Once Mike Woodson was let go the immediate thought on the minds of Hawks fans everywhere was, "Let's hire Avery Johnson! He has Finals experience." I heard all of the conversation on how he would motivate the talented-but-undisciplined Hawks, how he would utilize the skills of center Al Horford and forward Josh Smith to their fullest potential.
To that I say....oh really? Think about this for a second. Had the Hawks hired Johnson they would've gotten a coach with experience in the Finals, but also a coach who has shown an ability to lose the confidence of his players.
Go back to Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. He allowed the Golden State Warriors to dictate the pace of the series by shifting his lineups to adjust to their style. It displayed a lack of confidence in his plan and as a result the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated in six games.
The following season he didn't make the necessary adjustments against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, which led to his departure.
If there's one thing Atlanta doesn't need right now it is a coach who doesn't know how to make the simple adjustments necessa ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by John Reid
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June 9th, 2010 by John Reid Leave a reply »
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