atlanta hawks coach Bryan Bailey is drawing attention in the first-round playoff series because he is leading the scouting work against the Knicks. The Atlanta Hawks coach grew up in Hempstead and has become a central figure on Quinn Snyder’s bench in New York. The Hawks dropped Game 1, 113-102, on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, and Bailey’s role is now front and center as the series moves to Game 2 on Monday at 8 p. m. ET.
From South Side High to an NBA bench
Bailey’s route to this moment was anything but straightforward. He was a standout basketball and football player at South Side High School in Rockville Centre, and in 1998 he and his younger brother, Maurice, helped South Side beat Hempstead for the overall county title. Maurice scored 25 points and Bryan added 23 in that game, including 18 of the Cyclones’ 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Despite that performance, Bailey said the only school to recruit him out of high school was Stony Brook, and the opportunity centered on football. He said he did not want to play football, later earned an academic scholarship to Bucknell, walked into the basketball office, introduced himself, tried out and made the team. By his sophomore year, he was the starting point guard, and he averaged a little more than 17 points in both his junior and senior seasons.
After college, Bailey played 13 years in Europe in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Bosnia, Cyprus and Italy. He said he carried a chip on his shoulder through every stop because he had to prove himself as a walk-on, then as a pro overseas. That background now shapes the intensity he brings as atlanta hawks coach staff prepares for each game plan.
What Quin Snyder assigned him
Quin Snyder put Bailey in charge of the scouting work for this series, and Snyder said the job includes substitutions, matchups and play selection during games. Snyder described him as leading the team’s scouting effort and pointed to his leadership during the first game. During Game 1, Bailey was visibly active on the bench as he worked through the offensive and defensive plan he helped produce.
The Hawks tried to use Hack-A-Mitch to disrupt Mitchell Robinson and push the Knicks out of rhythm. Robinson went 1-for-4 from the line, did not record an offensive rebound and was pulled after 15 minutes. New York finished with 30 free throw attempts to Atlanta’s 19 in Game 1.
Reaction around the Knicks and the series
Knicks head coach Mike Brown said the team is not overreacting to the Hack-A-Mitch approach and plans to stay with a normal rotation. Brown said the Knicks are confident Robinson will make free throws if he keeps getting chances, and he added that Josh Hart can play center if needed. Brown also said the fouling could help New York move closer to the bonus, which could work in the Knicks’ favor.
Brown also had a lighter moment in a separate press conference when a reporter’s phone rang and he jokingly picked it up, telling the room to keep phones muted. Brown laughed after the reporter owned up to the interruption, turning the moment into a brief break from the intensity of the series.
What happens next
The Knicks have a 1-0 lead after Saturday’s win, and Game 2 is set for Monday at 8 p. m. ET. For the Atlanta Hawks coach and the rest of Snyder’s staff, the next test is whether the scouting plan Bailey is driving can change the tone of the series. If Atlanta is going to answer back, atlanta hawks coach duties will again be under the spotlight in New York.
