FWIW - ESPN Approves of Bud

[AHF]

2. Which NBA head-coaching hire has been the best thus far?

Foster: Mike Budenholzer. Spurs East is officially under construction. Jeff Teague is a quick point guard with a penchant for floaters, and Al Horford is a smart, fundamentally solid big man. Sound familiar? Those two aren't quite Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, and Budenholzer isn't quite Pop, but you can do much worse than emulating the Spurs at every level.

McMenamin: Mike Budenholzer. Anybody that Gregg Popovich trusts enough to describe as his "co-head coach" has to be the real deal. Stability and harmony between the front office and coaching staff is a rarity in the the league these days and the Hawks now have that with "Bud" as the coach and fellow ex-Spur Danny Ferry as the GM.

Stein: I'm naturally interested, like a lot of people, to see what Mike Budenholzer can do in Atlanta now that he has finally been given his chance. But I also have a feeling Jeff Hornacek will make a difference in Phoenix even though he's taking over a team that's so far away from contention. The arrivals of Hornacek and Ryan McDonough as GM should give Suns fans some long-awaited hope.

Winter: Mike Budenholzer. His résumé is as impressive as any recently hired Gregg Popovich disciple, as Budenholzer's San Antonio pedigree dates back to the pre-Tim Duncan era. "Coach Bud" has a great reputation among players, Popovich speaks glowingly of his ability and Atlanta GM Danny Ferry, a former Spurs front-office executive, understands his talents firsthand. This is a home run for an organization in an extreme state of flux.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-130529/early-look-nba-offseason-storylines

Edited May 29, 2013 by AHF

[Admin]

Awesome stuff right there!

[AHF]

A couple are also recommending Atlanta for Dwight:

4. Which team should Dwight Howard sign with this offseason?

Camerato: Is there a pressure-free contender whose fans will root for Howard regardless of the team's success? No. So, I'd like to see him on his hometown Hawks. A change of scenery -- back to a familiar one -- could help ... for now. If not, the idea of him and James Harden together in Houston is intriguing. An 8-seed with "jump" potential.

Foster: Atlanta. You can always go back home. The spotlight is a little dimmer in Atlanta, but maybe Howard would benefit from a decrease in scrutiny and pressure. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Al Horford is the perfect frontcourt mate for Howard, or that there isn't a bad contract on the roster. If Howard wants a clean slate, there is no better option out there.

Edited May 29, 2013 by AHF

[EazyRoc]

I really don't think Howard is interested. I think we are going to feel alot like Knicks and Nets fans did when they thought LeBron to New York just made sense.

[MaceCase]

I really don't think Howard is interested. I think we are going to feel alot like Knicks and Nets fans did when they thought LeBron to New York just made sense.

Ha! At least we just say it's a sensible decision to make, NY fans felt it was already a foregone conclusion that they'd sign.

[Buzzard]

I really don't think Howard is interested. I think we are going to feel alot like Knicks and Nets fans did when they thought LeBron to New York just made sense.

Bron to NY only made sense if the Heat could not make Bosh happen that season. Still a toss up IMO even if Bosh went elsewhere for more money.

[cam1218]

Good stuff, AHF.Glad to see the Hawks finally getting even a little bit of respect. Lets keep this momentum rolling!

[pimp]

Bulls fans thought Wade was coming back home, team up with Roae that year too....

[MaceCase]

Bulls fans thought Wade was coming back home, team up with Roae that year too....

Could throw Dallas and Bosh coming back home too.

[Randy]

I was watching ESPN and they had a whole thing with music and everything singing "This Bud's for you."

[Admin]

I was watching ESPN and they had a whole thing with music and everything singing "This Bud's for you."

Almost seems like that positive Spurs vibe is already rubbing off on the national media as we all know as Hawks fans that Atlanta very rarely gets any type of positive attention from BSPN or the like.