SB Nation Houston: All Posts by Kris Willis

Ettore Messina says meeting with Danny Ferry just 'rumors'

2013-05-25T11:50:00Z

The Atlanta Hawks still don't have a head coach and if you believe Ettore Messina the report of him leaving CSKA Moscow for the NBA are just rumors. Messina told R-Sport on Friday that the reported meeting between himself and Danny Ferry was just a rumor.

"They're rumors," said the Italian-born Messina. "It's meaningless to talk about rumors."

Now there is a couple of ways to look at this. Messina has two years remaining on his contract with CSKA and may not want to fuel the hype of his departure. Its also possible that nothing came from the meeting and both sides have moved on. Yahoo Sports originally reported that Ferry had spoken with Messina about the job after scouting him at the Euroleague Final Four.

Updates have been scarce on the Hawks coaching search from the beginning. It was rumored that Stan Van Gundy was at the top of the list and was interviewed but he later indicated that he would not be returning to the sideline next season. Mike Budenholzer is viewed as the favorite if the Hawks can pry him away from the Spurs organization.

There are likely other names in the search but Ferry and the organization are playing things extremely close to the vest.

Mike Budenholzer favored to land Hawks coaching job, according to report

2013-05-24T11:18:32Z

ESPN NBA analyst Chris Broussard is reporting that NBA insiders expect San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer to be Danny Ferry's choice as the next head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Budenholzer has been a part of the Spurs organization since the 1994 season.

Elsewhere, the Charlotte Bobcats really like Quin Snyder, who spent last season assisting CSKA Moscow. Snyder was viewed as a favorite last season, and sources say Bobcats GM Rich Cho wanted to hire him over the recently fired Mike Dunlap. Many league insiders believe Spurs longtime assistant Mike Budenholzer will be Danny Ferry's choice in Atlanta.

Updates on the Hawks coaching search have been scarce and the local media seems to be more tuned into Larry Drew's eventual destination than who will be replacing him in Atlanta. It was previously reported that the Hawks had interviewed Stan Van Gundy for the position but he later denied interviewing with anybody.

Nate McMillan, Kelvin Sampson and Euroleague legend Ettore Messina have been other names that have been mentioned but Ferry's list of candidates is largely unknown. There is a chance that Ferry is waiting to speak with Brian Shaw of the Pacers since Indiana has not allowed him to speak with any teams until after the playoffs are over.

Budenholzer is a strong candidate but the problem may be trying to pry him from the Spurs where he is the likely successor to Gregg Popovich. Ferry is trying to remake the Hawks into his own image and the Spurs blueprint will be a heavy influence. Perhaps that will be enough to peak Budenholzer's interest.

Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft: NBADraft.net projects Mason Plumlee, Lucas Nogueira to Hawks

2013-05-24T07:00:05Z

NBADraft.net has released their latest mock up of the 2013 NBA Draft and it looks a little different than some of the other sites. For example Kansas guard Ben McLemore is projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel sliding to No. 2.

Going big is a popular theory for the Atlanta Hawks but NBADraft.net goes a step further with Danny Ferry taking a couple of center prospects in Duke's Mason Plumlee and Brazilian big man Lucas Nogueira.

Plumlee has been a popular name for the Hawks among draft pundits. His good showing at the Draft Combine has seemed to solidify Plumlee as a first-round prospect at least heading into individual workouts.

With back to back picks the surprise playoff team, Atlanta Hawks address their frontcourt with Mason Plumlee. Plumlee was one of the surprises in college this year, but may slip to the teens due to his case of "senior-itis" Similar to last year with Tyler Zeller, younger prospects with more perceived upside may ultimately push the senior into the second half of the first round. He added some offensive skills around the basket, and played the year with surprising consistency. He is a better version of his brother Miles who somehow landed in the late first round in 2012. While he's not overly skilled in the post, he shows nice explosiveness, runs the floor well and shows a willingness to fight for rebounds and play tough in the paint. In such a weak draft, Plumlee figures to land in the teens.

Here is another scouting video from DraftExpress on Plumlee:

Lucas Nogueira is a name that I originally wasn't familiar with but I think he would be a stretch to be picked this high in the first round. Nogueira is 20 years old and stands 6-11 but is relatively light at a listed weight of 220 pounds. Here is what NBADraft.net had to say about him:

Bebe gives the Hawks the opportunity to bring him in right away or allow him to dvelop for another season in Spain. Nogueira is extremely raw, but players with his size and agility are rare. He had a breakout performance at the Copa America U18 tournament in 2010 and some NBA scouts came away saying he had top 5 pick potential. He lost most of that hype with a dreadful showing at the 2011 adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, but has a huge bounce back season playing in Spain for Estudiantes. "Bebe" developed a reputation for being soft and lazy, but this season he showed dedication and maturity that had been lacking from his game. For him, it's just a matter of becoming more aggressive and maintaining his focus. Bebe has proven himself in the ACB, Europe's best national league and has become our top International prospect for this year's draft.

Here is a DraftExpress interview from the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit with Nogueira:

NBA Mock Draft 2013: DraftExpress predicts Mason Plumlee, Jamaal Franklin to the Hawks

2013-05-23T23:00:04Z

We have looked closely at some of the prospects that are being projected to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013 NBA Draft. DraftExpress has released its full mock up of both rounds of the 2013 NBA Draft and project two familiar names to the Atlanta Hawks.

With the No. 17 pick, DraftExpress predicts the Hawks will select Duke center Mason Plumlee. We previously discussed Plumlee on a couple of occasions but everyone pretty much thinks that Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry will be drawn to the athletic big man. DraftExpress also projects San Diego State guard Jamaal Franklin to the Hawks with the No. 18 pick.

The Atlanta Hawks will also own two second round selections and DraftExpress is one of the few sites that releases a full mock up of both rounds. They project the Hawks to select Lithuanian guard Nimanja Nedovic. Nedovic is 6-4 and has a reported 41 inch vertical jump who excels in transition. Here is DraftExpress scouting report on Nedovic:

With pick No. 50, Atlanta is slotted to take Minnesota power forward Trevor Mbakwe. As a senior with the Gopers, Mbakwe averaged 10 points and 8.7 rebounds. He checks in at 6-8 and 236 pounds. He is a rare six year college player after being awarded another year of eligibility after suffering a torn ACL as a redshirt senior. Here is Mbakwe's draft combine interview courtesy of DraftExpress:

NBA Mock Draft 2013: NBA.com projects Dario Saric, Gorgui Dieng to the Hawks

2013-05-23T19:00:10Z

Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com's latest mock drafthas the Atlanta Hawks and Danny Ferry looking for size in the upcoming 2013 Draft. With the No. 17 pick, Howard Cooper projects Atlanta to take 6-10 small forward Dario Saric from Croatia. We previously briefly discussed Saric and it looked for a moment that he might pull out of the draft all together. Saric is a guy that with some strong individual workouts that could see his name moving up the draft boards.

An apparent change of heart after initially saying he would stay in Europe puts the Toni Kukoc-like small forward with a great feel for the game back into lottery contention.

Saric's high basketball IQ is regarded as one of his biggest strengths and Toni Kukoc is a player that he is often compared with. DraftExpress recently did a three part video interview with Saric.

With the No. 18 pick in the draft, Howard-Cooper has the Hawks going with Louisville center Gorgui Dieng.

The run of backup centers begins. Dieng's size and mobility translate into a future as a shot blocker, with signs of a respectable offense. Being 23 years old is a drawback, giving him fewer years to develop and play.

Dieng measured out at the combine at just under 6-11 in shoes and 230 pounds. He has good athleticism to go along with his size and played a key part in Louisville's run to the National Championship. He averaged 9.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as a junior. At 23 years of age he is a little older than some of the other prospects but still projects to be a serviceable NBA big. Here is DraftExpress' combine interview with Dieng:

Dwight Howard to consider the Atlanta Hawks in free agency, according to report

2013-05-23T17:15:43Z

Free Agency is still a month or so away but the wheels are starting to be put in motion. Dwight Howard along with Chris Paul will be the two biggest targets on the market this summer and both figure to hear from Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry shortly after the free agent period opens. According to a report by the LA Daily News who cite sources close to Howard, the Atlanta Hawks are one of the teams that Howard will consider this summer.

A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State.

Dallas and Houston have been rumored as popular destinations for Howard if he decided to leave Los Angeles. The Hawks have also been rumored but this is the first time that it has been reported that Atlanta would be considered by Howard.

The Atlanta Hawks are one of the few teams that can offer Howard a max deal as soon as free agency opens. The Mavericks and Rockets would have to make some minor deals to be able to make a max offer.

2013 NBA Mock Draft: Matt Moore projects Archie Goodwin, Steven Adams to the Hawks

2013-05-23T16:00:04Z

With so many roster spots available this summer the Atlanta Hawks can go a number of different directions in the 2013 NBA Draft. The Hawks have four total selections including two back-to-back first round picks at No. 17 and 18. CBSSports.com NBA writer Matt Moore has updated his mock draft post lottery and projects University of Kentucky freshman guard Archie Goodwin to the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 17 pick.

Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky: A change of pace wing, which they already have some of, but Goodwin's the best left on the board.

Goodwin was Kentucky's leading scorer during this past season but elected to enter the draft even after the Wildcats' missed out on the NCAA Tournament. He stands 6-5 in shoes and has a 6-10 wingspan on a solid 198 pound frame. He is a plus athlete that has a good burst and could eventually develop into a factor at both ends of the floor. He still is just 18 years old. Here is his draft combine interview with DraftExpress:

Most experts have had the Hawks going big with at least one of their choices and Moore is no different projecting Pittsburgh center Stephen Adams to the Hawks with the No. 18 pick.

Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh: A great fit here, depending on who they hire for coach.

Adams measured out to an even seven foot in shoes with a 7'4" wingspan and over a 9 foot standing reach. He weighed in at 255 pounds and averaged just over seven points and six rebounds at Pitt as a freshman. Adams biggest asset is his mobility and quickness for his size but he hasn't developed into much of a great offensive player yet. Still like Goodwin, he is very young and there is room for quite a bit of growth. Here is his draft combine interview from DraftExpress:

Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft 2013: Sports Illustrated projects Mason Plumlee, Dennis Schroeder to Hawks

2013-05-23T13:00:11Z

The 2013 NBA Draft analysis continues this time with SI.com's Chris Mannix weighing in with his projections for the first round of the NBA Draft. If there is a trend in all of these projections it is that many expect the Hawks to go big with at least one of their two selections in the first round and Duke center Mason Plumlee is a popular choice. Mannix projects the Hawks to go with Plumlee with the No. 17 pick.

If Josh Smith departs as a free agent, the Hawks could move Al Horford to power forward -- his more natural position -- and search for a more traditional center. They will go hard after Dwight Howard this summer, but Plumlee, an athletic 7-footer who has developed a solid low-post game, is someone Atlanta can develop.

Plumlee measured out at the draft combine to be a legit seven footer with shoes on with a 6-foot-11 inch wingspan. Here is DraftExpress' scouting report video on Plumlee:

At No. 18, Mannix projects the Hawks to take 19 year old point guard Dennis Schroeder out of Germany. Schroeder was reportedly given a first round promise by at least one NBA team at the draft combine and is projected somewhat higher in a few other mocks. Mannix thinks he has the potential to be a very good NBA player in the future.

Schroeder, says an Eastern Conference scout, "is a miniature [Rajon] Rondo." At 19, he has natural point-guard instincts, excellent speed and an improving jump shot. Several teams in the 20s would love for Schroeder to fall. Hawks point guard Jeff Teague is a restricted free agent, and though he is likely to return, Schroeder has the potential to be a big-time starter in the future.

Schroeder is listed at 6-foot-2 but has a wingspan of over 6-foot-7. His athleticism and playmaking ability have him projected to be a nice player down the road. He is a high upside pick that may not last this far in the draft. Here is DraftExpress' interview with Schroeder at the draft combine: