But now that the season is over, a myriad of questions are left for Atlanta, from personnel issues all the way up to the owner’s box.  Fans are concerned, and rightfully so, that the team has taken a step back, or has plateaued and gone as far as they can with the current mix of coaching and personnel.  During the off-season, a number of these questions will have to be addressed for this team to move forward.

1.  Do the Hawks attempt to trade Josh Smith? – This is going to be the most pressing question of the off-season.  Smith hasn’t been shy about his desire to be traded over the past two seasons, and he will be in the final year of his contract in 2013.  The question really isn’t if the Hawks should trade Smith, but rather if they will be able to convince him to re-sign.

Management needs to get a gauge on Smith as soon as possible and see if he’s even open to the idea of returning.  If all indications are that he’s going to leave regardless of what the team does next season, then Atlanta has no choice but to trade him while they can get value for him.  He had one of his best seasons and was undeniably Atlanta’s best player in the post-season this year, so finding a buyer who will give good value to the Hawks in return shouldn’t be hard.

On the flip side, if Smith is open to returning, then undoubtedly the Hawks should bring him back. Smith can be frustrating at times, and make mental errors, but you take the bad with the overwhelming amount of good when it comes to his game.

2.  Does Joe Johnson‘s contract make him unmovable? – The conventional wisdom is yes, he’s being overpaid and no team in their right mind is going to pick up the remaining years and dollars on Johnson’s contract.  But I would disagree.  Not only do I think Johnson can be moved, but I think he should be moved.

Joe’s contract is killing Atlanta’s ability to sign free agents, and to find bench depth.  And honestly, he’s just not the right fit for Atlanta’s first scoring option.   The Hawks front office needs to get a deal in place with a lottery team that is in need of a first/second scoring option (teams like the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers leap to mind) and who have cash available.

If Atlanta was willing to pay a portion of Johnson’s remaining salary, and Joe was willing to restructure the rest of his deal, I think it could be done.  The important thing for the Hawks is to get multiple players and/or draft picks in return.

3.  Should the Hawks look to fill holes and move pieces, or blow up the team and start from scratch? – I could go either way on this one.  Sometimes when you look at this team, you think they are just a tweak or two away from being serious contenders.  Other times you see no other option than to nuke the site from orbit (it’s the only way to be sure).

A lot of it will depend on the Josh Smith and Joe Johnson situations, but either way I think rebuilding is the best way to go.  Al Horford is the only player I would have listed as “untouchable” if other teams inquired, but beyond that, the Hawks simply have too many needs to ignore.

One big problem is that Atlanta doesn’t really have any quality wiley veterans to help lead and mold the young players.  The vets that they do have lack leadership and mentoring abilities, so bringing in more young talent may not solve some of the problems.  Finding some leaders, and surrounding them with young guys who have potential may be the best way for Atlanta to go.

4.  Should ownership do whatever is needed to keep GM Rick Sund in Atlanta? – Reports have been coming in that the Portland Trail Blazers are interested in Sund.  Portland apparently asked permission to speak to the Atlanta GM, but were denied permission by the Hawks until after the season ended.

Sund’s contract expires on June 30th, and he is currently one of the lowest paid GMs in the league.  Ownership needs to open up the snapper purse and pay Sund to stay in Atlanta.  The team needs some stability in the front office – having gone through numerous GM and coaching changes over the last few years – and Sund hasn’t really had a chance to make his mark on this team yet.  Losing Sund could cause a huge ripple effect and hurt this team in the end.

5.  Is Larry Drew the right head coach for this team? – As much as I hate to say it, no….coach Drew just isn’t the right guy at this time.  Drew did a phenomenal job this season in keeping things glued together, despite all the injuries and adversity.  But the truth is, Atlanta needs a coach with a little more fire.  They need someone who can corral the talent and gel it together into a well oiled unit.

The Hawks haven’t had a big-name coach since Lenny Wilkens left in 2000.  The time might be right for Atlanta to go find a marquis coach and to let Larry Drew catch on somewhere else while he is still looked at as a positive commodity.

There are a lot of names out there who aren’t coaching right now, who very well could be, and may want to be.  It’s time for the Hawks to shake a few trees and see what falls in their lap.  And if the Orlando Magic let Stan Van Gundy go (as many suspect they will), the Hawks should do whatever they can to bring him in to Atlanta.

6.  Will the Atlanta fans ever support a team owned by Atlanta Spirit, LLC? – This is the easiest question to answer.  Quite simply, no.  Whether justified or not, the ASG has lost all credibility with the fans in Atlanta, and support for the Hawks will always be something that has to be fought for as long as they remain in their luxury boxes at Philips Arena.

New ownership – preferably by a person, and not a group – would give the fans in Atlanta a shot in the arm, and could refresh the outlook for the team.  Even if the ASG makes all the right moves and puts together a championship caliber team, fan support will always be waning due to the lack of trust and belief that the fans have for this ownership group.

In my preview of this series, I pointed out some decided advantages that the Celtics held over the Hawks.  One of those, being low post presence, has now swung back in favor of Atlanta.  In game four, All-Star center/forward Al Horford returned to play for the first time since early January, and made some limited contributions.  But in game five, with the Hawks facing elimination, Horford was a difference maker, and he might be exactly what the Hawks need to steal this series from the favored Celtics.

Horford’s presence alone helps Atlanta in more ways than one.  With Horford in the lineup, Joe Johnson is no longer forced to expend excess energy guarding Paul Pierce.  Johnson can again focus on his offensive game, and leave the heavy bumping and grinding with Pierce to the bigger Horford.   It also means that Pierce, who is strong on defense, can’t go help to double team Johnson when he’s in isolation without leaving either Horford or Josh Smith open in the paint.  Oh and by the way, all of this will be going on when Paul Pierce is obviously somewhat hobbled from the knee injury he suffered in game three.  Advantage Hawks.

The X-factor for the next two games (if there are two) will be Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.  Since returning from his one-game suspension, Rondo has been playing like a man on a mission, and the Hawks have had absolutely no answer for him at the 1-guard spot.  Rondo is much quicker than both Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Teague, and has been able to take his pick of either driving into the lane, or making superb passes to open teammates.  When Rondo is running the Boston offense, Atlanta has to rotate much quicker on defense, or there will be a lot of open jump shots coming for the Celtics.

The question is this.  Is it possible for the Hawks to do something they have never done since 1988…win a playoff game in Boston.  If Atlanta can withstand the first quarter flurry in game six, and keep the Celtics from shooting 68% in the first half (as they did in game three), then they just might be able to pull one out.  And if the series returns to Atlanta for a game seven, I’m putting my money on the Hawks at home.

But on Sunday night, when Barkley expressed his political views in a most blatant and unprofessional manner, I lost a lot of respect for him, and for the network that employs him.

Barkley was giving analysis of the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks first round playoff game being held at Boston’s TD Garden, when the cameras caught presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and his wife in attendance.   Out of nowhere Barkley loudly exclaimed, “We are going to beat you like a drum in November. But don’t take it personally. I like you. You seem like a nice guy. But you’re going down bro.”  Barkley’s colleagues were in a stunned silence for few moments.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Charles Barkley has inserted his loafers into his mouth, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.  But there has to be a line drawn somewhere between being loquacious and spontaneous, and sounding like an absolute idiot.   Barkley crossed that line on Sunday.

There is absolutely no need in the world of sports journalism for a so-called professional to interject his or her political views (no matter how humorously they try to do it) during a broadcast unless it involves an issue directly related to sports.  There is no gray area here.  If Time-Warner and TNT can’t see this was more than just a slight fumble by Barkley, then I’m not sure if they even care.

Tell us about the turrible game Charles…make fun of players, needle your co-hosts, say things that make for good water-cooler giggles the next day.  But don’t tell me who you are voting for in any election, or how badly you think the other candidate will be beaten.  I really don’t care.

Oh, and for the record, Charles…Mr. Romney hasn’t even officially been nominated yet.  Try a fact-check before you blabber next time.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Joe Johnson is a fine player, and he brings a lot of good things to the Hawks.   But Johnson has never been that guy to just take the team on his shoulders and get the job done.  Yes, he has some good nights, and has turned in some clutch performances in his seven seasons in Atlanta, but unfortunately clutch is not the word you would use to describe how he has performed in the playoffs.

Johnson is supposed to be one of the top scorers.  He’s got to be.  He has to be that guy that the opposing coach says about him, “He’s going to get his points, let’s focus elsewhere.”  Instead, it seems teams are able to bear down on Joe, and completely shut him down when it counts the most.

The proof is in the numbers.  Through his career in Atlanta, Johnson has averaged 20.9 points per game during the regular season, shooting with a 45% field goal percentage, and 36% from three-point range.   In the playoffs those numbers dip to 17.9 ppg, 38% fg, and 31% 3-pt.   Those are some pretty big differences for a guy who is supposed to be the one who steps up when it counts the most.

When you look across the court at the Boston Celtics, and their anointed team leader Paul Pierce, you see a much different story.  In regular season play, Pierce averages 22 ppg, 45% fg, and 37% 3-pt., and his post-season numbers are nearly identical.  But the big difference is leadership.  I’ve watched Pierce literally grit his teeth and carry his team to a lot of playoff wins, whereas I’ve rarely seen Joe Johnson become an effective catalyst for his teammates, be it through his play or his determination.

So far in this year’s first round series against Boston, Johnson has been a non-factor.  In the first two games against the Celtics, Johnson has averaged 16.5 points, a 31% fg percentage, and has been absolutely abysmal from three-point range, shooting just 17%.  He’s also throwing in 3.5 turnovers per game, when his career average is less than two.  And in the game 2 loss, the Hawks netted -3 points while Johnson was on the court, which means the Celtics were going on runs and scoring more than Atlanta while Joe was playing.  Comparing again to Paul Pierce, the Celtics netted +4 when Pierce was on the floor.

With the injuries that the Hawks were already dealing with, and with Josh Smith suffering a sprained knee in game 2,  Joe Johnson has to step up if the Hawks are going to have a chance at winning this series.  Johnson is going to have to elevate his post-season game, and make everyone around him better.  The problem is, based on what’s been seen in past seasons, it’s not clear whether or not he has it in him.

The 1988 game seven – where Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins put on a shooting clinic, and has since simply been billed as “Bird vs ‘Nique” – was probably the highlight of  playoff match-ups between these two teams, with the 2008 first round series in which the Hawks pushed the eventual NBA champion Celtics to seven games being the renewal of the rivalry.

It’s no secret that these two franchises, and in particular, the players on the current rosters, aren’t too fond of each other.  So this year’s first round 4 vs 5 seed match-up should be physical, and will be closely contested.  However, the Hawks are going to be at a decided disadvantage due to injuries, and will have to have some guys step up in a big way if they hope to move past Boston.

The biggest problem for Atlanta this year will be down low.  It’s already been decided that center Al Horford – who has missed most of the season with a shoulder/chest injury – will not be available for the first round.  Normally, that would have laid the job of getting inside and defending the paint to Zaza Pachulia, who usually plays well against the Celtics and loves getting physical with Boston forward Kevin Garnett.  But Pachulia has been out with a foot injury for the last two weeks, and it’s now reported that he too will most likely miss the first round.  That means the Hawks will be sending out Jason Collins and Ivan Johnson to get down low, and the Celtics are licking their chops at that thought.

Without a big presence inside, it’s going to make life difficult on the Hawks perimeter shooters.  Playing Joe Johnson isolation sets will not bear much fruit if the Celtics don’t feel they have a huge threat under the basket to defend, and guards Jeff Teague and Kirk Hinrich will have to be more aggressive in getting the ball distributed to Josh Smith and reserve Marvin Williams.

Smith could be the big key to the Hawks winning.  When he drives to the hoop, he almost always draws a double-team, which can lead to open shooters outside the key, or getting the Celtics into foul trouble.  If Smith is content attempting jump shots, and not bringing the ball inside it will play right into the hands of the Celtics defense.

Overall, the match-up favors Boston in this series, but if the Hawks can disrupt Celtics shooters Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo by being physical and aggressive, and keep Josh Smith out of foul trouble, they could still make a run.  Boston won the regular season series 2-1, with the only Atlanta victory coming on April 20, when Boston rested nearly all of their starters for the entire game.  Both Boston victories were decided by three points or less.

Keys for the Celtics:

1. Keep the Hawks out of the paint, and make them settle for outside jump shots

2. Frustrate Josh Smith, and get him to foul early.

3. Dominate the boards, especially on defense.

Keys for the Hawks:

1. Think small and quick, keep some of the aging, slower Celtics off balance.

2. Be aggressive and crash the boards, try to get Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce into foul trouble

3. Get Josh Smith driving into the lane, and not standing pat on jump shots

My prediction:  Celtics take the series in 6 games. (Sorry, Hawks fans)

While it’s true that Atlanta has had to deal with it’s fair share of injuries, the time for excuses has passed.  If the Hawks want to take that next step and be considered one of the dangerous post-season teams, they have to start winning regularly in March and April against other playoff bound teams.  The bench rotation has to be set, and role-players have to step up when needed.  So far, it’s not happening.

Right now the Hawks are in the midst of a regular season ending five-game home stand, with four of those teams they face being headed for the playoffs.  After handling a weak Detroit Pistons team, Atlanta faced a Boston Celtics squad that sat four of their premier players – Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo – and barely escaped with a win.  This was followed by a heartbreaking loss to a New York Knicks team who was fighting to even make the post-season.

Now Atlanta is faced with two of the Western Conference’s best teams, the L.A. Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.  If ever there was time for a gut check, this would be it.  Winning those two games at home would be a huge confidence boost heading into the first round of the playoffs, but it’s going to take a lot more effort and consistency than the Hawks have shown in the last two games to get it done.

The Hawks are even more depleted on the bench than usual, which wont make things any easier.  Starting center Zaza Pachulia – who has been in for the injured Al Horford most of the season – is still out with a foot injury, and coach Larry Drew didn’t sound very positive about his return anytime soon.  So now reserve center Jason Collins is the lone big man presence down low.

In the most recent game against the Celtics, Hawks forward Josh Smith was double-teamed nearly every time he touched the ball.  The reason…the Celtics weren’t afraid of the Hawks perimeter shooting, or the ability for anyone to get into the paint and exploit their smaller defense.  Consequently, Smith took some bad shots and had to dish the ball more than he would have liked.  The Hawks need Smith to take control and draw people under the basket to give shooters Joe Johnson and Kirk Hinrich some better looks.

Ending the season with five at home should have been a huge advantage for the Hawks.  Philips Arena should have been setting off seismographs.  Instead, it’s been sparse crowds and a minimal noise factor.  But fans will be excited about this team when they exceed expectations.  As long as the effort looks minimal, and the outcome is as expected, it’s going to be a hard sell to make fans believe that Atlanta is moving forward rather than being stagnant.

The win also had Atlanta keep pace with the Orlando Magic – who scored a home victory over the slumping Philadelphia 76ers – to be tied for the fifth in the conference (Atlanta owns the tiebreaker with the Magic). The Boston Celtics, who are arguably playing the best ball in the Eastern Conference right now, are also tied with Orlando and Atlanta.  The Hawks will host Boston on Friday, April 20 as part of a five game home stand to close out the season.

With center Zaza Pachulia scratched from the lineup with a foot injury, Ivan Johnson stepped up with a game and career high 21 points, and point guard Jeff Teague put up some of his best numbers of the season with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists.  Hawks coach Larry Drew had issued a pregame challenge to Teague to step up and play with a more aggressive style,  and Teague responded by  leading the Hawks to 28 fast-break points, the most by any Raptors opponent this season.

But, in the usual “good news – bad news” year that the Hawks have had, reports have surfaced that the foot injury to Pachulia is more serious that originally thought, and it could keep him out of action for the remainder of the regular season.  Those last five games will be no easy task – even at home – against Detroit, Miami, New York, the Clippers and Dallas.  The Hawks are declining comment on Pachulia’s status going forward.  The center position has been a veritable revolving door for Atlanta this season, having lost starter and All-Star Al Horford early in the year, and with the remaining three reserves all having spent time on the bench with injuries.

The important thing for the Hawks right now is keeping pace with Boston and Orlando, and not falling back to the six or seven seed come playoff time.  Just slipping back to number six could potentially pit the Hawks against the red hot Indiana Pacers, who have won five straight, and nine of their last ten games.  “We’re right there in the thick of things,” coach Larry Drew said. “As long as there’s an opportunity for us to move up, we want to try to take advantage of that.”

Dampier has averaged 7.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game over his 14-year NBA career. He ranks seventh on the all-time rebounds list among active players.

Atlanta has one of the best and youngest starting line-ups in basketball, but have failed to make any noise in the playoffs the last few years. In 2010, the Hawks finished in 3rd-place for the Southeast Division and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After a disappointing 44-38 campaign in 2010, coming off their 53-win 2009 season, Atlanta was looking for leaders. Johnson is unquestionably the leader by example, but the Hawks hope they have their floor general in the form of Jeff Teague. The former Wake Forest star will now take over as the starting point guard after the departure of Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford. Teague does a little bit of everything, and will be a good candidate to surprise some people this season.

Al Horford and Josh Smith are the constants for the Atlanta franchise. J-Smooth went off last season, averaging 17 points per game, alongside eight rebounds, 3 assists and nearly 2 blocks a contest. At just 26-years old, Smith is not close to done improving. His game is so explosive, but the Hawks may begin to worry with all the young players on their team, how can they afford to sign Smith moving forward? That may be a different problem for a different day, as the Hawks window could be smaller than most had imagined. Horford is a force in the paint, as he nearly averaged a double-double with 15 ppg, 9 rpg and 3 apg last season. He will look to do more of the same in 2011 with Smith once again alongside….for the time being.

Health will be huge for a few Hawks this season, namely the much maligned Tracy McGrady, as he makes his Atlanta debut in 2011. Last year’s starting point guard Kirk Hinrich is injured and will not be able to play for some time. Therefore, McGrady will have to pick up the slack in a bigger role than he has been used to the last few seasons.

Will this finally be the year Marvin Williams explodes onto the scene? Most likely not, but it is always nice to be optimistic. Williams will be vying for time on the floor amidst all the young studs the Hawks posses, and of course T-Mac. He may actually have a solid season with less pressure, coming off the bench as a possible sixth man.

The Hawks will open their 66-game season on Dec. 27 against the downtrodden New Jersey Nets. Look for this young group to really flourish during the condensed scheduled season, as their bodies won’t need nearly the same amount of time to recover like the older, veteran teams. I can see Atlanta winning 35-40 games and taking the Southeast Division outright if the Magic falter. However, if Orlando lives up to expectations, expect the Hawks to stay comfortably in second place. They will make a bid for the Eastern Conference Finals, but in the end, they must prove their worth in the playoffs, just as they have done in the regular season. I visualize another semifinal exit for the Atlanta Hawks in 2011-12.

Follow Tony Piraro on Twitter @TonyPiraro

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