HAWKSNO1FAN[-ABC-] | nbadimensions.net
03-04 Season:
I have been a fan of this team prior to the 2003-2004 season when Billy Knight was hired as the GM to replace Pete Babcock. During that offseason, he executed his rebuilding plan. He drafted Boris Diaw and Travis Hansen in the 2003 Draft, and his other changes continued when he obtained the $12 million contract of Terrell Brandon from Minnesota in a four-team trade that sent Glenn Robinson to Philadelphia and included a future first round draft pick. Brandon’s contract came off the Hawks’ books when the team released him on February 19, 2004.
He then traded Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau to the Portland Trail Blazers for Rasheed Wallace before the February trade deadline. By dismantling a high-priced, underachieving squad, Knight believed it was more important to give the franchise a better opportunity to become a major force in the league by building the foundation through the draft and free agency. He then made another crucial move.
In another clever move, Knight traded Rasheed Wallace(who played only one game with Atlanta) to the Detroit Pistons provided the Hawks with a second first round pick in the 2004 draft. (Will explain why it was a clever move later on.)
The coach, Terry Stotts, and the Atlanta Hawks finished with a 28-54 record and missing the playoffs, making it the 6th straight year without going to the playoffs.
2004-2005 Season
During the offseason, Knight got busy. Knight continued to add roster depth and experience by obtaining Al Harrington for Stephen Jackson. He also fired Terry Stotts and hired Mike Woodson as the head coach. On August, Knight traded Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a draft pick for Antoine Walker. He also drafted Josh Childress with the #6 pick, passing up on Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala and Andris Biedrins.Knight also got a steal when he drafted Josh Smith with the #17 pick(the pick that Detroit gave for Rasheed Wallace). He also drafted Royal Ivey and Donta Smith in the 2nd round.
Gary Payton, Tom Gugliotta, Michael Stewart and a 2005 or future first-round draft pick along in exchange for Antoine Walker on 2/24/05.
Other moves during the season:
- trading a 2005 second round pick to the expansion team, Charlotte for Predrag Drobnjak
- signing Jon Barry in September then trading him to Houston for Tyronn Lue
- Trading Antoine Walker to Boston for Gary Payton, Tom Gugliotta, Michael Stewart, and a future first round draft pick
- Waiving Gary Payton, who later on signed with Boston
Things looked bad as new head coach, Mike Woodson finished with the worst NBA record only winning 13 games that season making it 7th straight years of no post season. The only positive thing that Hawks fans liked was Josh Smith winning the Slam Dunk Contest and making the 2nd NBA All-Rookie Team along with fellow rookie, Josh Childress.
2005-2006 Season
Coming off a 13 win season, the Hawks had nowhere to go but up. They signed Joe Johnson in August 19th(one day before my birthday) and traded Boris Diaw and two future first round picks. Billy Knight also drafted Marvin Williams with the #2 pick, passing up on highly touted guards, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.Knight also drafted sharpshooter Salim Stoudamire from Arizona.
Billy Knight also signed Center, Zaza Pachulia later that offseason.
Things were still looking bad as Chris Paul and Deron Williams looked like studs while Marvin Williams looked like a prospect. The Atlanta Hawks improved their record from the season before by winning 26 games.
2006-2007 Season
The Atlanta Hawks future was looking somewhat bright going into the summer. The Atlanta Hawks biggest need was the PG position. The Atlanta Hawks had the #5 pick in the draft. Atlanta fans were excited because there seemed to be some solid point guards in the draft. Instead, Billy Knight decided to draft another forward, Shelden Williams(passing up on Brandon Roy, Rajon Rondo, and Marcus Williams). Billy Knight also drafted Solomon Jones in the 2nd round.
Later on in the summer, Billy Knight brought in a 6th man of the year contender from the season before, Speedy Claxton. This was Knight's solution to solve the PG situation. Speedy received a great amount of money making him the 2nd highest paid player in the Hawks.
Also later on in the summer, Al Harrington was traded to Indiana for a 2007 first round pick.
When the season began, the roster looked solid. As the season progressed, Hawks fans saw that Shelden Williams was starting to look like a bust while guard Brandon Roy ended up on winning Rookie of the Year. Also. the Speedy Claxton acquisition looked horrible as Speedy was constantly injured. Because of that, Billy Knight traded a second round pick to Dallas for point guard, Anthony Johnson.
The season ended with the Hawks not even contending for a playoff spot, but improving their record by 4 games from the season before...winning 30 games. A positive thing that Hawks fans experienced was Joe Johnson making the Allstar team, and their young players(Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Josh Childress) were looking really good.
2007-2008 Season
Things were looking good for the Hawks now as they improved their record the past few seasons. Hawks fans were starting to get excited about the team...they landed the #3 pick and the #11 pick in one of the most deepest drafts in years.
Billy Knight finally drafted a solid rookie as he selected Al Horford with the #3 pick. Acie Law was selected with the #11 pick.
As the season progressed, Al Horford was contending for Rookie of the Year along with Kevin Durant. Joe Johnson made the allstar team for the 2nd consecutive year. But still, the Hawks looked like they were underachieving. Billy Knight then made a trade right before the trade deadline. He traded Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright, and Shelden Williams for point guard Mike Bibby. Hawks fans were absolutely loving that trade.
Days after that, there were reports saying that Billy Knight is trying to fire Mike Woodson but the ownership kept denying Billy Knight to do so. Hawks fans were not happy with the ownership as most Hawks fans wanted Mike Woodson gone. For once, Billy Knight was starting to look like a hero to some at that time.
Despite all the commotion, the Atlanta Hawks pushed themselves into the playoffs stopping a drought while landing the #8 seed. Also, Al Horford finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Kevin Durant.
Not one person that wasn't a Hawks fan could have predicted what's about to happen. The Atlanta Hawks pushed the Boston Celtics into 7 games giving the Celtics a bit of a scare.
Finally, the Hawks were looking like a good team.
This Offseason
When things were starting to look good, once again, the Atlanta Hawks Ownership had a way on making it look bad.
Billy Knight stepped down as GM because of the ownership. He did not want to work for the Atlanta Spirit Group any longer.
The Atlanta Spirit Group then hired GM Rick Sund, former Sonics GM.
Josh Smith and Josh Childress were the main priority this offseason as the ownership said, sadly, that wasn't the case.....
Josh Childress bolted out of the Hawks and the NBA and went to Greece to play for the Olympiakos. Childress left because he felt he was treated unfairly in Atlanta.
Josh Smith has been treated unfairly also. The Atlanta Spirit Group are wanting to give him a 9 million per year contract but Josh Smith feels he is worth more than that. Nothing has changed as both sides haven't reached on any agreement.
The Atlanta Spirit Group is questioning me...a Hawks fan.....is this a rising franchise?
hawksno1fan[-ABC-] is a writer for the basketball discussion website NBA Dimensions. Join nbadimensions.net to talk to hawkno1fan and other NBA fanatics.
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2 months ago
I don't see how this is a rising franchise when it loses Josh Childress and has the possibility of losing it's best player in Josh Smith.
2 months ago
Agreed. If anything it's a stupid franchise. They drafted a forward 3 years in a row without ever picking up a PG that they desperately needed. They passed on both Paul and Williams. Instead they have Law.
Remember this is the same team where ownership can't agree with each other, i.e. joe johnson.
THey finally get some good players and what do they do, let them go.
2 months ago
Did you guys read the article at all? Towards the end it makes it clearly sound as if he's a disgruntled Hawks fan, and he doesn't think it's a franchise on the rise. Probably a bad title to go with though.
2 months ago
yeah, id say theyre definitely riseing
2 months ago
Josh Smith isn't happy, Childress is gone, Joe Johnson has to carry the team. The Hawks aren't quite rising or falling. They have some great young guys, and Mike Bibby can help the team. I think they can edge therselves into the playoffs for awhile unless they don't do something, like trade for a star, not a ton of average guys.
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