Peachtree Hoops Commentary: Atlanta Hawks Hire Larry Drew
by The Human Highlight Blog on Jun 12, 2010 2:04 AM EDT
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...and the Hawks search for a coach comes to a startlingly anti-climactic halt.
The longest shot in the Atlanta Hawks coaching race came in first Friday night, as the AJC's Michael Cunningham broke the news that the team had indeed tapped Larry Drew as their next head coach. Yahoo Sports! Marc Spears reports that it's a three year deal.
It doesn't register as an exciting hire. Even as surprising as it may have been when Mike Woodson was not re-signed almost exactly a month ago to see Drew hired as his replacement, it doesn't capture the imagination at all.
If anything, folks might wonder why the Hawks went through all the fuss.
Drew doesn't carry any head coaching experience with him and there has to be the question of just how much more different Drew can be than his former boss, Woodson?
The first thing Drew has to answer is just that----how will things be different. How can hiring him be the difference for a club that won (53) regular season games and a first round series, but flamed out again in the second round, against stiffer competition?
The Hawks faced problems such as offensive stagnation, lack of effort, blowing games late, uneven efforts. How can Drew be an agent of change in that area when he was on the staff the entire time? Will he be able to even out the burden of accountability (a significant issue in the locker room last season) after being a confidante of the players as the main assistant?
The Drew hire is so low on the excite-o-meter, that you can bet it won't be long until we hear that this hire (and the next season at large) will be a season of transition while the Hawks wait to get their hands on former Hawk PG and current Celtic head coach Doc Rivers.
You have to ask if this was a hire of convenience, given that the Hawks draft workouts start Monday, and there are still plenty of questions to be answered that may have prevented candidates like Dwane Casey and Mark Jackson to sign on now. Question such as the free agent status of Joe Johnson, who might be a key to any coach interested in taking the Hawks job. Should the Hawks be deciding to not bring Joe back, it might deter someone who is interested in continuing what the Hawks have had building and not be interested in a step back. Drew was likely not bound by such questions, already understanding the team (and ownership for that matter) very well and more than realizing there may not be many other chances for him to be a head coach in the NBA.
Last week, a report stated that the Hawks were internally discussing Drew as their "Alvin Gentry", the Suns head coach who took over a floundering Phoenix team and got them back on track with the same personnel. Maybe, but Gentry also had the benefit of failing in two other stints as head coach (DET, LAC) before taking over the Suns reins...Drew doesn't have that background.
For long time Hawks fans, it reeks of a Bob Weiss/Terry Stotts like move, a hire of comfort and ease---a competent assistant gets a shot at the helm. In Stotts case, he did make significant changes in relief of Lon Kruger, and inspired change in a locker room down on the lack of pro savvy of Kruger. In the end, Stotts didn't have the roster (point guard, specifically) to make it work and he was gone soon, too.
And that's what we don't want...a couple of seasons or so of feeling around if Drew can be a head coach. We wanted someone who had done something at the pro head coaching level already. We didn't think Avery would have changed styles much to make the difference here, but he had the track record. We did believe that Dwane Casey could get the most out of the roster given his work with a mediocre group in Minnesota, but he's not coming either. Mark Jackson has as much head coaching experience as Drew (read: zero), but it would definitely had been a high profile hire and anything could have been possible.
We don't know for sure what Larry Drew will be as the Hawks coach, and we're not compelled by it at all, but we'll hope he can change those things which have hindered the Hawks and forced Woodson out and improve the Hawks chances in the playoffs.
Otherwise, the Hawks will be wasting a couple of prime years from their frontcourt of Josh Smith and Al Horford. Teams near the top like the Hawks, with a couple of young All-Star caliber players can't afford a miss on the bench. And, if the Hawks do bring Joe Johnson back, even though his contract may extend for quite a few more season, his stay near the top of his game won't be for much longer, and a two year miss on a coach would waste extremely expensive time.
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It's too early to be pessimist
Especially over the coach. Larry Drew could be Woody 2.0, but I think he’s his own man. I’m pretty sure that Larry Drew knows that if he coaches just like Woody, he’ll be out the door like Woody, so I’m willing to be optimist until the season starts.
Plus, based on the pattern of last 6 years, the Hawks are due for a 60 win season, so that’s something to look forward to.
I tend to think when you see someone from the side you learn
You see the mistakes. You see how things can be improved. You see the players side. And you see when they stop hearing the coach.
So Drew can by far improve stuff Woody was not willing to change. In that regards, Drew is ahead of other coaches. He doesn’t have to start from square one. He know players strengths, he knows the weaknesses, he knows what has to happen. And he knows switching defense has to go.
Two things for Drew to do to be successful.
First, Time to let the elderly and weak retire to the bench. Me being elderly can join on the bench :)
Teague has to start and we have to learn what he is or is not.
Second, he has to bridge the gap from being a friend, someone players could go to and talk when Woody chewed them or did not give them enough playing time, to a authority figure. No that does not mean he has to be a dictator, he can be like Phil Jackson, but he should not be afraid to needle players, bench players, and let them know it is his way. That is the toughest transition for him.
Again I have a feeling this will work.
I hope so, ATLpaul
It will be interesting to see what changes. I am holding out hope for better offensive approach and more even play in general. I am not excited about this move….I think it looks rather “status-quo” ish, but I would hope that the Hawks brass wouldn’t have let Woody go and hired Drew if they weren’t sure things would change for the better….right?
by The Human Highlight Blog on Jun 12, 2010 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions
well i know ASG may have not wanted to pay more
but you have to love Drew’s story. Is it not the all American story?
He has worked his way up the ladder. He has paid his dues. He has worked like our fathers in the factories and gone up the ranks. Drew deserves an opportunity.
That story, that all American life story, is what i like about him. It is what we all know is real life. Sometimes, we don’t get the chance to prove ourselves all life, even when we work as hard as we do.
Sometimes, only some times, we get a chance to prove who we are. This is Drew’s chance. This is his time. For that, i am wanting and am a sucker for a good ending. For that, i hope he can do what Woody was not able to finish. Let’s all hope so, because we all love a good ending.
Go Hawks
blah
This is the hiring of an overly cautious, risk averse GM and a fractured, bickering ownership group. I hope Rick Sund can figure out something more creative to do to fix the roster other than throw tens of millions of dollars at Joe Johnson, but I’m not hopeful now.
Benjamins
This is all about hiring on the cheap which is what the history of the Hawks is. No one with NBA head coaching experience would take a 3 year deal.
This is not Sund’s decision, it is the owners.
So does he make staff changes?
Let Ty Hill slide into his bench spot and keep things the same. That’ll be an interesting indicator.
well like THHB said
Drew knows what worked and what didn’t. he also knows strengths and weaknesses. his huge challenge will be to gain respect as the head coach and disciplining when needed. He seems too much of a nice guy to yell but you never know. I wanna know who the assistant Coach will be because he will need some help.
IF YOU CANT ACCEPT LOSING, YOU CANT WIN.
by Hawksgirl on Jun 12, 2010 10:06 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
BOW
Not sure exactly what to think about it, but I know like some other people said that sitting next to a guy and seeing his mistakes can be a great way to know where you need to improve.
The question is will he be an agent of change and will the players adjust to his new coaching style cause being an assistant and being a head coach are two completely different voices.
Hmm
The Hawks could have saved us all some time and heartache by just announcing that they would, indeed, retain Mike Woodson.
Casey probably could get more money because he's been a head coach before
you think Larry Drew could have gotten more than Casey?
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
ok do your thing
but there are too many signs that they went for the cheap. They’ve known Larry Drew since he got here, so why did they have to have second interviews with other coaches?
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
I think whatever happens with JJ will effect how good a coach Larry Drew is.
Either sign him, sign n trade, or use his money for quality FAs, trade their pick -n-a player to move up but do something. Don’t let Drew start his coach ing career with a hole the size of Joe Johnson to fill; if they do don’t have 50 win aspirations
Well...
I like it. He won’t be Woody. And even Phil Jackson was an assistant before he took over the Bulls. Give him a shot. Avery Johnson( fired), Byron Scott (fired 2x), Doc Rivers (fired)… You have to start somewhere.
Terry Stotts or Bob Weiss, really? If we hired Avery Johnson and still don’t have Joe, how good will we be? Drew knows this team. And word on the street is Josh is getting married. That just might mature him, even if it takes a few inches off his vertical…
" If ifs were fifths, we would all be drunk..."
Think before you write
And that’s what we don’t want…a couple of seasons or so of feeling around if Drew can be a head coach. We wanted someone who had done something at the pro head coaching level already.
…
Mark Jackson has as much head coaching experience as Drew (read: zero), but it would definitely had been a high profile hire and anything could have been possible.
If “anything is possible” with Mark Jackson, then why is that not an axiom you care to apply to Drew?
Face it.
You’re like most. You love the hype.
What Jackson would have brought was “high profile,” but b/c Drew isn’t “high profile,” he gets no such optimism. But coaches can be good or bad regardless of name recognition.
The success of the team over the next three years will have so much more to do with the rest of the decisions Rick Sund makes this off-season. The difference between Drew and any of the other candidates was just not that great. Get over it.
Well...
Omissions and context aside…well said! (and good to see you, sturt!)
I was saying in that excerpt you quote about Drew is that what we didn’t want is the same era that we endured with Terry Stotts (which I had just referenced), a coach who, while indeed making some of the changes that had to be made, was still short in other areas and ultimately not successful or retained.
With Johnson, Casey, and Jackson, I was stating the potential positives (and negatives) while obviously still including the knowledge that, like Drew, Jackson had an experience level of nil as a head coach.
I was flatly against the ultimate “hype” candidate, Avery Johnson, so apparently I didn’t love the hype enough.
I did say that “We don’t know for sure what Larry Drew will be as the Hawks coach, and we’re not compelled by it at all, but we’ll hope he can change those things which have hindered the Hawks and forced Woodson out and improve the Hawks chances in the playoffs.” That’s called optimism.
by The Human Highlight Blog on Jun 12, 2010 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
What?
Anyone who thinks that Casey would command the same price as Drew does not know anything about economics. Casey HAS NBA head coaching experience. Drew is a life long assistant.
There's not some kind of benchmarks to meet that get you more money
Tom Thibodeau Has roughly the same experience as Drew, yet he was given a much bigger salary. You have no legitimate reason the assume that Casey would have been given a significantly higher salary. And that is all you’re doing: ASSUMING.
The Reason
One of the reasons we have the sports teams we have in Atlanta is because some fans will accept anything the owners throw at them.
At some point it would be nice to see people who have higher standards and expectations.
I agree
These guys accept anything. Only time they want to put up a fight or argument is against a fellow blogger who does not see things there way. Woody should have never been fired if this is all the were going to do. Everyone on this site with the exclusion of maybe 5 people at most wanted Woody gone with no plan in hand. I was part of that 5 and you see why now. By the way, I think the hate for Woody was partly due to how that feeling was so promoting around here by the unspoken leader, HawksDawg and just like most people who aren’t real fans where is he now?
We had a plan
Fire Woody, get rid of him, replace him. Woody needed to leave and be gone. I don’t know if Drew is gonna be better than Woody, but I know we have a pretty good chance.
I swear
You have got to be the most selective reader I have ever come across. You constantly make baseless comments and contiually attack the writes of this blog (which, by the way, you are not one of therefore you are not a blogger, but simply one who comments on a blog site; when you decide to write a blog, please post a link so that we may all see the vast basketball knowledge you claim to have). The fact that you are still allowed to post here has got to be some kind of mistake.
Drew (HawksDawg) has been one of the most dedicated Hawks fans for as long as I have been reading his blogs. I’d be willing to bet that he has been to more games in a season than you have in your lifetime. Having accomplished something that many do not, Drew has moved on to another stage in his life. Just because he no longer writes on this blog, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a fan.
Debating an opinion is a lot of what goes on here, but with you there is no debate because you are so often just flat out wrong.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
by Jesse28 on Jun 14, 2010 8:08 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ummmm...
Does going to a game make someone a better fan? I’m just saying…..
" If ifs were fifths, we would all be drunk..."
Depends on one's view
I don’t think so but mainly because I live out of state and can’t go to many games. But this scrub didn’t say a better fan, he said a true fan. My comment was meant to show dedication to being a season ticket holder which imo proves that one is a ‘true fan’.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
I see...
But Jesse, I rarely go to the games. Watch as many as possible on TV. Been a true fan before Nique. I understand what you are saying, but having disposable income for tickets can’t be the determination of a true fan….
" If ifs were fifths, we would all be drunk..."
Not gonna judge the guy... I'll just say this.
Hawks are cheap….
Joe is a Beast
Al is a Beast
Smoove is a MONSTER!
You never know
People at Duke were pretty upset with the Coach K hire (and wanted him fired in 1983) before it turned out to be dynamite.
Let’s just hope he’s a better coach than Larry Drew II is a UNC PG.
As far as the ownership’s reasons, I think that yeah they are scared of change. But let’s face it, if I was the owner frankly after so many years of suckdom and losing money I’d like to ride the playoff wave; if not for league-wide respect and future free agent attraction, just for my sanity and money returns.
It’s easy to be greedy for a championship but let’s remember we’ve only been a .500 ball club for 2 years and while we get worse draft picks, just being a playoff team for a little while will make the owners actual profit for the first time (ergo ownership stability) and may yield fruit in attracting FAs (i.e. Ariza to Houston)
by coachkcastellon on Jun 12, 2010 9:13 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I agree
But according to reports before the season started, the ASG had lost over 25 mil per year for the last two years, playoffs included, so it’s not like they are making money just by being in the playoffs. I’ve said it before, but if you have to get a group together to own a pro sports franchise, you probably have no business owning one to begin with.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
Any jockey can ride a good horse!
Yeah. Any jockey can ride a good horse. Ask Phil Jackson. Get Larry Drew more quality players! You win with players. Sund, please find him a competitive point guard and a true center. If Joe leaves, Drew will be placed at a clear disavantage. I think the Hawks were on the right track with Mike Woodson. He got the best from a flawed team. Drew’s success depends on what Sund does in keeping Joe and adding a blockbuster player like LA did in securing Gasol and Boston in securing KG. Hmmmm. Who is out there?
by ruffruff_rooroo on Jun 12, 2010 9:45 PM EDT reply actions
so
Get Woody more quality players he had already won 53 with what he had. That makes no sense
by Truthspitter on Jun 13, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Woody team as far as it was gonna go...
with him being the head coach. When are yall gonna realize that Woody never had a true offensive and defensive strategy? He won 53 games mainly because of the talent the Hawks had, not because of coaching strategy. Give Drew a chance and we’ll see how the numbers look by the end of next season. My personal opinion is that the Hawks will fall off slightly for the next year or two and become elite afterwards.
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Jun 14, 2010 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions
also, other teams were young
experience made up for lack of strategies
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
Dammit, I gotta wake up this morning, lol
WOODY TOOK THE TEAM lol
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Jun 14, 2010 7:59 AM EDT reply actions
Even
Phil Jackson was fired from the CBA….Give Drew a shot. he paid his dues.
" If ifs were fifths, we would all be drunk..."
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