I have never been so happy about a non-Hawks signing as I was about Elton Brand’s 5 year, $80 million deal with Philadelphia. The biggest pursuer of the Hawks’ coveted restricted free agent, Josh Smith, was taken out of the running by committing themselves elsewhere. However, this does not mean our long summer ordeal is over. Teams, including Golden State (losers on trying to re-sign Baron Davis) and the Clippers (who failed to re-sign Brand to go with their acquisition of Davis) are aggressively pursuing Smith and fellow free agent Josh Childress.
It all goes back to last year, when the Hawks had the opportunity to sign Smith (22 years old) and Childress (25) to three years deals without other teams being allowed to make any offers. This is sort of deal is typical in the NBA, and a boon for both sides: the player gets more money then they would make as a restricted free agent (since their new contract kicks in a year earlier) and the team saves money on a year-to-year basis.
Of course, the Hawks aren’t famous for the wisest of decisions and the decision to not sign Smith and Childress to deals last summer will go down as one of former General Manager Billy Knight’s most questionable moves. However, the team’s mismanagement has extended beyond Knight’s tenure. New GM Rick Sund’s decision to retain Coach Mike Woodson will only make negotiations more difficult with Smith. Anyone who watches Hawks games can attest to Smith’s dislike for Woodson: his body language during time outs would be kindly described as “negative” and his history of in-fighting with the coaching staff (including a two game suspension two seasons ago) makes it clear that Woodson is not Smith’s number one choice for coach. While I normally would be opposed to the concept of a player acting immaturely like Smith, it is hard to argue for Woodson when one takes a look at his abysmal record over the last four years, including his underachieving team from last year. Sure, the Hawks made the playoffs and took the Celtics to seven games; however, Woodson also presided over a talented team going 37-45 in a weak conference.
It is impossible to overstate the loss Smith would have on the team. While still raw and immature in several aspects of his game, including settling way too often for a contested shot or poor three (where he shot only 25% last year, though it felt worse than that), his upside is simply unreal. He is only 22, but still averaged almost three blocks a game last year. His defense overall does still need some work (blocks are not the be-all-end-all of defensive statistics – he has difficulties with post-up play), however, he continues to improve every year. The most important thing which Smith added last year was an offensive game. Again, he still shoots too many threes, however, he showed an aggression going to the hoop which he had not had in previous seasons. While it is still not as fine tuned as it could be, again, he is only 22! Smith should be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come, not a hot free agent commodity.
Childress’s value, while not as clearly apparent, is still immense. Childress is the quintessential sixth man – indeed, he could easily contend for sixth man of the year for seasons to come. He is a high energy player who does an excellent job getting back on the fast break and has an excellent jump shot (he shot 57% from the field last year). However, where Childress really shines is rebounding. Despite only averaging six rebounds in thirty minutes of play per game last year, Childress always seems to be right in the thick of the boards, blocking out players taller than him to fight for a rebound. This sort of high energy is exactly what an NBA team wants from its bench.
The Hawks core is one of the youngest and brightest in the NBA. Joe Johnson is establishing himself as one of the star scorers in the league, Marvin Williams is emerging as a complete all-around player, Mike Bibby will enter the 2008-9 season with a whole summer to get use to his teammates (where his mid-season acquisition last year did not give him time to adjust to each player’s preferences of where they want the ball), and thinking about Al Horford’s future in this league makes me giddy with excitement. With Smith and Childress on this team, the Hawks are possibly contending for a championship spot out of the East in the next few years. However, I can’t help but feel that poor management decisions which have plagued the team for years will cause this young nucleus – which we saw a brief glimpse of for three amazing games against the Celtics – to disappear before it ever really gels.
After all, there’s only so many Elton Brands out there to bail us out.
The Atlanta Hawks don’t have any picks in this year’s draft (unless a trade happens) so times are a little slow with Atlanta’s only playoff team.
They did make some moves with their assistant coaches, though. Out is David Fizdale and scout Harold Ellis and staying put is Larry Drew and Bob Bender.
Now the Hawks must focus on what they will do with Josh Smith and Josh Childress.
The Atlanta Hawks re-signed head coach Mike Woodson to a new 2-year contract effective immediately.
Woodson has coached the Hawks for 4 seasons and his last one was his best as Atlanta reached the playoffs for the first time this decade and took which could be the NBA Champions (Boston Celtics) to seven games. He is 106-222 overall. His win totals increased every year from 13 to 26 to 30 to 37.
Whether this was a good move has yet to be determined.
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 marks the beginning of the Rick Sund era as General manager of the Atlanta Hawks. Sund has worked in NBA front offices for more than 30 years, including time with Milwaukee, Dallas, Detroit and most recently the Seattle SuperSonics, where he was a consultant for the Sonics after serving as the team’s GM from 2001-07. Sund is now working as co-chairman of the NBA predraft camp in Orlando, and is expected to make his first day in Atlanta next Wednesday.
Sund’s first order of business is seemingly what to do about head coach Mike Woodson, who’s contract expires at the end of June. Instead of that decision, Sund says there are more important things on his mind to consider.
“As to where we go from here, most of the basketball staff is here,” Sund said. “I met with them tonight in an introductory fashion. I told them my first step here is to be a very good listener for the next week. I need to spend some time listening to ownership, listening to the management staff and then some of the players.” “I don’t have a magic formula today,” Sund said. “What I’m going to do is come in next week and meet with the staff and obviously talk with some of the players and get a lay of the land before we proceed to do anything. Once we do that, we’ll go forward.
“Right now, my plan is to take one step back and get a good lay of the land and be a real good listener for the next week and a half.”
“An outsider looking in always has a fresh perspective,” Sund said. “You can’t go crazy with that perspective, though. What we do have, however, is tremendous growth potential. Acie Law hasn’t reached his full growth potential. Al Horford hasn’t reached his full growth potential. Josh Smith, Josh Childress and Marvin Williams, none of those guys have reached their full growth potential yet. And that is a major plus.
“Like I said, it’s an exciting time right now for the Hawks. But there is a lot of work to be done the next few years. So for me, it’s a great time to come in and be a part of what’s going on now and in the future.”
Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford might have got snubbed for NBA Rookie of the Year, but he was the only unaminous choice on the All-Rookie first team. Horford got 58 votes compared to the Rookie of the Year winner Kevin Durant’s 57. Other first team members include Luis Scola, Al Thornton and Jeff Green.
Hawks guard Acie Law received one vote and former Georgia Tech forward Thaddeous Young was named to the second team.
The last game of the Hawks season is one most fans wouldn’t mind forgetting. From the opening tip of game 7 in Boston, you could see the young Hawks team overwhelmed and off balance from the tenacious and relentless attack of the Boston Celtics. Leaving the season on a 30+ point blowout would be a sign of concern for most teams in the NBA, but for the Atlanta Hawks it is actually a sign of hope. I am in no way condoning that nationally televised humiliation is something to pride your franchise on, but the fact that the Hawks were around to even consider a game seven against the NBA’s best speaks volumes about this organizations’ development. It was a unanimous opinion that the Hawks didn’t deserve a spot in the playoffs with their 37-45 record, but a thrilling 42 minutes at Philips arena quickly changed those theories.
Watching the rebuilding process, dating back to 2003, has been a primarily painful experience, but has finally started to show promise. The Hawks have historically been the laughing stock of the NBA with some of the managerial disasters (like consecutively missing two premier point guards in Deron Williams and Chris Paul), and producing a sub par NBA team on a similarly consistent basis. However, Atlanta can finally have an enthusiastic anticipation towards the coming season. The patients of the front office has landed a franchise all-star in Joe Johnson, a young and potential dominant leader in Al Horford, and a crowd pleasing show case of athleticism in Josh Smith. More importantly, this nucleus of young talent did enough advertising about next year’s potential in front of three ecstatic sold out crowds in Atlanta. Philips arena has been viewed as a home away from home for teams like Boston due to a weak Atlanta fan base, but times have changed. Performances like ones showcased in the 2008 post-season have turned the “High-Light Factory” into a legitimate advantageous home court for some of the loudest fans in the nation.
It is easy to get carried away with the enthusiasm carrying over from the post-season, but a lot must be done in order to ensure continued success. Initially, the Hawks need to acquire more depth at the shooting guard and center position. Needs like this are easily addressed in the annual draft, but the Hawks are the only team with out a draft pick in either round of the 2008-2009 draft. Not all hope is lost however, since the Hawks uncharacteristically boast an attractive salary cap situation. Consideration needs to be given to the soon expiring contracts of Josh Smith and Josh Childress, but making a play for another big man in free agency could pay huge dividends for this franchise. Moving Al Horford to the four spot, where he is more physically suited to play, would drastically improve his and the teams game. The Hawks have also limited their rotation to a 7-8 man roster, so acquiring respectable talent to hedge against inevitable injuries up and down the roster is a necessity. Atlanta’s 3-5 positions are all under the age of 25, and have only shown improvement with age. What isn’t getting better with age is the dormant contract of Speedy Claxton. Speedy has likely seen the last of his injury plagued NBA career, but the Hawks are still obligated to a 4 year $25 million dollar contract with him. He has only played in 42 games since arriving in Atlanta and will likely end up retiring before the start of next season. This will only improve an already attractive salary cap situation with the Hawks.
The youth of Atlanta’s talent, the revived fan base, and an attractive salary cap appears to be a very lucrative situation for who ever takes over the recently vacant Hawks GM position. With Billy Knight resigning in the past week, expect the front office of the Hawks to try to land an established and credible candidate to fill the position. The franchise cannot afford similar slip-ups that Billy Knight’s resume bolstered, and will make their decision accordingly. Also, don’t be surprised to see a coaching change in Atlanta either. GM’s typically like to bring in coaches of their choosing, and Mike Woodson hasn’t been setting the world on fire with his .323 win percentage during his tenure. Woodson may have bought some time with three impressive home upsets over the Celtics, but cameras couldn’t hide the obvious tension between him and some of his players (most notably Josh Smith). Mike D’Antoni would be a wonderful fit with the Hawks since he could utilize the Hawks athleticism into a run-and-gun type offense, where they have generally thrived. Whoever the Hawks land as a GM and/or potential head coach, this franchise has finally taken a turn for the better and has left its city with immeasurable hope and promise. Tip-off for the 2008-2009 season is only five months away, and who knows, it could be the year the Hawks finally bring home the trophy. Until then, we can only watch the remainder of the Hawks-less season unfold, and celebrate an unforgettable season.
Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!
Atlanta Hawks GM, Billy Knight endured rumors and cries from angry fans all season calling for his resignation. Those outcries had lessened lately as the Hawks made a run at ousting the top-seeded Celtics from the playoffs, but that didn’t matter to Knight.
“The time has come for me to take a break and fully evaluate my future plans,” Knight said. “I am tremendously pleased with what we were able to accomplish this season in reaching the postseason, as the Hawks’ return to the playoffs energized the city and our franchise. My passion for the franchise has never wavered, but I feel I’m leaving the organization in much better shape than it was in when I took over.”
The Hawks ownership group had this to say.
“Billy has built a team of athletic, high character players who have enormous potential. Under his leadership, the Hawks were not only the youngest team in this year’s playoffs, but have also proven to be the most exciting team Atlanta has seen since the Dominique (Wilkins) era of the 80’s. We look forward to building on Billy’s success as we continue our efforts to emerge as one of the NBA’s elite franchises for a long time to come.”
The Atlanta Hawks were not even supposed to come anywhere close this post-season against the Boston Celtics… why? Mostly due their tremendous play at home in the extra session. On the road it was another story… Check this out…
Hawks in 2008 Playoffs
At home On road
Points per game 100.7 77.0
Opp Points per gm 95.0 102.3
Field Goal pct 43.5 36.2
Opp Field Goal pct 43.9 47.4
Rebounds per game 39.3 37.5
Opp Rebounds per gm 35.3 42.5
Turnovers per game 14.3 17.0
If you thought it was this bad for the Hawks in scoring on the road in the playoffs…. last time they made it back in 1999, they averaged just 72.3 points per game and 34.6 percent shooting from the field.
In Game six between the Hawks and Celtics it was a pretty balanced attack that gave the Hawks the 103-100 victory. Marvin Williams had 18, Mike Bibby had 17, Al Horford had 16, Joe Johnson and Josh Childress had 15 and Josh Smith had 11. Four players had 6 rebounds each. Four players had at least 3 assists…
But who has had the best individual performances in Atlanta Hawk playoff history?
Most points in a playoff game - Dominique Wilkins: 50 vs Pistons (4/19/86)
*** Bob Pettit dropped 50 for the St. Louis Hawks in 1958
Most rebounds in a playoff game - Bill Bridges: 36 vs Knicks (3/27/71)
*** He actually has 4 of the top 5 rebounding games
Most assists in a playoff game - Doc Rivers: 22 vs Celtics (5/16/88)
*** Which is ironic because he is now the Celtics head coach
May 22, 1988 - Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals… the scene was the Boston Garden. It is a team game, but it was a battle between two future hall-of-famers…
The Celtics Larry Bird tangled all night with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. In fact the Hawks had a chance to put away Boston two days earlier, but failed 102-100. The game went back-n-forth and was tied 99-99 with just under six minutes to play. Both stars scored 11 points each in the final 5:57 of action.
The Human Highlight Film finished with a game-high 47 points on an amazing 19-for-23 shooting from the floor. Larry Legend did his part, too. Scoring 34 points including 20 in the deciding 4th quarter. At the end the Celtics were the victors by the score of 118-116.
I have never been so happy about a non-Hawks signing as I was about Elton Brand’s 5 year, $80 million deal with Philadelphia. The biggest pursuer of the Hawks’ coveted restricted free agent, Josh Smith, was taken out of the running by committing themselves elsewhere. However, this does not mean our long summer ordeal is over. Teams, including Golden State (losers on trying to re-sign Baron Davis) and the Clippers (who failed to re-sign Brand to go with their acquisition of Davis) are aggressively pursuing Smith and fellow free agent Josh Childress.
Drew Lichtenstein 
Dom Webber 
The Atlanta Hawks re-signed head coach Mike Woodson to a new 2-year contract effective immediately.
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 marks the beginning of the Rick Sund era as General manager of the Atlanta Hawks. Sund has worked in NBA front offices for more than 30 years, including time with Milwaukee, Dallas, Detroit and most recently the Seattle SuperSonics, where he was a consultant for the Sonics after serving as the team’s GM from 2001-07. Sund is now working as co-chairman of the NBA predraft camp in Orlando, and is expected to make his first day in Atlanta next Wednesday.
Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford might have got snubbed for NBA Rookie of the Year, but he was the only unaminous choice on the All-Rookie first team. Horford got 58 votes compared to the Rookie of the Year winner Kevin Durant’s 57. Other first team members include Luis Scola, Al Thornton and Jeff Green.
The last game of the Hawks season is one most fans wouldn’t mind forgetting. From the opening tip of game 7 in Boston, you could see the young Hawks team overwhelmed and off balance from the tenacious and relentless attack of the Boston Celtics. Leaving the season on a 30+ point blowout would be a sign of concern for most teams in the NBA, but for the Atlanta Hawks it is actually a sign of hope. I am in no way condoning that nationally televised humiliation is something to pride your franchise on, but the fact that the Hawks were around to even consider a game seven against the NBA’s best speaks volumes about this organizations’ development. It was a unanimous opinion that the Hawks didn’t deserve a spot in the playoffs with their 37-45 record, but a thrilling 42 minutes at Philips arena quickly changed those theories.
Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to! 
Atlanta Hawks GM, Billy Knight endured rumors and cries from angry fans all season calling for his resignation. Those outcries had lessened lately as the Hawks made a run at ousting the top-seeded Celtics from the playoffs, but that didn’t matter to Knight.
Dave McMahon 
In Game six between the Hawks and Celtics it was a pretty balanced attack that gave the Hawks the 103-100 victory. Marvin Williams had 18, Mike Bibby had 17, Al Horford had 16, Joe Johnson and Josh Childress had 15 and Josh Smith had 11. Four players had 6 rebounds each. Four players had at least 3 assists…
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