Offseason’s off-court drama can’t keep Hawks down

Danny Ferry is living in exile in the Atlanta area, just a few dozen bounce passes away from Philips Arena, where the Hawks are doing what they can to turn heads.

That’s the hard sell of the Hawks, and that’s what indirectly contributed to a long, hot basketball summer in Atlanta.

Ferry mentioned in a team conference call how Luol Deng, a 2014 free agent the Hawks considered pursuing, had “a little African” in him, a crack at Deng’s supposed tendency to deceive.

Separately, Hawks majority owner Bruce Levenson complained in a memo (which he revealed) about the Hawks’ woeful attendance and openly wondered how to attract more white fans.

Ferry and the Hawks didn’t receive much backlash because the general manager and team fell on their sword quickly and thoroughly, aiding the healing process.

In any event, the Hawks are satisfied playing team ball …

He came to a team that had maxed itself out and managed to re-tool the Hawks with minimum pain.

Because they don’t rely on a designated weapon, the Hawks move the ball (second in the league in team assists) and simply locate the open man.

Recent wins over top teams in the West prove the Hawks aren’t a fluke.

Here’s the cruel thing about that now-infamous memo from Levenson about the Hawks’ inability to get people to the games: Their biggest supporter, the man who built the team and made this hot start possible, is reluctantly a part of the crowd that stays away from Philips Arena.