Jared Johnson of Bleacher Report: “When you’re an elite team like the 48-12 Atlanta Hawks, it’s important to have players who understand what their skills are. For example, Kyle Korver shouldn’t call an isolation play for himself with the score tied and 20 seconds left to in the game. Likewise, Pero Antic shouldn’t demand the ball in the post to go one-on-one against a dominant interior defender like DeAndre Jordan. Thankfully, these situations would never happen, because Hawks players understand what their skills are, and, just as importantly, what they aren’t. Every member of the Atlanta Hawks has at least one basketball aspect that stands out—a skill both fans and his teammates expect him to bring to the table every night. So let’s look at what those areas are for all 14 players on the team.”
Eric Freeman of Yahoo!: “The Human Highlight Film has now entered a new artistic medium. The Atlanta Hawks unveiled a new statue of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins on Thursday, paying tribute to one of the best players of his generation and most entertaining players in the history of the sport. The statue will be placed outside of Philips Arena and continues the Hawks’ efforts to deepen their roots in Atlanta and with the community as a whole.”
Marc Stein of ESPN: “Mark Rachesky, chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment and a noted distressed-asset investor, has emerged as the most recent bidder for the Atlanta Hawks, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that Rachesky, who heads the investment firm MHR Fund Management, is a close associate of Atlanta Braves controlling owner John Malone, which is said to have sparked Rachesky’s interest in the Hawks. Rachesky is not known to have previously expressed interest in purchasing a sports franchise, but he is regarded as a protégé of activist investor Carl Icahn and brought Malone onto the Lionsgate board last month. Sources say that his close ties to Malone have led some city officials to wonder whether Rachesky’s bid for the Hawks, if successful, would ultimately lead to the NBA franchise pursuing a move out of its downtown Philips Arena home to an Atlanta suburb. The Braves announced late in 2013 that they will be relocating to Cobb County, roughly 15 miles away from their Turner Field home downtown, starting with the 2017 season.”
