Goodbye

[HalfHawk]

Assuming this really was the boiling point and final straw,

I want to say a goodbye, but a thank you as well to this Hawks team. I personally think this is the last we'll ever see of the core we have watched grown and mature together. Prospect turned to duck, the next highlight reel turned to fat, and the glimmer of hope turned soft.

Along with all other Hawks fanatics, I have suffered through the blowout losses, the bonehead mistakes, the skipped superstars, and the bad contracts, but if asked, I'd relive it all over again...

This core was amazing, loaded with potential, but we will never know how good they could have become. And that's how I'll always remember them, just wondering.. what could they have accomplished?

I can honestly say, this has been my favorite select group of players I've ever had the privilege, or curse, of watching. Here's to a new start and a new chapter! Go Hawks!

Edited May 13, 2011 by SmooveZilla

[MVP23]

Yeah this was a fun group. Every night was fun actually. I'll miss laughing at Marvin..

[HawksFan87]

lol, if u think the hawks are making any major trades think again..

[DieHardHAWK]

yea man, i loved this group...we might of been the only team that kept the same pieces for so long. They provided some great moments and some pathetic ones. in the end, I tip my hat to all the guys. Best of luck to them wherever they end up

[HalfHawk]

lol, if u think the hawks are making any major trades think again..

Assuming this really was the boiling point and final straw

Maybe a bit premature on my part, but the core group of Joe, Smoove, Marvin, and Al won't be here in its entirety come next season. I think the ASG has seen even with a new coach, these guys can't possibly win anything.

[Guest]

As exasperating as this team could be, I enjoyed watching them play and I enjoyed the in game chats even more when we were getting blown out so that at least helped ease the pain....this beats a 13 win season any day...I like the Hawks in the playoffs. :dancer:

[MVP23]

Man this team is a lot like life. A lot of fun, but a lot of headache. This year there was a LOT of headache..

[Atlantaholic]

Maybe a bit premature on my part, but the core group of Joe, Smoove, Marvin, and Al won't be here in its entirety come next season. I think the ASG has seen even with a new coach, these guys can't possibly win anything.

I don't know man... maybe give it one more year? We have a developing Teague, an al Horford who until halfway through the second half of the season was the second best center in the NBA. I'm all for improving the roster, but if we can't get clear cut upgrades, no reason to blow this up just yet.

[thescout5]

I just don't have any confidence that Drew knows the talent of his own players. Why was Teauge on the bench so long not only this year but when Woody had him.The coach should see the talent in practice and give him more and more opportunities. I think the hawks need a major shakeup and every one is on the block.

[TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA]

How can they justify breaking up the core and bring Drew back? Didn't we just see that with Woody? Seriously, has Drew not been here with Josh damn near his whole career and still not gotten him to play the way it is thought he should play the majority of the time? I would personally fire Drew before moving Al or Josh being that he has been with them both basically there whole careers. Now Joe that's a different story if you can move him move him

[Guest]

I think LD will be back for the following reasons:

1. We made it pass the 1st round against an Orlando team that pummelled us last year

2. We won 2 games in the 2nd round

3. LD's contract is very ASG friendly

4. With the potential lockout/maybe a shortened season I don't see the ASG paying LD plus another coach

[QuantumHawkz]

I think LD will be back for the following reasons:

1. We made it pass the 1st round against an Orlando team that pummelled us last year

2. We won 2 games in the 2nd round

3. LD's contract is very ASG friendly

4. With the potential lockout/maybe a shortened season I don't see the ASG paying LD plus another coach

5. LD dererve to come back,after all he was a ROOKIE HEAD COACH

[TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA]

5. LD dererve to come back,after all he was a ROOKIE HEAD COACH

Teague deserved more minutes after all he has to learn on the job.

[Atlantaholic]

Teague deserved more minutes after all he has to learn on the job.

It's the man's FIRST season and it's not like Teague was lighting it up during the regular season, the majority of the time the guy looked totally lost, and 99% of this board had given up on him. I'm not saying it was the right move, obviously in retrospect it was the incorrect move... all I'm saying is it is an understandable mistake for a first year head coach to lean on some veterans when your young PG isn't producing in his limited role. Give LD one more year to see if he can learn from his mistakes. Unless we have a clear shot at a super coach like Rick Adleman or Jerry Sloan, no reason to give up on Drew, who at the very least has shown a willingness to make adjustments and learn from his mistakes.

[TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA]

It's the man's FIRST season and it's not like Teague was lighting it up during the regular season, the majority of the time the guy looked totally lost, and 99% of this board had given up on him. I'm not saying it was the right move, obviously in retrospect it was the incorrect move... all I'm saying is it is an understandable mistake for a first year head coach to lean on some veterans when your young PG isn't producing in his limited role. Give LD one more year to see if he can learn from his mistakes. Unless we have a clear shot at a super coach like Rick Adleman or Jerry Sloan, no reason to give up on Drew, who at the very least has shown a willingness to make adjustments and learn from his mistakes.

LD has been around this core since it was ensembled. I have a major issue with that. People want to talk about trading Josh or Al, but why not see if these special talents whom both could be playing 10 years from now can mesh with a different coach before you break them up. My point is people are acting like LD did not know these players before he moved one seat over. This 1 year thing is invalid, they hired him because they did not want just a major shock type change, but a subtle change that would be brought by a guy with 20 years on the bench. What I am saying is they hired LD because they thought he had a headstart on a rookie coach, now the excuse for his mistakes is he was a rookie

[Atlantaholic]

LD has been around this core since it was ensembled. I have a major issue with that. People want to talk about trading Josh or Al, but why not see if these special talents whom both could be playing 10 years from now can mesh with a different coach before you break them up. My point is people are acting like LD did not know these players before he moved one seat over. This 1 year thing is invalid, they hired him because they did not want just a major shock type change, but a subtle change that would be brought by a guy with 20 years on the bench. What I am saying is they hired LD because they thought he had a headstart on a rookie coach, now the excuse for his mistakes is he was a rookie

Being an assistant and a head is two very different things. The scrutiny a professional head coach has to undergo is incredible. The guy has had his ups and downs, and he was obivously too easy on some of our players, but perhaps he didn't feel like he had much of a choice. You can be the tough guy coach and bench Josh for taking jumpers but what's to say that wouldn't make Smith sulk and end up demanding a trade? It's tough to manage egos, especially ones as inflated as Josh Smith and the truth is that Josh is a grown *ss man, and there isn't a coach in all the NBA that can FORCE Josh to play the right way. Drew is at least telling our players to play the right way, to share the ball, and he is adapting to situational defensive matchups. I'm not saying he is a great coach, but he is definitely better than any of our other previous first year head coaches. If Lon freaking Kruger, Terry Stotts, and Woodson all got at least two years, no reason Larry Drew shouldn't get them.