Hawks fill out coaching staff

By Bud L. Ellis

The Atlanta Hawks handed the keys to Larry Drew last month, naming the longtime assistant coach as Mike Woodson’s successor.

Now, Drew’s lieutenants have been determined. The Hawks have hired Lester Conner to join returners Bob Bender and Tyrone Hill on the bench. ( Read More…)

Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 9:33 pm by bud

Tags: Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Bob Bender, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Larry Drew, Lester Conner, Miami Heat, Mike Woodson, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrone Hill, Washington Huskies

Reports: Hawks set to interview two for coaching vacancy

By Bud L. Ellis

With the Mike Woodson era over following one of the more embarrassing playoff performances in recent memory, the Atlanta Hawks are wasting little time in trying to turn the page.

According to published reports Monday, the Hawks are set to interview former Dallas head coach Avery Johnson and current Dallas assistant Dwane Casey. This comes three days after Woodson was told he would not be brought back following a four-game sweep of the Hawks by Orlando in the second round of the NBA playoffs, three of the four defeats coming by lopsided margins.

Johnson already has interviewed with New Orleans and Philadelphia. He led the Mavs to the 2006 NBA Finals, where Dallas won the first two games before losing the championship to Miami.

Casey has no previous NBA head coaching experience, but worked under Atlanta GM Rick Sund in Seattle.

Woodson, let go after six seasons at the helm, directed the Hawks to a better record in each season, raising the franchise from the stench of a 13-69 campaign to a 53-29 mark and the third seed in the Eastern Conference this season. But the Hawks were swept in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, after nearly losing to undermatched Milwaukee in the first round.

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Monday, May 17, 2010 at 7:58 pm by bud

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Avery Johnson, Dallas Mavericks, Dwane Casey, Mike Woodson, National Basketball Association, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Rick Sund, Seattle

Teague continues to impress as Hawks top Charlotte

By Bud L. Ellis

For some rookies, the middle days of October are when their NBA dreams expire.

For others — like Jeff Teague — it’s when those fantasties take flight for real.

Teague, the Atlanta Hawks‘ first-round draft pick this summer, continued to show why the organization thought so highly of the former Wake Forest star on Monday, leading Atlanta with 17 points in a 107-90 preseason victory over Charlotte at Philips Arena.

Teague needed just 29 minutes to score his 17, dish out seven assists, and continue to make an impression on his new teammates and coaching staff.

“It was a fun game,” Teague told Hawks.com. “I think I’m learning on the fly, learning quickly, trying to understand the game.”

That understanding is coming quickly for a player who gives Atlanta a young point guard to spell Mike Bibby this season. Teague leads the Hawks in scoring through three preseason games at 16.0 per contest

Coming off a loss Sunday night in Detroit, the Hawks showed plenty of bounce. Atlanta led by as many as 17 in the first half, hitting 53 percent from the floor in building an early eight-point advantage.

“We did a lot of good things tonight, which we didn’t do (Sunday) night in Detroit,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson told Hawks.com. “So it’s nice to see us bounce back.’

Joe Johnson, Zaza Pachulia and Juan Dixon each scored 14. Josh Smith and Marvin Williams added 11 for Atlanta, who plays Wednesday at Memphis.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 5:43 am by bud

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Juan Dixon, Marvin Williams, Memphis Grizzles, Mike Bibby, Mike Woodson, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Wake Forest, Zaza Pachulia

Hawks look to soar higher after back-to-back playoff berths

By Bud L. Ellis

It wasn’t long ago the Atlanta Hawks just weren’t an afterthought on the Georgia sports scene. The franchise found itself one of the laughingstocks of professional sports.

Not anymore.

Not after back-t0-back playoff appearances: a surprise pushing of the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the opening round two seasons ago, followed by a seven-game victory over Miami in the first round last season.

Even a sweep at the hands of Cleveland in round two — a series where injuries ripped apart the Hawks’ player rotation — couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm for a team that won 47 games and captured a playoff series victory for the first time in a decade.

But what about now? What will the Hawks do in year three of the resurgence? Will they bust through and become a serious challenger to the big three in the East — Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. Or, will the Hawks take a step back in 2009-2010?

With training camp underway, optimism rules the day. Part of the enthusiasm comes from re-signing point guard Mike Bibby — who came from Sacramento at the trade deadline two winters ago to provide veteran leadership — and vital banger Zaza Pachulia.

Veteran Joe Smith brings 14 years of NBA experience to the table, and first-round draft pick Jeff Teague from Wake Forest could emerge into a star at the point, something the Hawks hoped to see out of Acie Law.

That didn’t happen, so Law was sent west this offseason for Jamal Crawford, a 6-foot-5 veteran who will join Joe Johnson and Bibby to give the Hawks a big-time scoring punch in the backcourt. Emerging star Al Horford may be undersized at center, but he makes up for it with his heart and hustle.

The Hawks have their work cut out for them in the ultra-tough East. But this team has come so far in the past two years, and if the new pieces fall into place the way head coach Mike Woodson hopes, then the Hawks can surpass the 50-win plateau and really be an interesting player come postseason.

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Monday, October 5, 2009 at 8:00 pm by bud

Tags: Acie Law, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, Miami Heat, Mike Bibby, Mike Woodson, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Zaza Pachulia