Lang Whitaker is many things - executive editor of Slam Magazine, a columnist for SI.com, and most importantly, a die-hard Hawks fan. For 2007-08 , Lang will be sharing his thoughts on the team in an exclusive column for Hawks.com. Check back every Wednesday throughout the season to read his latest musings, and read him every day at www.SLAMonline.com

"Hawks Haven't Quit"
by Lang Whitaker

One thing I hear often while covering the NBA is talk about a team "quitting" on their coach. Problem is, I have no idea what this means.

You may not know it by looking at me now, but a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was a pretty good basketball player. My high school team was nationally ranked, and we traveled Georgia vanquishing all comers -- well, at least until the state playoffs started when we melted down and lost games we shouldn't have lost. We never won a state title, but we won a ton of other games (a combined 45-9 over two years).

We had two different head coaches, one my junior year and one my senior year. I also had probably a dozen random coaches playing in church leagues and playing junior varsity. I had a few great coaches and a few terrible coaches. The thread that connected them all was that they were my boss and I was their employee, and I was expected to perform my best for them. Did I like all of them? Nope. But did any of them know I either disliked them or believed they didn't know jack about basketball? Nope.

Call me crazy, but at some point many years ago I accepted that there's a hierarchy of power. People have jobs to do, and their positions may or may not give them authority over me. Now, I realize this sucks sometimes. Why should I listen to that guy? Just because some other person decided that they are more suited to be in charge than I am?

Well, yes. I hate to break this to you guys, and I'm pretty sure you never expected to read about basic life lessons here on Hawks.com, but that is the way things work, in life and, surprise, in basketball. The coach is in charge, like him or not, and as a player -- whether you're making millions in the NBA or nothing in a rec league -- your job is to listen to the coach.

Doesn't mean the hierarchy always holds, though. Occasionally a player doesn't buy in to a system or the hyperbole, or maybe the player doesn't believe that whatever the coach is selling is something that he needs. So he folds, gives up, quits.

That I can understand -- I don't condone it nor agree with it, but I understand it. But the notion of an entire team quitting on a coach, I don't get that.

All of this to say I don't think the Hawks have "quit" on Mike Woodson. Sure, they've been wildly inconsistent lately and have apparently decided to never bother contesting another three-point shot, but I haven't heard about any secret uprisings, haven't seen any guys refusing to listen to Woody on the bench.

So, how to explain the 26-37 record? There is another option, you know. Perhaps the Hawks are perched nine games below .500 because they still lack experience, or they lack bodies to form a cohesive rotation, or -- and if you're looking for an answer, this is the most obvious excuse -- maybe Mike Woodson just isn't a good enough coach.

Seems weird to say this, but after three entire seasons at the helm of the Hawks, Mike Woodson still has something to prove. Over these last 19 games of the season, Woody can show all of the NBA that he's a coach who can motivate his players, get them playing cohesively and guide them into the Playoffs for the first time in what feels like 25 years.

Or not.

MAILING IT IN…

This week's letter comes from reader Keith, who writes…

Lang,
I was curious about what your take on the Mike Woodson situation is? It seems Sekou has been silenced on this issue since he put up that article last week. To me, it seems obvious that the team has stopped playing for Mike Woodson.

I wonder what your take on the ownership's stance with this issue is? I'm sure you've heard some things. Is this something that the owners yet again cannot agree upon? Is something up their sleeves for the offseason?

It's a very frustrating situation, because this is a team that should be solidly in the playoffs and has underachieved since 2008 started.

Keith, thanks for writing in. As for ownership, I haven't heard anything more than you guys have. Seriously. I know I technically kinda work for Atlanta Spirit, but I wouldn't know Mike Gearon if he was sitting on my lap. To their credit, ownership has left me alone and let me do my thing here all season.

And as for Woody, see the first eleven paragraphs of this column.

Lang Whitaker is the executive editor of SLAM magazine and writes daily at SLAMonline.com. He can be reached at lang@harris-pub.com. The best email he receives each week will run in this column.