AJC: I don’t see how Mike Budenholzer can remain Hawks coach

[HawkItus]

 By Michael Cunningham
I don’t see how Mike Budenholzer can remain Hawks coach
1h ago, April 23, 2018    3
ROB CARR/GETTY IMAGES
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.
Under the circumstances, I don’t see how Mike Budenholzer can remain Hawks head coach. As far as I know, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk hasn’t ruled out the possibility of keeping Budenholzer as coach even after he seeks out other jobs. But if Budenholzer were to remain it would be, in my view, an unworkable situation for the Hawks. 
Budenholzer obviously wants out of Atlanta. His displeasure is related to losing personnel power to Schlenk last year, and Schlenk’s subsequent decision to rebuild via the draft. Remember, there were no head coach openings in the NBA after last season, so Budenholzer had little choice but to stay with the Hawks if he wanted to be a head coach in 2017-18. 

Now there are coaching openings in Charlotte, Orlando, New York and Phoenix and interim coaches in Memphis and Milwaukee. (Bundeholzer already turned down Phoenix.) Stan Van Gundy could be in trouble in Detroit and there are rumors that Terry Stotts could be out in Portland after the Blazers were swept in the first round of the playoffs. 

There’s a robust market for head coaches and Budenholzer, the 2015 NBA coach of the year, might be the top candidate on the market. But is Schlnek really willing to let Budenholzer talk to all interested teams and, if he doesn’t like the offers, stay with the Hawks? Or is Schlenk leaving open the possibility of Budenholzer returning just to maintain his leverage when negotiating compensation with teams that want his coach? 

Schlenk’s main advantage is that Budenholzer is under contract for two more seasons at about $14 million and tampering rules mean he can’t take another NBA job unless the Hawks allow it. That gives Schlenk control of the scenario, but it’s complicated because now it’s out in the open that the coach isn’t on board with the GM’s long-term plans. 

I thought Budenholzer did a good job this season striking the tricky balance between playing to win and bringing along the team’s young players. I have little doubt Budenholzer could do the same with another youthful, talent-deprived Hawks roster in 2018-19. Budenholzer is ready to return and coach the Hawks if he doesn’t get another job, according to a person familiar with his plans, but then what else could Budenholzer say if he wants to be assured of a job?

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If Budenholzer were to return, how could the Hawks function normally with their coach unhappy with his situation and eyeing other jobs? How can Hawks player work for a coach they aren’t sure is committed to the team and may be a lame duck, anyway? 

Budenholzer’s position isn’t great, either, and not just because of his contractual obligations to the Hawks. (Yes, it’s weird to consider a $14 million contract burdensome but that’s what it’s become for Budenholzer if he really is so unhappy that he wants out.) 

Look again at that list of current and potential openings: Phoenix, Charlotte, Orlando, New York, Memphis, Milwaukee, Detroit and Portland. The Bucks, Blazers and (maybe) the Hornets are significantly better for Budenholzer in terms of a playoff-ready roster. The other five teams also are rebuilding. 

The New York Post reported that Budenholzer would take the Knicks job if offered. The Post quoted a source close to Budenholzer as saying: “Phoenix and the Knicks are trying to win every game.” But that quote is contradicted by the sentence immediately preceding it: “Like the Hawks and Suns, the Knicks are also amid a slow rebuild.” The Knicks haven’t made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. Kristaps Porzingis is a potential franchise player but his status for next season is in doubt as he recovers from ACL surgery. 

If Budenholzer wants to coach the Knicks, he’s unlikely to gain personnel power with them or any of the other teams with openings or potential openings. The Pistons seem to have soured on Van Gundy having personnel power. Only two other coaches, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich and Minnesota’s Tom Thibodeaux, call the shots as basketball executives. 

Believe it or not, it wouldn’t be unprecedented if Budenholzer stays with the Hawks after seeking other jobs. The Grizzlies gave Dave Joerger permission to speak to the Timberwolves in May 2014. Joerger eventually agreed to a contract extension in Memphis after a talk with team owner Robert Pera. (Two years later the Grizzlies again granted Joeger permission to seek other jobs and he ended up in Sacramento.) 

In Joerger’s case he was unhappy with his contract, both in terms of pay and security. Budenholzer has different motivations for wanting to move on from the Hawks, and his concerns can’t be placated under the circumstances. 

The most likely outcome is that Budenholzer accepts another job, and I believe that’s the best outcome for the Hawks at this point. I think Schlenk genuinely believes Budenholzer is a good coach for the rebuild because of his track record with player development. But Budenholzer wants out and everyone knows it, so I don’t see how Schlenk can keep him. 

[Plainview1981]

Bud can't handle both GM and coach and if that's the power he wants... Well, he wants too much power. IMO.

[KB21]

Oh, I think Bud can handle both roles just fine if you give him a GM who isn't Wes Wilcox.  

[AHF]

6 minutes ago, KB21 said:

Oh, I think Bud can handle both roles just fine if you give him a GM who isn't Wes Wilcox.  

Basically you are saying that he needs to not be GM.  He needs to just work with the real GM.

[KB21]

5 minutes ago, AHF said:

Basically you are saying that he needs to not be GM.  He needs to just work with the real GM.

I'm saying that the dual role is something that can be done, because Wes Wilcox did in fact have the GM in title.  The difference is, things work in San Antonio because Pops has a guy in RC Buford that he trusts.  I don't think Bud had that in Wes Wilcox, so it extended Bud more than it should have.  Wes never should have been promoted to GM when they gave the Pres of BBOps to Bud.  They should have gone out and gotten someone from the Pops tree to man that job, preferably someone who Bud trusted.  

[AHF]

9 minutes ago, KB21 said:

I'm saying that the dual role is something that can be done, because Wes Wilcox did in fact have the GM in title.  The difference is, things work in San Antonio because Pops has a guy in RC Buford that he trusts.  I don't think Bud had that in Wes Wilcox, so it extended Bud more than it should have.  Wes never should have been promoted to GM when they gave the Pres of BBOps to Bud.  They should have gone out and gotten someone from the Pops tree to man that job, preferably someone who Bud trusted.  

I think Bud pretty clearly demonstrated he should not be the lead voice on personnel decisions.  Getting someone with more experience than Wilcox would have been a much better move.  That way the GM actually runs the show with supervision/limited input from Bud.  I've not seen anything from Bud that makes me think he should have the final word on personnel decisions, though.  Someone always has to have ultimate authority and I'd definitely not let Bud be that guy after what he let fly after Ferry was pushed out.

[Guard]

I can’t think of any recent situations outside of San Antonio where a coach having GM abilities worked out in the end. Didn’t work with SVG or Rivers. Bud didn’t do well with more power either. 

[NBASupes]

This really comes down to the tank more than anything else. 

 

That said, for other teams, it will come down to compensation. Right now, no team has came close to what Atlanta wants for draft compensation. That's why Bud will be the HC on 2018-19 for the Atlanta Hawks 

[AHF]

28 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

This really comes down to the tank more than anything else. 

 

How do you come to that conclusion when he has interviewed with two teams that tanked all or much of last season and both won 20-some games?  I agree there is a disconnect but am a bit skeptical that this is the reason for it.  If Porzingas doesn't play next year, which is a very real possibility, the Knicks will be in tank mode.

[NBASupes]

19 minutes ago, AHF said:

How do you come to that conclusion when he has interviewed with two teams that tanked all or much of last season and both won 20-some games?  I agree there is a disconnect but am a bit skeptical that this is the reason for it.  If Porzingas doesn't play next year, which is a very real possibility, the Knicks will be in tank mode.

That's not what those teams are selling. They are selling their franchise players. KP and Booker. Atlanta currently doesn't have one. Bud would be more happy if we had one. That said. Atlanta isn't building to win. They are building a war chest of high to mid 1st round assets.

Edited April 23, 2018 by NBASupes

[KB21]

44 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

That's not what those teams are selling. They are selling their franchise players. KP and Booker. Atlanta currently doesn't have one. Bud would be more happy if we had one. That said. Atlanta isn't building to win. They are building a war chest of high to mid 1st round assets.

Those teams are selling their willingness to make moves that will help the team win in the short term as well, which the Hawks are not and will not do.  

[AHF]

46 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

That's not what those teams are selling. They are selling their franchise players. KP and Booker. Atlanta currently doesn't have one. Bud would be more happy if we had one. That said. Atlanta isn't building to win. They are building a war chest of high to mid 1st round assets.

Love Booker but he isn't a franchise player.  Not close at this stage of his career.

[Royjr9]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

How do you come to that conclusion when he has interviewed with two teams that tanked all or much of last season and both won 20-some games?  I agree there is a disconnect but am a bit skeptical that this is the reason for it.  If Porzingas doesn't play next year, which is a very real possibility, the Knicks will be in tank mode.

Defiantly agree. Bud has interviewed with two franchises that literally make the hawks look like a Cush gig.  Tank is not the problem. It makes sense that he feels some type of way about losing his power that said he stunk at the job.  

[KB21]

Both the Knicks and the Suns are a lot closer to competing for the playoffs than Schlenk's Hawks.  

[AHF]

38 minutes ago, KB21 said:

Those teams are selling their willingness to make moves that will help the team win in the short term as well, which the Hawks are not and will not do.  

The Knicks have been making short-term moves trying to get back in the playoffs for the better part of the last decade.  Joakim Noah et al. haven't worked out so well.  Not sure how much of a pitch that is.  The Suns did that a few years ago and fell short of the playoffs as things imploded.  I haven't seen anything concrete from them yet.

[KB21]

Just now, AHF said:

The Knicks have been making short-term moves trying to get back in the playoffs for the better part of the last decade.  Joakim Noah et al. haven't worked out so well.  Not sure how much of a pitch that is.

It's certainly a better pitch than "We are going to take on bad contracts for picks" which only confirms that this is a multi year tank job that will take years to overcome.

[AHF]

17 minutes ago, KB21 said:

It's certainly a better pitch than "We are going to take on bad contracts for picks" which only confirms that this is a multi year tank job that will take years to overcome.

You'll be shocked to hear that I don't view NY as being in a great place right now.  Don't see them in a better spot than Atlanta.  Their 3 season run of 32, 31 and then 29 wins last year wouldn't make me feel any better as a fan than Atlanta's 24 wins this season.  My franchise player possibly missing all of next season would probably be the best reason for hope.  Pray you pull a SAS and grab a franchise changing player next year as you suck to add to Porzingis.  

[KB21]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

You'll be shocked to hear that I don't view NY as being in a great place right now.  Don't see them in a better spot than Atlanta.  Their 3 season run of 32, 31 and then 29 wins last year wouldn't make me feel any better as a fan than Atlanta's 24 wins this season.  My franchise player possibly missing all of next season would probably be the best reason for hope.  Pray you pull a SAS and grab a franchise changing player next year as you suck to add to Porzingis.  

That's only because you have convinced yourself to deeply invest into this foolish strategy of tanking.  

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, KB21 said:

That's only because you have convinced yourself to deeply invest into this foolish strategy of tanking.  

I guess I'll need to invest in a strategy that values 32, 31 and 29 wins.  I.e., a lottery team that has put up worse records every year while avoiding top picks in the draft.

[KB21]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

I guess I'll need to invest in a strategy that values 32, 31 and 29 wins.  I.e., a lottery team that has put up worse records every year while avoiding top picks in the draft.

Porzingis was the 4th pick in the draft and is better than 2 of the players drafted ahead of him, so they didn't "avoid" top picks.