AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > November > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWoodson’s wrath necessary for young team
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
He doesn’t want to talk about it these days, and that’s understandable. At Jason Collier’s funeral, the mother of the Hawks player whose 28-year-old heart stopped beating in October suggested during remarks to those gathered that Mike Woodson’s relentless style as a coach contributed to her son’s death.
Since doctors aren’t even sure why Collier died, there is no need for Woodson to respond these days to the wrath of a grieving parent. Instead, Hawks forward Al Harrington served as Woodson’s defense attorney Sunday at Philips Arena and said of the Collier situation, “There are nights when we go home frustrated and tell folks what coach did, but you don’t tell them the good stuff that coach did. One time after a practice or a game, coach may have challenged [Collier] a bit, and that’s the part that he told about.”
Whatever the case, Woodson doesn’t want to talk about it, but he sort of did in response to something else.
Let’s start with this: The always shaky trio in the NBA of youth, inexperience and immaturity is dribbling for the Hawks. Thus the reason why those in the Atlanta locker room have struggled for long stretches while trying to adjust to the intensity of the NBA on the court and the sharpness of Woodson’s tongue off of it.
As for the intensity thing, there was the Hawks’ ugliness on Sunday when they ruined their otherwise impressive afternoon in search of a three-game winning streak by not matching the explosive ways of the Portland Trailblazers. A 13-point lead for the Hawks in the third quarter became a 77-75 loss.
As for the Woodson thing, he is what he is when dealing with players. That is, he is pretty much his college coach (some guy named Bob Knight) and the person that he served under as a top assistant in the league for three seasons (some guy named Larry Brown).
In other words, Woodson is blunt. We’re taking very blunt.
Blunt is good. Blunt is needed for a franchise that had to blow up its roster due to the incompetence of previous ownership and management and is rebuilding with a slew of athletically skilled but professionally challenged players.
“Well, the name of the game is trying to teach them the right way in learning the game, and it’s not personal,” said Woodson, 47, in his second year as an NBA head coach, all with the Hawks. “Sometimes it might be harsh to get my message, but sometimes there is a pat on the butt. I come in here tomorrow, and I’ve forgotten about what happened yesterday in terms of what was said during the heat of battle. Heck, they’re liable to bark back at me.”
They have, by the way. Loudly. Earlier this season, Woodson spent the aftermath of a particularly raw loss in Los Angeles to the Clippers delivering a critique of each player’s performance. And, yes, blunt was the operative word. We’re talking blunt to the point where 19-year-old Marvin Williams, the Hawks’ normally soft-spoken No. 1 draft pick from North Carolina, ended the meeting screaming at Woodson for screaming at him.
In response, Harrington, a senior citizen at 25 on what is the NBA’s youngest roster, told the coaches and other Hawks personnel to leave the locker room. He wanted time for screaming at Williams and other Hawks youngsters who just didn’t understand Woodson’s tough love.
“Guys are just a little too sensitive, and they have to realize that we’re all in this for the same thing, and that is to win basketball games, and that you can’t take any of this as a personal attack,” said Harrington, recalling the clean version of his speech that day. In addition to scolding teammates for having a thin skin regarding Woodson, he told them to leave that college and high school stuff out of the pros.
Harrington glanced around the locker room adding, “Maybe you’ve noticed that we used to dance before games and all of that kind of stuff. Once we start winning, we can dance, flip, do whatever we want to do out there. Until then, we have to take a serious approach. We realize that we’re in a position where we get no respect, and the only way we’re going to get that is that we’re going to have to win.”
Instead, the Hawks started 0-9 before their modest winning streak. They’re passing better. They’re defending better. They’re also listening better — you know, whether they like what they hear or not.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Hawks / NBA, Terence Moore
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Andrew
November 27, 2005 10:39 PM | Link to this
What? Who cares T Moore? You are a bigot.
Yawn…
By Rick
November 27, 2005 11:08 PM | Link to this
I thought that I was the only one that had this opinion of Terence. Guess I am not thanks Andrew. Amazing Terence did not bring the race angle into his column this week.
By perry
November 27, 2005 11:53 PM | Link to this
Its been my experience that anyone who has to constantly scream at his team (or squardron or office staff) to get their attention basically doesn’t know what he is doing and probably is not competent to teach or lead. Woodson has got to know his days are numbered and most likely the GM too.
By Ehlo
November 28, 2005 07:30 AM | Link to this
Funny how you chuckleheads who are always claiming TM as a bigot are always reading his articles and responding with a paragraph.
Woodson’s style is fine with me. The team is made up of kids who are suddenly very rich. Its not all coca-cola and lolipops in the NBA. Tough love is needed at times.
Keep in mind that we are still the youngest team in the NBA and our coach is only in his second year. Its a fun team to watch for about 30 minutes every game and then it becomes painful.
Terrance, from a white guy who disagrees with you at times, I also respect your work (at times). Keep it up.
By Dr.De
November 28, 2005 08:25 AM | Link to this
It is so funny how this country never ever wants to face any stiuation that has something to do with race.
This is a racialized society and always will be. But everything that takes place is not always about race, it can be just about people.
But this country always uses smoke and mirrors when is comes to the truth.As far as the Hawks are concern, let the man coach!
I had the chance to play hoop at a very high level, and two of my former coaches are now in the NBA.So I can tell you this, the NBA stands for “No babies allowed” that is from a skill stand point and a mental one as well. Oh and by the way, they get paid fairly well during this internship as to how to win and play at the NBA level.
By socaldawg
November 28, 2005 10:44 AM | Link to this
Maybe if we all ignore T Moore, he will just go away. Could anyone care less about the useless drivel this guy writes? t moore represents a comlete lack of professionalism and ability for the AJC staff. I will never again subscribe as long as he is there. GO AWAY MOORE. Surely there is a good high school paper somewhere in need of a good sports editor - maybe they would settle for you.
By Rock Preston
November 28, 2005 10:49 AM | Link to this
Youngest team in NBA + 2nd year Head Coach = Growing Pains for a couple more years.
By 21298OK
November 28, 2005 12:05 PM | Link to this
Terence is right on this one - you can’t have a “player’s coach” with a young team. Gotta tell them what to do and when to do it. Money doesn’t always equal maturity…besides…these guys have plenty of friends telling them they are great…they need somebody to push them. Not in public or in the press, but the message has to be plain and simple. How many times have we all seen interviews on ESPN Classic where a retired veteran hall-of-famer credits a tough coach for much of his success, saying something like “I hated it at first, but coach so-and-so forced me to do my best”.
Take it from an old Navy vet who had to get the job done with a division on 18-20 year olds…you can’t “request” effort…you have to demand it…Saluki Dave
P.S. - that being said, it looks like the Hawks are moving in the right direction :-)
By HB Ando
November 28, 2005 12:35 PM | Link to this
Woodson can’t do anything about the fact that he’s been handed a roster with enormous holes at point guard and power forward. No one can turn this roster into a playoff contender. That being said, there’s still serious question whether this team, or any NBA team will respond to the Bobby Knight school of coaching (not even sure how well college kids are responding to it these days). And to point to his relationship with Larry Brown as a validation of his skills, and support for screaming, is to ignore that nothing suggests Woodson shares Brown’s genius for teaching fundamentals or mid-game adjustments to the opponent. Woodson is getting them to play with intensity and heart. But whether he is the guy to take this team to respectability can’t really be assessed until management gives him a semblance of a balanced roster (10 dimes to 13 turnovers yesterday-how many times can you scream, “we need a true point guard to be competitive” before your lungs fail or somebody makes a move?). First time head coaches in this no-win situation usually become the sacrificial lamb, to appease fans who don’t understand the reality of a massive rebuild. Time will tell whether he gets a fair chance to prove himself with a competitive roster.
The comments by Jason Collier’s mother should be taken for what they are; the absolute devastation of a family losing their son unexpectedly. Everyone should remain gracious enough to allow her endless latitude for her pain.
By steve
November 28, 2005 12:47 PM | Link to this
Moore is clueless as usual. Woodson is NOTHING like Knight. He is a lax dud who is the wrong man for this job. I haven’t even seen him get a technical foul all year even when his teams are routinely screwed over by NBA officials. He just stands there and takes it. Hey, Mike, its OK to occasionally show some fire to the refs. A Joke. We need a Nate McMillan type…a REAL disciplinarian, a guy who knows how to coach in the NBA. Woodson is in over his head by a large margin. Yes, we are young but we should not be this bad. Too bad Billy Knight and Woodson are so tight. Maybe we can package them together and move them both down the road. If only a couple of the 17 owners had a clue…
By RA
November 28, 2005 01:14 PM | Link to this
I think Terrance Moore has a way of telling us things about our beloved teams that we don’t want to hear, many of which are true notwithstanding.
Woodson was handed a dog. It’s as simple as that. Last year, he didn’t have talent or experience. This year, he has talent, but not enough experience to make it work. Now, I believe that your best teams are not always the biggest, strongest, most talented teams out there. If that was the case, the Lakers would still be intact with six or seven world championships. The best teams are the ones that are disciplined, the ones that don’t beat themselves with stupid mistakes. The ones that know that if they don’t put everything they have out there on the floor, their coach is going to tear them a new one. Those are the teams that win championships and that’s the way that this Hawks team needs to grow up.
By None
November 28, 2005 02:24 PM | Link to this
That insider stuff about Al Harrington yelling at his teammates … has that been out there? I don’t read his paper frequently, just happened upon the story. Well-written. Hawks are building something nice down there … 20-25 wins this year, look for 30-35 next year.
By jeremy
November 28, 2005 03:23 PM | Link to this
I agree. well written piece. thanks for the insider info that us fans like to hear. go woodson, go hawks!
By Tyger
November 28, 2005 03:28 PM | Link to this
Surprised and sorry to hear that Collier’s mom would even partially blame Woodson for the loss of her son. But, in dire straights people do regrettable things.
I support Coach Woody fully. He has been handed a bunch of 7-0 juveniles and they need to be disciplined in order to experience success.
What’s new about that?
By THL
November 28, 2005 03:43 PM | Link to this
You know, it really doesn’t make you look intelligent to call someone a bigot when they haven’t even so much as mentioned race. It also doesn’t make you look too smart when you say how bad a writer someone is but you never miss one of his articles.
At some point do some of you not realize that a lot of writers write for a reaction. I hate to break it to a lot of you out there but your reactions/comments to TM either prove his point or discredit you. All I’m saying is think about it.
By LEA
November 28, 2005 05:14 PM | Link to this
well Harrington has been just as bad as the youngsters so I guess just because he’s the captain they expect him to take over well part came be blamed or poor coaching, and poor plays being made by every single player on the HAWKS team no excuses as much as I love this team and I always will there are so young and I just dont think WOODSON is the right coach for this team they need an more experienced coach who can get thru these very talented players with that said I will not give up on this young team
By Hawk Fan
November 28, 2005 07:14 PM | Link to this
Time to add experience and a fresh voice. Bring back Coach Lenny, he has a proven history of teaching young individual players to become professional teammates - especially guards and swing-men ‘tweeners.’
And, bring in one or two seasoned vets (size and PG) to help shape the locker room.
The current coach needs a little more grooming but not at the expense of this franchise.