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I'm starting to notice some signs of Ferry stepping over some boundaries in the GM-Head Coach relationship.

I can't find the links, but I recall Larry Drew saying earlier in the off-season he expected his entire coaching staff back this year. Yet this week we saw the Hawks hire Kenny Atkinson as an 'Assistant Coach'. Now comes news via MC's Twitter that Tyrone Hill and K Gattison will not return and the team is seeking an additional Assistant Coach.

Earlier, after acquiring Korver and drafting Jenkins, we overheard Ferry dictating the style of play we will see. He's indicated that Teague will be the focus, we'll run and gun more, and play through Josh Smith more. He's also stated we'll play more Pick and Roll with Harris and Horford.

Now, I'm not disputing that these are all good ideas. But I do find it odd that the GM is making these types of game decisions/announcements as opposed to the coach.
Generally the style of play and specific strategies are a combination of the Coach's AND the GM's philosophies. Though I'd imagine it's up the Head Coach to decide who the focus is, what plays will be run, who the assitant coaches are, etc...

So, is Larry Drew a Lame Duck coach already? Is Ferry being a little TOO hands for you guys?
Has L Drew not earned the right to some autonomy considering he's had more success in the last 15 years than any other Hawks coach? What do you guys think?

You can't expect a GM to build a winner if you don't allow him to BUILD the winner.

That was the problem with Billy Knight and Mike Woodson. Knight wanted the team to play one way, Woodson wanted another and refused to change. No way anything was going to come of that.

If Ferry thinks the team can win being run a certain way, then Drew can either:

A: Hop on board
B: hit the road.

I have no problem with that out of a GM. Winning at basketball is about having a unified vision and it looks like Ferry is trying to get some like thinking individuals at all levels.

I like it. I like Drew, he seems like a nice guy, but I don't know that I'm on board fully with him as coach, even two years in. He was also practically forced to play Teague - if Hinrich never got injured, Teague STILL might not be hitting the floor.

I'm behind Ferry, people rag on his moves in Cleveland, but he gave LeBron a very complimentary supporting cast, and those teams were really good.

it is good that Ferry is doing that. i hate how Drew and Woody hate giving rookies minutes. they don't trust rookies and it just hurts their development. just look at the Spurs, they are a great organization, and one reason for that is because the develop and play their young guys like Green, Kawhi, Joseph, Neal, Blair, Hill

Seems like there's a consensus so far that D Ferry has every right to make those adjustments/pronouncements as he sees fit. Questions:

1. Do you guys see one of the new assistants taking over as Head Coach next summer when Drew is gone? (There's been rumors circulating that Quin Snyder of the Spurs Coaching tree will be the next Asst Hire. He also was a teammate of Ferry's back at Duke.)

2., Do you see D Ferry having the same hands on approach with the next coach, whoever that may be?

I think the goal is to have a like thinking coach so you don't have to be hands on.

So I think once he hires "His guy" he will not be as hands on.

Oh, and yeah....drew is on the way out.

dtown8 wrote:it is good that Ferry is doing that. i hate how Drew and Woody hate giving rookies minutes. they don't trust rookies and it just hurts their development.

This times 1000, Ever since Drew got hired (or since I've been here, whichever came first) I've been saying that Drew is ruining our rookies and that he needs to go, I love Danny Ferry, he's doing everything right

Rip2137 wrote:You can't expect a GM to build a winner if you don't allow him to BUILD the winner.

That was the problem with Billy Knight and Mike Woodson. Knight wanted the team to play one way, Woodson wanted another and refused to change. No way anything was going to come of that.

If Ferry thinks the team can win being run a certain way, then Drew can either:

A: Hop on board
B: hit the road.

I have no problem with that out of a GM. Winning at basketball is about having a unified vision and it looks like Ferry is trying to get some like thinking individuals at all levels.

Amen, amen, amen.

I will always wonder what would have happened if Knight had not hired Woodson. Knight wanted to fill the roster with long, athletic types who would play smothering defense and run, run, run. Woodson wanted "iso-ball" which, as we all saw, was slow, slow, slow.

If Knight could have hired a D'Antoni-type....

It would be difficult to set to which extent can a GM decide the players he wants for "his" team, then not trying to "dictate" the style of play that the team should play.
There would be an option, and that would be selecting among a bunch of players within the same profile, so anybody coming here is going to play more or less into the same system.

But nowdays, opportunities for trades are scarce. We needed to get rid of some contracts and those are the players we got. In addition, he decided to change a part of the coaching staff, which is more or less like saying: "we got you a pretty decent roster, ready to play as you wanted to two years ago. So go get it. But see that we are fully prepared to do it with, or without you. We can change directions and hire a new head coach next summer. No problem".