Report: Hawks’ Drew to interview for Bucks coaching spot
Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew will interview for the vacant head coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks this weekend, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Still under contract with the Hawks, Drew is being allowed to interview with other teams while Atlanta interviews his potential replacement.
It’s a bizarre situation, and Drew appears to be seeing the writing on the wall.
Drew, 55, is 128-102 in his three seasons as head coach in Atlanta, leading the Hawks to three postseason appearances and a trip to the conference semifinals in 2010-11.
A first round pick of the Detroit Pistons in 1980, Drew averaged 11.4 points per game over his 10-year career.
Drew previously served as as assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers (1992-99), Pistons (1999-2000), Washington Wizards (2000-03), New Jersey Nets (2003-04) and Hawks (2004-10).
Former NBA head coach Nate McMillan, Lakers assistant Steve Clifford and Rockets assistants Kelvin Sampson and J.B. Bickerstaff have interviewed for the job. The Bucks di
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Hawks still considering their coaching options (Yahoo! Sports)
ATLANTA (AP) — More than a week after getting bounced from the NBA playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks are still trying to figure out who’s going to coach them next season.
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Hawks To Seek Sign-And-Trade Scenarios For Josh Smith
The Atlanta Hawks enter the offseason with Josh Smith’s free agency amongst their most pressing issues.
The Hawks will likely seek sign-and-trade packages involving Smith in order to receive assets in return.
The Hawks also have cap space and are expected to pursue Dwight Howard.
Smith will be an unrestricted free agent.
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Atlanta Hawks Reportedly Pursue Stan Van Gundy to Attract Dwight Howard
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to vociferously pursue bringing Dwight Howard back to his hometown, and they reportedly think they have just the man for the job—former Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy.
As reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Hawks general manager Danny Ferry has been in contact with Van Gundy and has him as the team’s top target to take the head coaching duties.
Van Gundy, 53, was Howard’s coach in Orlando for five seasons from 2007-12. The duo led Orlando to an NBA Finals appearance in 2008-09 and won at least 63 percent of their games in all but one campaign.
Howard, who was traded from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2012-13 season, is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Current Atlanta coach Larry Drew and his staff are under contract until July 1, and no announcement has yet been made on his fate. However, Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears noted on Monday that Drew and his staff were already exploring new opportunities, with the assumption being he would not be retained.
The Hawks went 44-38 this season under Drew and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
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For Hawks’ Drew, longer wait could bring better news
Monday passed without any news on the fate of Hawks coach Larry Drew.
As general manager Danny Ferry promised in a press conference on Saturday, he would take some time to decide the fate of the coach whose contract is set to expire in the coming days.
For his part, Drew did not seem optimistic on Friday after the Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs in six games by the Indiana Pacers, saying, This will probably be the last time this group, including myself, this is the last time well probably be together.
Still, one has to think that the longer that Ferry goes without making his decision, the better chance Drew has of receiving a new contract from the organization. As in any situation in which a general manager is looking for a new coach, the best approach is to make a decision right away.
That gives the organization a head start on others who might be looking to make a similar move and it has the added benefit of serving to advertise the position. Potential candidates tend to be
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Larry Drew still coach of the Hawks – for now (Yahoo! Sports)
ATLANTA (AP) — One day after the Atlanta Hawks were bounced from the NBA playoffs, Larry Drew remained their coach.
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Video: Indiana Pacers Paul George crushes the Hawks at the rim in Game 6
The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series on Friday.
The game had a see-saw feel to it as the Hawks attempted to stay close to the Pacers who at one point held a 19-point lead in the second period.
Paul George put four points into the team collection plate. The most vital came off this freewheeling dunk.
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Pacers finish off Hawks, win Game 6 81-73 (Yahoo! Sports)
ATLANTA (AP) — The Indiana Pacers packed for an extended trip.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 6 Live Score, Results and Highlights
The 2013 NBA Playoffs are back in Georgia, as the Atlanta Hawks host the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of their first-round series. With the Pacers up 3-2, it’s win or go home for the Hawks.
Can Josh Smith lead Atlanta to a win and force Game 7? Or will Paul George and the Pacers close out the series and move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals?
Let’s find out.
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Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 6 Preview, Schedule and Predictions
The Atlanta Hawks turned their series with the Indiana Pacers into a slugfest by protecting home court and playing some stifling defense of their own.
After the Pacers reigned supreme at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it turned out their dominance only exists in Indiana. Through five contests in the series, the home team has won each game by at least 11 points.
The Hawks must hold serve in Game 6 to avoid elimination, and they have to hope that their beefed-up starting five can once again outplay the formidable Pacers down in Georgia.
Game 6 Time: Friday, May 3, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
Series Record: 3-2 Pacers
TV: ESPN2
Game 6 Key Storyline: Can the Hawks Regain Their Imposing Presence?
Hawks coach Larry Drew said his team was “physically manhandled” by the Pacers in Game 1 (per AP, via Fox Sports). They were manhandled less in Game 2 but still came up short in rebounding and paint scoring.
The insertion of seven-footer Johan Petro into the starting lineup for Game 3 spurred the Hawks to a 20-point advantage in paint scoring; they won the game by 21, as Indy relied on jump shots that would not fall.
The complexion of Atlanta’s Game 4 victory was different but still highlighted by their physicality. Though the Hawks were outscored in the paint 42-28, they limited Indiana to 38 percent shooting and got to the free-throw line 13 more times.
All those advantages faded away in Game 5. The Pacers won the rebounding battle 51 to 28 and shot 17 percent better than Atlanta from the field.
And it’s worth noting here that Petro‘s lack of scoring was not the problem. Though he totaled just five points, he hit two of his three shots and finished with the best floor rating of any Atlanta starter.
Instead, the Hawks’ dynamic duo of Smith and Horford shot just 10-of-30 and scored 28 points. They need to go for at least 40 and do so efficiently to give Atlanta a chance at victory. Smith also made nine fewer trips to the foul line in Game 5 compared to the previous contest.
The Hawks need to reestablish their paint presence and attack the hoop to draw contact. That will help open up better opportunities for the starting backcourt, which shot 6-of-25 in Game 5.
Series Star So Far: Paul George
George has been great even when he’s been awful.
His Game 1 triple-double on 3-of-13 shooting serves as a testament to his versatility and perseverance.
George is averaging 21.6 points on 45 percent shooting to go with 10 boards and 4.6 dimes per game. That double-double average clearly elevates him above Smith and Horford. He’s also piled up nine steals and four blocks in the five games so far.
Projected Starting Lineups
Pacers: George Hill, PG; Lance Stephenson, SG; Paul George, SF; David West, PF; Roy Hibbert, C
Hawks: Jeff Teague, PG; Devin Harris, SG; Josh Smith, SF; Johan Petro, PF; Al Horford, C
Pacers Injury Report (per CBSSports.com)
Danny Granger (knee), out for season
Hawks Injury Report
Zaza Pachulia (Achilles), out for season; Lou Williams (knee), out for season
Pacers Will Win If…
They continue their solid ball movement and shot selection.
When Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert are the team’s top three scorers, that means the Pacers are playing their type of ball. They not only combined to score 63 points in Game 5, they also shot 19-of-23 from the charity stripe.
When Indy’s frontcourt puts in such yeoman work down low, the points and free throws will pile up. It also draws defenders from the perimeter, and good passing will find the wide-open shot.
Even in their Game 4 loss, the Pacers racked up 22 team assists. That sharing spirit persisted on Wednesday, as they tallied 24 more, including 10 dimes from George Hill.
Indy’s offensive attack is most potent when they refuse to settle for jump shots. They failed to do this in Game 3 and scored 69 points.
Since they lack a cache of talented shooters, the Pacers need to work down low and create chances in the paint. When the Hawks pack their defense down low, they need to look for that wide-open outside shot that every NBAer can knock down.
Hawks Will Win If…
They play solid defense and don’t get “manhandled” on the boards.
In the Hawks’ first two losses, they outshot the Pacers in both games but lost by double digits in large part because of the rebounding deficit. They attended to these failings at home and evened the series, but nothing went right in Game 5.
The Hawks could not get shots to fall, and Indy slaughtered them on the glass 51 to 28. Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 50 percent from the field. That’s a far cry from their futile effort in Game 3 when Atlanta held them to a putrid 27.2 percent from the field.
The Pacers ranked 22nd in the league in effective field-goal percentage, which adjusts for three-pointers. They cannot win a playoff series by shooting jump shots.
The Hawks have to feed off the energy from their home crowd and ramp up the defensive intensity to fend off elimination.
They will have to practice ball denial and strong help defense down low, while still closing out quickly on the perimeter. But ultimately, they will take their chances on Indy hitting jump shots, which will also give Atlanta numbers on the glass.
Prediction
I’m extremely tempted to say that Indiana will seize the opportunity to close out the series, but the Hawks have taught observers not to nap on them, especially at home.
Partly because of the market that they’re in and partly because they lack a superstar (Josh Smith is very good but has never earned an All-Star nod), the Hawks are extraordinarily underrated.
Jeff Teague and Devin Harris give Atlanta one of the most athletic (and erratic) backcourts in the league. Smith and Horford’s quality has been established. And they have the threat of thunder and lightning off the bench with Ivan Johnson and Kyle Korver.
Though the Pacers are the more complete team, they are just barely so. The Hawks will keep up the home-court preeminence in the series and send it back to Indy for a rollicking Game 7.
Prediction: Hawks 98, Pacers 89
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