The Atlanta Hawks ended their season last year, after a second round exit in six games to Derrick Rose Chicago.
The team had come off beating Orlando in six games in the first round; and the impressive series against the Bulls looked promising for a team that was a heavy underdog; and the success has carried throughout into the next season.
Early into the NBA season, without center Al Horford and point guard Kirk Hinrich, the Hawks have been off to an impressive start.
The Hawks currently have a 13-5 record, with an 8-1 record at home.
They are getting valuable contributions from unlikely candidates, like Ivan Johnson, Willie Green and Tracy McGrady (who has surprisingly accepted his role coming off the bench).
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The Hawks have won games that they should win, and have lost games to Miami, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Indiana, none of which are bad teams.
Young point guard Jeff Teague has stepped up his game with Hinrich’s absence, averaging 12.6 points per game and 5.7 assists.
Zaza Pachulia has stepped up, replacing Horford.
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are both putting up (for the most part) consistent points.
The team has bought what coach Larry Drew is selling, and playing unselfish basketball. They are currently fourth in assists per game in the NBA.
So my question for today’s article, are the Atlanta Hawks for real? Can they keep up the impressive record for the entire shortened season?
