tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post7215627245753342319..comments2023-06-09T11:52:06.321-04:00Comments on Hoopinion: 2008-09 Season Review: Mike WoodsonBret LaGreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000566742639583055noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-70203817116920949862009-05-22T22:37:43.788-04:002009-05-22T22:37:43.788-04:00*I admit that the speed with which pundits ran out...<I>*I admit that the speed with which pundits ran out of things to say about this team pleased me in a petty way. With little to no variation from the basic gameplan ever made evident on either offense (isolate Joe Johnson) or defense (switch every screen) the Hawks are what they are to an astounding degree. Try working with that for 82 games a year, professional commentators.</I>Amen to THAT---Jason Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05622741233643856856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-87988600995293024152009-05-20T16:18:19.155-04:002009-05-20T16:18:19.155-04:00Karry:
What's frustrating about Woodson is his co...Karry:<br /><br />What's frustrating about Woodson is his complete inability to be flexible and respond to changing game situations.<br />Example: The Cavs ate Mike Bibby alive on the perimeter, because of Woodson's stubborn defensive philosophy of always switching on a screen. All the Cavs had to do was take whoever Mike was guarding, have that player set a screen for LeBron, and voila, the NBA equivalent of an adult playing an 8-year old.<br /><br />They didn't do this once or twice. They did it consistently over four games. I realize the playoffs aren't the time to start throwing new wrinkles in, and we were losing that series anyways, but if anything it hastened the demise.<br /><br />Anytime you put Woody against a good coach in this league, he's playing checkers while the other guy is playing chess.<br /><br />Just as the team improves over the last 4 years, I'd expect the same from the coach. Hope. Same ol' Woody. And that's why he's got to go.jrauchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03064708627368143691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-57056703893178269242009-05-20T15:35:10.394-04:002009-05-20T15:35:10.394-04:00Karry--
I think Woodson did fail during the 2007-...Karry--<br /><br />I think Woodson <I>did</I> fail during the 2007-08 season. They signed him to a new contract anyway and the team improved so of course you don't fire him <I>then</I> but I understand the skepticism regarding Woodson going forward and have concerns about him getting full value out the talents of Horford, Williams, and Smith or developing any player he's not forced to put into the 8-man rotation immediately.<br /><br />The latter directly impacts the Hawks flexibility in the draft and the free agent market.Bret LaGreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000566742639583055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-71970163887868666772009-05-20T15:13:51.514-04:002009-05-20T15:13:51.514-04:00TThis is ridiculous. The team is improving in spit...TThis is ridiculous. The team is improving in spite of the coach??? I just don’t get it. Why on earth should Woodsen be fired? He guided the team to the 4th spot in the East. All the analysts and so called experts said the Hawks would not make the playoffs. Heck even the GM said yesterday that when he saw the roster at the beginning of the year, he did not think the team would finish 4th in the East. <br />Since when do you fire a guy for exceeding the goals set for him at the beginning of the year? This reminds me of Toronto Raptors. They had a good coach, the team made the playoffs last year and what did they do...COMPLIAN!! COMPLAIN !!COMPLAIN! Oh he does not develop Bargnani ( same thing as Law). What happened? They fired him brought in a new coach who played the Bargnani fellow and what happened ? They did not make the playoffs, and now they risk losing Bosh because the team is not improving. <br />Woodsen is NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!We just spent 10 years trying to get to this point and what do we want to do??? BLOW IT ALL UP??...!.<br />Please guys at least give him the opportunity to fail before you call for his head. The Hawks CANNOT be getting better every year in spite of a bad coach. If that is so, then I think I would prefer a bad coach..Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06493039860236957982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-22185693218525830612009-05-20T08:39:24.436-04:002009-05-20T08:39:24.436-04:00I think Woodson has done a nice job so far with as...I think Woodson has done a nice job so far with as the coach, but I dont think there's really any excuse for not developing Acie Law at all. Although thats the only real problem I have with him, I think this team can really take a big step forward if they would fire him and hire Jeff Van Gundy. He's the type of coach the Hawks to the next level even with the current group, but especially if they can make a couple of moves.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11645349253616506276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-32625324208033370982009-05-19T22:56:44.505-04:002009-05-19T22:56:44.505-04:00It took until the end of this season, but I think ...It took until the end of this season, but I think I'm beginning to get a feel for Woodson.<br /><br />As a head coach, I think he's effective at getting his message across-it's just that his message sucks. I can't recall an instance where a player publicly complained about being lifted with two fouls. They DO switch on every screen per his philsophy-you seldom see any kind of delay or confusion. There is no one willfully resisting the Joe Johnson isolation offense when it rears its ugly head.<br /><br />And if you listen to the press conferences, you'll hear a lot of similarities between what the players say and what the coach says. A lot of this is still due to the fact that there's a lot of young players, and young players tend not to have enough interesting commentary to fill an interview. But Woodson's disputes with players are fairly limited, given the amount of frustration this team engenders on a night-to-night basisd-Josh Smith being the most significant malcontent, and he's got such a penchant for inconsistency-and pouting-that it seems to justify Woody.<br /><br />It makes me wonder if he spent more time getting across the importance of blocking out and attacking rebounds aggressively whether the team might respond. Or whether he might be able to convince guys to play to their respective strengths. I've never heard Woodson come straight out and say that he needs Josh to stop shooting jumpers, or that he needs to run more isolation plays for Marvin, or pick and rolls with Bibby/Josh, nor have I heard him acknowledge the significance of rebounding upon a Hawks' victory (rebounding is also often an afterthought during his spiel that summarizes every loss, following "not ready to play tonight" and "lack of defensive intensity"). So it makes me wonder, if he somehow stumbled upon an excellent gameplan, whether he'd be capable of implementing it.Bronnthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11706422637764110117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-69325725675814754462009-05-19T15:31:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:31:00.000-04:00I agree with these comments, but the Hawks are in ...I agree with these comments, but the Hawks are in a bind. As much as watching the game makes me think Woodson doesn't have anything to do with the recent success, the Hawks won ten more games this year, and improved defensively, which is usually credited to coaching.<br /><br />I can't imagine giving Woodson another year on his contract, but if the Hawks don't, then Woodson is a lame duck. And he already had a difficult time getting the attention of players, notably Josh Smith. That will only get worse if the front office sends the message that next year could be his last.<br /><br />The nightmare next year would be having the same Woodson in all of his infuriating stubborness, but Marvin Williams, Smith and Horford naturally progress and the team improves again, leading to the long term extension of Woodson.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05231840285559860984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-85230813377490893292009-05-19T14:26:00.000-04:002009-05-19T14:26:00.000-04:00To me, you outline the perfect basketball example ...To me, you outline the perfect basketball example of correlation not being causation.<br /><br />Mike Woodson is coach of the Hawks. They royally stink.<br />Hawks improve over time. Woodson remains coach.<br />Woodson is responsible for the Hawks success.<br /><br />Hardly. In fact, I'd argue a better coach would have helped this team improve far faster than the slow boil approach under Mike Woodson.<br />Horford has to become a bigger part of the offense. Acie Law has to play, period. We can't switch on every screen defensively, and Joe Johnson can't be the black hole the ball enters on every offensive possession.<br /><br />Woodson hasn't shown me any ability to change in the three years I've gone to games. Why expect that now?<br />With a better coach, despite the injuries, this team could have won north of 50 games, and that Heat series surely wouldn't have gone 7.jrauchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03064708627368143691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-57756571754992869142009-05-19T12:40:00.000-04:002009-05-19T12:40:00.000-04:00i struggle to reconcile the unequivocal pronouncem...i struggle to reconcile the unequivocal pronouncement with the article that spells out every reason why the bold, yet correct move would be to fire him. Or provide an alternative to keeping him in the same philosophy. <br /><br />I understand that it will be difficult, but it wouldn't be unprecedented to replace a coach whose team got better. B/c all indications are that we're getting better in spite of Woodson. <br /><br />My fear is that investing further in Woodson is like investing in those companies in a boom time where the decisions and leadership is poor, but EVERYONE is making money, then when the recession comes - they are making moves at AIG levels to survive. Anyway, I fail to see one reason to keep the coach. I'm not sure I read one in your review either.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16838862137960043254noreply@blogger.com