How will Spirit ruling change Hawks?
The one thing clear about the Hawks’ four-year old ownership dispute is its genesis.
Joe Johnson.
Everyone in the organization, from the owners to the coaches and everyone else with any input, was on board with adding him to the mix. The only dispute was the price, which ultimately led to part-owner Steve Belkin parting ways with his seven partners over what he thought was too high a price to pay.
The legal wrangling that ensued, however, did not directly impact every basketball decision that has been made, Hawks part-owner Michael Gearon Jr. said recently.
That’s why he’s adamant about there being no discernible change in the Hawks’ daily operations now that a Maryland judge has ruled that the eight-man ownership group, Atlanta Spirit LLC, must resume operations as it was before its acrimonious break-up in 2005.
Which means that whiffing on Shelden Williams and Acie Law IV in the draft and on Speedy Claxton in free agency were simply mistakes teams make during the painstaking process of trying to rebuild a franchise and nothing more.
“As far as the teams go, there’s nothing that’s happened that we [would] have done [differently],” Gearon said. “And when you look at the decisions made, everything our general managers have suggested, we’ve done.
“The whole legal process has been draining, but it’s been more of a personal drain than the teams. You look at the decisions we’ve made where people talk about us being in limbo, and the reality is the Hawks have had fewer changes than just about any team in basketball. If we can upgrade, we do it.”
Gearon pointed specifically to the Hawks’ acquisition of Mike Bibby at the trade deadline two years ago as proof. The Hawks were starved for quality play at point guard and pulled off a deal to get the veteran leader who has helped guide them to back-to-back playoff appearances.
With the core of the roster from last season’s 47-win team coming back, plus the additions of Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague and possibly veteran power forward Joe Smith, the Hawks would appear to be on solid ground.
“The Hawks are exactly where I thought they would be,” Gearon said. “The big thing for this season, is can our young guys continue to grow? If they grow, I think they are capable of making that next step.”
