Atlanta Hawks

The rumors have started and they won’t slow down any time soon. An option in the Hawks’ head coaching search lies with Brian Shaw, a current assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers (or to Hawks fans, the enemies). Odds are high that Danny Ferry will drag on the interview process until after the Pacers are eliminated from the playoffs (Go get ‘em Heat!). Here’s a bit of what AJC’s Jeff Schultz wrote about Brian Shaw: Shaw has been respected since his days as an assistant under Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers and was considered to be Jackson’s replacement before they hired Mike Brown (that didn’t end well). He is expected to be a candidate for a few NBA coaching vacancies (including Detroit, where Jackson currently is a consultant). But the Pacers have declined to let teams talk to him until after their season. (If you’re looking ahead, Game 4 of the Miami-Indiana series is next Tuesday, May 28.) Thanks for those words, Jeff. It’ll be an interesting few weeks to start off the Hawks offseason and the first move to be made will likely be the hiring of a new head coach. Will it be Brian Shaw? Stay tuned.

May 5, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy argues a call during the second quarter of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports The stout mustachioed one will not be sitting on the bench in Philips Arena next season. Stan Van Gundy has decided against coaching in the NBA for the 2013-14 campaign. He spent last season away from the Association and will do the same for the foreseeable future. He even admitted that “there’s a possibility he’ll never coach again”. The rest of SVG’s quotes are equally jarring: “We love where we’re living and quite honestly it would be hard for us to leave Central Florida. … As much as I would like to be back in coaching, we’re all real happy here. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but for right now we’ve decided not to pursue anything. […] It is possible [that I never coach again] and that scares me. Coaching is all I’ve ever done and all I know.” Van Gundy’s NBA resume includes two stops as head coach in Miami and Orlando, where he made the playoffs in all eight seasons from 2003-2012, including a championship in Miami (after he was removed from his position for Pat Riley in 2006), and a championship appearance with Orlando in 2009. He has had incredible success throughout his entire coaching career posting an astounding 64.1% (371-208) winning percentage. This leaves Nate McMillan and Mike Budenholzer as the only two head coaching candidates the Hawks have interviewed so far, excluding Van Gundy. Like SVG, McMillan has had an amount of success as a head coach in his career, whereas Budenholzer has been an assistant of Gregg Popovich in San Antonio for almost two decades. Larry Drew is still technically under contract with Atlanta until June 30, but both sides seem to be moving in different directions for next season. Drew has already interviewed with the Milwaukee Bucks and told the media it “went well.” He also reportedly has a lot of interest in the Philadelphia 76ers head coaching position. Drew himself said he “didn’t like the odds” of him being retained in Atlanta. It certainly seems we’ll see a new face leading the Hawks next season. However, no one has a clue who it will be, possibly not even Danny Ferry.

The Atlanta Hawks still don't have a head coach and if you believe Ettore Messina the report of him leaving CSKA Moscow for the NBA are just rumors. Messina told R-Sport on Friday that the reported meeting between himself and Danny Ferry was just a rumor. "They're rumors," said the Italian-born Messina. "It's meaningless to talk about rumors." Now there is a couple of ways to look at this. Messina has two years remaining on his contract with CSKA and may not want to fuel the hype of his departure. Its also possible that nothing came from the meeting and both sides have moved on. Yahoo Sports originally reported that Ferry had spoken with Messina about the job after scouting him at the Euroleague Final Four. Updates have been scarce on the Hawks coaching search from the beginning. It was rumored that Stan Van Gundy was at the top of the list and was interviewed but he later indicated that he would not be returning to the sideline next season. Mike Budenholzer is viewed as the favorite if the Hawks can pry him away from the Spurs organization. There are likely other names in the search but Ferry and the organization are playing things extremely close to the vest.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports Travis Outlaw will be keeping an eye on the draft to see which direction the Sacramento Kings take in terms of talent. Outlaw showed the Kings what he’s got as a 6-foot-9 forward late in the season. Whether or not it’s too late for him to gain a spot for the Kings’ roster next season remains to be seen, but Outlaw did have a strong enough finish that some team in the NBA is likely to pick him up. He saw action in the team’s 38 games and started twice, averaging 11.7 minutes per game with 5.3 points and 1.6 rebounds. He shot 41.8 percent from the floor, 28 percent in threes and 31 percent in free throws. His numbers have dipped considering his career marks are at 21.4 minutes, 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds a game along with 42. 5 percent shooting from the floor. But it was the last three games of the regular season when Outlaw was trying to tell the Kings that when they look for new talent, they need to remember that he’s still around. He had 17 points and four assists while playing 27 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers in the season finale. In the second to the last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was 6-of-11 from the floor and had 15 points in 24 minutes of action. He also had 15 points the game previous to that against the Houston Rockets. Outlaw has had solid seasons with previous NBA teams, but the Kings won’t keep him for that reason alone. He needs to have a strong offseason and show that he’s worth keeping.

Jerry Lai – USA Today Sports Images Atlanta Hawks General Manager Danny Ferry has made it very clear to the rest of the organization and the media that he has plans to blow things up with this team and go forward in a new direction. The first of their major moves happened last off-season when they made one of the bigger trades in the NBA by sending away Joe Johnson. The Hawks are also likely going to continue to move on by letting their longtime power forward Josh Smith walk in unrestricted free agency. Though it’s clear that they are headed in a different way for the future, it’s unclear to what extent they are going to do so beyond keeping Al Horford around and likely Jeff Teague as well. That being said, the 2013 NBA Draft is going to be huge for Atlanta. Not only do they have two picks back-to-back in the first round, but they will also need to select players that they can add to their roster and can potentially make an impact on the team for the new future. Luckily for them, they will have the opportunity to select players with a good deal of upside considering where they will be drafting. One need that they will be able to address in the draft is adding depth to their frontcourt. They won’t have a shot at selecting a potential All-Star like Nerlens Noel or anything, but they do have options in that area. Mason Plumlee, Rudy Gobert, Gorgui Dieng and Jeff Withey are all specialized big men that are currently projected to be available when they pick, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get a player out of that group. Though their backcourt is relatively deep, they could still use some added depth on the wing. With their other pick in the first round, the Hawks should be able to grab someone like a Jamaal Franklin or Allen Crabbe. They could also make a potential reach for someone like Glen Rice Jr. or Tim Hardaway Jr. Whichever way they go, they will be able to add someone with a lot of potential on the wing. Atlanta will have to be savvy in the 2013 Draft, especially considering the current state of the franchise and how they are looking to move forward. They have options where they will be selecting and have two picks in the first round. Though it’s still possible, it’s going to be hard for them to foul this up. Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.

It’s no mystery that the Hawks GM Danny Ferry is looking to change the culture of this Atlanta Hawks team, I think it was pretty obvious with the huge trade last season with the departure of long time Hawks Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams.  In this case, Ferry is looking to move on from Larry Drew and bring in someone that is new and yet distinguished into this organization as a head coach.  In an earlier article Wes mentions some of the coaching options for this off-season and one of the big ones is San Antonio Spurs head assistant coach Mike Budenholzer. For those that don’t know Mike Budenholzer is the head assistant coach for he San Antonio Spurs and obviously has connections with Danny Ferry seeing as they have both worked for the Spurs organization for the couple of years.  Mike has been as assistant coach for the Spurs since the 96-97 season and the top assistant since the 07-08 season. According to multiple reports, Budenholzer is the lead candidate and favored to end up in Atlanta. Outside of Van Gundy, Mike Budenholzer is the coach that I am really hoping the Hawks get.  If he is anything like multiple coach of the year award winner Mike Popovich, then we are getting a steal and a great person to lead our Hawks.  This would be great for Atlanta since he is bringing in a winning culture into the locker room that has never really had and star-power as of late.  The only problem I would assume that many see is that he is another assistant coach being brought in to be a head coach since we have done the same with both Larry Drew and Mike Woodson.  The difference to me is that he is coming from a completely different organization and the players will not be as familiar with him.  In addition, in worst case scenario and the Hawks are forced to rebuild this upcoming off season, this hire would be great having a knowledgeable young coach to grow with the young team he will be taking on. Mike Budenholzer is a very strong candidate for the Atlanta Hawks and is this writers favorite amongst the pool of available coaches this off season.  From the outside looking in, he has a lot of strengths and if Ferry is trying to make the Hawks into what he wants and follow the Spurs blueprint, then this is a great start.  My only fear is that Budenholzer will not come because he will probably be the likely candidate once the Popovich era is over.  Still though, there is still hope that Hawks and Danny Ferry will gain his interest.

ESPN NBA analyst Chris Broussard is reporting that NBA insiders expect San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer to be Danny Ferry's choice as the next head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Budenholzer has been a part of the Spurs organization since the 1994 season. Elsewhere, the Charlotte Bobcats really like Quin Snyder, who spent last season assisting CSKA Moscow. Snyder was viewed as a favorite last season, and sources say Bobcats GM Rich Cho wanted to hire him over the recently fired Mike Dunlap. Many league insiders believe Spurs longtime assistant Mike Budenholzer will be Danny Ferry's choice in Atlanta. Updates on the Hawks coaching search have been scarce and the local media seems to be more tuned into Larry Drew's eventual destination than who will be replacing him in Atlanta. It was previously reported that the Hawks had interviewed Stan Van Gundy for the position but he later denied interviewing with anybody. Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson and Euroleague legend Ettore Messina have been other names that have been mentioned but Ferry's list of candidates is largely unknown. There is a chance that Ferry is waiting to speak with Brian Shaw of the Pacers since Indiana has not allowed him to speak with any teams until after the playoffs are over. Budenholzer is a strong candidate but the problem may be trying to pry him from the Spurs where he is the likely successor to Gregg Popovich. Ferry is trying to remake the Hawks into his own image and the Spurs blueprint will be a heavy influence. Perhaps that will be enough to peak Budenholzer's interest.

NBADraft.net has released their latest mock up of the 2013 NBA Draft and it looks a little different than some of the other sites. For example Kansas guard Ben McLemore is projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel sliding to No. 2. Going big is a popular theory for the Atlanta Hawks but NBADraft.net goes a step further with Danny Ferry taking a couple of center prospects in Duke's Mason Plumlee and Brazilian big man Lucas Nogueira. Plumlee has been a popular name for the Hawks among draft pundits. His good showing at the Draft Combine has seemed to solidify Plumlee as a first-round prospect at least heading into individual workouts. With back to back picks the surprise playoff team, Atlanta Hawks address their frontcourt with Mason Plumlee. Plumlee was one of the surprises in college this year, but may slip to the teens due to his case of "senior-itis" Similar to last year with Tyler Zeller, younger prospects with more perceived upside may ultimately push the senior into the second half of the first round. He added some offensive skills around the basket, and played the year with surprising consistency. He is a better version of his brother Miles who somehow landed in the late first round in 2012. While he's not overly skilled in the post, he shows nice explosiveness, runs the floor well and shows a willingness to fight for rebounds and play tough in the paint. In such a weak draft, Plumlee figures to land in the teens. Here is another scouting video from DraftExpress on Plumlee: Lucas Nogueira is a name that I originally wasn't familiar with but I think he would be a stretch to be picked this high in the first round. Nogueira is 20 years old and stands 6-11 but is relatively light at a listed weight of 220 pounds. Here is what NBADraft.net had to say about him: Bebe gives the Hawks the opportunity to bring him in right away or allow him to dvelop for another season in Spain. Nogueira is extremely raw, but players with his size and agility are rare. He had a breakout performance at the Copa America U18 tournament in 2010 and some NBA scouts came away saying he had top 5 pick potential. He lost most of that hype with a dreadful showing at the 2011 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, but has a huge bounce back season playing in Spain for Estudiantes. "Bebe" developed a reputation for being soft and lazy, but this season he showed dedication and maturity that had been lacking from his game. For him, it's just a matter of becoming more aggressive and maintaining his focus. Bebe has proven himself in the ACB, Europe's best national league and has become our top International prospect for this year's draft. Here is a DraftExpress interview from the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit with Nogueira:

We have looked closely at some of the prospects that are being projected to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013 NBA Draft. DraftExpress has released its full mock up of both rounds of the 2013 NBA Draft and project two familiar names to the Atlanta Hawks. With the No. 17 pick, DraftExpress predicts the Hawks will select Duke center Mason Plumlee. We previously discussed Plumlee on a couple of occasions but everyone pretty much thinks that Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry will be drawn to the athletic big man. DraftExpress also projects San Diego State guard Jamaal Franklin to the Hawks with the No. 18 pick. The Atlanta Hawks will also own two second round selections and DraftExpress is one of the few sites that releases a full mock up of both rounds. They project the Hawks to select Lithuanian guard Nimanja Nedovic. Nedovic is 6-4 and has a reported 41 inch vertical jump who excels in transition. Here is DraftExpress scouting report on Nedovic: With pick No. 50, Atlanta is slotted to take Minnesota power forward Trevor Mbakwe. As a senior with the Gopers, Mbakwe averaged 10 points and 8.7 rebounds. He checks in at 6-8 and 236 pounds. He is a rare six year college player after being awarded another year of eligibility after suffering a torn ACL as a redshirt senior. Here is Mbakwe's draft combine interview courtesy of DraftExpress:

From the Hawks official website, Micah Hart brings us excellence, beginning with this: Twenty-five years ago on May 22, 1988, two Hall of Famers staged what is widely considered to be the greatest one-on-one battle in NBA Playoff history. In a game that lingers in the minds of NBA fans everywhere (and seemingly can be seen on NBA TV at any given time), Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird put on a show nonpareil, a can-you-top-this clinic of offensive basketball that captivated all involved spectators -- players and coaches included. This is the story of that afternoon. "It's a duel. Who's going to blink first?" -- CBS analyst Tommy Heinsohn Micah gets all the principles to talk about it: Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird, Doc Rivers, Mike Fratello, Steve Holman, everyone who was a part of it -- yes, including Cliff Levingston -- chimes in to tell the story of the biggest "One That Got Away" in on-court Hawks history. Be sure to take it all in, if you can stomach re-living the pain for those who were there, and then come on back to discuss. Awesome work, Micah (and the rest of the contributors listed) -- thank you!