Atlanta
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Head coach Mike Woodson now has a staff. He and GM Billy Knight have officially added Larry Drew, Herb Brown, Bob Bender, Greg Ballard and David Fizdale to the coaching staff.
"Mike has assembled an experienced staff and we are extremely fortunate to have these guys join our organization," said Knight. "They will bring a lot of fresh ideas to the staff, and each possesses an outstanding knowledge of the game that will help our young team as we move forward."
Drew was an assistant with the Nets this past season, mainly under Lawrence Frank, the youthful former #1 assistant coach named by the Nets to replace the deposed Byron Scott. Drew is therefore well-versed in the very complicated Princeton-style offense of the Nets. The Nets focus on defense to break into a running game, and otherwise run a combination of some triangle offense, motion offense, and Princeton-style inside-out offense. It is extremely complicated and it will serve the Hawks well to have an assistant experienced in all those forms. Furthermore, from his association with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson, Drew will be able to have long measuring sticks against which to motivate his younger players.
Though it was not directly specified, it appears as if Drew will be the #1 assistant. That means whenever Woodson gets ejected from games, Drew will automatically step up. Woodson said Drew is "a longtime friend who has put in the time as an an assistant, and he is deserving of becoming a head coach real soon."
Ballard and Fizdale will be the two assistant coaches who are mainly focusing on player development. Ballard is a former Bullet and Warrior and a former assistant scout. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft and had his best season in 1981-82 when he averaged a career high 18.8 points per game. Fizdale had a similar assistant coach/player development role on the Warriors, prior to which he was a college assistant for five years.
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The Hawks issued a press release stating: Atlanta Hawks General Manager Billy Knight today announced the hiring of Larry Drew, Herb Brown, Bob Bender, Greg Ballard and David Fizdale as assistant coaches on the staff of new head coach Mike Woodson.
The Associated Press writes inAccess North Georgia: New Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson has announced an experienced and diverse staff, including chief assistant Larry Drew, who has been an assistant for four NBA teams since 1992.Drew comes to Atlanta from the New Jersey Nets after spending three seasons with the Washington Wizards. Another Woodson choice announced Tuesday was Herb Brown, who worked with Woodson at the NBA champion Detroit Pistons under Brown's brother Larry. Also named were: former Duke star Bob Bender, who spent the past two seasons with the 76ers; Greg Ballard, a former assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves who has nine years experience as an NBA coach; and David Fizdale as the second assistant coach/player development member. Last year, Fizdale had a similar role with the Golden State Warriors.
Eric Narcisse ofThe Lafayette Daily Advertiserwrites: Imagine what the expectations would be for an athlete that comes from a family that has produced a professional athlete in both the NFL and the NBA. That’s the situation Lafayette High senior center Nigel Cormier is presented with, being that his uncles Cedric and Kevin Figaro both played professional sports. Cedric was a two-time All-American linebacker in 1986 and 1987 at Notre Dame, before being drafted in the sixth round by the San Diego Chargers in 1988, while Kevin starred for the UL Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajuns basketball team before being drafted in the fourth round by the Atlanta Hawks.
Doug Nurse ofThe Atlanta Journal Constitutionwrites: Otwell has developed a partnership with Mutombo's former school in Kinshasa, the African nation's capital. Mutombo, who played for the Atlanta Hawks from 1996 to 2001, had planned to visit Otwell Middle School last year, but Hurricane Isabella interfered.He arrived last week with his father, Samuel, and an assistant. When he entered the school media center to greet school board members, some children and the press, there wasn't much question about which one was Mutombo. Shaking hands with the gentle giant is like putting your hand into a large, warm cup towel.