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Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:01 pm
by cmaff051
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... -1.1129787LONDON – Kenny Atkinson, the Knicks highly regarded assistant coach whom Jeremy Lin credited for his meteoric rise last season, is close to a deal to join the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff, the Daily News has learned.
According to a source close to Atkinson, he is leaving the Knicks for a position on Larry Drew’s bench. Atkinson was the Knicks player development coach and sat behind the bench at games.
The Long Island native was the only coach from the Mike D’Antoni regime who wasn’t removed last March after D’Antoni abruptly resigned. Instead of promoting Atkinson, Mike Woodson elected to hire Jim Todd and Darrell Walker to fill the vacancies left by Phil Weber and Dan D’Antoni.
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... z22m5IX7rh
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:04 pm
by SonOfMars
Someone take Herb Williams please
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:04 pm
by MaseInYourFace
Kenny is a good assistant, good player dev guy. I wish him well.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:05 pm
by Thugger HBC
Erasing all traces of D'antoni.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:08 pm
by Bob Ross
That sucks I like Atkinson but I guess now that our team vet heavy there is not the need for a player developmental coach the way there had been in past years. Good for him, though.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:22 pm
by TinyLinny
It's a shame. The Knicks have lost a few good coaches over the years. Thibodeau and now Atkinson.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:24 pm
by SaveUsKP6
That's a rough loss. Doesn't matter if we are a vet team. It's always good to have one of the best developmental guys on your staff. In three years when the most we've done is make it to the second round and we're ready to blow it up, we're going to wish we had a guy like this who could develop talent.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:38 pm
by Thugger HBC
He wasn't even on the bench, he used to sit behind the coaches.
But most likely he's received an advancement on Drew's staff, as with us we really don't have any players to develop.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 2:42 pm
by Jay10
i see larry drew and mike woodson are still going at it.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 3:20 pm
by NoLayupRule
Seems like Atkinson was a really solid S&C coach but this is a great opportunity for him
I'm sorry to lose him but S&C coaches are not exactly irreplaceable
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 3:30 pm
by Fury
ahhhhhhhh
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 3:55 pm
by Rasho Brezec
Should've signed with CAA.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 4:04 pm
by kosmovitelli
I guess Woodson doesn't care about skill work and shooting ! LOL
Atkinson, 43, joined the Knicks staff on Aug. 6, 2008 and brought a strong background in the international game, player development and scouting to New York. The Long Island native is in his fourth overall NBA season. In 2007-08, he served as Director of Player Development for the Houston Rockets.
Atkinson’s NBA career follows an overseas odyssey in which he became a student of the international game. Kenny joined the Rockets in 2007 following three years as Director of Player Development/assistant coach for the Paris Basket Racing Club in France (2004-06). He has served as a Reebok EuroCamp Coach in Treviso, Italy during the summers of 2005 through 2010. He spent the summer of 2006 as Director of Player Development/assistant coach for the national team of the Republic of Georgia. In summer 2009, he participated in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders trip to Mexico City.
Prior to starting his coaching career in 2004, Atkinson played professionally in Italy, France, Germany and Spain from 1991 to 2004. He had tryouts with several NBA teams, including the Knicks in summer 1991.
“I would say my formation as a coach is more from an international standpoint,” says Kenny. “That’s where I learned to coach, and there’s a big emphasis on skill work and shooting; an up-tempo and open style that’s predicated on good skills.”
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 4:13 pm
by Ginger Bean
MDA and Lin down the memory hole
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 4:15 pm
by MaseInYourFace
So when did D'antoni coach the Knicks again?
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 4:23 pm
by HMFFL
Kenny Atkinson will be a welcoming addition to the Atlanta Hawks.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 4:29 pm
by AllanHoustonFan
Damn shame. I always liked Kenny Atkinson. I wish him the best.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 5:23 pm
by CU_NY09
Sad to see him go, he'll be missed. He'll continue to thrive in ATL.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 8:00 pm
by daba
will be curious to see how he does when/if he ever rises to the ranks and becomes a head coach. seems like he's cut from the same cloth as thibodeau, jeff van gundy and d'antoni.
Re: Kenny Atkinson to join Hawks coaching staff?
Posted: Mon Aug 6, 2012 8:03 pm
by GONYK
daba wrote:will be curious to see how he does when/if he ever rises to the ranks and becomes a head coach. seems like he's cut from the same cloth as thibodeau, jeff van gundy and d'antoni.
No, it doesn't seem that way.
Atkinson's specialty is player development.
None of those other coaches you mentioned are known for that.
And D'Antoni was not made from the same cloth as JVG and Thibs.