Hawks News (5-7-04)

[HawkTodd]

Hawks News (5-7-04)

Stotts Dismissed From Head Coaching Position (5-7-04).

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/stotts_040507.html

Billy Knight Media Availability, 5/7/04.

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/knight_avail...ity_040507.html

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Hawks may look to Harris (5-7-04).

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...04/08hawks.html

No one's talking with Stotts on job (5-7-04).

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...ker.html?urcm=y

The big board: Picking the next Hawks coach.

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha.../coachodds.html

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Mr. Cellophane: The Terry Stotts era has come and gone. Did you miss it? (5-7-04).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writ...t/05/07/stotts/

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THE LINKS (5-7-04).

http://www.slamonline.com/links/05032004/

Finally, the coaching musical chairs game is back in full swing. Last night the Hawks canned Terry Stotts.

Before media guys get all worked up about coaches getting fired again, consider:

Terry Stotts' overall NBA coaching record is 52-85. What, they're supposed to get extensions? Floyd's lucky he got hired in N'awlins at all. I think this might signal the end of the Tim Floyd era in the NBA, about one year too late.

And Stotts, well, he was dealt a deck full of jokers to begin with, but there were still situations last year where he showed me that he wasn't ready for this stuff. The one that really stands out in my mind is the game against Detroit on December 27, when the Pistons ran the same play four straight times -- pick and roll with Rip Hamilton coming off a free-throw line screen -- late in the fourth quarter and Stotts never made an adjustment to it, which allowed the Pistons to pull away and win, 87-84. I was actually in the stands that night, sitting right behind the bench, and after it happened once I was screaming, "Put someone tall on Hamilton!! Switch the pick-and-roll! Do something!" Never happened. Hawks lose.

In the ATL, the Journal-Constitution says candidates include Grizzlies assistant Lionel Hollins, former Hawks coach Mike Fratello and former Nets assistant Byron Scott. I heard that the new owners actually met with Doc Rivers on the down-low about two months ago, but Danny Ainge swooped in and ended any chance of that happening. I then thought Fratello might be the leading candidate, because I know he's cool with two of the new owners, but after talking to a few people in Atlanta this morning, I'm hearing the Czar isn't a leading candidate in Atlanta (but may be coaching somewhere else next season).

One name that I'm surprised that hasn't surfaced anywhere is Dr. Jack Ramsay. Sure, he's ancient, but so was Hubie Brown. If the current hot trend is to hire old guys, why doesn't someone snap up Dr. Jack?

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Ten things we learned this week in the NBA (5-7-04).

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/7312466

1. Item: The Atlanta Hawks fired coach Terry Stotts on Friday morning, and we now have closure on the Eastern Conference. Every team has changed coaches at least once since December 2002. But it was different coaching the Hawks because of ownership difficulties, and sadly, it's probably the only reason Stotts stuck around long enough to become the senior man in the East.

What it really means: The Hawks organization has been a mess for years, despite the new Philips Arena, and they couldn't even complete a sale. It left general manager Billy Knight hamstrung from doing anything but dumping contracts in an effort to start over, and there was no point changing coaches until they knew what players they would have. Now that new ownership has been approved, Stotts is out, and the Hawks have some direction -- and at least he got an additional year of salary as a result of his efforts in a losing situation.

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Stotts Firing Leaves Many Questions (5-7-04).

http://hawks.realgm.com/showarticle.php?artid=440

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THE DAILY (5-7-04).

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_8196.shtml

Atlanta Hawks: According to various reports, Atlanta Hawks coach Terry Stotts will be dismissed today. General Manager Billy Knight will now search for a replacement and early indications are that he will pursue Byron Scott or Mike Fratello, now that Doc Rivers has landed in Boston with the Celtics.

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Jason Terry Set to Judge Dunk Contest.

http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/dunk_contest_040507.html

[Plainview1981]

Jack Ramsey? Now that's funny! You'd think The Hawks would

already have a replacement. We'll see if that's the case over

the next week or so.

[KB21]

He wouldn't be my top choice, but he has 13 years of head coaching experience, has taken 3 different teams to the playoffs, and has had only 2 losing seasons in his 13 year head coaching career.

Del also has been a coach that isn't hesitant to play young players. He's got a good track record in developing young guys. In LA, he played Kobe Bryant as an 18 year old rookie, and he developed Nick Van Excel, Eddie Jones, and Cedric Ceballos during that time.

He's be a good choice because this Hawks team is going to be very young, and he can come in and teach these young players how to win.

[Admin]

Somehow I have a feeling that we are going to end up with Don Nelson and that Del may come with him. I have a feeling that Cuban is going to shake things up this offseason in big D and I believe that I read that the new ownership group here has a history with Nelson, is that correct? He would be a great coach for us because he certainly isnt afraid to let the young guys play big time minutes. His only downfall in Dallas is that they have never gotten him a serviceable big man.

[Lascar78]

Quote:

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Now that new ownership has been approved, Stotts is out, and the Hawks have some direction

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This is my thought entirely

I don't know why it's important that they already have someone in mind. They obviously didn't think Doc was the right guy here, and neither is Stotts. So they fired him. Now they're looking for a replacement. Teams do it all the time. Stotts had to go with new management coming in. It's just that simple

[KB21]

I don't think it will be Don. He would probably want control over personnel decisions if he were hired. The only connection I could think of would be with Steve Belkin, and that could come from Don's coaching/playing days in Boston.

I just can't help but think that there will be a strong push for Mike Fratello from the Atlanta side of the ownership group as well as from Dominique Wilkins.

[Wretch]

I hope the owners are taking a serious look at Fratello. I know they want a wide open, up and down the floor, style of basketball...but unless you put a team out there that can play serious defense, we're going nowhere. Just like the Mavs. I know the first thing Fratello would do coming into Atlanta - and that's teach these guys (or what's left of them) how to play defense. I don't want it to be our trademark, but I don't want to see us become the Mavs of the EC either.