Posted by: Peter D. on May 28, 2008 2:19PM EST I think it is a good hire. 30 years of experience. Has been around rebuilding and young teams he has been.

Posted by: JB on May 28, 2008 3:17PM EST Thank God, they did not choose anyone from the current staff. I hope the idiots, known as the Atlanta Spirit, have finally made a good pick.

Posted by: William Byrd on May 28, 2008 3:29PM EST On paper it seems like an excellent pick. I hope that Rick Sund resigns Josh Smith and Josh Childress, and draft a center that will allow Al Hortford to move to his natural position of power forward. This would make the Atlanta Hawks a serious contender in the Eastern Conference, and possibly division winners.

Posted by: JJ on May 28, 2008 3:48PM EST this guy sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Hoosier on May 28, 2008 3:58PM EST We will soon know what kind of GM he is going to be here. If he fires Woodson, and hires his own people, then that will be a good start. If not, then he was just hired to be a YES man.

Posted by: Spider on May 28, 2008 3:59PM EST He can't screw up the draft, since they have no pick.

Posted by: darrell starks on May 28, 2008 4:22PM EST unbelievable this franchise sucks we wont a championship so bad we just took a step back. gm should have been dominique wilkins and the coach avery johnson easy as 123

Posted by: We will see on May 28, 2008 4:38PM EST I will know if he is the guys by the moves he need to make in the next few days. Sign Josh Smith for sure and maybe J-Chill. Fire Woodson and package Marvin with Zsa-Zsa or J-Chill and get a servicable center in the draft so Al can get to his natural position.

Posted by: S TONY on May 28, 2008 5:35PM EST Sign & trade Josh Smith to the Clippers for Chris Kaman or to Charlotte for Emeka Okafor and some other throw in to make it equal. Josh Smith is not a max $$ player and it sounds as if that's what he thinks he's worth. I'd be willing to pay him 75-80 cents on the dollar as it relates to max $$, but no more at all. He stuffs the stat sheet for 3 quarters and 4 minutes, and then disappears after that.

Posted by: jmill on May 28, 2008 5:56PM EST ajc said one of the canidates for gm was steve smith..that man knows this team upside down and backwards..he knows what we need and he should have been given a shot...i too believe avery johnson should be coach...our playoff run was strictly because of our players raw talent...woodson has no idea..also chris caman is not worth josh smith...keep smith and package marvin and salim and someone else for maybe tyson chandler or sign biedrins he'll be a free agent..get rid of marvin tho..his only game is shooting those stupid midrange jumpers that he sometimes hits..get chandler!

Posted by: bballer on May 28, 2008 5:57PM EST We need change of course. I will not put the jury out on him as yet, but his first couple of decisions may make or break him with our Atlanta Fans. Must secure a center and get rid of a guard or two and one of our 6'9-6'10 which is the rest of the team. Marvin yes tradebait, J-Smooth not yet. No max deal if possible but definitly worth another 3 years to see if he can develop a consistant jump-shot.

Posted by: J who? on May 28, 2008 6:16PM EST It's incredible we have people even consider getting rid of Josh Smith. The man does have some shot selection issues, but he's part of the solution, not the problem. He's going to continue to get better. The Atlanta Spirit should pay (not max/hometown discount), we have the 2nd lowest team salary in the NBA. The only thing that hinders this thing from already being done is this ownership debacle. Shot selection can be learned, blocking shots and getting the fans excited can't. How many Joe Johnson three's get the crowd off their seat. The bottom line is we can afford to keep Smith and get additional pieces. In my opinion the biggest question mark is Marvin Williams, trade him for a mid/late 1st round pick. Secondarily, fire Mike Woodson. I thought the coach brings the team together. He continually alienates Smith, Stoudemire, and Law and stunts their growth and potential. When Stoudemire leaves he'll be a steady contributer if not starter for any other team in the league who knows how to develop talent. Law played well up to the wrist injury then the coach kept him on the bench after the injury was healed effectively evaporating what confidence was built. The man has identity issues, lets be a psuedo defensive/offensive up tempo, slow it down, and give it to Joe offense. Woodson already wants to be gone and everyone should have recognized it, didn't you see his resume on display during the playoffs? It was on his left hand in the form of a Pistons Championship ring........what a loser.

Posted by: Ben on May 28, 2008 7:25PM EST I hate it when people try to sound smart who really have no idea. How can we draft a center when we don't even have a pick? Wow..

Posted by: BYRON PARKER on May 28, 2008 7:28PM EST i like the move the atlanta hawks did now rick sund first move is to trade Marvin Williams and try to get back in the 2008 nba draft and maybe draft DeAndre Jordan or JaVale McGee so you can move Al Hortford to power forward postion and resign J.Smith and J.Childress asap and this hawks will be serious in 2008-09 season with a potential Lime up PG-Mike Bibby SG-Joe Johnson SF-josh Smith PF -Al Hortford C-Jordan or Mcgee and the Atlanta Hawks can get homecourt next yr in the 2009 nba playoffs sky is the limit

Posted by: jack on May 28, 2008 7:43PM EST This guy seems worhtless, but I'm gonna give him a chance. He better resign the joshes fire Woodson and get Avery Johnson or a coach who ain't afraid to push the ball, if not we might as well start over. But he also needs to trade Marvin and someone else for a top five pick. Not for a center, but point gaurd and go to guy to help out JJ. I really think Mayo would fill that need and I think when its all said and done he's an MVP and hall of Famer. You put him at the point and that creates mismatches. Plus, I thin that Al Horford athelticism in the open floor will lead to us creating the mismatch and not the other way around.

Posted by: Jim Vinson on May 28, 2008 7:46PM EST I too think the hawks needs to move marvin williams and zaza for either a draft pick or free agent center. We also need another two guard scorer/defensive guy who can give joe 8-10 minutes of rest.If not joe will burn out like dominique.

Posted by: Tyger on May 28, 2008 8:48PM EST A Pete Babcock clone, cant draft worth crap, at least he's white and bald, and that means everything in Atlanta. Saer Sene, Johan Petro, Robert Swift - 3 strikes no hits. Luke Rittenour, Nick Collison - two singles Rashard Lewis - a HR lost w/o sign + trade = dumb! Chris Wilcox, Ray Allen - smokescreens Durant, Green made by intern Presti. Bottom Line: We didnt get better, we got whiter and that dont win games!

Posted by: Drew Gil on May 28, 2008 8:57PM EST This is a horrible hire and I want everyone to know how bad a hire it is. This Sund guy used a lottery pick to draft ROBERT SWIFT! Not to mention he put his faith into guys like Jerome James and Luke RIdnour. And to add insult to the Hawks' injuries, after an impressive 2004-2005 season, Sund couldn't retain standout coach Nate McMillan at the season's end. This just doesn't look good for the Hawks organization... This guy had a lot to do with the demise of the Sonics franchise, and I can only hope that history does not repeat itself. WE NEED A PRAYER!

Posted by: David K on May 28, 2008 9:00PM EST I live 2 hours away, in South Carolina, yet purchased 2009 season tickets to see Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Josh Childress and maybe even Mike Bibby. Remove Josh Smith, Joe Johnson or Al Horford and I would likely sell my tickets. These guys are exciting and are learning to play together. Add a great talent developing coach and a center and we'll see a lot more than 3 post season games next season.

Posted by: J-Mill on May 28, 2008 9:11PM EST O.K. First, Who is this "jmill", because that isn't me so dude who's putting my nickname up here needs to stop. I agree with BYRON'S idea, Deandre Jordan reminds me of Dwight Howard with his dunks, the only problem with him is his attitude. Steve Smith would have been a fan favorite but you can never go against a guy with over 30 years of experience.

Posted by: RealSquawk on May 28, 2008 9:41PM EST I won't judge the guy until i see him in action and what he does over the next two months. These next two months will be the most crucial months for this franchise in a long time. After that i will decide wether or not he was worth it and go from there we have to look at this from the stand point that a lot of credible names took themselves out of contention publicly... and i truthfully believe it was because Mike Woodson is the coach for next season and might get an extension. The only thing that might knock Woodson out is if he demands an extension Steve Smith and Dominique might have been excluded from the process for the exact same reason or because they ownership felt they were so close to the team and the players that they already had things they wanted to do that the ownership would not have liked. I am not saying it is right for the ownership to make the demand to keep the coach, but that just might be why we have Rick Sund as our GM

Posted by: ScottBravesFan on May 28, 2008 9:56PM EST I have no idea who he is so I'll give the guy a chance. Can't be any worse than the last two idiots we have had as GM. And he can't screw the draft up because we have no first round pick.

Posted by: .danieljarrett on May 28, 2008 10:02PM EST We will see had it perfect, in this exact order.. FIRE WOODY!, sign j.smooth & j.chill, package zaza & marvin (6th man on the N.C. championship squad) williams in a trade for some kinda big man, and cut speedy the crook claxton. I may be crazy but i think zaza used to be 2nd or 3rd in the league in offensive boards in 05' and he has a decent offensive game, what the h%*l happened to him?

Posted by: JR on May 28, 2008 10:04PM EST My vote was for Dennis Scott as General Manager (He's won two Divisional Championships as the Atlanta Vision GM in Gwinnett - www.atlvision.com) Steve Smith as VP of Basketball Operations / Assistant GM Lou DePaoli as President Avery Johnson as Head Coach Teresa Edwards as Player Relations Manager Good luck Rick. Know what talent you have around you here in Atlanta. Utilize Georgia Tech's Hall of Fame inductee, 3-D! Does any one else agree with my logic?

Posted by: HAWKS FAN FROM DAY ONE on May 28, 2008 10:27PM EST Let me clear my throat...... Did this guy say Steve Smith as VP of Basketball Operations? My question to you is, where does that leave our current and resident hall of famer, 'Nique? I like how everyone has joined in this game of "Fantasy GM".....hate to kill everyone's dreams here, but it's not like the Hawks brass is going to read this and STRONGLY consider it. Everyone can dream though, right? I won't pretend that I know what will happen next. All I know is that I plan to stay tuned to find out. I'm just happy that Billy threw in the towel. He stuck around long enough to be able to say (with some measure of truth) that he guided a team to the playoffs (after years of WTF?!? moves....) Keeping fingers crossed until we hire Avery.......

Posted by: Anthony on May 28, 2008 11:47PM EST Will you guys get Al HORFORD's name right? for god sake it is NOT Al Hor"t"ford. Fake Hawk fans get out of this blog. This was overall a great hire. You want to hire someone who has been around in the NBA for a while instead of someone who has no GM experiance.

Posted by: Colby on May 29, 2008 12:12AM EST ...either way you look at it, hawks need a new coach and a center, playoff game 7 was nice, but the coach wasn't the reason that we won the three at home, we need a center who can slow down the other team's scoring and at the same time provide some offense to free up jump shooters like joe and bibby

Posted by: John on May 29, 2008 12:13AM EST I dont know how he's going to do. He came from Seatle which is terribel! He trades the best players he better not trade Josh Smith or Josh Childress. He needs to resign them.

Posted by: Stefan on May 29, 2008 12:57AM EST Well I have no idea what to say about this guy, but he deserves a chance, so let's give him one. He's not going to be worse than Billy, I can say that for sure. If he signs Josh Smith, J-Chill, and some more bench players, and FIRES MIKE WOODSON then he will be my hero. I've been a Hawks fan since their 13 win season and they keep improving and improving, but let me tell you it wasn't because of Woody.

Posted by: Gavin on May 29, 2008 1:46AM EST ok heres what i think we should do - sign smoove chill stoudamire super mario and jeremy back- -mike did ok but ok isnt good enough for me get avery and be done wit it- -i think marvin could be a great asset off the bench him and chill could give joe some well needed rest- -after we sign salim to a 1 year trade him and zaza for a low pick and get robin lopez cause the likely hood of us gettin jordan is slim to none- or get a big man from the free agents like *jermaine early termination *okafor restricted *elton brand early termination this is just my opinion

Posted by: SlimDIggity on May 29, 2008 6:37AM EST Anyone who thinks that J-Smoove needs to go does not know basketball. Atlanta has had a reputation for killing careers ala Rodney Monroe, Rumeal Robinson etc...I think Woody tries to much to dictate rather than motivate and teach. He has never really tried to channel all the YOUNG energy that the Hawks have and use each players ability for the common goal, WINNING! Marvin Williams is a good player, but not what the A T L needed at that time (Chris Paul) Karma is a mutha!!!

Posted by: Nell.Small on May 29, 2008 7:25AM EST 30 years experience is great, but what about fresh new ideas, energy, and drive. Bad decision in my book. I do agree though that we need a new coach. Someone that has been through the Duke basketball program preferrably and college coaching experience too. There's no better training than that! One more thing...Bibby was not worth all the great guys traded. Get a new center and a new point guard. Sorry Bibby, but I was not impressed.

Posted by: Carlos on May 29, 2008 8:39AM EST Assign from resigning EVERYONE, the only move we absolutely NEED to make is to get a new coach. Avery is not ideal in my book because we need a guy who can push it. D'Antoni would have been perfect but he made his own mess by going to NY. We already have enough talent to make it to the playoffs again and get a top 4 seed. A center would help but I believe Solomon Jones is serviceable given the opportunity in combination with Zaza, Specially in a fast-paced style of game which benefits our athletes. Salim can shoot and be a great backup shooting guard with some point duties. Richardson can score as well. They just weren't utilized enough. Acie is a beast and Bibby needs to get acclimated. Marvin can come off the bench and give us some points and size at shooting guard and/or small forward. If he could develop a post game and work on his finishing he can be a great asset. It all comes down to the coach and his staff. We got talent wasting away. Why do you think players flourish after leaving here such as Al Harrington and even Dikembe. They are used in a way to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. that's the coaches job.

Posted by: Anthony on May 29, 2008 9:39AM EST Why do you want Mike Woodson fired so much? A coach has nothing to with transactions made in the front office. Mike Woodson didn't pick Marvin over Chris and Deron. Mike Woodson is doing the best with the players he has. These players are still young and will continue to grow. And all you people who want Avery Johnson as our head coach, you are FREAKIN NUTS. Avery Johnson is a TERRIBLE decision maker and that's why they always lose in the playoffs. Avery only made the playoffs cause when he took over the team, the team was already built for the playoffs. JUST GIVE MIKE WOODSON A COUPLE YEARS. We are one Center or Bench player away from being great, but that decision will have to come from our new GM. Mike Woodson has no control over the players that we obtain through trades and free agency. GO HAWKS!

Posted by: Hawks Fan on May 29, 2008 9:40AM EST I don't think we need to do much. Run, run, run on offense which means splitting time between Bibby and Acie to keep them fresh. Drive, drive, drive in the half court, keep the other teams in foul trouble. Play the bench much more so we can continue to stay fresh. Sound to simple? We played the best when these things happened. Good luck Hawks.

Posted by: Baby Hawk on May 29, 2008 10:21AM EST I am NEW to Atlanta moved Nov. from Cali. We purchased season tickets 2008/2009. I hope they keep the guys that got us to game #6 and yes we do need a big man! I hope they keep Mike W. give him a chance. Go Hawks, we will be there to cheer you on!

Posted by: Mike on May 29, 2008 10:23AM EST MAN ... sometimes one of u guys can be brilliant.. I like what Byron Parker just typed above keep J. Smith, Trade Marvin Williams for a Mid 1st round pick next year and pick up one of these UBER athletic if not a bit raw centers coming out by the name of DeAndre Jordan or Javale McGee. ONE MAJOR HOLE LEFT >> CENTER. HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO BET THIS NEW GM IS ALREADY SIGNING MARVIN WILLIAMS GOODBYE CARD. He didnt draft him so it wont hurt his pride to admit a mistake.

Posted by: cjizzle on May 29, 2008 10:23AM EST The owners could have gotten someone from a winning organization and they chose someone from a losing franchise. It seems very curious to me!! At least the Falcons brought in someone who was from a winning organization. The Spirit organization seem to be clueless. No one knows which owner is in charge. We have a coach in place that seems clueless on the sidelines. We have watched a bunch of great coaches sign with other teams. Did we go after any of these guys. The answer is NO!!!! Why haven't we interviewed Avery Johnson? Michael Jr. wants to run the show but every time he appears on one of these sports shows he sounds like an idiot!!! He has no answers for the fans but he wants us to support his product!!!!!He seems to be willing to turn the Hawks playoff run into the Thrashers debacle from last year!!!

Posted by: jtuck on May 29, 2008 12:18PM EST lets just hope this doesnt come im thinkng he knows whats best for us. he needs to sit down with nique and joe johnson and discuss who they feel would be best fits for the team we have now. i think trading marvin and zaza will only be good if it gets a top 15 pick if not then go after elton jermaine or emeka and have marvin and zaza be major contributors off the bench. fire woodson and get jeff vangundy

Posted by: zeke on May 29, 2008 12:24PM EST i will give sund a chance, i"m not impressed at all but i"ll give him a chance nontheless. the two knuckleheads that believe mike woodson should be retained apparently have not watched this team the last couple of seasons. i was all aboard for woodson this season til about 20 games in. like every other hawk fan has reiterated here and everywhere the hawks won despite their coach. it's truly messed up when as a hawk fan you want your team to get to the playoffs but at the same time don't want them to, cause you know the coach may be around. once woodson is gone, which is basically the general consensus i will truly be happy. by the way most people have mentioned avery johnson and i agree (genius who stated aj would not be a good fit cause in dallas he could never win in the playoffs with the talent they had, ummm we're just trying to make it to the playoffs so i think the average hawk fan as well as the fanatics would be happy with that to start off with)though not a perfect fit ,but a good one. plus i believe at least this team will fight for and respect aj as coach which none do now for woodson, i have not heard one maverick complain about him as a coach can we say the same about woodson? sadly it seems hawk fans have more COMMON biz sense than than ownership, and until, this ownership stupidity is finally over (by the way i was against belkin at first now i find myself hoping he will win, just so we can have one owner and not a group of morons) we as hawks fans will suffer and be the joke of espn and the country as we have been. by the way reality check say good-bye to salim we will see him lighting uP the league and saying what is a common montra with us as hawk fans... say it with me "HOW DID WE LET HIM GET AWAY?"

Posted by: justin on May 29, 2008 12:44PM EST i like the idea of trading marvin for a pick in the draft so we can draft a center, but the hawks can also sign a center like jermaine oneal. 2 things the hawks need to do this offseason is to get a center and build a stronger bench through free agency. if you look at the lakers, all they really have is pau gasol and kobe but they have talented players coming off the bench as well as talented role players. the hawks dont need to max out on signing people like barron davis or gilbert arenas, but they can go out and sign role players like monta ellis or get a sharp shooter like michael finley to help out joe they can even sign guys like jannerro pargo or smush parker to come off the bench.

Posted by: B-Ball Fan on May 29, 2008 12:54PM EST Can't say I'm overly excited with the GM hire, but will give him a chance. I will be fighting mad if he does not resign the 2 Josh's. Bibby should do better next year after going through training camp and full season. He should be a great tutor for Law. Salim is an enigma. He can look good hitting the 3's, but then look like a NDLA player when he doesn't. If Marvin and Zaza can be packaged together for a top 15 pick, then go for it. We definately need a true Center to free up Al. Go Hawks !!!!!

Posted by: steve on May 29, 2008 1:08PM EST i cant believe all this trade marvin talk..all he's done is improve each season and bulid chemistry with his teamates what more do you want HE AINT CHRIS PAUL SO GET OVER IT!! BUT HE'S WAY BETTER THAN THAT FIRST PICK BOGUT TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THE BUCKS MESSED UP AND NOT US!!...i would hate to see him go be WAY better on another team.....we just need a guy who can coach and bring the best of these guys....the only moveable players on our roster is...speedy claxton, zaza, mario west, solomon jones,and for a stretch maybe salim but thats it...why break chemistry it took years to build once we see signs of winning....c'mon get us coach an package those moveable guys for BEAST AT CENTER!!! GO HAWKS!!!

Posted by: MARKELL on May 29, 2008 1:59PM EST HIRE AVERY JOHNSON !!!!!!!!!! HE IS A WINNING COACH AND THAT IS WHAT WE NEED.... LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Colby on May 29, 2008 3:27PM EST Completely agree with steve on this one, and we shouldn't be so stubborn on the coaching issue, Avery Johnson is not the only coach that could help the hawks, plus he has not shown he can win in the playoffs....so let's keep an open mind on that subject

Posted by: Anthony on May 29, 2008 3:47PM EST FORGET AVERY JOHNSON.. for god sake he was only good because he had a great team when he started coaching. HE'S A TERRIBLE DECISION MAKER. and why would you trade marvin for a top 15 pick for a rookie center. i'll take marvins improvement over the last couple years over a rookie any day.

Posted by: EBrown on May 29, 2008 6:08PM EST The hawks are one center away. Get a good center so you can move Horford to power with J. Chill and M. Williams coming off of the bench and they would be that fire. Also, signing the Josh's has to priority #1.

Posted by: noble on May 29, 2008 6:17PM EST This was stupid. But until our owners actually learn some humility and man up, we are going to be stuck in the dregs of the NBA for years to come. At least see if we can get Avery Johnson as coach this year. If not, it will be yet another waste of the team's talent, the fan's time, and the NBA's worth.

Posted by: Paul on May 29, 2008 7:56PM EST I don't know about the hiring of Sund, but i do like the idea of Avery Johnson as head coach. They need to get rid of Woodson. Marvin Williams, and Zsa Zsa trade makes sense. Its time for the Hawks to add a quality center. I like Marvin Williams, but a center is what the Hawks need. Move Horford over to Power forward next year. Give Law more minutes at the point, because hes in line to become the starting PG at the end of next season. I love the progress the Hawks have made, and Horford is the best draft pick the Hawks have had in years....GOOOOOOO HAWKSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: jake on May 29, 2008 9:02PM EST i think this is good. we will hope to see good things in the draft in the upcoming years since we dont have a pick this year but we just cant pass up on chris pauls, deron williams, and bradon roys. i hope we resign the joshes and get a good back up center in the free agents. we have all the peices in tack-bibby at point joe and shooting guard marvin and josh at forwards and big horford at center. lets make another run in playoffs and get of the first round... GO HWAKS!!!

Posted by: mike cook on May 29, 2008 9:31PM EST Way to go Rickie , class of 69. Mouse

Posted by: jay on May 30, 2008 12:27AM EST Why are we even thinking about whether or not to hire Avery Johnson? Did not his team make the playoffs every year? Did his team not make it to a NBA Finals? Coach of the year? So what if he had talent? Mike D'Antoni had only 3 all-stars, one being a two-time MVP and how many times did he make it to the NBA Finals?(think about it) YET HE GOT A 24 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT!!!!!!!!!! Oh i get it now .....Avery Johnson must look to much like Michael Vick!!! Only if he looked like D'Antoni:( Can we please hire Avery Johnson? Woodson served his time so let's keep it moving.

Posted by: hawkfan on May 30, 2008 2:06AM EST i feel like we should keep our core group of guys including the j-smoove and j-chill because u never know what will happen if we break the guys up, for example, see what happened to the lakers, kobe wanted to be traded before the season and people thought the lakers wouldn't do much this season but they kept the same guys and got pau gasol and now are going to the finals, us hawks fans should just be patient and not go trade crazy because it might bite us in the end

Posted by: Adam on May 30, 2008 3:12AM EST this is terrible, ARE YOU KIDDING? this guy is a joke and im absolutely pissed off. I cant even put it into words. The Spirit group just pissed away my beloved Hawks. I FINALLY thought we might see some prosperity in this town but the whitey powers that be gotta step in, remind everyone that this IS atlanta after all, and doom us to more mediocrity. Awful hire. I'm pissed.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 30, 2008 10:01AM EST dont trade starting 5 or childress and acie law or pachalia if so im goin to be pissed

Posted by: Anthony on May 30, 2008 10:36AM EST Will you people seriously SHUT UP about the Hawks hiring a white GM. What the hell is your problem, get a freakin life. It doesn't matter if he's white, black, mexican, latino, green, orange, blue, or pink. He has 30 years experiance and just give him a chance. Jeez, people piss me off..

Posted by: jtuck on May 30, 2008 10:40AM EST if this guy can get either jermaine or elton and resign the joshs we should be ok. but if one of the joshs slip away this guy should be fired. maybe we should look into trading bibby and trying to get arenas if we cant get oneal or brand because having another playmaker like arenas will take alot of pressure off of our frontcourt to score ond will also create scoring oppurtunities for them

Posted by: byron parker on May 30, 2008 11:56AM EST hello there i really believe that if the Atlanta Hawks can get Jermaine O'Neal that would be great but what price if O'Neal comes to the Hawks ata reduce rate take him but If i was RickSund you have to move Marvin Williams because on defense he gets beat everytime and you can move josh smith bcak to his natural postion the small forward and this hawks team will get better as long they make the right movies but they need to get back into the 2008 Nba Draft and get a big center no matter what

Posted by: billy on May 30, 2008 10:55PM EST Wow... i cant believe i read all this...

Posted by: uibukb on May 31, 2008 12:17AM EST if marvin wants to be a jump shooter, he better make a better percentage of his jumpshots. but if he is going to continue to play like he does, he better get traded. he's very inconsistent with his jumpshots and everytime he drives the ball he loses possesion of the ball or he falls down. if he doesn't get stronger and work on his jumpshots, the hawks are going to be making a mistake by not trading him for some value

Posted by: Haven on May 31, 2008 12:43AM EST I THINK WE SHOULD TRADE MARVIN WILLIAMS ZA ZA AND SALIM FOR A VETERAN SMALL FORWARD AND GO FOR JERMAINE ONEAL IN THE FREE AGENCY AND ALSO MONTAE ELLIS

Posted by: michael-su on May 31, 2008 6:24AM EST TIME WILL PROVE EVERYTHING!

Posted by: Dan on May 31, 2008 1:06PM EST Just don't trade any of our core guys.

Posted by: Dan on May 31, 2008 1:12PM EST Man, if we get Montae and Jermaine, everybody look out, cause its on and popin like po-po-po-po-popcorn baby.

Posted by: jay on June 1, 2008 12:53AM EST nique coach 4get woodson

Posted by: Haven on June 1, 2008 2:32PM EST dominique wilkins should coach and resign josh smith and let josh childress go and go for jermaine oneal and we will be alright. GO HAWKS

Posted by: farber on June 1, 2008 2:50PM EST woodson is a joke, he's actually holding guys like acie law back, so with that on top of his unability to figure out how to get this team to play steady defense with all the time he's had, can him. Josh smith doesnt need to go anywhere, he and horford are near-future superstars. Childress could win a few 6th man of the year trophies and he's just got great energy and always hustles, and if joe were to ever get hurt, Chill could take a huge load off the other starters, hes a good fit in atlanta I say resign him. Marvin is garbage pack him, i saw him explode a little this season but on average all he sees in his offensive repetoir is a midrange jumper from the wing, which he's not consistent with.

Posted by: HAWKEYE on June 2, 2008 2:22PM EST Avery Johnson would be a great aquazition to this young and exciting team, he is a motivator and mentor which these young guys really could raise their ceiling with, the team in Dallas didn't fit his style, Durk will never play defense or any of those guys and that is what this guy preaches and he likes to push the ball. If we don't make this move, we want be back into the play offs anytime soon, with Scott Skiles in Milwaukee, Miami gets #2 pick, the Nick's will be better , the bulls will be better and the Nets will be better, we ar going to SUCK!! if we don't get a proven winning coach in here, and with a winning coach follows free agents that want to play for him. Trade Marvin, should have never been a lottery pick any how, along with speedy and Zaza and see if we can move back into the draft or trade with a team, I hear Okafor may want out, Portalnd has 4 centers, Golden State has a 7'2 guy that doesn't fit their system and Indiana has a 7'0 footer, all we need is a big bob, that can block shots ,rebound and score acasionally, Horford will be our inside scorer along with J-Smooth, IT not hard to see if we get agressive we could really do good things in the future, go Hawks, peace.

Posted by: Khiry on June 3, 2008 11:10AM EST We need either Avery Johnson, or the assistant coach from the Utah Jazz. Another interesting option would be John Calipari, who has great success in the college ranks but was only average in the NBA. This Hawks team would be great in his DDM(Dribble Drive Motion Offense). We wouldn't have to sign a dominate center like Jermaine Oneal, who is great but instead trade players and find our way back into the draft. Resign both of the Joshes. If Marvin Williams doesn't reach his potential trade him along with Speedy Claxton, 2009 1st round pick and Salim Stoudamire to get a lottery pick. Draft DeAndre Jordan who is a great player in the John Calipari offense and a poor man's Dwight Howard. Sign a legit backup power forward like Brandon Bass or James Jones. Mike Bibby, JJ, J Smoove, Horford, Jordan, Childress, Law, Bass/Jones, Pachulia

Posted by: J-Mill on June 3, 2008 3:28PM EST Top Four Canidates for next coach: Dominique Wilkins Avery Johnson Flip Saunders Woodson (please don't!) I definitely disagree with Khiry, about us getting John Calipari and giving up all those people for DeAndre Jordan, if we get a new coach that will Play Salim or J-Rich, they would be better, giving up another first round pick would hurt us but, I do think we can get trade Marvin and Zaza to get Deandre because, he's a risk with his attitude and work ethic. If we don't trade Marvin or Zaza, think about it like this, Marvin knocks down his open jumpers while Zaza looked like the 2006 Zaza in the playoffs. Bottom Line: Try to sign Jermaine O'Neal, Emeka Okafor or Diop or trade Zaza and Marvin to get Javee Mcgee or Deandre Jordan in the Draft.

Posted by: melman on June 5, 2008 2:32PM EST we don't need to trade nobody!! keep our main group and add a jermaine o'neal and we will be find! sing both joshes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous on June 5, 2008 3:29PM EST We should look for anew coach first such as flip saunders avery johnson. THEN find acenter orpower forward likemjermaine oneal,Tyson chandler,Emeka okafor

Posted by: Elizabeth aka "Yellow Sign Lady " "Fan Mom" on June 5, 2008 10:19PM EST I loved Billy Knight, he promised to keep the two Joshes, I am hoping Rick Sund will give us a chance. Oh and I love our coaching staff, keep em all and God Bless America while we elect Obama ! I am a season ticket holder for LIFE, are you ????

Posted by: melman on June 9, 2008 1:52PM EST alright sund, what are you waiting on? go ahead and sign the joshes, so we can get this party started for next year!! we need a experience center not a rookie!!

Posted by: Scott Jones on June 11, 2008 3:16PM EST Yeah he needs to resign anyone he can that was on the starting line or the 3 impact people that came from the bench and then to top it off fire woodson because woodson is the only reason the hawks didnt beat the celtics in boston and al horford is a center you idiot just not a conventional one come on the hawks need to turn into the suns of the east and run up and down the court and horford is a perfect center for that type of play.

Posted by: Carlos on June 13, 2008 9:13AM EST Oh boy. Another year of Woodson. Not 2 because he will get fired next year and the team will have to eat his contract. Sund's first move doesn't look like a good one.

Posted by: ty on June 13, 2008 2:15PM EST this isnt looking good but as long as he signss the joshes back its ok

Posted by: Jim on June 13, 2008 3:11PM EST I think it is good for this young team to hire some one familiar which leads to cohesion on the court. If they brought in new people it would take another three years of losing to get better. If they sign the joshes and get some length at center and a scorer to back up joe I believe this could be a 45 win team next year.

Posted by: Dusty on June 13, 2008 10:49PM EST Well, there goes Josh Smith. No way he resigns with Woodson coming back as coach. Maybe I'll become a 76ers fan, cuz I'm guessing they'll make the biggest offer in his direction. Obviously Salim will be out as well. Hope AC Law likes his place on the bench because Woodson doesn't trust him enough to let him on the court. I guess Sund didn't watch any game film or he'd know Woodson's a terrible coach with no offensive scheme or consistent substitution pattern. Maybe I'll renew my season tickets in 2010-11 after Woody is out of here.

Posted by: Beeshop on June 14, 2008 3:20PM EST Please try to make every efforts to sign Michael Finley from the San Antonio Spurs to the Atlanta Hawks. I believe the Atlanta Hawks have to have team that can really BEAT BOSTON CELTICS IN BOSTON, and that would definitely gurantee an incredible shot at the NBA PLAYOFF trophy. Again, the Atlanta Hawks need some key three-point shooters and it would nice and great for the Hawks to have a veteran player like Michael Finley added to the current roster.

Posted by: keanu scott on June 15, 2008 1:34PM EST It's really really great to see mike woodson back as head coach I think they don't need anyother head coach because the 4 years he has been here he has made the record go up every time so he's good !!!!!!!!!The next thing they should do is like everyone knows sign Josh Smith and Josh Childress because Josh Smith is the man I think the hawks need him to set the stage like he can get about 3 or 4 blocks every game and he's a one man defense on the hawks and that's big for them and I think they should sign Josh Childress too because he brings alot from the bench he gives you like 12 or 15 points a game he can be like a Manu Ginobli so he gives you alot from the bench!!!And I think they should trade Marvin Williams no disrespect to him he's an awsome player but you can get a 2nd or even a 1st round pick for him and get a really good center and then you can put Al Horford at his regular position Power Foward and you got something there with Mike at the Point Joe at the Shooting Guard and J-Smooth at Small and Al at Power and Roy Hibbert(just for instants)at Center and you got a playoff team!!!!!!!And finally I think Rick Sund is great he has alot of experience 30 years and he's a good fit for Atlanta Hawks!!!!!!!!!!GO HAWKS!!!!!

Posted by: Stephen on June 17, 2008 8:13AM EST SIGN THE JOSHES NOW SUND!!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAINTING FOR!!!! AND TELL WOODY TO GIVE SALIM SOME PLAYIN TIME BEFORE HE GOES TO ANOTHER TEAM AND KILLS US NEXT SEASON!!!!!

Posted by: jj on June 19, 2008 9:19AM EST We have to make some kind of move one way or another or else we aren't going to improve at all. I think that we could package Marvin and Zaza for the Blazers pick because they are looking for a young but experienced Small forward and not a rookie. Sounds perfect to me. Then we could take Jordan who I can gaurantee will be there. Next move I think we should go for some one in free agency. I hate to break to all the hawks fans out there, but since Woodson is here Josh Smith ain't staying. But we can now afford to go for an abundance of free agents. I have three in mind, hometown favorite Louis Williams, Monta Ellis, and the best bet, Shaun Livingston. Coming off of the knee injury no one will show any interest and we can grab him for cheap, let him really ease into playing since we have Bibby for one more year and then come playoff time he'll be 100% and we could be like the Lakers and surpirse everyone.

Posted by: J-Mill on June 19, 2008 11:57AM EST JJ, Sund said, "If there was a year to pay off the debt for the Joe Johnson trade, it's this year" so get the trade Zaza and Marvin for a young center in the draft. If anything, we're going to sign a center, we have shooters that never play like salim and J-rich. I would also stay off of the young point guard (expect Louis Williams) because we already have one in Acie Law.

Posted by: steph on June 23, 2008 12:49AM EST SUND...iM ALREADY HEARING ABOUT PHILLY CHASING JOSH SMITH....YOU NEED TO SIGN BOTH OF OUR JOSHES AND LETS MOVE ON FAST.....WE DONT WANT A LONG DRAWN OUT FREE AGENT SIGNING DRAMA THIS OFF SEASON.....MAKE IT HAPPEN FAST!!!!!!

Posted by: Kyle on June 25, 2008 5:35PM EST Sund... you already made 1 mistake be re signing mike woodson instead of getting Avery Johnson or Flip Saunders... please dont make another one and re sign both of our joshes... and get rid of speedy for crying out loud!!

Posted by: kyle on June 25, 2008 6:01PM EST If we dont sighn Josh Smith and he goes to the 76ers... Im going to be one very pissed off Hawks fan! And it will all be because of you sund!

Posted by: George Strawn on July 17, 2008 4:55PM EST Can we please get a coach that can bring showtime to atlanta please!!!!!!! little hint Micheal Copper of the LA Sparks. I can also see Kareem doing the doing job!!!!!! There is to much talent to let go to waste. Mike Woodson is a nice guy I see him better suited for college than the NBA. One more thing stop letting in house politic mess up the decision making. Let try and get the team we have winning. Always remember the team you make is a reflection of mangement. Hopefully they're good decision. You already made one big one Please don't make another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!