Joel Huerto is the editor of OneManFastBreak.net and was a news editor at the Los Angeles Times.
There hasn’t been this much buzz about the Hawks in Hot-lanta since Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis and Mookie Blaylock were rocking the Omni.
Columnist Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote: “[The Hawks] are not just good. (And they’re very good.) They’re fun to watch. They play hard. They guard people. They pass the ball. Sometimes Joe Johnson still dribbles overmuch and Josh Smith reverts to the excess of youth, but this happens less and less. If your impression of these Hawks was formed a few years ago, you need to look again.”
Atlanta is 11-3 straight up and an NBA-best 11-3 against the spread (10-4 over/under). The high-flying Hawks have also won seven of its last eight games, including victories over Boston (97-86), Miami (105-90), Portland (99-95) and Denver (125-100).
“They are for real. This is definitely a team on the rise and I have them as a top-10 team, definitely top-five in the East. As long as they stay healthy, they can play with anybody,” said Mike Seba, senior oddsmaker for the Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Seba noted that he had the Hawks at 30-1 to win the NBA title at the start of the season, but adjusted it to 25-1 based on what he has seen through the first five weeks.
“All you have to do is look at their talent. Joe Johnson is in a contract year and he’s just going crazy right now, and I really like their starting five,” Seba said.
Johnson continues to cement his status as a bonafide superstar and he's supported by four solid starters in Mike Bibby, Al Horford, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. Add Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamal Crawford and you have a team that boasts six players who are career double-digit scorers.
Horford is a bit undersized as a center - listed at 6-10 but probably closer to 6-8 - but is a tireless worker who doesn’t need set plays to be effective and, as a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Florida, brings a championship attitude to the locker room. Now in his third season, Horford has bumped up his scoring average from 11.5 to 13.7 and ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (57.1 percent) and rebounds (10.1).
Smith’s scoring (15.6), rebounding (9.3) and shot blocking (2.6) are about where they need to be, but his shot selection has improved immensely. Smith is making 54 percent of his field goals, a career best, and has taken only one 3-pointer.
Crawford is the Hawks’ big offseason acquisition, and he's been everything the coaching staff had hoped for. The 10-year veteran guard has given Atlanta a super sub who can play either guard position and handle some of the scoring responsibilities.
“[The Hawks] needed a scorer and he has filled that spot perfectly,” Seba said of Crawford, whose ability to create his own shot has made the Hawks more dynamic and his presence alone is a key reason why the Hawks are in the top five in scoring.
Atlanta had been averaging 98 points per game the past two seasons, but this year they are up to 105.5 (fifth overall).
The Hawks did suffered a minor setback when Bibby hurt his left ankle in the loss to New Orleans on Nov. 21 when he landed on Darren Collison’s foot. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the starting point guard is day-to-day and is questionable for Thursday's home game against Orlando.
“Bibby is a big part of what we do. I don’t know how long Bibby is going to be out, but we got enough guys and the guys we have in uniform they’re just gonna have to pick up the pieces and hope to continue our winning ways. That’s what it’s all about,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson told reporters after the Hornets game.
Since acquiring Bibby in 2008, the Hawks are 81-59 with him in the lineup and have made the playoffs two years in a row.
Two points
Hornets buzz is back: New Orleans is 3-1 and 4-0 ATS since firing head coach Byron Scott, including victories over Phoenix and Atlanta at home. The Hornets, under GM/interim coach Jeff Bower, were averaging 105.3 points and shooting 43.1 percent from the field during their three-game winning streak. Rookie Darren Collison has filled in nicely for the injured Chris Paul, averaging 14 points and 6.4 assists in the five games he has started.
Dallas looks Mav-elous: Through its first 13 games, the Mavericks are among the leaders in the West with a 10-4 record and 9-5 ATS. Dirk Nowitzki (26.9 ppg) is having another MVP-type season and holding down the fort until Shawn Marion and Josh Howard get healthy. And don’t put Jason Kidd on a rocking chair yet. The 36-year-old point guard leads the Mavs in assists (9.1) and steals (1.8).