Hawks Dilemmma(s)
Photo. Zach WolfeOnce the sting of getting rocked in yesterday’s Game 7 starts to fade, Atlanta Hawks management has a ton of decisions to make. Do they retain Mike Woodson and his staff? Josh Smith, Josh Childress and Salim Stoudamire are all restricted free agents this summer – how much are they willing to pay to keep their core together? Obviously, Salim isn’t as vital to the future of the Hawks as is Smith or Childress, but we’re sure that management wants to do their best to keep the core of a young, promising team together.
But how much is too much? At what point do the dollars not make sense any more? With sizable contracts already locked in for Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, they don’t seem to have a lot of financial wiggle room. And you know that there are teams out there (the Sixers) who would love to have Smith on their roster and would probably be willing to make a huge offer for him hoping to out-bid Atlanta.
One thing also to keep an eye on though is the Woodson situation. We’ve heard that several players on the team find his style particularly grating and would welcome A) a coaching change or B) a change of scenery themselves. We’ll see how that influences the choices made all around …
May 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Chuck...A source of knowldge for all says:
They need to fire Mike Woodson!!
Let Salim go, and try their bets to retain Josh, who will probably stay because that’s his home town.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:50 am
GEE...Well im imp da dimp the ladies pimp ... says:
Get rid of Woodson.
Fast.
Don’t think the East will always have it where teams with horrid records can make the playoffs.
In light of that, Woodson has to be out!
May 5th, 2008 at 9:52 am
rangerjohn says:
salim and childress can go and they should sign and trade josh smith to the spurs for robert horry and mighty mouse lmao
May 5th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Jeffrey says:
I agree with chuck. Do everything to get avery johnson if woodson is fired. Then try and get a third scorer
May 5th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Three Stacks says:
As much as I wanna say Mike Woodson should get fired, he probably saved his job by taking the Celtics to 7 games.
Obviously, they need to retain Josh Smith. He needs to gain some consistency, though. In that sense, someone like Josh Childress is just as valuable, because he plays to his ability just about every night. He plays hard, players like that are becoming a rarity in this league.
They should also resign Salim, and try to find a taker for Mike Bibby. Bibby was absolutely useless this postseason. I’ve never seen someone brick so many open jumpers, ever.
Salim proved in garbage time yesterday that he’s a sick shooter. If he can get in a rotation somewhere, he’s got a future.
So fire Woodson, sign Smith to a one-year tender (he’s gonna want a max deal, he doesn’t deserve one yet. Let him prove it), resign Childress to a multi-year around the midlevel, find a taker for Bibby (his contract expires after next yr). You can get some picks for Bibby’s contract and use that money to resign Smith. If you’re smart, you throw in Claxton’s contract along w/ Bibby’s and try to find a decent big next summer. Then you’re set for the next few years.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
dukesman2000 says:
Frankly, I think the Hawks lucked out in getting to the playoffs where they met a Celtics team who was looking past them to the second round. Finally when the Celtics put the infra-red beam on them and pulled the trigger, they were obliterated. If I were in charge of basketball operations, I would defintely keep the franchise player, Joe Johnson happy, do everything in my power to keep Smith and Williams. Then while players like Childress and Bibby’s stocks are high, try to get some quality shooters and rebounders around them. Then try to get one of these proven coaches, who are unemployed at the moment, to come coach this young and exciting team.
But you have to do it now while the great playoff run is still fresh in everyone’s head.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:53 am
JA says:
I think a lot of teams with fringe coaches will need to take a look around this summer while there is a lot of talent out there.
I think it might be surprising what Childress gets and where he ends up. I think he’s still highly under-rated, and will likely end up getting more than the midlevel somewhere.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
marcus says:
Theres no way Smith would sign a one-year tender as a lot of teams are going to be throwing him some cash, ie. if Marion opts out u dont think Riley wouldnt want to pair up Smith and Wade
I also dont think that hes a max player yet but hes definitely going to get max money this summer from somebody cause if Rashard Lewis can get 118 mil, then Smith can get started on counting some serious paper this summer, after he improves his J
May 5th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Chuck...A source of knowldge for all says:
I never understood why the NBA constantly recycles coaches the way they do, they do the same thing with players too!! And I hate it.
The College ranks have talented coaches, they need to start calling some of them up and testing the waters, start trying to find a student of the game who still has that passion to win.
That’s why I respect someone like Scott skiles, he has that fire in his belly, he has the discipline to him that many players today can’t deal with because they are overpaid and undertalented, yet they think in their minds they are the next best thing since sliced bread, no way I would have paid deng or Gordon max contracts either, Gordon is one dimesional, and deng has potential, but neither are bonafide all stars, and the league needs to start tapping into the D league and oversees teams and get some fresh blood in the game.
Those European players can flat out shoot the rock man!
I have seen some awesome D-League talent also.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:09 am
jz_smoove says:
woodson is gone (Sam mitchell from Toronto should be gone too i hope). Smith is worth and should get 54M/6 yrs. Meanwhile Iggy IS NOT worth more than that. not even close. i hope Smoove is loyal to his hometown and does not bolt. i would only see him leave if he pairs up with HS teammate D-Ho in O. that would be neat. Phi Slamma/Blocka Jamma holla!
May 5th, 2008 at 11:11 am
foscheezeeee says:
Avery Johnson, Mike Woodson had a ton of talent and they didn’t get enough out of that squad. To me they should have been better than an 8 seed, maybe finishing ahead of Toronto and Philly because they have more overall talent
May 5th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Chuck...A source of knowldge for all says:
@jz_smoove
I wouldn’t blame smith for leaving, as long as he went to play for a contender. It never made sense to me to get paid 3 times as much to go to a team you KNOW is going to lose if you don’t have a chip. Why wait until your old like Karl malone and Clyde Drexler and gary Payton to start thinking about a ring?
I would take less and go to a team that’s one peice away, get my ring and then bolt
@foscheezeeee
Dallas won 50 games. The West was just tough this year, that’s over .500, Avery did his job, but it’s hard when you have Cuban sniffing you rectum every second and determining wha’t best for the team with no freaking basketball IQ, that Jason Kidd trade was the dumbest of all the trades made this year.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:36 am
James says:
the sixers dont need Josh Smith they have a player just like him already in AI
May 5th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Kobeef says:
1. Smith will get a MAX offer. He is a bigger, younger, more athletic version of Marion and in 3 years will be a better shooter than Marion ever was. That type of player does not come-along every day. I am concerned that he will be a head-case once he gets paid but that is why……….
2. Atlanta needs a new coach. There few teams in the league with as much young, raw talent as Atlanta but they consistently lose to lesser teams. Someone needs to pull this group together and keep them focused.
3. Let Salim walk. Good guy to be sure but you have Acie Law who does the same things but probably better.
4. Bibby is going to be hard to move and I think his situation is the toughest to deal with. . I have a hunch that he is one of the guys who is not a fan of Coach Woodson. He generally seemed very out-of-synch in Atlanta which says something. Either Bibby now sucks or Woodson can’t find a way to make an All-Star & NCAA Champion PG work in his system. I don’t think Bibby sucks….
5. Possible trades?
I think Marvin Williams and Childress are on the hot seat. Long term the Hawks need a true Centre and would be best to move Horford to the 4 where he can abuse opposing PF’s for years (while J.Smoove does the same to other SF’s). If Atlanta could get a high draft pick for Williams, Childress and Salim they should take that offer and get a player like Brook Lopez.
6. At the end of 2009 they should let Bibby’s contract come off the books and move Acie into the starting PG slot (or someone else). They will need that cap space to sign Horford eventually who, like Smith is a future 20-10 guy you need to keep.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
DAPro says:
Avery likes to micromanage his team as was apparent in Dallas. I think ATL should take a look at Avery but the organization should understand his coaching style. He’s tough and won’t back down but isn’t that what the Hawks players are complaining about now?
D’Antoni would be a good fit for ATL because he’s familiar with Johnson, he can coach an up-tempo style while maximizes the athletes on the squad.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Celts Fan says:
The Hawks are a solid young, up and coming team. Keep the Josh’s, let Salim walk unless he’s resigning for cheap (he can’t play the point and is too small for the 2) and keep building for the future. I have a feeling that 5 years from now, we’ll look at that Celtics series as their unofficial arrival on the scene moreso than some crap team that pushed the Celtics to a game 7.
Kobeef, did you really just say to trade Marvin, Childress and some other pieces to go after Brook Lopez? BROOK LOPEZ??? Marvin’s looking like he’s going to be really good, Childress is pretty integral to that team, and Brook Lopez doesnt seem ovberly great as an NBA prospect to me, despite where he is in most mock drafts.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
The Jed says:
There are too many good, respected coaches out there to keep Mike Woodson. Avery seems like the perfect coach for the situation. That being said, if I’m Avery I wait and see how the J. Smith situation pans out.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Diego says:
Three Stacks has some good comments. Also, DAPro.
Woodson has GOT to go. And I think he will be gone. Hawks owners are cash poor and still in litigation, so they kept Woodson until the end of his contract. But the Hawks don’t need another control freak like Woodson. The season ticket holders generally can’t stand him at this stage.
Hawks should trade worthless Bibby next year. With his $14 million coming off the books, there will be lots of takers and some good opportunities.
Josh Smith probably will get lots of $, which he does not quite yet deserve. But Hawks will match probably anything, because he is somewhat the face of the franchise.
Chills is really a very nice all-around player (my fav. on the team), but if Smith costs too much, Chills will be a casualty and end up signing with another team. And I will scream.
Salim!! Dreadfully underused by Woodson this year (like Diaw a few years ago). Better at this stage than Acie (who was a disppointment this year). Salim is instant offense when he is on, and should have been in the game early Sunday, to give the team at least some hope. Free him, so he can have the chance Woodson never gave him this year.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Kobeef says:
@Celtsfan
Yeah, to me Atlanta’s biggest issue is deciding who is their SF of the future. Both Marvin and Josh are natural SF’s and if Horford is the future at the PF one has gotta go. They could package one of them for a player or draft pick.
If it is a draft pick Lopez has the size and skill to be a starting centre and a trade for him could be an option.
The problem with a trade is that there really aren’t many centers that are a)available for Josh/Marvin and b)worth trading Marvin/Josh to get. Amare, Dwight, Bynum and Dalembert are not available and most of the rest are undesireable.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Reed Ewing Frazier says:
@ everyone on the get rid of Bibby bandwagon- Yo dude only played half a season with the Hawks it would be a big mistake to get rid of him just give it time Bibby and Joe J. will be the next Earl”The Pearl” Monroe and Walt”Clyde”Frazier(that’s the HOF NYK backcourt for you youngins’). I think Woodson should be let go even though I don’t think he should get all the blame the players are also at fault. I think management on all NBA teams should start setting a tone that they hire and fire the coach not the players. Knicks Up all the rest down!!
May 5th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
bookkwormmaster says:
The Hawks HAVE to fire Mike Woodson but like another poster on here already said he might not considering how they took the Celtics to 7 games. Any coach out there right now would be better than Woodson at this point but they really need to hire a coach who likes to run an umtempo system to maximize the athleticism and talents of the players and reduce the wear and tear that is taking a toll on JJ. No one on the Hawks roster can consistently hit jumpers with the exception of JJ and Josh Smith and Josh Childress are two players who would greatly be influenced by getting out and running more. The Hawks have to keep both Smith and Childress because they are both integral parts to the team. Smith is teetering between being an all-star and a superstar. He is only a consistent jumpshot away from being on the level of or even surpassing JJ as the team’s best player/go-to guy. Childress is the type of 6th man player that every team needs: a solid all-around player that brings energy, hustle, and toughness EVERY NIGHT. He is also the team’s best free-throw shooter and, in my opinion, the team’s best offensive rebounder outside of maybe Horford and my fav Hawks player. Bibby and Marvin Williams are tradeable and management should look to deal both in hopes of getting a bruising big body at the center position. I wasn’t really sold on the Bibby trade (he had his moments this season) and Marvin plays too one dimensional (always settling for jumpers) and neither were really big factors during the playoffs anyway.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Three Stacks says:
Bibby’s jumper is completely off, he no longer makes the right decisions after getting into the lane, and his defense was never good anyway. The best ATL can do is take their chances w/ him and let him come off the books, but if they get offered a blue-chipper for Bibby’s expiring contract, I think they have to think about it.
They’ll probably let the contract expire and use the money to resign Smith. And there’s no one out there w/ the money to offer Smith a max deal right now, so like I said, he probably signs a one-year tender. Unless he wants 5 years w/ the Clippers.
May 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Celts Fan says:
Kobeef, I don’t mind the thought, just not sold on Brook Lopez at all. Also, I think they could try to play with a front court of Horford, Smith, and Marvin until they find a better unit. That group gave the Celtics fits and is only getting better. I like that unit until a team starts beating them on the boards (where it’s blatantly an out-sized thing) and then you sub them out. That’s very intriguing to me and I’d like to see them stick tight and play with that. Why can’t they mimic what the Suns did and just run. Horford is a BEAST, and he can play the 5 for now easily.
those of you on the trade Bibby bandwagon should relax. He’s not the same Mike Bibby, but he’s damn better than Royal Ivey or whoever his replacement would be in the starting lineup. He was only w/ the team for half the season. Give them a whole year together and watch, they’ll be a top 5 team in the East.
Also, Acie Law’s NBA comparison is Mike Bibby, so who better to learn from? I’ll tell you who he can’t learn anything from, and that’s Royal Ivey (unless he’s trying to learn what a scrub looks like.)
May 5th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Celts Fan says:
and I like Marvin Williams. Reminds me a lot of Antawn Jamison. Perfect compliment w/ JSmooth. Also, ATL will NEVER trade Marvin now, because that’s admitting they screwed up drafting him, which would be fine if he hadn’t been chosen over the 2 best PGs in basketball. I think a frontcourt of Horford, Smith, and Marvin is extremely versatile, big enough to rebound well, good enough defensively they can lock down the middle and the perimeter and block some shots, and when Josh’s jumper is falling too, that opens up even more room for Horford to work down low. I think that unit could be FIERCE in a few years. Remember, none of the guys on that front court are over 23! Scary…
May 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Diego says:
I concur bookkwormmaster. Bibby had a block of games where he performed well with the Hawks, but in the end, the Hawks would have been better suited agaist the Celts with T. Lue and Anthony Johnson (both traded for Bibby). (Royal was with the Bucks this season, punching groins evidently.)
Marvin has his moments (i.e., when his mid-range jumper is on), but Billy Knight dumped Shelden Williams and will not be afraid to dump Marvin. Hindsight is 20/20; Marvin fooled all the experts a bit in his draft.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Ashley says:
The Atlanta Hawks , as a professional team of NBA, is one of the major teams that has fans all around the world. It is quite normal if Atlanta Hawks tickets are so pricy or hard to find because such great teams tickets worth any price. It doesn’t matter if we pay a respected price for Hawks tickets because we satisfy our eagerness to watch good games and more than that when we go to watch a game it’s because we love this team and we shouldn’t be mean.