Does this series save Mike Woodson's job????

[tontoz]

remember in game 3 i think it was that Woody was interviewed about Acie at halftime. He said Acie was a good matchup for Rondo. That brings up 2 questions.

1) Why didn't you figure that out before the series?

2) Why didn't Acie get more time the rest of the series? it isn't like Bibby was doing anything.

[JoshB914]

Woody on ESPNN now.

[StutterStep]

First question to ask of him: what is his system?

If his answer makes no sense, fire him.

If it does, draft and trade for players that play his style.

Right now, you guys should be up-tempo while playing great defense.

If he wants a slow down game, trade Josh for a high draft pick and a Center.... don't pay him that money while you have Horford.

[evildallas]

I wouldn't be making long term personnel decisions based on whom fits Woodson's system. I'd rather just hire the coach that in interviews expresses the best plan to get this team into title contention.

[dms269]

First question to ask of him: what is his system?

If his answer makes no sense, fire him.

If it does, draft and trade for players that play his style.

Right now, you guys should be up-tempo while playing great defense.

If he wants a slow down game, trade Josh for a high draft pick and a Center.... don't pay him that money while you have Horford.

Right now with the type of team we have, I don't think it would work for us to blow up the team to match his style. I think it would be more benefical to get a coach who will let the guys run but can coach them on how to run a half-court offense when it is needed.

[_BBIB_]

Without any no-brainer sure fire coach that will lead this team, I think I'd rather go with continuity.

We've had a young coach growing with a young team. That's double growing pains but we've weathered it to make the playoffs and make the most competitive series in the 1st round vs the best team in the league.

If we don't add on to this next season, then by all means fire the guy.


But makes no sense to gut the roster or the coaching staff when we've improved every year and finally do something past the regular season in a decade.

[StutterStep]

^To both... then get rid of him and make a HARD PLAY for D'Antoni.

Josh Smith as Amare
Childress as Marion
Law as Steve Nash... what I mean is that the roles are defined.
Horford could play Center in an up & down system...

You even as Salim Stoudamire as Eddie House, the undersized SG.

The only thing you'd have to do is get D'Antoni to commit to the lead assistant being a defensive guy...

[_BBIB_]

^To both... then get rid of him and make a HARD PLAY for D'Antoni.

Josh Smith as Amare
Childress as Marion
Law as Steve Nash... what I mean is that the roles are defined.
Horford could play Center in an up & down system...

You even as Salim Stoudamire as Eddie House, the undersized SG.

The only thing you'd have to do is get D'Antoni to commit to the lead assistant being a defensive guy...

We don't have Steve Nash.

Josh Smith is not offensively advanced like Amare

That Ole defensive philosophy is not what this young undiciplined defensive team needs.

Hawks need a guy to drill defense and rebounding in their heads.

[HoopsGuru25]

Law as Steve Nash?

Like I said earlier....D'Antoni has yet to prove that Nash isn't the reason his "system" has looked so good. The Suns record w/o Nash since he signed 4 years ago is 4-13 despite have TWO allstars and very good role players. The Suns have also historically been horrible with Nash on the bench.

I would feel more comfortable with D'Antoni than Woodson but I would not be happy if we hired him unless he's bringing Nash with him.

[StutterStep]

-= original quote snipped =-



We don't have Steve Nash.

Josh Smith is not offensively advanced like Amare

That Ole defensive philosophy is not what this young undiciplined defensive team needs.

Hawks need a guy to drill defense and rebounding in their heads.

Yes, but the goal is incremental growth -- Acie Law provides that, as a PG in that sort of offense.

Smith would not need to equal Amare's output because he has Johnson and Childress on the wing.

I think your defense did not get the credit it deserved, and that's probably a function of style. Maybe the players hate the grind it style and would play harder in an uptempo style that requires only key stops at certain points of the game.

[StutterStep]

Law as Steve Nash?

Like I said earlier....D'Antoni has yet to prove that Nash isn't the reason his "system" has looked so good. The Suns record w/o Nash since he signed 4 years ago is 4-13 despite have TWO allstars and very good role players. The Suns have also historically been horrible with Nash on the bench.

I would feel more comfortable with D'Antoni than Woodson but I would not be happy if we hired him unless he's bringing Nash with him.

I like Nash but before D'Antoni he had been traded from PHX to Dallas, and was getting his crunch time minutes eaten by NVExel because he doesn't excel in the ISO sets Dallas ran nor can he defend anyone.

With D'Antoni 2 MVP awards... So why wouldn't you risk getting an offensive mind like that to coach your young players, esp. Smith, Law and Childress?

I am not a big fan of D'Antoni's system because of its lack of defensive principles. But, as a Knicks fan, I have pushed aside all candidates for the very same reasons I am espousing here. I am not B.S.ing you.

My team just like yours need a coach with an offensive system that helps players get comfortable. Can you believe Raja Bell and Boris Diaw put up numbers at a decent % clip?

[HoopsGuru25]

Nash was always a great shooter and passer before he signed with the Suns and he was considered a top 5 point guard when he was on Dallas. This is no a Larry Brown/Chauncey Billups situation where the coach completely changed the players game.

Raja Bell again was a good shooter and good defender before he signed with the Suns. I think Bryan Colangelo saw a player who would fit in well with their system when he got more playing time and played with a better point guard. Diaw would have probably played well in Atlanta if Stotts wasn't fired. Diaw always had talent he was just not a confident/self motivated player. Woodson had no idea how to use him...I do think D'Antonio got the best out of him but I think alot of other coaches would too.

It's not like he taught these guys something they couldn't do already. I would not expect Josh Smith to start hitting jumpshots because he got a new coach and I would not expect Acie Law to turn into this pass first point guard with great court vision. I THINK D'Antoni could do well with the Hawks...however I don't think it's likely since the facts point to Nash being the key reason as to why they are so good. I'd rather have George Karl who has had good teams in Seattle/Denver/ Milwaukee and runs a very successful up tempo offense w/o a great pg.

[StutterStep]

It's not like he taught these guys something they couldn't do already. I would not expect Josh Smith to start hitting jumpshots because he got a new coach and I would not expect Acie Law to turn into this pass first point guard with great court vision. I THINK D'Antoni could do well with the Hawks...however I don't think it's likely since the facts point to Nash being the key reason as to why they are so good. I'd rather have George Karl who has had good teams in Seattle/Denver/ Milwaukee and runs a very successful up tempo offense w/o a great pg.

Josh Smith should not be shooting jumpers past the foul line; that is a given. And neither does Amare, esp. before the knee injury.

My point is not that you will become a 50+ win team, more like 45 wins.

The Suns are not only good because of Nash. They are horrible without him because House, Barobsa, Banks, etc... have been the back-up PGs.

George Karl? Really, wow...

[HoopsGuru25]

Karl actually has a proven record of success. Look at Seattle with him and Seattle after him..same with Milwaukee. There is direct evidence that he makes his teams better...for example Denver was a mediocre team(below 500 like the Hawks) the year he took over and I believe they won over 30 of their last 40 games with him as coach. The Nuggets also won 50 games this year in a historically good conference while running an uptempo offense with Anthony Carter at point guard. The Nuggets have a very similiar roster to the Hawks..especially in terms of athleticism.

With D'Antoni the only trend seems to be that they sucked before Nash,suck when he goes to the bench,and suck when he misses a game. Like I said...I think he COULD do well in Atlanta because we have the athletes to run an uptempo offense. I'm just not so sure it's atually going to work because D'Antoni has not proven that his style works w/o a HOF point guard. I would not be surprised if D'Antoni goes to another team...and fails miserably when he doesn't have the pieces(mainly a pg with great court vision) to run his offense ala Ivaroni.

[StutterStep]

Karl has proven, since becoming the 1st US coach with a "Dream Team" to not medal in international competition that his better coaching days are behind him. The Karl you are getting will not be the one from GSW, Seattle, etc...

1) That Seattle team was loaded with talent: Payton, Kemp, Detleff, McKie, McMillan, etc.... He did a great job as a coach but come on, that team was a MONSTER, yet he still got beat by an 8th seed one year.

2) Milwaukee was when the knocks on him began as to how he did not emphasize enough. Again another talent-laden team that underachieved: Cassell, Allen, Robinson and Tim Thomas... They didn't get bad because of losing Karl. They got awful because they traded everyone and decided to do a do-over.

3) He got Denver after they'd cleared salary, got Camby back from the injured list, Andre Miller and Carmelo who should have been ROY. Still, while it is not his fault entirely, his roster has enough talent to teach them something besides stand on the perimeter for Isolations or jacking up 3pointers.

I am sorry but your roster is not similar to the Nuggets. Their strength is at isolation ball with AI & Melo (and throw in Kleiza and JR for good measure). You have one player that can score in isolation (Joe Johnson).

I am glad that you, unlike many, do not think all up-tempo offenses are created the same.

4) D'Antoni -- the misunderstanding that many have with PHX is that they sucked before him. No they did not. They had a year where Amare goes down early in the season and they traded their PG (Marbury). Before that year, Amare's rookie year, they won 43 (I think?) and took the eventual champions to 6 games in the opening round.

I know Nash is valuable to his system, but that's like saying if you take TJ Ford out of the Raptors rotation and have a sub-par PG running the offense they would not suffer. If PHX had a decent backup PG, then I would understand that argument, but they don't.

If you don't think Acie Law can become a decent PG/Player, then you are right that D'Antoni's system will not work. Again, I am glad you are not arguing that Bibby would be a fit for such a system.

At this point, I am curious as to who you guys select as a coach if you fire Woodson. Because that's the biggest thing on our board also -- our next coach!

[_BBIB_]

The Hawks could become a 45 win team NEXT SEASON with just continuity.

They can learn from their experience this season and grow from it. With a better showing on the road they should be certain to get over .500.

With more of a defensive philosophy the Hawks stand a better chance of having post-season success down the road.

[StutterStep]

^NO, not with Woodson. You guys have no offensive system and need to develop a PG and choose who to keep for PF and SF.... Horford can play spot minutes at Center but he's a PF.

Solomon Jones needs to be groomed.