Danny Ferry

atljwilson

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks announced today that Danny Ferry has stepped down as General Manager of the team.  The move follows an indefinite leave of absence Ferry began in August, at the request of the team.  The leave was triggered by the unauthorized release of an audio recording containing a brief portion of a lengthy conference call with team ownership and others during which Ferry repeated and paraphrased language from a third-party scouting report that contained a culturally insensitive characterization of a player.

Prior to today’s announcement, the Hawks organization retained a highly respected law firm, Alston &amp; Bird LLP, and specifically a team led by senior partner Bernard Taylor, to investigate whether the remarks were racially motivated.  Investigators conducted 19 witness interviews, including interviews of Ferry and several Hawks owners, and reviewed the contents of more than 24,000 emails, including every available work email sent or received by Ferry in his capacity as General Manager. The investigation by Alston &amp; Bird made clear that  the offensive language was not Ferry's and none of Ferry’s remarks or behavior during the call were motivated by racial or ethnic animus, or by a person’s country of origin.  To the contrary, Ferry shared his own opinion of Luol, recommended him both personally and professionally and ultimately tried to sign him to the team. The investigation revealed no other negative information on Ferry.

“This season has proved two things,” said Steve Koonin, CEO of the Hawks.  “First, Danny Ferry is a tremendous GM.  Danny was the principal architect of the Hawks’ success in Atlanta.  From the hiring of Coach Bud to reinventing the roster, Danny's vision has put us in the tremendous place we are today.  Danny acted with integrity and professionalism as he guided the organization through important changes over the last few years.  Second, Danny Ferry is not a racist. Danny showed great leadership in stepping aside in the fall so the season could proceed with as few distractions as possible.  He has always put the team first despite the great personal difficulties he endured. Now that the team has identified new ownership, the resolution of Danny’s contract with existing ownership is appropriate. We wish Danny and his family only the best moving forward.”

“While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty,” said Ferry. “Now that the key facts have been made known, I am making the difficult decision to step away from this team and this special group of players.  I have seen how gracious and forgiving people can be – especially Luol, who had every right to be hurt and angry after being brought into this situation.  I thank him for his forgiveness and support. I also greatly appreciate that our players and coaches have been supportive, along with so many friends, old and new.  As the Hawks move to a new chapter, I will continue to support the players and wish them the continued success that they and the fans of Atlanta deserve.”

On the court, Ferry led the building of a winning lineup.  During his tenure, the team roster was reshaped as he engineered trades of several veterans; re-established valuable flexibility with the salary cap and draft picks; and simultaneously scouted and signed many of the standout players on the team today.  He also hired Mike Budenholzer into his first head coaching position.  The team achieved the best record in the Eastern Conference this year, and Coach Budenholzer was named NBA Coach of the Year.

“Building a successful team takes more than attracting a few stars,” Budenholzer said.  “It is about finding the right combination of talent and teamwork to become an unbeatable combination.  Danny’s vision and decision-making shaped the team that fans celebrate on the court today.”

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Atlanta Hawks and Danny Ferry Part Ways

The Hawks have signed guard Kent Bazemore, formerly of the Lakers and Warriors, to add more depth to their backcourt rotation. Bazemore, traded to the Lakers near the deadline last season, appeared in 23 games for Los Angeles, starting 15, and averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in 28 minutes per game.

Bazemore spent much of his first season-plus with the Warriors, bouncing between the D-League and the NBA franchise, and became a fan favorite for his enthusiasm from the bench. Bazemore brought that same energy to the floor when he got his opportunity with the Lakers, and the Hawks are hoping that he can be a spark for them off the bench behind Kyle Korver at the two guard.

For the Lakers, Bazemore showed off his three-point range, shooting 38.4 percent (34-of-89) from three in his 23 games in Los Angeles. This was a dramatic shift from his numbers in Golden State, where he was a 27 percent (10-37) three-point shooter in limited minutes.

Part of the reason for his improvement was the decline in isolation touches for him and an increase in spot-up opportunities. Bazemore was 16-for-35 (48.5%) on spot-up attempts with the Lakers -- 21.1 percent of his offensive possessions were on spot-ups -- after taking just nine spot-up threes in Golden State, making two. His isolation touches dropped significantly when he went to the Lakers as well, where they accounted for 25.4 percent of his possessions with the Warriors as opposed to just 8.8 percent in Los Angeles.

The Hawks will use Bazemore in a much more similar role to how he was played in Los Angeles, with him operating as a secondary ball-handler rather than a point guard and spending more time as an off-ball player where he will get spot-up looks and cuts to the basket. He proved in his short time with the Lakers that he is more effective and efficient being used in that way.

On defense, Bazemore is extremely lon, putting his 6'11½" inch wingspan to use to disrupt ball-handlers on the perimeter. In Los Angeles, he allowed just 0.63 points per possession against pick-and-roll ball-handlers, good for 16th in the NBA, and forced a turnover on 25.4 percent of the 63 possessions he defended. His length allows him to get in passing lanes as well as pressure opponents dribbling without having to make as much body contact and risking fouls.

Bazemore is still relatively raw and has limited NBA experience, but has shown in his opportunity with the Lakers that he could be a very useful two-way player off the bench. If his three-point shooting can become consistent and reliable and he continues to make strides as a defender, particularly in the team concept, he will be a very solid addition to this Atlanta roster. 

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Atlanta Nabs Solid Two-Way Bench Player In Bazemore

atljtaylor

ATLANTA, GA –--  The following statement was released by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry:

"No words can adequately describe my remorse for the hurt that I have caused many people through the statements I repeated, most importantly Luol Deng.

Luol is a good man who I have known for many years and he has done a tremendous amount of good for his country and around the world.  I apologize to Luol and I apologize to all that I have offended. As I have said, while these were not my words, I deeply regret repeating them.  Almost all the background information I provided during the lengthy presentation regarding Luol was positive and my personal and professional recommendation during the call was very much in favor of adding Luol to our team but I never should have uttered those offensive remarks and for that I apologize.

My focus moving forward is to tirelessly work to rebuild trust with this community and with our fans. I realize that my words may ring hollow now and my future actions must speak for me.  I will maximize my time during this leave to meet with community leaders and further educate myself and others on the extremely sensitive issues surrounding race, diversity, and inclusion. I will find a way to make a positive difference in this area, and further learn from the sensitivity training that I will go through.”

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Danny Ferry Takes Leave of Absence; Releases Statement

ATLANTA, GA –--  The following statement was released by CEO Steve Koonin:

“This afternoon, Danny Ferry requested, and I have approved, taking an indefinite leave of absence, effective immediately.  This has been an incredibly difficult time for him and his family and it is my hope that this time away from the Hawks organization allows him the privacy he needs to listen to the community, to learn about his mistakes, and to begin the long process of personal healing.  As a human being, manager and friend, I wish him well as he undergoes this process.

While the issues related to race are deeply troubling, at the heart of this dispute is an unfortunate disagreement amongst owners. That said, we have taken several steps to address what we can do as an organization to be better and stronger, including working with a diversity consultant to examine us and to train us to ensure something like this never happens again, we are committed to hiring a Chief Diversity Officer, and we have and will continue to meet with community leaders in an ongoing way to ensure our values reflect the community in which we play and work.  The process of selling the team, which is to remain in Atlanta, is already underway.

Effective immediately, our Head Coach, Mike Budenholzer, will assume oversight of the basketball operations department.  He will report directly to me.

I am deeply saddened and embarrassed that this has put a blemish on our team and our city, which has always been a diverse community with a history of coming together as one.  We should build bridges through basketball, not divide our community or serve as a source of pain.”

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Koonin: Ferry Taking Leave of Absence

ATLANTA, GA –-- The following statement was released by Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry:

“In regards to the insensitive remarks that were used during our due diligence process, I was repeating comments that were gathered from numerous sources during background conversations and scouting about different players.   I repeated those comments during a telephone conversation reviewing the draft and free agency process.  Those words do not reflect my views, or words that I would use to describe an individual and I certainly regret it. I apologize to those I offended and to Luol, who I reached out to Monday morning.   

In terms of the email that Bruce sent, the situation is disturbing and disappointing on many levels and I understand Bruce's words were offensive.  I am committed to learning from this and deeply regret this situation. I fully understand we have work to do in order to help us create a better organization; one that our players and fans will be proud of, on and off the court, and that is where my focus is moving forward.”

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Hawks GM Danny Ferry's Statement Regarding Investigation

Atlanta Hawks second round draft acquision Lamar Patterson has signed a contract with Tofas Basketball Club in Turkey for the 2014-15 season.

Patterson was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick in June, then traded to Atlanta for a 2015 second-round pick.  The Hawks will keep his draft rights as he goes overseas.

Patterson averaged six points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals in six summer league games for Atlanta.  He opted for Europe instead of what would have likely been a Training Camp invite, a safe move for the youngster with a mostly veteran group of guards ahead of him on the Hawks depth chart.

"I am excited about heading to Tofas in Turkey this season," Patterson said in a statement Tuesday. "The Turkish league is extremely competitive and the team also plays in a great international league called EuroChallenge. My goal absolutely remains to play for the Hawks and this is an important step to help me get there. I am going to continue working extremely hard this year and I will come back as an improved player who is ready to contribute in any way possible to help the Hawks win games."

The former Pittsburgh Panther got off to a nice start in Summer League, but he struggled with his shot as the week wore on. He's a gifted offensive player, and as we saw in Las Vegas, he also plays very good perimeter defense.

“Lamar is in a good position to continue his development while playing meaningful minutes for a strong professional program next season," President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry said. "We have a great respect for the international game and will be closely monitoring Lamar’s progress with Tofas.”

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Lamar Patterson Signs With Turkish Team

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Five Things We Love About Thabo Sefolosha

The Hawks have acquired free agent guard/forward Thabo Sefolosha to add wing depth to the Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll duo that was very good in the starting lineup. Behind Carroll and Korver, the Hawks were thin on the wing and adding Sefolosha fills that need, particularly on the defensive end.

Sefolosha spent the last five-plus seasons with the Thunder. For his career, Sefolosha has averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. His best offensive single season was two years ago in 2012-13 when he averaged 7.6 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting and 41.9 percent shooting from three.

Sefolosha had a tough 2013-14 campaign, seeing his efficiency drop off as he battled a calf injury. The Hawks hope that after getting him back to 100 percent, he'll be able to return to the form that made him one of the better 3-and-D threats in the NBA.

Sefolosha’s defense has always been his calling card. He is a tenacious defender on the wing, and he has the size -- listed at 6'7", 215 pounds -- and wingspan -- listed at 7'2" -- to bother opposing wings. He has very good lateral quickness when healthy, and can keep up with smaller wings on the perimeter as well as having the size to handle bigger forwards.

This past season, Sefolosha was 50th in the NBA against pick-and-roll ball-handlers, allowing just 0.71 points per possession, per Synergy Sports, and was 70th in the league against isolation, allowing 0.73 PPP. The Hawks hope that adding him will provide them with an extra wing defender, something they lacked when Carroll came out of games last season.

On offense, Atlanta will hope he returns to his 2012-13 form. This past season, Sefolosha struggled, shooting just 30.6 percent from three-point range and only 28.2 percent from distance on spot-up attempts. In 2012-13, he was 22nd in the NBA at 1.06 points per possession. He hit 47.9 percent of his shot attempts that season as a spot-up shooter, averaging 1.14 PPP and shot 42.8 percent from three-point range.

Along with the injury, Sefolosha took more contested shots in catch-and-shoot situations. Per Synergy, Thabo was guarded on 52.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts this past season, where he shot just 23.6 percent when guarded compared to 38.5 percent on unguarded attempts. In 2012-13 he was guarded on just 39.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts, and he shot 40.2 percent on those attempts and 40.7 percent on his unguarded attempts.

Sefolosha figures to play in a similar offensive role to Carroll. 54.8 percent of Carroll’s catch-and-shoot attempts were guarded last season. He shot 37.2 percent in those opportunities which landed him in the top 26 percent in the NBA. Sefolosha figures to see similar looks in the Hawks offense, and if healthy he can hopefully regain the form that put him in the top 10 percent in the NBA on guarded attempts two seasons ago, per Synergy Sports.

Sefolosha’s defense alone will be a boost for the Hawks' wing depth, and if he can regain his shooting form that he’s shown he can achieve, he could also be a terrific floor-spacing weapon for the Hawks drive-and-kick offense. 