.I'll probably be feeling

bad FOR HIM once the season starts.

[HawkTodd]

Hawks Schedule 3 p.m. Press Conference

The Atlanta Hawks have scheduled a press conference this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Philips Arena media lounge regarding a significant team announcement.

[Gray Mule]

Good! The only thing that I don't like about this is that

it took them much too long to do it.

When it was obvious that the deal was going to take a

very long time, everyone should have agreed to renew the

contact of these two then, not waited so long.

With the Sale still up in the air, apparently, we may also

have another new owner and a new name! See my post

under "Other Sports" {Atlanta pro teams}.

With tongue in cheek and hoping for some other ideas,

I ask you to check it out.

[_sturt_]

Nothing against Knight or Stotts specifically, but I'm just really saddened that this franchise has become locked into the tar pits of the NBA lower class... I can't conceive that Stotts heart is in this... it's his job by default...the best that he could do, and the best that the Hawks could do... not exactly an arrangement that conjurs images of a renewed playoff legacy... and while I'm less dissatisfied with Knight, I've never been on-board with all those who make him out to be the next Donnie Walsh... heck, I'm not even that thrilled if he were the next Donnie Walsh, frankly... he's had a few successes, but also it's strange to me that no one seems to want to balance that conversation with his longer list of disappointments ... and ultimatey, I agree with Diesel that this probably only means that the McDavid sale remains unlikely to be completed in the near future... just a very sad day, actually, for Atlanta Hawk fans... another in a long line.

[JaHawk10]

OK now that we know Stotts stays, who do you all think will be our assistant coaches? English and Henson are gone, so that leaves Nique. If he's not given a shot, then they're making a big mistake. Also, I would love to see Rick Mahorn return. A lot of the players liked him, so why not? I can live with a staff of Stotts, Nique and Mahorn. What do you guys think? Opinions wanted...

J

[Blunt91]

I think Dominique will be one of the assistants possibly the head Asst coach. Also don't forget about Harold Ellis. He was acting as a assistant coach during the summer league games. He will probably be promoted from Scout to an assistant coach. I see the big picture of things. In the next year or two Dominique will be the Head coach of the hawks if he proves he understands the game.

[hds428]

'Stotts and Knight resigned'

For a minute there I almost did a little dance, heh, then I opened the thread. Oh well. I'd be lying if I said I thought this was a move in the right direction, however it is a move in some direction, which is more than fans had a week ago. The fact that Stotts is on board with a multi year deal (680 The Fan reports at least 2) tells me to brace for at least three more years of rebuilding; not just to develop players but also to diaper train a head coach. Knight, I really have no real beef with except the [censored] contracts that he doled out in his Grizz days to undeserving players like Reef and Dickerson, but I don't think he's the bane that Babcock was either. My biggest concern is that Terry 'the doormat' Stotts will be on the sideline, ignored and pushed aside by his overpaid players who don't have an ounce of respect for the guy and show it by not even executing what feeble gameplans he does manage to come up with. IMO this is more of a step back than anything.

[HAWKSFAN]

I wonder if we'll go after Doc Rivers next year. Looks like Rick Carlisle will get a TV job, so maybe next offseason we'll go after him.

I'm happy with Stotts for the time being, the biggest task for whoever our coach turned out to be was going to be how they decided to use Big Dog. In terms of getting him his shots but getting rid of the turnovers and bad shot attempts. Now that problem is gone, and I definately think Stotts can handle this. This is going to be an interesting season, I think we'll shock some people. I think our defense and shot selection will be much improved, same with the turnover problem. It just comes down to making the shots, with the shooters we'll have at the 2 and 3 most likely, it doesn't matter how easy the shot is. They could very well miss it.

[beav]

sounds like you like the move...

[Hawksman]

Honestly, I think this is taking a step forward. Stotts proved he can be a good head coach and Knight is very good at what he does.

[Lascar78]

I disagree in that neither Stotts nor knight have proven anything yet. However I'm confident in Knight, and undecided on Stotts. He could turn out to be a great coach, but let's not act like he's a proven winner just yet

Overall I think we'll be ok. I don't think we'll be as bad as the rest of the league thinks we are. Regardless, I'd rather take people by surprise than announce we're making the playoffs and make fools of ourselves when we fail.