He was one of the earliest to call for arenas being used as polling places.

But while he was really positive person for the Georgia community, obviously the Hawks not so good hired in 2018, Atlanta missed the playoffs in each of his two completed seasons.

They are 10 and nine.

Right now, they've lost 11 of their last 15 games.

Nate McMillan was named interim coach and he spoke about replacing Pierce today.

Take a listen what I told our guys, and I really believe this.

If you're looking to point the finger at someone or something, you need to point the finger at yourself and, uh, you know, and that's all of us.

Uh, you know, Coach Pierce takes the hit for this, but we all play a part in him not being here today.

We're capable of doing better.

We have to do better.

Then we've been doing and win some games and we have that opportunity.

Coach Pierce doesn't get that opportunity, and you know he takes the hit for it.

But, uh, that's the one all of us to improve.

Do things better?

Uh, win ball games?

Well, it's nice to see Nate McMillan get another shot.

Zack, what is your assessment of the coaching change in Atlanta?

Well, let's see.

The Hawks were bad last year.

Then they made a bunch of moves.

They traded for Capella.

They signed a bunch of people in free agency.

They've gotten negative production to know production due to injuries and just not very good play from all those new guys except Clint Capela.

DeAndre Hunter made a leap and then he got hurt.

And we're expecting the Hawks to somehow be really good.

Despite all those things, Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming back very soon.

I bet Lloyd Pierce what I'd like to keep coaching a team when they're price off.

Off season acquisition came back.

But look, sometimes you just need a new voice, Their reports in the athletic and other places today that the Hawks players sort of had grown tired of Lloyd Pierce's voice.

Maybe that's true.

He is a straight shooter.

He does not pull punches in the media or privately with his players, but I got news for you.

Nate McMillan doesn't either Nate McMillan is a hard ass.

He's going to coach them hard.

And if they thought Lloyd Pierce was that way, Nate McMillan is going to be that way, too.

Sometimes you just need to make a change.

I don't think this was particularly fair to Coach Pierce.

I would have liked to see him coach the real team.

But this stuff happens all the time.

I like you, said Rachel.

His impact on the community, his impact on the state of Georgia.

That stuff is gonna last.

He's going to keep going.

He's not going to stop doing those things.

Yeah, this one really hurt just because, as you said, you know, Zach Coach Pierce was on the, You know forefront, the frontlines, advocating for the players in the league and some of the, you know, recent hard moments.

He did a tremendous job off the court with Atlanta.

But when it comes to you know, on the court, of course, you know there are a few seasons since he's been hired in 2018, you know, they've been less than ideal, and we're also talking about a year where the New York Knicks find themselves forth in the East, and Trae Young was not named an All Star, which sort of has a compounding effect, you know?

Plus, you know, this is a team, as Zack mentioned, acquired a number of vets that were the hope to get this team to win.

But now you're in a situation where all of those things sort of feel like an avalanche that are just, you know, when when you're losing.

It just feels even worse when all those things aren't working in your favor.

So obviously, we all hope that Coach Pierce gets another opportunity, since he's such an amazing advocate and brings so much invaluable presence to this league.

And I would love to see what he can do with another scenario.

But you know, the record sort of reflects, uh, itself.

Unfortunately, and the development of those players, I think have to be prioritized, especially when we're seeing other teams find ways to win an unconventional fashion, which I keep bringing up the Knicks.

Look, Lloyd Pierce, very respected among his peers.

You heard that last night from other coaches around the league when they were asked about the situation, but ownership made it so clear, so so clear last off this past off season, even before that in a playoff berth, was expected by ownership.

They felt like the time had been invested.

The money had been invested.

The acquisition.

Zack.

As you said, So this team not heading in that direction right now and we know the order of things.

The president, basketball operations, the GM they don't fire themselves, right?

They fire the coach.

That is the first step.

Always in these situations, we will have to see if that indeed causes a change here or whether there will be other, larger changes up the line, because I don't think ownerships goals or expectations.

Those are not going to change.

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