Atlanta Hawks

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports The Atlanta Hawks are looking at head coaching candidates even though they haven’t fired Larry Drew yet. There is a name that has popped up during this search that is very interesting if not odd to me. The name Ettore Messina has arisen as a potential candidate. Messina has been a coach overseas for a long time and was a consultant for Mike Brown with the Los Angeles Lakers before, but I’m not a big fan of this idea. I know that a lot of the NBA players these days are coming from overseas and Europe especially, but I’m not positive that you want a coach who doesn’t have NBA head coaching experience to be leading your team. Messina is 53 years old and has been a coach in Italy, Russia and Spain since 1989. While he does have the one year of being a consultant, the idea still strikes me as odd. He has won the Euroleague title four times, but I don’t look much into those stats. It is likely going to be a completely different organization next season with whoever is coaching this team. It could be Drew or Messina or some other candidate, but things will be different. There will likely be no Josh Smith and who knows how long Al Horford is going to stick around if the team doesn’t go anywhere. There will be more rumors about the Atlanta coaching staff and Messina’s name will continue to come up until a final decision is made. Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.

As we get approach the 2013 NBA Draft, we are reaching out to local experts to help us scout some of the players the Hawks may take in the first round.  We had Zach Bell from SB Nation’s The Slipper Still Fits help us scout Gonzaga center Kelly Olynyk. What are his strengths? Weaknesses? Kelly’s main strength and the reason he is being discussed as a potential lottery pick is his versatility. He can score from any spot on the floor and has a tremendous knack for putting himself in the right position on offense. A very underrated facet of his game is how well he moves off the ball and how aggressively he moves toward the basket. A lot of this can be attributed to Mark Few’s offensive sets which force players to consistently be on the move, which brought out the best in Kelly. Because of his phenomenal skill set, he’s insanely efficient. He shot 63 percent from the floor last season and scored about 18 points per game in just 26 minutes. I would say as it relates to the NBA, his main weakness is his lack of explosiveness. Many Gonzaga fans were underwhelmed by his rebounding ability last season, and it is somewhat justified. While he is remarkably athletic for his size, he never really showed the ability to become a dominant rebounder as he averaged just seven boards per game in the West Coast Conference. Similarly, their are concerns about his defensive presence, especially against physical competition. While Gonzaga has produced outstanding offensive players (Adam Morrison, Austin Daye for example), their lack of physicality on the defensive end has really impacted their NBA careers, so it will be interesting to see how that plays into Olynyk’s stock. What did he add to his team in college? What do you think he’ll bring to an NBA team? He was the main reason for Gonzaga’s remarkable regular season success last year. Most don’t realize Olynyk’s unreal rise to prominence and how rare a story like his is. He played two very mediocre seasons at Gonzaga prior to taking a redshirt season and then absolutely exploded last year. No one saw it coming, and he took a very solid Gonzaga team to a whole new level. Many, including myself, expected him to play a small role on the team last year, and he proved to be the most consistent force on the Gonzaga roster. Whatever NBA team selects Olynyk will be getting a scary offensive contributor that is still improving. As a possible lottery pick, Olynyk is already very polished, but he is still getting used to being a big man. He will absolutely improve defensively in the NBA if he continues working like he did in college, and I truly think the sky is the limit for him. What kind of style is he best suited for? As I said in the first answer, Mark Few’s style suited Kelly so well. A fluid offense that allows their big men to put the ball on the deck and attack the rim is what Kelly needs. He is also tremendous and running the floor which is why a system like Denver’s jumps out to me. If Kelly is chosen by a team that wants to run out the shot clock each time down the floor and simply use him with his back to the basket in the low post, I don’t think he will find much success. He can absolutely make an impact in a slower offense, but he can truly star in a fast-paced system. What sets him apart from other draft prospects at his position? Kelly’s biggest asset in this draft is that he possesses an already refined skill set and a high ceiling for improvement. Looking around at the rest of the big men in this draft, I don’t think anyone is better than Kelly in this regard. Guys like Nerlens Noel have massive potential, but there are questions about when they will actually impact the game offensively. On the other side of the spectrum, you have players like Mason Plumlee and Cody Zeller who I would argue don’t have a very high ceiling in the NBA. They will likely both be solid career players, but the potential for star

The NBA's free agent period is a little more than a month away and the rumors surrounding Dwight Howard are starting to swirl once again. CBSSports.com's Ken Berger names the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks as two of several teams that Howard will take a hard look at in free agency this summer. Howard plans to explore all such options, and a person briefed on his plans told CBSSports.com that there are "several" teams the free-agent center is "going to take a hard look at." The Atlanta Hawks aren't mentioned anywhere in the article but there is little doubt that general manager will be in touch with Howard's agents minutes after the free agency period opens. The Rockets are the hottest name out there right now but would have to make a couple of minor moves to be able to sign Howard. The same applies to the Mavericks' situation who would have to dump a player or two to be able to give Howard a max offer. Atlanta will have enough room to offer Howard a max deal when free agency opens. The Los Angeles Lakers are still favored to keep Howard by virtue of being able to offer him a more lucrative contract than any other team. However, Berger points out a scenario where a four-year deal might be beneficial to Howard. But Howard is only 27, and barring a career-ending injury, he'll clearly get one more max deal after this one. A four-year deal with an opt-out after three years, for example, would in some ways be preferable to Howard because he'd hit the open market again at age 30 and could then secure his five-year max deal. Howard had back surgery prior to last season and played with a torn labrum for much of the season so the injury risk will have to be weighed by his camp but if healthy he should have no trouble maintaining a max level for the duration of his next contract. The Atlanta Hawks have been thought of as a longshot to land Howard who has not shown any indication that he desires to play for his hometown team. Ferry's job when free agency opens will be to sell Howard on his vision of the Atlanta Hawks going forward. Ferry will have to convince Howard not just to come home but that home is the place where he can win a championship.

To the Bulldogs fans who watched their games last year, just wondering what their thoughts are on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? Having a look at his scouting report on Draft Express, the one word that comes to mind about his game (for me at least) is 'potential'. From the scouting video, it looks like he has the ability to hit the big shot, and well and truly has NBA 3-point range. His ability to finish in transition is also impressive, as well is his anticipation in the passing lanes. On the negative side, he seems to make poor decisions offensively, and his lack of ball handling skills seems to limit his ability to get to the bucket. Defensively, it seems the decision making comes into play again, with gambling in playing the passing lanes leading to blown assignments. Also, his lack of effort in fighting through screens was a bit disappointing. Personally, I think if he can improve his decision making and ball handling, and stay in front of his man at the defensive end that he could be a a starter in the NBA and someone with the ability to create his own shot. Right now, he looks like a poor man's Andre Iguodala. Would like to gather people's thoughts on his game, and see if anyone thinks he might be worth investing a 1st round pick on. To the Bulldogs fans who watched their games last year, just wondering what their thoughts are on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? Having a look at his scouting report on Draft Express, the one word that comes to mind about his game (for me at least) is 'potential'. From the scouting video, it looks like he has the ability to hit the big shot, and well and truly has NBA 3-point range. His ability to finish in transition is also impressive, as well is his anticipation in the passing lanes. On the negative side, he seems to make poor decisions offensively, and his lack of ball handling skills seems to limit his ability to get to the bucket. Defensively, it seems the decision making comes into play again, with gambling in playing the passing lanes leading to blown assignments. Also, his lack of effort in fighting through screens was a bit disappointing. Personally, I think if he can improve his decision making and ball handling, and stay in front of his man at the defensive end that he could be a a starter in the NBA and someone with the ability to create his own shot. Right now, he looks like a poor man's Andre Iguodala. Would like to gather people's thoughts on his game, and see if anyone thinks he might be worth investing a 1st round pick on.

Tim Fuller – USA Today Sports Images The Atlanta Hawks are going to have an eventful summer, especially in regards to NBA Free Agency. That all starts because they have a great number of players that will become free agents this off-season. Because of that, they will have to do a lot of work and make a good deal of signings to build a quality team for next season. They will likely lose Josh Smith to unrestricted free agency and they are more than likely going to re-sign point guard Jeff Teague without thinking twice about it. However, it will be the other moves that require a little more though and will be a little more up for debate by the organization and the talking heads. One move that they should consider making is re-signing Kyle Korver. Korver had a nice year this past season for the Hawks. He played in 74 games during the regular season and played 30.5 minutes per game. He averaged 10.9 points, four rebounds, two assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and a fantastic 45.7 percent from beyond-the-arc. There’s no question that Korver maintained his reputation as one of the best outside shooters in the league this year and also proved that, although he’s not great, that he’s a much improved defender and less of a liability in that regard. He has real value, especially to a team like the Hawks that are going to need to fill roles. They can always use an elite shooter and Korver undoubtedly fits that bill. Korver made $5 million last season and will likely make around the same amount of money next year, give or take. If that’s the price tag that the Hawks have to pay, that’s more than worth it to enlist Korver’s services. Korver has expressed interest in staying in Atlanta for the future and it seems like the right move for the organization would be to appease him. Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.

Larry Drew remains under contract with the Atlanta Hawks but the team is actively pursuing other candidates to fill the role next season. Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry met with the media on Saturday as part of the Hawks' exit process. During his talk, he discussed the status of his head coach Larry Drew and said that he would take some time before deciding whether to bring back Drew or begin a coaching search. "We're going to take some time, give it some distance, give it some space from the season, from the playoffs, from the emotions of that," Ferry said on the practice court at Philips Arena. "Then we'll make decisions that we feel are best in the short-term and long-term interests of the team." Ferry is expected to rebuild the Hawks from the ground up with a roster that essentially includes three players who are under contract for next season. That could include Drew with whom he inherited after taking over for Rick Sund last summer. Drew helped guide the Hawks to a 44-38 mark during the regular season and is 128-102 in three seasons with Atlanta. The Hawks have made the playoffs in all three seasons and upset the Orlando Magic in the first round in 2010. Atlanta has been ousted in the first round the last two seasons by the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. "I thought we had a really good season given what our circumstances were. They weren't the best," Drew said. "Whether I'm back here or not, I don't know. The one thing I will say is I've had a great run here."

Apr 16, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks shooting guard John Jenkins (12) pulls up for a shot over Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Raptors won 113-96. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports John Jenkins, AKA J-Lo, made a name for himself with Hawks fans around mid-March when he dropped four double digit scoring outputs in about two weeks of play. In case you’ve been under a rock for the entire season, here’s a little more information on John Logan Jenkins. Author’s Note: I know what you’re thinking, reader… “A rock?! Who does this Barnes guy think he is? I’ve already paid off my mortgage!” If that’s not the case, well, I hope you enjoy this anyway. Carry on. At the end of the 2011-2012 season, I was looking forward to the draft. As my first draft as an obsessed Hawks fan, I took it upon myself to do as much research as possible on every player that was projected to wiggle through David Stern’s lips when he says, “With the 23rd pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, the ‘Atlaynta Hahwks’ select ____________.” Naturally, I googled “NBA Mock Draft 2012″ and found myself jumping around several draft specific websites. After watching old games on my WatchESPN app, YouTube scouting reports, and workout videos, I was enamored with several players. Jeffrey Taylor, Tony Wroten Jr, Fab Melo, Jared Cunningham, Festus Ezeli, and many others made their way onto my iPad’s screen as I analyzed their games like I knew how to at the time: smile at pretty basketball. But then life threw me a curveball and the Hawks hired Danny Ferry. Should that have affected my scouting? Probably not, except for the fact that he traded away (my hero dream-killer) Joe Johnson and (my other hero) Marvin Williams (Who am I kidding? Even Utah is tired of Marvin already.) I was sent through a metaphorical loop and I had no clue who the Hawks would draft. Talk about a wild June, eh? On draft night, I sat on pins and needles (literally just kidding, I own a couch) as I anxiously awaited David Stern to call out the 23rd pick. My mind was all over the place. “Please Jeffrey Taylor. Please Jeffrey Taylor. Please Jeffrey Taylor,” I pleaded as the commish approached the podium. I loved his work at Vanderbilt and I thought he would fit in well after the recent acquisition of Lou Williams (who was I kidding?). “With the 23rd pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, the ‘Atlaynta Hahwks’ select John Jenkins from Vanderbilt.” My head was buried in my hands. “What did Ferry just do! Wait, who is this guy?” I realized that I had never heard of John Jenkins, much less “scouted” him. I had so many questions running through my head. “Is he good? Can he shoot (stupid question)? How did I not notice him in Vanderbilt games? Is he really a first-round pick?” If I remember right, Tom Penn of ESPN led off the Pick No. 23 “coverage” by mentioning how teams late in the first-round tend to lean toward specialists, from shooters to rim protectors to defensive specialists. Well, we certainly grabbed a specialist alright. And, as of right now, I couldn’t be happier. Now that we’re done with my attempt at creative writing, let’s dig into J-Lo’s game, shall we? The Henderson, Tennessee native had a solid rookie season in the league. He averaged 6.1 points and 14.8 minutes a game. Think that’s not very good? Put him in a starting role and have him play 36 minutes and his points bump up to 14.9 a game. His shooting percentages weren’t stupendous, but he proved that his stroke is gorgeous and I have complete faith in him to work on his game this offseason and make any small tweaks he thinks he needs. Speaking of this offseason, where does J-Lo go from here? I recently came across this brief piece from David Thorpe of ESPN.com an

Atlanta Hawks rookie Mike Scott was back home in Virginia on Saturday to visit his old high school and sign autographs at a Norfolk Foot Locker. While there, Scott talked about his transition to the NBA and admitted that it wasn't always a smooth ride. "At first you're thinking you'll play a lot, and you came from a college where you played a lot., you're the man, and actually that's not what it is," recalled Scott, "It's a big transition. You want to start over, take your time and basically learn your role." Scott also discussed his trip to the D-League and how at first a demotion to the NBA's minor league system can be seen as a negative by a player. "At first, I was like, 'Man, do they not think I can play?' But that was just the immaturity," Scott said, "(The D-league) was basically to get down there and get some playing time, have fun and play. "At the same time I went down there, I took care of business." By all accounts Scott was a class act during his rookie season and depending on what moves are made this offseason seems like a good bet to return to the Hawks next season. Currently his contract for next season is non-guaranteed. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 40 games with the Hawks in 2013. His quote about playing time provides a great insight into the thinking of a lot of players coming from college to the NBA. They are so used to playing and seeing things work out for them throughout high school and college that it is a bit of a jolt once they reach the NBA. That was where Scott's good work ethic appeared to pay off with the Hawks.

I discussed the Hawks upcoming offseason and the potential coaching and roster changes that could be on the horizon on the Mike Sammond show on 92.9 The Game. We discussed the coaching search, possible free agents, Jeff Teague and Josh Smith's future, and the possibilities of Dwight Howard and/or Chris Paul coming to Atlanta. You can listen here to my appearance here. Exit Question: What coach and free agents do you think will be/want to be on the Hawks' bench next season?

I just read an article that advocated it was time the Kings moved on from Cousins and his problems and traded him away. Do you think it is a worthwhile gamble to trade for Cousins? That would mean thinking that Atlanta can get beyond his attitude and behavior problems and that he is good enough to endure the risk that they may not. I'm not suggesting trading Al Horford, but I am suggesting both our 1st round picks in this year's draft. It's likely that those picks would have at least landed a prospect big. It is important to note that you'd have just 1 year of rookie contract time with DeMarcus before you'd have to decide whether he's worthy of a big contract. This is a hypothetical exercise. Don't get hung up if you think that the 2 mid-round firsts aren't enough to get the trade done. Just assume they are for the sake of this discussion. Also, what coaching hire would be best to get a talented, but messed up big guy to fly right and reach his potential? I just read an article that advocated it was time the Kings moved on from Cousins and his problems and traded him away. Do you think it is a worthwhile gamble to trade for Cousins? That would mean thinking that Atlanta can get beyond his attitude and behavior problems and that he is good enough to endure the risk that they may not. I'm not suggesting trading Al Horford, but I am suggesting both our 1st round picks in this year's draft. It's likely that those picks would have at least landed a prospect big. It is important to note that you'd have just 1 year of rookie contract time with DeMarcus before you'd have to decide whether he's worthy of a big contract. This is a hypothetical exercise. Don't get hung up if you think that the 2 mid-round firsts aren't enough to get the trade done. Just assume they are for the sake of this discussion. Also, what coaching hire would be best to get a talented, but messed up big guy to fly right and reach his potential?