Stotts & Knight Get Two Year Deals. Coincidence?

[Traceman]

I think not. Their deals just happen to expire when the team is poised to have a lot of capspace and the ability to make wholesale changes. Those guys will be made scapegoats when they are unable to win in an impossible situation. Then, in 05/06, we'll bring in a high profile coach and a high profile GM to run the show.

It is a terrible deal for those guys but what alternatives did they have? Their only hope is that the team can somehow overachieve and make the playoffs. I think that Stotts should be Coach of the Year if he wins more than the 35 games we won last year with this team but anything short of the playoffs in 04/05 will likely get him and Knight unfairly fired.

[Guest]

one can't help but be wary of this. nice call trace...intresting...

sidenote...Nique deserves to be an asst...but not even head. He's not proven that he can coach, there's a reason he's not been assigned such duties, but he deserves a chance; I think in general, people aren't sure of his smarts. If he wants to move up, in coaching or into the front office, he's got some stuff to prove.

[Traceman]

I wouldn't make him the top assistant either. I think with Stotts being a first time head coach (at least the first time without "interim" in front of his title), it would be nice to have an experienced top assistant. Any thoughts on available candidates?

[Blunt91]

Nique more than likely will be an asst coach,but probably the 3rd guy in line like Steve Henson was when he was with us.

[Diesel]

If McDavid owns the team, you [censored] right Stotts and Knight will be fired. IN fact, Dieb will take over and Knight will just be a front man ready to be scapegoat. Stotts will be a person ready to be fired at any time.

On the other hand....

IF Kasten regains control through Turner, I think Kasten will keep Knight on indefinitely.

One thing about Kasten is that he doesn't fire people often. That's why Babs stayed on so long.

[Diesel]

Mahorn be brought in as top assistant.

He's been a HC before. He's hungry. He commands respect.

Aside from that, I would like to see Nique and maybe Ellis as Assistants too.

One other assistant is Chris Daleo. I think it's fair time this guy got a Shot. IF Mahorn doesn't take top assistant, this guy should get it. I think he's the next Carlisle...

So coaching wise:

Stotts

Mahorn - Top Assistant

Daleo

Nique

Ellis.

Then on the court... maybe look into resigning Smitty at vet min.

[Watchman]

I have no interest in Mahorn whatsoever.

He did nothing that significantly improved the games of our big men. He tried to make himself look good by criticizing others, which is really immature. Who needs him.

Give me some other names.

[Blunt91]

Mahorn wouldn't come to the Hawks unless they made him Headcoach. He wouldn't get along with Stotts because he feels he knows more about the NBA game than Stotts who to my knowledge never played in the NBA. Heck I wouldn't be surprised that the hawks are so cheap they take the guy that is Head of the scouting department Chris Grant, and make him a coach. They will probably say heck he has watched enough game tapes to know what's going on.

[Diesel]

I think Mahorn's attitude towards Stotts might be different than his toward Kruger.

Stotts has paid his dues. He's been an assistant for [censored] near 12 years. Kruger stepped into the NBA game with no real experience. Never played, Never coached. I think Both Mahorn and Mussleman knew that Kruger was doing a terrible job of coaching.

As to Watchman's question of Why is Mahorn still unemployed...

Why is Carlisle still unemployed?

That's begging the question I know. But it's a good beg. I think Mahorn is unemployed because of his stubbornness. Same with Carlisle. I think all good HCs are a bit stubborn. Phil Jackson doesn't fall in line to every GM's whim... Ask Jerry West about it. Pat Riley is so stubborn that he is Coach and GM so that he wouldn't have to listen to anybody except his good buddy Randy Pfund who is his frontman. We have yet to see how Larry Brown and Joey D. will work out. I have to say, I don't believe they will make beautiful music....

[KB21]

Rick Mahorn did nothing in his time in Atlanta to warrant consideration for a top assistant's job. A guy who was known for his toughness, he did very little to make the Hawks big men any tougher. He's a name, and that's it.

I'd much rather hire a guy like Clifford Ray, who has proven himself to be a terrific big man coach.

Here's a list of candidates I would look into:

1. Mike Thibault - He's coached with Stotts in Milwaukee, so there should be some cohesiveness between the two. He knows exactly what Terry wants to do offensive and defensively. Mike is currently the head coach for the Connecticut WNBA team.

2. Clifford Ray - He was an assistant for the Cavs last year, but he has a proven track record around the NBA for coaching big men.

3. John Capel - John is the head coach of the NBDL's Fayetteville team. He was the long time head coach at Old Dominion. He's done a terrific job at the NBDL level, and it's time for him to get his teeth wet in the NBA as an assistant. I'd also bring up his son, Jason Capel, as a back up small forward.

4. Jeff Malone - Another guy who has cut his teeth as a head coach in the NBDL. He coaches the Columbus Riverdragons in the NBDL and has done a fabulous job of developing players like Nate Johnson and Tang Hamilton.

5. Tree Rollins - Former Hawk, Tree has been an assistant in the NBA for a while and worked as the head coach for the Mobile NBDL team two years ago. He's a guy that would be good for the Hawks big men.

Of course, this doesn't include Dominique Wilkins, who I think should be given the chance to be an assistant coach.