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| | Wednesday, July 12 Users agree, Hawks need more work | |||||
| ESPN.com We began our offseason team spotlights with the Atlanta Hawks and weren't sure what kind of responses we would get. After all, as the team's record and lagging attendance might suggest, would there be much interest in the Hawks? We didn't write very favorable things about the team that dealt for malcontent J.R. Rider and cut loose Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens, and we rated its future as less than enticing.
I watched most of the Hawks games last season and Lenny Wilkens was not the problem. General manager Pete Babcock was. Why would anyone want to trade away a solid player like Smitty (Steve Smith) for J.R. Rider? The only good thing that came out of the trade was getting Jimmy Jackson, who played very well for the Hawks. Cutting J.R. was the high point of the Hawks season. I feel getting a solid power forward like Maurice Taylor would help the Hawks out a lot in the upcoming season. Also, please get rid of Bimbo Coles, LaPhonso Ellis and Lorenzen Wright. Doing this alone will help the team. Matthew Toth Atlanta, Ga. The biggest mistake the Hawks made was trading Steve Smith and bringing in the selfish Isaiah Rider. Unfortunately, the wrong person was fired for that decision. Ori New York, N.Y. What's the difference between the Hawks and the Clippers? Both teams have a single star, lots of headaches, a disinterested hometown and unproven youth. I'll tell you the difference: The Clippers look a lot more promising right now. Jason Morry Pittsburgh, Pa. There comes a time when a team needs to scrap what assets they currently have and start from scratch. This is precisely my advice for the Hawks. However, the only problem with this philosophy is that they don't have that much to offer other teams. The only pawn they truly have is Dikembe Mutombo. I believe the best thing for Atlanta to do is to deal Mutombo (he's not getting any younger) for several players and/or draft picks. Portland and Phoenix seem to be the obvious choices, and Mutombo deserves a chance to win a title for his distinguished service with the Hawks. That's the only hope for this team in my opinion. Maybe in 2010 they'll be happy they did. Paul R. Jones College Park, Md. I see the Hawks as a major project. They do have some people that can play, but not enough horses to actually win. I felt they had a productive draft. With a little maturity, DerMarr Johnson is going to be a great one, and Hanno Mottola and Scoonie Penn were both outstanding college players. The key is getting everyone to play hard every night. With a projected starting lineup of Terry, Johnson, Jackson, Henderson and Mutombo, they have a decent first unit. But they have no bench and that is why they will again not make the playoffs. Rob Callahan Wilmington, N.C. Although the Hawks' short-term future looks mediocre at best, I think they did the right thing by initiating change. The team was never going to be the best with the Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith and Lenny Wilkens (although I am a huge fan of each). The mistake was in the way the changes were made and who we received for the talent we had. Lon Kruger is untested, and we could be cellar dwellers for years to come. But Mutombo is so good ... and with one bad year, a top-three first-round pick and a couple of free agent pickups -- Who knows?! Lee Whitworth Nashville, Tenn. The Hawks are definitely in the basement, and if something isn't done now they'll share the worst team in the league honors with the Clippers. However, a soon to be former Clipper, Mo Taylor, could change all that. Yeah, Taylor can't rebound and a lot of teams aren't interested because of that, but the Hawks would only need him to score. With Mutombo in the middle and Henderson coming off the bench they'd have a very good frontcourt. Add DerMarr Johnson to the mix and you've got a good team as long as Jason Terry continues to progress. Yeah, Johnson may be young, but that's why Kruger is a perfect fit. Helping Johnson further develop his game will make Kruger's transition to NBA coaching easier. If the Hawks get Taylor we could see a quick turnaround, but not enough to reach .500. Without Taylor, they could challenge their franchise record for worst team ever! Eric McKinney Orange Park, Fla. To build a winner, you have to think like a winner. That was the Braves' problem for years until the thinking and philosophy changed. The Hawks, for years, have tried to accomplish this feat without any success. It is almost a case of dart-board management, with Stan Kasten and his crew tossing thoughts into thin air hoping to land on the right decision. They thought Lenny Wilkens was the saving grace, but the lack of leadership and basic thinking above him was never there, thus leading to today's situation with the team. It is as if they expect this team to run itself. Personally, I believe the Hawks should cut their losses. They have a new, young coach and should take on the new "expansion" philosophy in the game. In other words, clean house, find some players who want to work hard and that the city can get behind. Personally, I don't care to see one person play on this year's roster. I would rather lose every game, trade the stars and load up on some lottery picks. Shannon Smallwood Albany, Ga. At least we have hockey in the city, too. Terry Owens Atlanta, Ga. One line in your article especially caught my attention: the strange Steve Smith trade. What were the Hawks thinking? You give up one of the most civic minded good guys in the league, who also just happens to be an all-star, for Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson. Give me a break. Sure Mookie Blaylock was getting a little long in the tooth, but Smith has at the very least five more productive years left in him. Maybe the Hawks wanted to get younger, but then shouldn't they have tried to get some first-rounders or young players rather than a cancer, and a good guy who's only real NBA feat was being part of the three J's in Dallas? Maybe the Hawks' front office just wanted to see someone beat the Lakers so they gave Portland their best player and took the Blazers' biggest headache off their hands. That's got to be it, right? How else do you explain it? Yeah, that's got to be the reason. Nate Johnson Dunlap, Tenn. This young team's roster is full of unproven talent and role players. No one on this team can be penciled in for 15-20 points every night. Jimmy Jackson is the best shooter they have and he has bounced around the league his entire career. That shows how valuable he really is as a shooter. The man in the middle (Mutombo) is their best overall player and has no real offensive game. If they are looking to rebuild around him they should take a page out of the Miami Heat plan and play a strong defensive game. But beware, even they have trouble getting past the first round in the playoffs because they have no legitimate outside scoring threat. Lon Kruger needs to find anyone who can put the ball in the hoop. This team will fight to win 15-22 games this year. Raleigh Johnson North Pole, Alaska The problem with the Hawks is that they don't make well-thought out changes and they are content with being mediocre. Do you know how many NBA guys live here during the offseason? A ton. A lot of them being free agents. The Hawks do nothing to entice these guys to play for the Hawks. I spoke to one guy and he said he would have loved to play for Hawks, but they didn't even try to talk to him. He now plays for a playoff team. Then when they do gamble, they do stupid things like give away an upstanding guy like Steve Smith for J.R. Rider. Everyone here in Atlanta knew that was a mistake from the day he got here. I blame Pete Babcock for the terrible team. He was the one who said Steve Smith would never see the end of his contract in Atlanta. All the talent sitting here in his backyard, he does nothing to cultivate it. He brings in these role players and expect fans to fill up Phillips Arena to watch at best a good CBA team? The Hawks need to get a superstar on their roster to fill up the seats and to build the team around him, like they did with Dominique Wilkins. Honestly, Ted Turner needs to put some heat on to get a real team out on the floor, and to take some chances, not bringing in one of the Rick Barry boys like they do every year. Christian Simms Atlanta, Ga. The negative impact of Isaiah Rider last season is often overlooked. I feel he was a huge part of why the Hawks played so poorly, whether he was on the floor or not. And it's pretty hard to motivate a team in next to last place a month into the season after cutting their marquee player. Jason Terry has yet to put it all together consistently -- when he does, his moments of flash and brilliance will transform him into a fantastic point guard. Without Rider, Jackson and Henderson are going to start putting up the numbers they're capable of. The Hawks' new roster was meant to emphasize youth and speed. But Lenny Wilkens refused to give the young guns playing time and kept to the old ways that never got the Hawks past the first round. Hopefully the new coach will allow the team to play the way it should. Matt Connolly Atlanta, Ga. I think the one player that everyone is overlooking is Dion Glover. He started getting his confidence back toward the end of the season. That is the same confidence that made him the ACC's leading scorer only two years ago. If Roshown McLeod ever stays healthy, he might be an impact player, but I say Dion Glover is going to be the big surprise this season. Bill Hightower Stone Mountain, Ga. I have lived in Atlanta all of my life and I have never been so embarrassed for a professional team. The fans in Atlanta already suck. What will it take for Pete Babcock and Stan Kasten to spend some money and get some talent on the team? We have a beautiful new arena and nobody to fill it. I am 100 percent sure that I could take the Hawks' financial situation and current players and make them a contender in three years. But, they would rather hire a college coach so the players can run all over him and make him resign at the end of the season. Thanks for letting me vent. Kevin Davis Atlanta, Ga. I've been an Atlanta Hawks fan since way back in 1986 when the team was exciting with players like Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb and Kevin Willis. The team was always able to score and made the playoffs year after year. After the Wilkins era, the Hawks still had shining stars like Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock that could play tough defense and still shoot the lights out on you. Unfortunately there was one thing that has prevented the Hawks from ever going far (besides the Chicago Bulls dynasty) and that is owner Ted Turner's unwillingness to spend any money on his basketball team. The fact of the matter is that the Hawks were once an explosive and exciting basketball team that I would watch every season game on TBS. Now, they are a small market team with no flash and no national exposure. I think that in the last three years the Hawks have had a regular season game shown nationally two or three times on TNT. So who would want to watch them now? Matt Volk St. Louis, Mo. This will definitely be at least a two-year rebuilding process, but the Hawks have solid young talent and a coach who understands the need for constant motivation with young players. With the cash they should have next summer, the Hawks could easily sneak back into the playoff picture by 2002. However, dead weights like Alan Henderson (maddeningly inconsistent), LaPhonso Ellis and Bimbo Coles need to be dropped to allow the younger talent to develop this season. Lorenzen Wright should be much more effective with more consistent PT under coach Lon Kruger. Mutombo is the anchor of this team -- if he stays positive and healthy, the playoffs in 2002 are not out of reach. Todd Ferguson Flowery Branch, Ga. I think getting rid of Lenny Wilkens was a good move. He is the type of coach who isn't able to evolve with the game, and has just been passed by. Put these young guys out on the court and let them play. There is a lot of talent on this team, however unpolished it may be, but they won't get any better sitting on the bench watching the older guys get pounded. Let 'em play!! Jerry Gann Warner Robins, Ga. I've been a Hawks fan all my life. I was raised on 'Nique and coach Fratello. The Hawks' management, however, is as bad as the management for the Chicago Cubs. It started when they jilted 'Nique for the injury prone Danny Manning back in the early-90's. Lenny Wilkens was the best thing to ever happen to this club. Instead of firing him, they should have beheaded the GM and banned Stan Kasten from ever stepping foot in Phillips Arena. Trading Smith and Blaylock for Rider has got to be one of the biggest blunders in the history of the NBA. I'm not confident Atlanta will be a good team anytime soon. Nathaniel Greene Auburn, Ala. | ALSO SEE Offseason spotlight: Atlanta Hawks Offseason spotlight index | |||||
