Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce expects to miss the team’s next two games to attend the birth of his second child, he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Barring unexpected postponements, the next two games on Atlanta’s schedule are Wednesday and Friday in Boston against the Celtics.
As Spears writes, associate head coach Nate McMillan will assume interim head coaching duties in Pierce’s absence. McMillan has no shortage of past experience, with lengthy head coaching stints for the Pacers, Trail Blazers, and SuperSonics — he ranks 22nd on the NBA’s all-time list with 661 wins as a head coach.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- In an in-depth look at John Collins‘ situation in Atlanta, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report cites one front office executive who says the Hawks are “not in love with him” and writes that the two sides never got close to agreeing to a rookie scale extension before the season. Still, there’s an expectation around the league that Atlanta won’t actively try to trade Collins before this season’s deadline, Fischer notes.
- Assuming the Hawks do keep Collins through the end of the season, rival executives don’t expect the team to let him walk for nothing, like the Kings did with Bogdan Bogdanovic this past offseason. Matching an offer or working out a sign-and-trade appears more likely. “They’re gonna make sure they get something for him,” one executive told Fischer.
- Within the same story, Fischer says that although Kevin Huerter was available via trade last fall, rival teams now have “little sense” that the third-year wing is on the block.
- The Hawks’ recent slump shows how badly the team misses De’Andre Hunter, especially on defense, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Without Hunter on the court, the team’s defensive rating is just 115.2, compared to 105.9 when he plays.
The Hawks are not in love with Collins but felt fine giving 34 year old Gallinari 20 million a year to miss half the season and play no D? lol
You must have a great front office job since you seem to know who will get hurt and how roster moves will work out in advance of everyone else. What team are you with? Just curious.
Gallinari is always hurt, everybody knows that, right?
Wouldn’t give 20 million to an aging player who plays the same position as the second best player on the team. That is dumb. He is always injured, This is not new.
Bogdanovic signing fits more into what they are trying to do.. rondo has been typical hurt rondo and Dunn hasn’t played.. it’s a situation. Where they had cap money so they wanted to spend.. not always the best idea.. they need defensive minded players.. young definately isn’t that..hunter will be a beast and I’m high on cam reddish.. they have some good talent.. Collins is a good player.. gallinari for all the will sacrifice to play for a winner talk took the best pay day.. can’t fault him but he wasn’t a needed piece to put them over the top.
As I said
Hawks don’t trade Collins and Pelicans don’t trade Ball unless you overpay …
IMO
Knicks, Thunder or Heat can murder Hawks in summer by offering max contract and 15% trade kicker
If match offer, Hawks would be like 7-10 seed going forward
Hawks as to use cap space so It looks like they went brittle with the money. Collins is not a Max Guy. Someone will lay him I am a sure. Love to see the Celtics trade for him.
I get the sense that the Hawks FO needs to show categorical improvement this year. Their seemingly impromptu spending spree this off season, coming on the heels of a bunch of lottery picks, suggests they’ve planted their flag. Whether it was their idea or ownership’s. From that perspective, trading Collins prior to the TD only makes sense if they get an obviously great return. Otherwise, it would be hard to justify their off season. The perception is better (relatively) if they match an offer sheet or do a S&T in the off season, even if they get less at that point. At least they didn’t compromise this year’s chances.
Nate Mac should be the head coach of the Pelicans instead of SVG.
ATL last year had the brightest future in the league… right now, I would break everythin’ up & start a rebuild.
Capela has been as good as he is.
JC they aren’t using him right, but clearly all can see he is a max, & they have smashed their future to be cheap with a young star player… I mean that is the worst managerial decision in a long time not to max JC… only a handful of guys in the league sign a 20/10, is just not rocket science the dude is great!
Huerter is just sooo much better than Bogdanovic, it actually is outrageously better, they should have kept all their $ to pay Huerter, I mean can’t be easy than that.
Gallinari & Bogdanovic are no use to any team if they expect more than 10-15 minutes & only for the vets min, Dunn’s & Rondo’s signing are okay.
Now seeing all that mess the FO did, I have no doubt Ice Trae is looking to jump ship as soon as he can… hence why ATL have to start all over again.
When you had the best future in the league last summer to this mess…
No, mon! Get rid of the FO like yesterday!
Atlanta had an up and down offseason. 2 good moves getting Kris Dunn and Solomon Hill, and 2 really dumb moves, that never made any sense in any universe, paying Gallinari and Bogdanovic. If they were going to spend that kind of money, they should have been in on Jerami Grant, Marcus Morris, Jamaychal Green