NBA Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks Creeping Through Back Door of NBA Finals Contention

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By @GoldenPerspectv

Atlanta Hawks

David Richard – USA Today Sports

It would seem that a team with the second-best record in its conference (fifth best in the league) would get a little more credit than the Atlanta Hawks have received thus far. Is it the lack of nationally-televised games? Is it the absence of a supreme superstar? Could it be their historic trend to get knocked out early in the playoffs? I don’t have the answer, but if they keep this up, the only question that will need to be answered is, “Can this team win a championship?”

The Hawks are a pure team that likes to spread the ball. They’ve been like that for years now. Atlanta hasn’t had a guy to go to who can get them 20 points per game since Joe Johnson in 2010. Since then, it’s been more about Jeff Teague penetrating and kicking or letting Paul Millsap and Al Horford eat down-low. Over the last two years, Teague has blossomed into a solid point guard. He does exactly what he’s supposed to do, which is break down the defense. He’s never been a high assist player and sometimes he takes ill-advised shots but he’s improved his shooting percentage over the past few years.

Millsap and Horford aren’t walking double-doubles either, but they score when needed. Both players can get buckets in the post, stretch the floor with their shooting and demand double-teams. The unselfish duo are also among the top 10 power forwards and centers in assists per game.

This is a very selfless ball club that understands the logistics of winning. On the stat sheet, three of the most important categories to winning is assists per game, three-point percentage and points allowed per game. In each of these categories, the Hawks are top five in the league.

Assists per game is the most important stat for a team because it speaks great volume. It reveals how much chemistry the team has and what type of shots they take. In the playoffs, it’s all about getting easy buckets. If you’re prone to taking difficult shots or contested jumpers, you won’t make it far. Nothing comes easy in the postseason.

The three-point percentage is under the umbrella of assists per game. It almost goes hand-in-hand. By shooting a high percent from the arc, teams are forced to close out hard which in turn opens up driving opportunities and easier baskets.

With a sharing team such as the Hawks, they have no problem giving up a good shot for a better one. Kyle Korver is the X-factor in this facet because he gets more attention from deep than anyone else on that team. He’s shooting over 50 percent from downtown for the second time in his career and he’s the living proof of Mark Jackson‘s motto, “Hand down, man down!”

And the final genre of the stat-sheet trio to success is total points allowed per game. I hate to mimic the traditional phrase, but it’s globally understood that defense wins championships. In their last 19 games, they are 17-2. But check this out. They beat the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and then Houston Rockets in that stretch. They held the Bulls to 86 points, Cavs to 98 and Rockets to 97. All three of those teams usually post over 100 points on a nightly basis. Then over the next two games, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers.

One bonus detail that is helping this team thrive is its coach, Mike Budenholzer. He’s easily in the Coach of the Year conversation. Little did people know, before he came to Atlanta, he was a video coordinator for the San Antonio Spurs. Then he was promoted to assistant coach next to Gregg Popovich as they won four NBA titles. That should be a fun fact to hang on to as the season progresses.

I love what this team is doing and how it’s doing it. I am a big fan of underrated teams that fly under the radar. I can’t say that I’m completely sold on the Hawks contending for a title because although they have a balanced team, you still need a superstar who can step up and make big shots. I can’t confidently say that they have that type of player, but one thing is for sure: you can’t write this team off for their past accolades (or lack thereof).

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