Travis Schlenk headed to an Advisory Role

[terrell]

1 hour ago, TheBigETrain said:

Understand that but its still bad. I would of rather gone with a 13 man roster and even if that includes a couple of cheap G league players if the direction was to save tax.

Or dont extend avg players to huge deals before you have to. Kev took a team friendly deal at that..

[JeffS17]

That statement doesn't sound like it's coming from a place of a cushy, no accountability job.  I appreciate @Sothron's take, but it feels overly cynical to me.  My take is..... Ressler has been pushing and pushing on Travis because he wants results, and Travis is at a point where he's not going to keep working like a dog.  It sounds like a demotion to me, and Ressler pushing change to try to get better results out of the team.  Schlenk is under contract so he cannot be easily fired, so this allows him to step down gracefully while Landry takes full control. 

[Diesel]

Reading between, under, and through the lines...

It sounds like:

Ressler demanded that we take a bad trade for JC and Schlenk said I need to take a step back. 

Landry Fields will have the horrible duty of trading JC for Crowder and Saric or some BS like that. 

 

[akay]

For all the vets who have been with the Hawks for a while now, how uneasy does this decision make you feel compared to how Hawks have been run in the past? 

Do we still think Hawks can be competitive and compete for a chip, or is this the first sign of our team getting gutted for nothing?

I'm expecting some dumb JC trade to go through now at Tony's command

[terrell]

So the question now is: will Landry pull a Brad Stevens and immediately make changes? Stevens pulled (at the time) a questionable move to bring back Horford and it has aged well. He essentially undid a few of Ainge's moves.

[AHF]

I think whatever the team does and TS does over the rest of the season will contextualize this.  If the team is stable and TS remains on board to start next year then that would look very different than if TS has left to become GM somewhere else and in the meantime we make moves that appear to be more about saving money than trying to make the team more competitive.  There are plenty of scenarios in between as well.

I'd say the speculation required for people right now is pretty high and it is a bit of a black box scenario that will become much more transparent with time shining its light on this situation.

[bleachkit]

*Shoulder shrug* good luck to Landry Fields. Try to make things happen my man. 

[Diesel]

29 minutes ago, akay said:

For all the vets who have been with the Hawks for a while now, how uneasy does this decision make you feel compared to how Hawks have been run in the past? 

Do we still think Hawks can be competitive and compete for a chip, or is this the first sign of our team getting gutted for nothing?

I'm expecting some dumb JC trade to go through now at Tony's command

This is going to be a "what Fields is about moment".   IF in the next 48 hours Fields trades JC for some BS that means that Fields is a yes man.   If he makes a strong but questionable move, then we have to trust him.   I have to say that whatever Fields does, nobody expect him to go over the LT.   However, the question is will he gut the team to stay under it?

[Jody23]

All GMs have hits and misses.  Schlenk has had his fair share of misses to be sure.  And big extensions to a couple of guys who haven't significantly moved the needle haven't helped.  If Landry was responsible for the AJ Griffin selection, then that definitely would garner some favor from ownership.  Landry will also get a chance to choose a coach for where he feels the team currently is and should be going especially if the Hawks continue to perform this way. But, beware the owner who wants you to make a gourmet meal with only a spam budget.

[warcore]

31 minutes ago, akay said:

For all the vets who have been with the Hawks for a while now, how uneasy does this decision make you feel compared to how Hawks have been run in the past? 

Pretty uneasy. Travis is the first Hawk GM I've liked, since the Spud/Nique/Willis/Malone era... time will tell but I'm worried he's getting out of the public light for some money saving JC trade to go down; then off to somewhere else and we bring in some idiot that can't draft, like we became accustomed to for 3 decades until he came along. 

[Diesel]

6 minutes ago, AHF said:

I think whatever the team does and TS does over the rest of the season will contextualize this.  If the team is stable and TS remains on board to start next year then that would look very different than if TS has left to become GM somewhere else and in the meantime we make moves that appear to be more about saving money than trying to make the team more competitive.  There are plenty of scenarios in between as well.

I'd say the speculation required for people right now is pretty high and it is a bit of a black box scenario that will become much more transparent with time shining its light on this situation.

Did you read that TS said?  That was a farewell speech if I have ever heard one.   He's fired, we just will keep him in Name only to make the check sound like it was used for good and to pin the last little bit of BS on him. 

 

[AHF]

7 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Did you read that TS said?  That was a farewell speech if I have ever heard one.   He's fired, we just will keep him in Name only to make the check sound like it was used for good and to pin the last little bit of BS on him. 

 

It was definitely a farewell to his current role with the team.  (I already posted I think the team's statement reads more along the lines of him being demoted and what was said being the public facing version ala "John Q left to explore other opportunities.) 

But TS is still with us for now and he could have been exited no so I won't rule out the idea of it being a step back that TS wanted for personal reasons where we will see him stay with the team for a while ala Sund.  If TS wants to be a GM or President who makes the decisions that will become clear with time.  

Also will become clear over time whether this was driven because TS was in conflict with TR because TS wanted to win and Ressler wanted to save money.  There are other alternatives where TR wanted to make a change due to things  he views as bad moves by TS or where both sides are good with TS taking a step backwards.

[terrell]

9 minutes ago, AHF said:

I think whatever the team does and TS does over the rest of the season will contextualize this.  If the team is stable and TS remains on board to start next year then that would look very different than if TS has left to become GM somewhere else and in the meantime we make moves that appear to be more about saving money than trying to make the team more competitive.  There are plenty of scenarios in between as well.

I'd say the speculation required for people right now is pretty high and it is a bit of a black box scenario that will become much more transparent with time shining its light on this situation.

TS will never get another GM job after the Luka trade.. NBA world still mocks him for that. Whether its warranted or not...It is what it is.. Huerter trade actually made him look even worse....KIngs fans re still thanking him.. lol.....200 + mill between Dre and JC(who they cant even trade it seems) was the nail in the coffin for me... 

[JeffS17]

I wonder if Ressler has been pressuring Schlenk to do something about Nate, and Schlenk has refused given their relationship or the circumstances of bringing him in.  I'll be interested to see if Landry makes a head coaching change before year end

[terrell]

15 minutes ago, Jody23 said:

All GMs have hits and misses.  Schlenk has had his fair share of misses to be sure.  And big extensions to a couple of guys who haven't significantly moved the needle haven't helped.  If Landry was responsible for the AJ Griffin selection, then that definitely would garner some favor from ownership.  Landry will also get a chance to choose a coach for where he feels the team currently is and should be going especially if the Hawks continue to perform this way.

But what about the JJ and Sharife selections? Would that Garner some favor? LF was here last season too..Or was he just assistant GM? Cant recall... JJ still looks like he should be at Duke most of the time...And who knows where Rife is these days...Theyre stilll young though I know I know.. lol

Edited December 21, 2022 by terrell

[AHF]

10 minutes ago, terrell said:

TS will never get another GM job after the Luka trade.. NBA world still mocks him for that. 

I don't buy that at all.  Luka and TS are the best two players in that draft by a wide margin so if the premise is that Luka was the best guy and we ended up with the second best guy instead I don't think that makes TS a laughing stock like Memphis for taking JJJ over Trae or Phoenix for taking Ayton over Trae and Luka (everyone agrees that Sacramento taking Bagley over Luka and Trae is a joke).

If people don't want TS it will be because of his Hunter/Reddish picks.

[Diesel]

3 minutes ago, Jody23 said:

Landry will also get a chance to choose a coach for where he feels the team currently is and should be going especially if the Hawks continue to perform this way.

I was thinking about the coaches that Fields played for:

1. D'Antoni
2. Woodson
3. Casey
4. He also worked for Popp. 

 

Who do you think had the most influence on him as a coach?  Maybe Casey.. but Casey is in Detroit.   I think Woody is no Goody's picture is up at Jackson Airport.   He can't come back.  If he could get the old man to come!!!

 

 

 

[kg01]

13 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I wonder if Ressler has been pressuring Schlenk to do something about Nate, and Schlenk has refused given their relationship or the circumstances of bringing him in.  I'll be interested to see if Landry makes a head coaching change before year end

"Shiiii, you eggspect me to pay two coaches in one season?  Heyul nawl!" - Ressler 

[macdaddy]

speculation but just seems like since Tony became owner there has been a lot of evidence that he is very active basketball decisions and not in a good way. 

[bleachkit]

Maybe TS genuinely didn't want the stress of being a full time GM.