Are you rushing to judgment on Danny Ferry?

[niremetal]

I would prefer to keep Ferry but I think there is just too much pressure from Atlantans and the National media for us to keep him. I see stuff on the local news about boycotting and what not. it's just too much negative press and unneeded distraction.

 

This.

 

And another consideration: other GMs may be less willing to talk to Ferry about trades etc. All the NBA front offices are (understandably) very nervous about appearances when it comes to racial issues. Probably more than a few owners and GMs feel like Magic does and want Ferry put somewhere in the same circle of NBA hell as Sterling and Levenson. And even if just 5 teams don't want to deal with Ferry, the other GMs and owners will know that, and so will players' agents. We'll end up paying a "Danny Ferry premium" in trades and free agent signings for at least a year.

 

Ferry has been a great GM, but this could easily end up castrating him as a GM going forward.

[niremetal]

Oh, and btw - sup, Squawkers?

[IheartVolt]

This is not going away man. If not for the Ray Rice video, the heat would be turned all the way up on the Hawks. Those national writers can cause extensive damage as to how this franchise is perceived by others ... namely other NBA free agents.

The toxicity of all of this could stain this franchise for a long time, if Koonin doesn't clean house.

Let's be clear here , I think everyone needs to go , including all owners and Ferry at this point. Tear it down and build from the foundation. I was just stating I could care less what Joe Schmoe and Skip Bay less has to say on twitter. Is that clear?

[EazyRoc]

What exactly did Ferry mean by the comments ? What is Deng being dishonest about ? Does he fake injuries or something ?

[Plainview1981]

He's the best GM this team has had hands down. And he landed us the best coach we've ever had OVER Fratello and Wilkens. Firing the guy because he called Deng a "hustler" is absolutely retarded.

Keeping him won't be politically correct but firing him will be the dumbest thing the Hawks have done in 10 years and that's covering ALOT

You're getting ahead of yourself by calling Bud the best coach that we have ever had... This team won 38 games in one of the weakest conferences in NBA history last year.

As for Ferry... Does it really matter what we think?

It matters what the other players think. Ferry was mostly unable to sign players before all of this went down.... How do you expect him to get players now?

[Plainview1981]

This.

 

And another consideration: other GMs may be less willing to talk to Ferry about trades etc. All the NBA front offices are (understandably) very nervous about appearances when it comes to racial issues. Probably more than a few owners and GMs feel like Magic does and want Ferry put somewhere in the same circle of NBA hell as Sterling and Levenson. And even if just 5 teams don't want to deal with Ferry, the other GMs and owners will know that, and so will players' agents. We'll end up paying a "Danny Ferry premium" in trades and free agent signings for at least a year.

 

Ferry has been a great GM, but this could easily end up castrating him as a GM going forward.

Great GM? This off season was a big flop.

[Diesel]

This is not about whether you like or don't like Ferry.  This is about whether he can go in to work and do his job.  The answer is NO.  We can't go after Serge Ibaka?  He has a little African In him too.  Luol Deng's comments sum up what Players think about Ferry.  At the end of the day, Ferry has ruined his ability to be successful as a GM.  How do you say Dumb Ass Comments about people of color when people of color makes up 85% of the league's players... and your job is to recruit these players.

 

He has to go.

 

Like him or not.  Believe him to be racist or not.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Diesel

[Guest]

This is not about whether you like or don't like Ferry.  This is about whether he can go in to work and do his job.  The answer is NO.  We can't go after Serge Ibaka?  He has a little African In him too.  Luol Deng's comments sum up what Players think about Ferry.  At the end of the day, Ferry has ruined his ability to be successful as a GM.  How do you say Dumb Ass Comments about people of color when people of color makes up 85% of the league's players... and your job is to recruit these players.

 

He has to go.

 

Like him or not.  Believe him to be racist or not.

 

So much this.

 

The idea that, as of yesterday, Koonin and the owners supposedly are ready to move forward with him as GM shows how out of touch they are with reality.  That's why the little conspiracy theorist in me keeps telling me there's got to be more to this story.  What does Ferry have on them that allows him to still have a job amidst all this?

[Wretch]

^^This is exactly what this franchise DOESN'T need...right at the top of my Facebook feed this morning.  Notice how it says "Danny Ferry's" comments.  Those who dig into the facts, like us, are going to find his comments peculiar and questionable.  Most of the general public is going to attribute the comments to Ferry.  Moreover, most of them don't know we have 75 different owners, so they are going to associate Levenson's comments with the entire franchise...especially when our GM is "making racist comments." {/sarcasm}

 

You put this on top of the current perception of the Hawks:

 

No one will take Atlanta's money, despite a good core of players, a very good coaching staff, and an innovative style of play Mike Budenholzer has only just begun installing. Some stars won't even meet with them. I almost wanted to hug Budenholzer when I saw him in Vegas. The most common theory among insiders for Atlanta's lack of appeal is that players see the Hawks as a dull franchise with a dead crowd and a limited postseason history that almost always involves NBA TV.

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/7/15/5903745/nba-free-agency-atlanta-hawks-zach-lowe

 

This is real people.  We need a fresh start.  A TRUE fresh start and a cleaning of house.  That includes Danny Ferry.  I just don't understand the love fest for this dude.  People are putting him up on a pedestal like he was Nique...  Dude is absolutely golden and I'm just blown away.  We hate the ASG, but we love the GM they handpicked...

 

He's the best GM this team has had hands down. And he landed us the best coach we've ever had OVER Fratello and Wilkens. Firing the guy because he called Deng a "hustler" is absolutely retarded.

Keeping him won't be politically correct but firing him will be the dumbest thing the Hawks have done in 10 years and that's covering ALOT

 

This is exactly what I mean.  Seriously?  I like Bud, but I can't even muster the strength to dignify a debate of Bud vs. Lenny/Czar...two of the most respected guys in the game and authors of several 50+ win seasons against LEGENDARY competition...madness.

...and saying that Ferry is the best GM we've ever had?  

 

That is both a terrible stretch and at the same time, not much of a statement at all. His competition is Pete Babcock, Billy Knight, Rick "The ASG Puppet" Sund...  Think about that for a second and then understand this: until he puts together a team that can win a playoff series and/or win 50+ games, then Danny Ferry has not accomplished more than either one of them.  

 

Especially not Babcock who:

• Traded Rumeal Robinson for Mookie Blaylock
• Brought us Smitty and Grant long for Willis (very good trade)
• Landed the biggest free agent acquisition in Atlanta Hawks history in Mutombo
• Brought us a HoF coach in Lenny Wilkins
• Swapped Andrew Lang for Christian Laettner (who balled his ass off for us when he first got here)
• Traded a fading Mookie for the #10 pick in the 1999 draft and drafted Jason Terry

I have always given Babcock his due.  He made a TON of stupid mistakes, but Ferry has a ways to go before he can catch up to all the good that Babcock did.  That's just being fair and honest.  Moreover, you guys gush over Ferry's competitive strategy...but Babcock did exactly this in the 90's with seven straight playoff appearances, several 50 win seasons, against much stiffer competition (Jordan's Bulls, Ewing's Knicks, and Reggie Miller's Pacers).

 

And BTW, This guy is the best GM we've ever had...