Atlanta's Playoff Possibilities

Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

Following their 102-101 thriller victory over the Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks displayed their team’s ability to close out games and to play effectively as a unit. Although they haven’t had the most notable season, the Hawks snuck into the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and solidify home-court advantage for the first round. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer spent 17 years on the Spurs bench alongside Gregg Popovich. As a member of Popovich's staff, he learned the importance of team basketball and crisp ball movement; which he has instilled in his versatile and talented Hawks roster. 27-year-old point guard Jeff Teague has been a staple of the Hawks organization for years and has adapted to many different styles of play. Now, with arguably the best Hawks roster in years, Teague has finally excelled and shown his true potential as a ball handler, floor general, and shot creator for the Hawks.

         The Hawks frontcourt tandem of Al Horford and Paul Millsap have created deadly matchup issues for every single team they’ve faced this year. Horford and Millsap are both efficient post players with effective outside shots. They are easily a top 5 frontcourt in the league and have continuously proved themselves with their underrated play throughout the past 2 years. The pair of big men fit the Hawks needs at both sides of the floor by providing exceptional scoring capabilities, energy, rebounding, and passing. With this combination leading the way, the Hawks may possibly find themselves making a run in the unpredictable Eastern Conference.

         Every great team needs role players, and the Hawks have a surplus of talented role players on their sidelines. Players such as Mike Scott, Walter Tavares, and Tim Hardaway Jr. provide massive sparks off the bench as the Hawks often seem effortlessly interchangeable. Tavares is often called upon for a strong presence down low, Hardaway for his potent offensive skill, and Mike Scott for his fantastic athleticism. The most important X-Factor for the Hawks thus far has been 4th year swingman; Kent Bazemore. After relatively dismal stints with the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, Bazemore has re-identified himself as a defensive pest and an all around offensive spark plug. Per 36 Minutes, “Baze” averaged 15.1 points on 44% shooting along with 1.7 steals, 3 assists, and 6.6 rebounds. The young jack-of-all-trades can give any team trouble, especially guided by his veteran Hawks teammates.

         With the Eastern Conference title truly up in the air, the Hawks have a real shot at making a run to the NBA Finals. As long as they can stay healthy and fight their hardest they'll succeed in the postseason. The Hawks also needs to battle the idea that they are a “Regular Season Team” and have no playoff experience, but this newly orchestrated squad has the capacity to break their playoff cold streak. Atlanta will face off with Boston on Tuesday night at 7:00 EST on TNT. 

http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/nba/images/2015/11/13/8909879.vadapt.980.high.26.jpg