Spring Break
Atlanta Hawks soaring through best season in years
Justin Kimmel
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: Sports
The Atlanta Hawks have been one dismal franchise in recent years. High lottery draft picks have been the only things that Hawks fans have been able to look forward to. Drafts during the Billy Knight era have been mostly frustrating. In 2007, Atlanta used their two first round picks to draft power forward Al Horford and point guard Acie Law. These two rookies have made an early impact this season, combining with the rest of the Hawks' youth to place the team in the thick of the playoff race for the first time since 1999. Horford is making a case for NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 9 points and almost 10 rebounds per game.
Young players like Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, and Josh Smith are also contributing greatly in this year's playoff push. In his third season, 21 year-old forward Williams is averaging a career best in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage since being drafted second overall in 2005. Childress has made his impact as the sixth man, coming off the bench with 12 points per game, and is among the league leaders in field goal percentage. High-flyer Josh Smith is continuing to wow fans with highlights this season while averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game. Smith is also among NBA leaders defensively blocking over 3 shots per game and making over 2 steals per game.
The go-to guy this year has been star shooting guard Joe Johnson. A measure of consistency, he is the leader and backbone of this team. A scoring threat to all defenses, he is averaging team-leading stats of 22 points per game and over 5 assists per contest. Without Joe Johnson, the Hawks would not be playing like they have this year.
Another Johnson the Hawks couldn't live without this year is veteran Anthony Johnson. Point guard has been the position that has essentially killed the Hawks in recent years. They haven't had a formidable player at this position since Mookie Blaylock. Anthony Johnson isn't a premier player; his steady play, however, has the Hawks playing an unselfish brand of basketball as a team. Averaging 6 points and 5 assists per game, Johnson has hit some clutch shots this season. Acie Law and Tyronne Lue have also played quality minutes at point guard this year. The combined play from these three guys has been critical.
Atlanta is currently 17-20 and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. With many games left on the schedule, a lot can happen for the Hawks. Just to make a guess after seeing the schedule, a prediction would have Atlanta slipping a bit in the next month, then making a strong run in the last couple months against an easier schedule. This team is young and fatigue shouldn't be a big issue down the stretch.
Not many people believe what they hear about how the Hawks are doing this year. But believe it, folks. The Atlanta Hawks will appear in the playoffs this year.
Young players like Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, and Josh Smith are also contributing greatly in this year's playoff push. In his third season, 21 year-old forward Williams is averaging a career best in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage since being drafted second overall in 2005. Childress has made his impact as the sixth man, coming off the bench with 12 points per game, and is among the league leaders in field goal percentage. High-flyer Josh Smith is continuing to wow fans with highlights this season while averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game. Smith is also among NBA leaders defensively blocking over 3 shots per game and making over 2 steals per game.
The go-to guy this year has been star shooting guard Joe Johnson. A measure of consistency, he is the leader and backbone of this team. A scoring threat to all defenses, he is averaging team-leading stats of 22 points per game and over 5 assists per contest. Without Joe Johnson, the Hawks would not be playing like they have this year.
Another Johnson the Hawks couldn't live without this year is veteran Anthony Johnson. Point guard has been the position that has essentially killed the Hawks in recent years. They haven't had a formidable player at this position since Mookie Blaylock. Anthony Johnson isn't a premier player; his steady play, however, has the Hawks playing an unselfish brand of basketball as a team. Averaging 6 points and 5 assists per game, Johnson has hit some clutch shots this season. Acie Law and Tyronne Lue have also played quality minutes at point guard this year. The combined play from these three guys has been critical.
Atlanta is currently 17-20 and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. With many games left on the schedule, a lot can happen for the Hawks. Just to make a guess after seeing the schedule, a prediction would have Atlanta slipping a bit in the next month, then making a strong run in the last couple months against an easier schedule. This team is young and fatigue shouldn't be a big issue down the stretch.
Not many people believe what they hear about how the Hawks are doing this year. But believe it, folks. The Atlanta Hawks will appear in the playoffs this year.
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