It is time for this sports junkie
to come clean. I have now officially
boarded the Atlanta Hawks’ bandwagon. I
even pay attention to their schedule now, so I can plan to watch at least
portions of games. In my boldest move
yet – prompted by my son’s powerful interest and proximity – I have tickets to
a Hawks road game. Yeah, that's right, a road game!
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve not jumped ship from supporting some other NBA team. I’m not one to latch on to another city’s franchise in any sport. Instead, I have simply abandoned the NBA for at least a couple of decades.
I’ve always been a fan of Atlanta’s sports teams and I attended many Hawks’ games in the old Omni, including a few playoff games. My interest in pro hoops has just faded in recent years. The style of play all across the league just has not been able to hold my interest. It didn’t help that Atlanta teams have been fairly pedestrian during that span.
Sure, I’ve distantly kept up with the league’s superstars and story lines, but the game I enjoyed watching so much in the Seventies and Eighties evolved – and in my opinion – not necessarily for the better.
This Atlanta Hawks team, however, is genuinely refreshing.
My curiosity started in December. The Hawks were off to a good start and were winning, so I read a few articles and would catch a few minutes here and there on television when I happened to recall they were playing. After all, there was still plenty of football to follow and occupy my time.
Then a couple of road trips really raised my eyebrows and got my attention.
In late December the Hawks swept a road trip to Cleveland, Houston, and Dallas. That was three quality wins in the arenas of expected playoff contenders. On the next extended trip out of Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport, the Hawks reeled off victories at Utah, Portland, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Now they really had my awareness! Winning at home in the NBA is expected – even for average teams, but taking that show on the road with some consistency is another story.
Little did we know at the time, but those West coast wins were three, four, and five of their current and historic sixteen win streak. Now the whole country is watching and learning more about this team.
If you are not familiar with these Hawks and their style of play, I suggest you start with Coach Mike Budenholzer. Budenholzer, a nineteen year disciple of San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich, has quickly convinced a group of players to work together defensively and share the ball unselfishly on offense.
Through 45 games, Atlanta leads the NBA in scoring defense (96.1 ppg) and is second in the league in assists (26.1).
Budenholzer and GM Danny Ferry both arrived in Atlanta following their experiences with the San Antonio franchise. The Popovich influence is evident and why not? The Spurs, under his leadership, have won five NBA titles since 1999 and won their division eleven times.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve not jumped ship from supporting some other NBA team. I’m not one to latch on to another city’s franchise in any sport. Instead, I have simply abandoned the NBA for at least a couple of decades.
I’ve always been a fan of Atlanta’s sports teams and I attended many Hawks’ games in the old Omni, including a few playoff games. My interest in pro hoops has just faded in recent years. The style of play all across the league just has not been able to hold my interest. It didn’t help that Atlanta teams have been fairly pedestrian during that span.
Sure, I’ve distantly kept up with the league’s superstars and story lines, but the game I enjoyed watching so much in the Seventies and Eighties evolved – and in my opinion – not necessarily for the better.
This Atlanta Hawks team, however, is genuinely refreshing.
My curiosity started in December. The Hawks were off to a good start and were winning, so I read a few articles and would catch a few minutes here and there on television when I happened to recall they were playing. After all, there was still plenty of football to follow and occupy my time.
Then a couple of road trips really raised my eyebrows and got my attention.
In late December the Hawks swept a road trip to Cleveland, Houston, and Dallas. That was three quality wins in the arenas of expected playoff contenders. On the next extended trip out of Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport, the Hawks reeled off victories at Utah, Portland, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Now they really had my awareness! Winning at home in the NBA is expected – even for average teams, but taking that show on the road with some consistency is another story.
Little did we know at the time, but those West coast wins were three, four, and five of their current and historic sixteen win streak. Now the whole country is watching and learning more about this team.
If you are not familiar with these Hawks and their style of play, I suggest you start with Coach Mike Budenholzer. Budenholzer, a nineteen year disciple of San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich, has quickly convinced a group of players to work together defensively and share the ball unselfishly on offense.
Through 45 games, Atlanta leads the NBA in scoring defense (96.1 ppg) and is second in the league in assists (26.1).
Budenholzer and GM Danny Ferry both arrived in Atlanta following their experiences with the San Antonio franchise. The Popovich influence is evident and why not? The Spurs, under his leadership, have won five NBA titles since 1999 and won their division eleven times.
Next, enjoy the players.
They have tremendous quickness at the point and some of the best three point shooting in the league.
They have tremendous quickness at the point and some of the best three point shooting in the league.
Hawks’ 2009 first round pick Jeff
Teague leads Atlanta in scoring (17.1) from his point guard spot. He also leads the team in assists (7.5), and
steals (1.8). Teague creates for others,
beats defenders off the dribble, and defends tenaciously playing just over 31 minutes
per game.
Dennis Schroder, another first rounder, is quickly developing into a capable backup for Teague. He is not yet the same defender as Teague, but Schroder brings energy to the floor and a different look offensively.
Veteran shooting guard, Kyle Korver, spots up for threes at an NBA leading accuracy rate of more than 53 percent. Fellow guards Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore defend better than Korver and give the offense a more physical style with their minutes.
Dennis Schroder, another first rounder, is quickly developing into a capable backup for Teague. He is not yet the same defender as Teague, but Schroder brings energy to the floor and a different look offensively.
Veteran shooting guard, Kyle Korver, spots up for threes at an NBA leading accuracy rate of more than 53 percent. Fellow guards Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore defend better than Korver and give the offense a more physical style with their minutes.
There’s no true center, but the forward-center mix they put on the floor has been highly effective. They challenge passes and shots and convert the mid-range jumper better than most of their opponents.
Former Florida star, Al Horford, has really come into his own under Budenholzer, performing at an All-Star level. He has been a huge reason for the Hawks’ current sixteen game winning streak. Just this month, Horton is averaging 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks a game.
Paul Millsap leads the team in minutes played and is second on the team in scoring (17.0). Small forward DeMarre Carroll runs the floor and has shooting range to help spread an opponent’s defense. Toss in Mike Scott and Pero Antic in their power forward roles and the combinations are varied and flexible. And the best feature of this whole group has been their commitment to play hard and smart on the defensive end.
For me, the real attraction to these Hawks has been their style of play. There’s not really a go-to guy with all five starters averaging double figures. They score in transition and they make the extra pass to get open looks. Then on the defensive end, the guards extend pressure and they swarm to challenge passing lanes and shots.
Will their style work in the playoffs? What happens if there are any extended injuries? Who knows? Those are questions every team has to answer.
The lack of nationally known, familiar faces and names on the Atlanta roster will continue the media doubt. That doubt is not going to change until they make a deep run in the playoffs. Washington and Toronto face similar scrutiny, so expect LaBron’s Cavaliers and Chicago to remain media darlings. That is simply the status of the Eastern Conference until someone proves they can take the next step.
This is a team that has now proven it can win and even get it done on the road. So I’m going to try to avoid my typical Atlanta sports fan pessimism and cling to a new mantra, “Why not these Hawks?”
Slap that banner on my new bandwagon.
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