With the Eastern Conference wide open, don't sleep on the Atlanta Hawks

In a matter of a few weeks, the landscape of the Eastern Conference has dramatically shifted from being a two horse race between the Heat and Pacers to a wide open derby with as much as seven contenders. Of course, this is primarily due to LeBron James' decision to head back to Cleveland to join the Cavaliers, but other factors such as Lance Stephenson going to the Hornets and Pau Gasol going to the Bulls have also contributed to this shift. While everybody is all abuzz about the Cavaliers, Bulls, Wizards, and Hornets, nobody is paying one iota of attention to the Atlanta Hawks and the potential they have to make a run for the Eastern Conference crown.

The reason why they aren't getting any attention is equally obvious as it is incoherent: They haven't added any major free agents to their team this summer. What makes this incoherent is that their star center Al Horford missed almost the entire season with a torn pectoral muscle, and yet they found themselves taking the #1 seeded Indiana Pacers to a Game 7 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.  

                                          (credit: soaringsouth.com)

With Al Horford now healthy, the Hawks will finally be able to see how much damage they can do with a frontcourt that features Al Horford and Paul Millsap, two guys who are both all-stars. In my opinion, the damage that they can do is severe enough to come out of the Eastern Conference and stun everybody who follows the NBA. 

Before he went down with his pectoral injury last season, Al Horford was having the best season of his career, averaging 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest. As for Paul Millsap, what earned him all-star honors was his season average of 17.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Those aren't numbers to ignore in today's NBA, especially for big men. With Pacers center Roy Hibbert going all coo coo in the head, the door is now open for the Hawks to have the best front court in the Eastern Conference even with the Bulls having Joakim Noah and the Cavaliers potentially landing Kevin Love.

In addition to their fantastic frontcourt which also features the very dangerous stretch-big man Pero Antic, the Hawks have a very dangerous backcourt which features Jeff Teague and also Thabo Sefolosha who they signed this summer in free agency. Like Horford and Millsap, Teague has gotten better every season with this past season being his best, averaging 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. 

Teague is not only a playmaker offensively, but he is also a playmaker defensively. By adding Thabo Sefolosha to their backcourt, the Hawks now have a very dangerous defensive team on the perimeter that can give the best backcourts in the NBA serious trouble. In addition, the Hawks also have Kyle Korver knocking down threes at the small forward position, which makes up for Sefolosha's lack of offense. 

As for the role players on the Hawks, I like the pieces that their head coach Mike Budenholzer has to work with. Kent Bazemore, who had a breakout season of sorts with the Lakers last season should be able to provide scoring off the bench, DeMarre Carrol is effective at providing energy and hustle, and Dennis Schroeder is looking like he may become a quality backup point guard. Plus, both rookie Adreian Payne and veteran Gustavo Ayon should be able to provide quality relief in the paint for Al Horford and Paul Millsap. 

The only knock on the Hawks is that they don't have a big name player who will put them on ESPN and TNT every week. They will once again fly under the radar as a result, but don't allow that to make you forget that Hawks still exist as a viable contender in the East. They can beat you in the paint and on the perimeter and they also have quality role players. In addition, they learned that without Al Hoford they can still make some noise in the playoffs. Now that they are getting Horford back, I don't see any reason to think that they can't run the table and come out of the East. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Read More

Atlanta Hawks 2013-14 Team Review

No one could have imagined that on May 1st of the year 2014 that the Atlanta Hawks would be only 48 minutes away from defeating the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers.  The Hawks had seemingly taken control of the series and the Pacers were reeling, fighting alongside of one another on the court while battling each other off of the court.  The Hawks would eventually falter in game 6 and eventually return to normalcy during game 7 as the Pacers moved on to the second round.  Despite the undesired result, the Hawks had served notice to the entire league as they were not going to be an easy out.

First year head coach Mike Budenholzer further moved the franchise away from the days of "Iso Joe" made famous by Mike Woodson and continued with Larry Drew.  Having served under Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, Budenholzer brought a free flowing offense to the Hawks where the ball simply doesn't "stick".  Budenholzer was the right fit for the franchise who at the time was fighting for an identity.  Now dubbed as the "Spurs of the East" Atlanta has become a somewhat enticing situations for free agents.

During the regular season they amassed a record of 38 wins and 44 losses which in seasons past wouldn't result in a playoff berth.  Adding to the equation that they were without "franchise" Al Horford for three fourths of the season makes their result much more impressive.  With that being said the absence of Horford allowed G Jeff Teague to continue his stellar play and ascend to new heights as there was no doubt to who was the most important player for the Hawks last season.  Teague averaged a career high 16.5 points per game and added 6.7 assists.  Not fazed by "the moment", Teague raised his scoring output to 19.3 points per game during the playoffs.

Off-season addition Paul Milsap was stellar for the Hawks he was one of the best off-season acquisitions (2 years, $19 million).  Millsap averaged 17.9 points (career high) and 8.5 rebounds per game.  His stellar season was validated when he was named to the 2014 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve for the Eastern Conference.  Millsap's first season with the Hawks also included his first ever triple double which came against the Toronto Raptors.  The overtime win saw the Hawks saw Millsap finish with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

As currently constructed the Hawks have a young nucleus and tons of cap space but as far as immediate needs are concerned they need a solid small forward that can stretch the floor and engage in perimeter defense.  A name that comes to mind here is Trevor Ariza who will be an unrestricted free agent.  More known for his defensive capabilities, Ariza can be an explosive offensive threat.  Last season for the Washington Wizards, Ariza averaged 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.  Franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers will allow try to lure Ariza away from the Nation's Capital but the Hawks will allow Ariza the chance to have more offensive freedom than he has in Washington or would have in Los Angeles.

Another name that has come up as a possible target for the Hawks is Luol Deng who is currently vacationing in Europe.  Deng split last season between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers and while Deng is older than Ariza by a few months, he's still just as capable.  For his career Deng has averaged 16 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and is seeking between $10-12 million in free agency.  The Hawks have potentially freed extra cap space by recently trading G Lou Williams to the Toronto Raptors in an attempt to draw a big name.

The Atlanta Hawks are definitely a team on the rise in the weak eastern conference and they will benefit greatly from the return of Al Horford and the continued emergence of Jeff Teague.  Should they acquire either Trevor Ariza or Luol Deng, the Spurs of the East will be a team on the rise and should threaten to to enter the second round of the playoffs next season and possibly even further in the near future.

Read More

W2W4: Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 6th, 2014

W2W4: Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets riding a two-game winning streak will be at home yet again looking to pick up a win over the Atlanta Hawks, who are one of the few teams above .500 in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn now sits at (12-21) on the season, and are gaining some ground on the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

- Deron’s Ankle

Quite possibility the deciding factor in this game will be the healthy of Nets Point Guard Deron Williams, who is a game-time call with a sore ankle. Williams missed the morning shoot around, and it is the left ankle that is giving him troubles, which has to be a bit concerning for Brooklyn. If Williams can’t go it would be a huge blow to Brooklyn, as he has been playing very well on the Nets two-game winning streak, averaging 25 points on 63% shooting.

- Missing Star

The Atlanta Hawks will be without their best player Al Horford for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, but in the six games without him the Hawks have been able to play .500 basketball, which in the East is good enough to be a playoff team. There is still some good talent on the Hawks, with Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, and Kyle Korver all having good seasons, but without Horford it figures to be a tough rest of the season.

- Stay Small

Jason’s Kidd’s move to the smaller lineup for the Nets since the injury to Brook Lopez has seen great success so far, and it would seem to be silly to change it up. The new lineup has seen instant results for Paul Pierce and Deron Williams, who have played their best basketball of the season in the new lineup. The one player who the Nets would love to see get it going would be Joe Johnson, who hasn’t scored in double-digits since Christmas, and his last game against the Cavaliers; he scored just two points in 35 minutes.

- Third Quarter Issues

In the win against the Cavaliers on Saturday one of the big problems from the 2012-13 season surfaced up again, and almost cost the Nets a game, and that was poor play in the third quarter. In the third the Nets were outscored 27-16, which erased a nice 51-38 halftime lead for the most part. The three for 13 shooting from the field along with some poor defense led to the bad quarter. Against a much better team in the Hawks, losing quarters by double-digit points won’t result in a win.

Read More

Heat at Hawks: You play to win the game

   With Dwyane Wade out with a sore foot and LeBron James out with an ankle sprain, the Miami Heat were on the road to battle the Atlanta Hawks who they'd just lost to days earlier.  Featuring a line up of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams, the Miami Heat were out numbered when it came to stars, pedigree.

The Heat were not supposed to win

Before the game it was said that
the Heat would win based on the fact that Chris Bosh is a member of the Big Three and should be able to lead the Heat to a victory.  A disagreement between the analyst ensued but the stage was set, Chris Bosh had to have a monster night in order for the Heat to at least have a shot at winning.  Bosh finished the night with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assist and he carried the Heat on his broad shoulders.

The Heat were not supposed to win

Mario Chalmers played perhaps his best game as a pro.  He was aggressive and in control for most of the night, a calming presence with very few mistakes made.  It was a night where he was finally able to push back the challenge of his would be replacement Norris Cole.  During this game Chalmers scored 29, dished out 8 assists, grabbed 7 rebounds, and finished the evening with 3 steals, all the while hitting timely shots.

The Heat were not supposed to win

It was one of those games that are considered a trap game, a home game with your opponents injured and playing on the second night of a back to back.  If it were a movie, the script would have had you winning the game by 20 points, a demolishing should have been the outcome but in reality truths were revealed.  Tonight revealed that one really is at their most dangerous when they are wounded.  One team showed the heart of a champion while the other showed that they are yet to be ready to take the next step.  One coach showed his value while the other was left in a daze.  Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was masterful tonight and anyone who questions his coaching ability must take a look at his management of this game.  Hawks coach Larry Drew seemingly has to go back to the drawing board.

The Hawks simply had to win this game, defeat their wounded opponent, show the league that they are capable of being a power house and yet they failed miserably.  The Hawks displayed a lack of focus and intensity throughout the night and it became clear that the team is simply soft.  How could you play with a lack of aggression, lack of passion on this night, the night where you could have turned heads for all the right reasons but now you have more questions that answers.  Where's the leadership?  Is Larry Drew the right coach for the team?  Is it time to break up your core of Williams, Horford, Smith, and Johnson?  Was Joe Johnson worth the $120 million contract that he was awarded but at the same time set the franchise back for perhaps the next 5 years?  In the NBA there's only winning or misery.

Heat forward Shane Battier tweeted after the game:

"Now THAT was one of the best wins of my career.  We showed great toughness and unity.  How about CB, MC, and T-harris?  HUGE efforts!!"

Hawks center Al Horford stated:

"This by far has to be my worst defeat here as a Hawk.  I didn't feel like we wanted to win this game."

Winning or misery

Who would have thought that on a regular season night where one team was wounded and the other disinterested, that we'd be blessed with a triple overtime thriller that featured the wounded team playing with heart and the other playing heartless.  You play, to win the game.......I guess the Hawks didn't see the speech below.

Read More