If Lloyd doesn’t last as coach

[Spud2nique]

FIRE LLOYD!!!!

[Jamaaliver]

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I really hate that we missed out on potential HC prospect Chris Finch out of TOR/HOU/NOP.

He's been on my radar for years...

[HMFFL]

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I really hate that we missed out on potential HC prospect Chris Finch out of TOR/HOU/NOP.

He's been on my radar for years...

I think Chris Finch is going to do wonders for the young Minnesota players. I look forward to watching them to see how he does.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

An excerpt from The Athletic

Potential candidates as Atlanta Hawks search for next coach


Kenny Atkinson, Clippers assistant coach

Spoiler:

Atkinson was highly regarded as a Hawks assistant from 2012-16 under Mike Budenholzer. He got his first head coaching opportunity with Brooklyn from 2016-20 before the Nets parted ways because of philosophical differences between himself and the team.

Atkinson is credited with elevating D’Angelo Russell’s game and turning him into an All-Star, while Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen all grew into impactful players under his watch. When Atkinson took over the Nets in 2016, they were a disaster and poorly run...but he got Brooklyn into the playoffs in his third season, and the Nets were competitive with the 76ers in their first-round series.

Atkinson has been known as a “point guard whisperer” in the league with Russell, Dinwiddie, Jeff Teague and Jeremy Lin all having their best seasons under Atkinson’s guidance. With Young as the center of this franchise, Atkinson would be tasked with helping him continue elevating his game.

Nate Tibbetts, Blazers assistant coach

Spoiler:

Tibbetts was one of the four final candidates, along with now Houston coach Stephen Silas and Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga, the Hawks were considering when they hired Pierce. Tibbetts has been in the running for several head coaching jobs, including openings in Indiana, Oklahoma City and Memphis.

“(Nate’s) more than ready to be a head coach,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts told the Portland Tribune. “He has all the tools, the personality, the knowledge, the respect of the players. It’s all about getting that one break.”

Dave Joerger, 76ers assistant coach

Spoiler:

A year before he hired Joerger for his staff in Philadelphia, Doc Rivers went on The Woj Pod and heaped praise on Joerger for being one of the best in-game coaches in the league. Joerger’s former center in Memphis said the same thing.

“He is really good scheme-wise. He’s one of the best that I’ve seen at X’s and O’s,” Marc Gasol told the Commercial Appeal in 2016. “He knows how to prepare the games really well. He knows how to read it. He’s really good at reading games. He’s a very detailed coach, which is what I really appreciated.”

While being one of the better X’s and O’s coaches in the league, Joerger butted heads with management in both Memphis and Sacramento. With the Grizzlies, he led them to three consecutive playoff appearances, including back-to-back 50-plus-win seasons, but was seemingly always on the hot seat because of his beef with the front office and him consistently looking for other jobs. In Sacramento, young players frequently questioned their roles and Joerger prioritized playing veterans when the Kings front office preferred playing younger players while they rebuild.

The Hawks front office is more stable than both of those franchises, so perhaps that could mean all of the difference for Joerger if he were to be the coach.

[Spud2nique]

I got Atkinson and Mark Jackson. Possible Dantoni as well. And who could forget about hottie Becky H!

[shakes0]

Atkinson all the way for me. But full disclosure, I don't know who a couple of those names are.

[Spud2nique]

No Alvin Gentry that’s like taking a side step shuffle. We can’t do that to ourselves. It’s gotta be a vet type coach or a former point guard. Who knows maybe Mr. Sonic isn’t just gonna be interim. If he gets us in the playoffs and we play well under him then let’s roll. If you earn it you earn it.

[Spud2nique]

Atkinson all the way for me. But full disclosure, I don't know who a couple of those names are.

I’m only not too familiar with Tibbetts. The rest I know and wouldn’t mind for the most part. I wouldn’t mind Mark Jackson as well he can get the people going.

[tbhawksfan1]

For now I'm just going with Nate. He's already there, hopefully he eliminates the need

[jayu70]

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He did not, in the end, join a staff for this season, but now Payton says something is in the works and that could change shortly. He was coy with specifics, but when asked, he told me about his desire to coach, “It is still the case. I got a surprise coming for a lot of people pretty soon. I don’t want to announce it right now, but you’ll see it pretty soon in the next couple of weeks, I hope everybody will be excited about it.”

Vague, for sure, but it seems that Payton could find his way onto an NBA bench for the first time since he left the game in 2007—and soon. He didn’t name any teams, but Payton has said he would like to work with young players, and logical speculation would hold that he could land in Atlanta to mentor star guard Trae Young. Payton’s old teammate and close friend, Nate McMillan, took over the Hawks job after Lloyd Pierce was fired this week.

[Jamaaliver]

For now I'm just going with Nate. He's already there, hopefully he eliminates the need

Nate's making it real hard to consider anyone else for the position...

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[tbhawksfan1]

I'm firmly in the keep Nate opinion. I don't see how anyone can see his performance as anything but positive. Anyone care to make a case to replace him....with who, why?

[reamily]

Nate is really a players coach and guy you need for hawks at this point..

[Spud2nique]

I'm firmly in the keep Nate opinion. I don't see how anyone can see his performance as anything but positive. Anyone care to make a case to replace him....with who, why?

Nate is looking really strong. Keep it going Mr. Hawk

Sorry Sonics, he’s ours now.

[jayu70]

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[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

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That's all GM-speak. Of course they've had conversations on Nate and his fit in this role long-term. It's become damn-near impossible to bring in another candidate. Nate's been phenomenal.

I still have Kenny Atkinson at the top of my wish list; I believe he's more capable of getting Trae to be an MVP-caliber player. But the job is Nate's too lose.

The only way he isn't the choice is if he loses in the play-in game(s)...or gets swept out of the playoffs.

[Jamaaliver]

McMillan’s future: He had a remarkable .711 winning percentage after taking over — the third-best record in the NBA. That, along with the Hawks achieving their stated primary objective of making the playoffs, should be enough to give him job security. But only Ressler really knows where the bar is.

Ressler and Schlenk have to be pleased with how players have responded to McMillan, and it’s difficult to imagine anything happening in the first round that would change that position. But McMillan’s postseason failures as a coach have been well-chronicled. He has lost seven straight first-round series, including consecutive four-game sweeps. He has dropped nine of 10 playoff series overall with a cumulative record of 17-36. Remember, this is about finding a coach who can compete for championships.

The Athletic

[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

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