(although you need ESPN Insider to access it.)
1. He says that ownership is divided on Billy Knight. On the one hand, it's unfair to off him in the middle of his rebuilding plan. On the other hand, if they really think that he's going to screw up a top pick and $20M in cap space, then they need to make a move now. As Florida AD Jeremy Foley says, that which will be done eventually must be done immediately. Personally, I think Knight is going to do fine. His track record in Memphis is good and he did a good job with the Hawks' two first round picks last year. Really, Ford's comment only goes to show the weakness of a seven-man ownership group: it doesn't have perfect direction. There are forces pulling it in a number of different ways.
2. Every bad team in the NBA is looking for an "athletic shotblocker." Translation: the Hawks aren't going to get one in free agency. It's the Draft or bust, unless Tyson Chandler or Sam Dalembert really, really like the Cheetah.
3. Shockingly enough, Utah has their eyes set on Andrew Bogut. If the Hawks get one of the top two picks, then they could use Utah's Bogutlust to trade down and probably get either a future #1 pick, which would likely be in the lottery, or Mehmet Okur, provided that the Hawks could balance the salaries out by sending players to Utah. If the Hawks came out of this off-season with Okur and Darren Williams, then Billy Knight should be elected mayor.
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