Hawks’ Knight doesn’t care what you think By Mark Bradley | Thursday, May 11, 2006, 06:24 PM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution You, being shallow and impatient, are going to read this and scoff. And Billy Knight, being cool in a way you’ll never be, is going to laugh at your skepticism. See, Knight doesn’t think you know enough to second-guess him. “I hear people on sports shows,” he says, “and I think that person has as much business talking about basketball as I do running the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.” You’d think a general manager whose team just doubled its win total and still finished with a better record than only two other NBA teams might be a tad less sure of himself. Sorry. Knight doesn’t do circumspection. He doesn’t care what you think of him or his Hawks. He thinks he’s doing a terrific job. And you? You’re simply too myopic to see it. “You have to give players time to mature. It’s the microwave age, but the world does not work instantly. If I could say one thing, it’s this: Everyone needs to relax.” As relaxation therapy, try listening to the GM without throwing the paper at the wall in disgust. Here’s Knight’s take on Mike Woodson, the coach he hired two summers ago: “He’s better than I thought he was… . I go to all the practices and all the games, and I know more about it than anybody else knows. That might sound like an egotistical statement, but I think I know more than anybody else.” On Chris Paul, the newly minted rookie of the year bypassed by the Hawks in the draft: “Chris Paul is a good player. He deserves to be rookie of the year - I voted for him. But we’re very happy with Marvin Williams. We think he’s going to be a heck of a player.” On Boris Diaw, whom Knight drafted in 2003 and traded to Phoenix last summer, whereupon he developed into the NBA’s most improved player: “Boris Diaw is in a good situation… . Boris is a very versatile player. He’s able to play [power forward] for them; whether or not he’d have been able to play it for us is a different story.” Here’s Knight on the upcoming draft, in which the watching world expects the Hawks to draft a point guard: “Guys are running around saying, ‘Point guard, point guard.’ But what if I don’t agree with that? … I find [such talk] a little humorous and entertaining.” For the record, Knight won’t rule out drafting yet another swingman. “I always take talent… . I like good basketball players, and there are a lot of 6-foot-8 players in the draft. And 6-8 is the ideal size.” Might the day arrive when the Hawks draft for a specific need? “There could come a time like that, but I’m not at that time.” Knight claims his goal is to be “the most laid-back guy in the world,” and he’s on track. Who else could be this sanguine while presiding over a team that has gone 39-125 over two seasons and hasn’t, in three drafts under Knight, picked a player who received even one third-place vote for rookie of the year? “I’m happy with where we are today,” he says. “We have a long way to go.” Does he expect the Hawks to make the playoffs next season? “I don’t say that. I say we should make improvement.” Does he believe his constituency supports such a measured approach? “Based on what I hear when I move about town, when I go to the movies or the grocery or when I take my daughter to the mall or when I’m getting gas, I think people can see we’re making improvement… . We’re in the second year of our process.” But what if down-the-road results don’t support such serenity? What if his supportive ownership gets as antsy as Sudden Steve Belkin? What it time runs out? “If it does, it does. I know this business. I’ve been around the world and made it back. There’s nothing I can do about that.” And you out there? What if you’re not willing to endorse such a glacial pace? What if you have issues with every player Knight has drafted? Then you, being borderline hysterical, need to let matters play out. “I never judge a guy after one year,” Knight says. “It’s too early to tell. You’ll see the difference in three years, as opposed to standing on your mountain on passing judgment.” You out there - take a deep breath. You’ll have your chance to vent. The NBA draft is only 47 days away. 资料来源 http://0rz.net/361mX --

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