2009-2010 Finish: 31-51

What went bad

Those poor Hawks, perennial losers who haven’t made the playoffs since 2004 and finished at the bottom of the order numerous times since then. How bad is it for fans of this franchise, a team frequently written-off, laughed at and GM-less? Unfortunately, 2009-10 would turn into another fiasco for our friends in Hotlanta.

The offseason was an underwhelming time for the Hawks. Marquis Daniels and Antonio McDyess said adios and left. Greg Oden got hurt again, or remained hurt from before. Didn’t stop him from showing the world another tall part of his body in some photos that should have stayed private. The team did bring in Francisco Garcia, very banged up but eager to leave Dallas after GM Smokey showed him the door. The team even fished in Quentin Richardson for the full MLE a few weeks into the season.

The hiring of GM Ocinnh was the biggest news to hit the Atlanta team in years. Finally, a GM who seemed committed, willing to build the franchise up from the ashes. His first move was a misstep. After promising point guard Derrick Rose to New Orleans GM Daved, Ocinnh thought better of the deal, resulting in a expletive-laden tirade from the veteran GM. Oops!

GM Ocinnh did pull off one deal during the season, clearing away the glut of point guards and sending Kirk Hinrich and rookie Serge Ibaka to the Thunder for big man Samuel Dalembert and rookie James Johnsons. While Dalembert’s salary adds to the center salary logjam with Oden and Nazr Mohammed (seriously, will this guy stay in Atlanta forever?), he does give Atlanta a legit starting center, at the very least.

What went worse

To no one’s surprise, the Hawks did not make the playoffs. The worst was yet to come.

Stars

- Derrick Rose, PG -

Perhaps the lone bright spot for the sad Hawks is Rose. In his sophomore NLL season, he continued to lead the Hawks, dropping 17.9ppg on his opponents and doling out 6.1 assists. Though guys like Al Harrington and Q-Rich helped lessen the need for Rose to score, this guy is the entire franchise. Thank god, he isn’t playing in New Orleans now.

Goats

- Greg Oden, C –

Nine games in 2009-2010. Yikes. At least his photography career is coming along.




Looking to the future

GM Ocinnh was gearing for the free agency period with the trio of the trades he made around draft time. First, he gave up on Oden, sending him to the Spurs for a 1st rounder and some Gm pts. Next, he sent Johnson back to the Thunder for 5 points. Finally, he drafted and traded Ekpe Udoh and sold him to the Jazz. Smart move.

In the draft, the Hawks selected Butler sophomore Gordon Hayward with the sixth pick. The small forward is one heck of a shooter but can be a little soft. However, he may be called on to start in his first NLL season. At pick 36, the Hawks nabbed another Hayward, Marquette forward Lazar Hayward. The senior is a strong player who likes to get in there and bang. Unfortunately, he’s not really much of an athlete and will probably languish on the Hawks’ bench.

The Hawks come into the new season with many possibilities. Rose, Dalembert, Garcia and Mohammed will be the only players returning. They will probably let restricted FA Kyle Lowry walk. This gives the team a lot of free agent money to play with. With some wise signings, the team could totally turn it around. However, GM Ocinnh decided to quit right before the new season, leaving the Hawks with a skipper again. God save the Hawks!