Hawks News (4-29-04)

[HawkTodd]

Hawks News (4-29-04)

Bargain Basement Deal for Sports Franchises? (4-29-04).

http://www.wsbtv.com/sports/3249355/detail.html

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Rivers done relaxing: Restless coach eager to get back on bench (4-29-04).

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/vi...g?articleid=565

He recently went to Atlanta to watch Callie play in a volleyball tournament. Rivers' appearance triggered speculation that he was talking with his old team, the Hawks, but it also exposed his restlessness.

Despite knowing little about volleyball, Rivers spent a good portion of the time offering tips from behind the team bench to the coaching staff.

This, according to Stan Kasten - the Hawks and Braves president who drafted Rivers out of Marquette in 1983 - cuts to the core of the former Boston Shootout MVP as a player and a coach.

Some people are simply born to the job.

``He was a point guard on our team for a decade, so that should tell you a lot about how he does things,'' Kasten said of Rivers last night. ``He's vocal enough to be a leader in the locker room, and NBA seasons are so long, you need someone with his kind of presence.

``Doc could communicate with the players and the coaches, and was very good at going between the two,'' Kasten added. ``Doc wasn't afraid to go to the GM to voice his opinion, either.

``We talked after he left Orlando about whether he wanted to be a coach or a general manager, and he came back to me and said, `I'm a coach, that's it,' '' said Kasten. ``But he really took the time to reflect on it. So this is what he wants to do.

``And if it happens in Boston, I'm happy for him.''

Those were probably difficult words for Kasten to speak. The former Hawks general manager was at Boston Garden on May 22, 1988, for what he remembers as ``one of the greatest games in the history of the league.''

The Celtics' 118-116 win over the Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals is best known for its furious scoring duel between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins.

Many, however, remember the young Hawks point guard who broke into tears on the court when the game ended. That player, according to Kasten, ``is part of my family.''

``He's a guy who's at ease with the most economically disadvantaged people you can think of, and can settle in the same way with people in a corporate board room,'' Kasten said of Rivers. ``He relates to everyone. He's as fine a person as you'll meet.''

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NBA Power Rankings (4-29-04).

http://insidehoops.com/power-rankings.shtml

26) Atlanta Hawks (28-54) - It's easy to forget they're in the league. At least they finished the season strong, giving all 125 Hawks fans something to cheer about.

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THE DAILY (4-29-04).

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_8108.shtml

Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks will not be welcoming Doc Rivers back to the franchise any time soon as he will reportedly make his return to coaching with the Boston Celtics. He is currently in negotiations with the Celtics and could be introduced as their new head coach later today.

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Musselman has no career worries (4-29-04).

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctime...rts/8547700.htm

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Hawks.com Postseason Awards: "Most Valuable Hawk".

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/postseasonawards_2004.html

[Vol4ever]

I figured Doc was number one of the coaching list for the Hawks. I know most on this board thought it was a done deal he was coming back to Atlanta. It would be interesting to know why he did'nt come back. Maybe he wasn't interested in the rebuilding process that it will take in this town, maybe the lack of fan support even when the Hawks were players in the Eastern Conference, who knows.

[MoonKnight]

On the 2livestus show on 790thezone yesterday, there was a discussion regarding Doc and the hawks job. There was a statement that so long as Nique held a management position that Doc would not agree to coach due to some longstanding rift between the two. Maybe this explains why he is not here. Regardless I am so far not impressed with new ownership so far. The public perception is ownership is still sitting on their hands much like the last ownership. Knight must by now know if he intends to support Stotts and new ownership has had enough time to know whether they intend to retain him. SO END THE MYSTERY! Yea or Nea, at least make a public statement regarding Stotts position. End the perception that the Hawks ownership is a passive bunch and do something to change that perception. I know it is early in their tenure but do something to show the fan base that you are proactive.

[Weez]

that hasn't even begun yet, and doesn't for two full months from tomorrow. two full months. consider that.

you're being incredibly shortsighted...and after the recent years of Hawks abuse, it's hard to believe. that we hawks fans would want to rush into anything that might ruin the flexibility and options that we've managed to obtain going into this offseason under new, private ownership.

You say you want a decision on Stotts...and yet they have absolutely no idea what sort of team we're about to put on the court next year. You've got to keep in mind who the Hawks actually have under contract, the fact that we don't know what our first round status is as of yet. People act like it's a foregone conclusion that we have/can easily resign guys like Pryzbilla, Rebracca, Sura, Jackson....trust me, other gm's will notice and we'll have to act quickly in the offseason ~ something that will be difficult given the current state of affairs.

What if you found out you could have Kobe but only if you have Scott as your coach...if we'd already said yes to Stotts, we'd be screwed then wouldn't we? are you seeing the problem here?

you''re also failing to see all the good tings that the new ownership has done...like immediately firing the pres. of promotions and of ticket sales as they obviously weren't getting the job done.

[RLHawk]

It is interesting what you are asking for. You want new ownership (through Knight) to come out and have a press conference to announce...

"At this time and for the foreseeable future we are not firing Terry Stotts as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks!"

Well doesn't that sound like a press conference that Terry wants to attend. I have heard these comments by many GMs and almost every time it was followed shortly by the firing of the head coach. This type of press conference is generally the kiss of death for a coach. It tells him, everyone wants you fired but we will give you one last chance. No coach wants to here that. They do not want to think that they have a chance to be fired. All they want to here is "Doing a great job Terry...cant wait till next year when you actually have some players to really show the world what your system can do..." type comments behind closed doors.

I hope we here nothing....

[Plainview1981]

There was a statement that so long as Nique held a management position that Doc would not agree to coach due to some longstanding rift between the two. Maybe this explains why he is not here."

I already brought this up, but Nique was pissed that Doc

cut him in Orlando(Perhaps it does go back further) and

Nique said something like "Doc just doesn't remember what

he had" and to say Doc wouldn't want to go to a rebuilding

team have you looked at the Celtics? They aren't doing that

good with the fans it appears. On another site someone listed

the playoff rating from the Boston series and it wasn;t pretty. Something like 0.25 was the rating from Boston. The

people up there surely wasn't watching the Celtics.

[Vol4ever]

Sounds like that is the reason Doc is not the Hawks choice or the Hawks are not Doc's choice.

I would like to see Kenny Smith or Mike Fratello given a shot at the position.

[CHORO44]

I've been saying this for awhile but I think we need Kenny Smith in here.

[Weez]

I don't know what TNT pays Kenny...but if I were him, it'd be hard to imagine giving up such a cush and pressure free job, one that provides quasi-celebrity status and a very limited work schedule for the daily grind and criticism of NBA coaching....unless he just really wants to coach.

[KB21]

In my opinion, it would be a slap in the face of all the coaches that have paid their dues as assistants to be bypassed for a guy who is only wanted for his name recognition.

Guys like Dwayne Casey and Larry Drew have spent years as assistants and are ready for head coaching jobs. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hire Kenny Smith with no coaching experience over either one of those coaches for anything other than name recognition.

[CHORO44]

I guess I just have a different view of the world. In the NFL I can understand the need to have experienced coaches as there are so many variables that come into play from formations to personnel to clock management.

I see basketball as a much simpler sport where I feel coaching is overated. There are only so many types of offensive and defensive plays and coaching just needs to recognize and make adjustments. I don't see why an intelligent basketball player can't be a good coach as they've played with all of those situations.

To me Kenny has a knowledge of the game and what it takes as a guard to get the job done. He's played point guard and knows how to setup the offense plus he's won a championship. I feel he has excellent game experience and his current job allows him to know the ins and outs of every team in the NBA. Sure he would need some time to get used to coaching from the sidelines but I think the NBA should simplify the coaching structure. In my opinion you just need assistants that reinforce fundamentals and a head coach that creates strategy that utilizes those fundamentals.

I get so pissed off at the NBA in that a game so simple isn't understood by the majority of its players. The Celtic and Lakers of old were so good because they had smart players not these developing talents. Shoot even when developing talent is developed, Vince Carter, it still isn't as dominating or refined as the players of old.

Sorry for the rant.

[MoonKnight]

In a perfect world with a team with a large active fanbase your assertions are correct. This is not a perfect world with a team with an active large fanbase. The fanbase is shrinking. I live just outside the atl and the Hawks get no publicity whatsoever. The perception of this team is of a franchise in disarray. The new ownership group with some atlanta residents should know as much. Arthur Blank did not take long at all to form the public perception that he was clearly in charge and that positive changes were being made. This new ownership group had months before the closing date on the sale to formulate how they would form the public perception of their group and how the franchise would be run. While firing the head of public promotions might be a good move it does nothing to change the general public perception of this franchise.

You also mentioned how several contingencies could affect what moves we make. That is always the case to some extent in sports but you have to eventually plan a course of action and stick to it. Frankly, I think that while they are allowing Stotts to twist in the wind until they either commit to him or go in another direction will damage their ability to sign free agents and formulate a draft strategy. While the Falcons have yet to play a game with their new general manager and coach it is very clear they have a vision and have made moves to make that vision a reality. This ownership group would be wise to do the same in the very near future.

[MoonKnight]

I have been out of commission lately but I was not surprised Stotts was fired but I am still perplexed by the timing (why wasn't this done earlier?). I still believe that PR will play a major part in the next choice of coach. New Ownership has to change the public perception of this team and a big name hire as coach may be part of the formula to change that perception. That is why I would be surprised if Wittman or Hollins was hired.

[Iman]

You called it, and they heard..lol. Hopefully they werent considering Doc so waiting did not matter. I still think it'll be Fratello although I wouldnt mind Del Harris. Maybe Kenny Smith? I think new ownership understands the make some publicity thing. It would be fun to watch Kenny on TV thru the rest of the season if we signed him soon wouldnt it!

[Weez]

One thing no one really considered is the possibility that the"timing" of Stotts' firing did in fact have somethign to do with the hiring of Doc in Boston.

Be it for the Nique personal reasons, fear of Doc's wanting too much input on a team that's about to be built from the ground up (unlike Boston), questions about his ability to coach an established team, etc...what if they simply waited/ liked it when Doc was hired to fire Stotts in order to avoid the media bliztkreig of pressure and questions about "hire Doc," when in fact he wasn't the man they wanted for the job.

Had we had the position available and Doc been hired in Boston, the negative press concerning aptitude and willingness to "get things done" on the superficial level would have been redunkulous. A very bad thing, moreso than the current situation, which is less than "perfect," for a new ownership group trying to change the public and national perception of the franchise.

[Wretch]

I never even thought about it that way. Not only that, but perhaps Doc didn't want to coach the Hawks either...? I think it's safe to say that if the organization wanted Rivers here, Stotts would have been let go right at the end of the season. Perhaps even much sooner.