The Atlanta Hawks Have the Best Record in the NBA Eastern Conference

What’s a team got to do to get a little respect around here? The Atlanta Hawks have earned that exact amount of respect the past couple seasons and they want more. The Atlanta Hawks stormed onto the scene in the ‘07-‘08 playoffs by taking the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the first round. They barely made the playoffs that season, boasting a losing record of 37-45 in the regular season.

Nevertheless, everybody was intrigued by what the ‘08-‘09 version of the Atlanta Hawks would look like. Would that be the same below average team that just happened to of had a few good games against the Celtics the year before or was this team maturing into an actual decent team? The Hawks replied to all those answers and more by improving upon their ‘07-‘08 season run. They finished the regular season 47-35 last year and retained the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They then took care of business in the first round of the playoffs taking out the 5th seed Miami Heat in seven games. They met up with the Cleveland Cavs in the second round only to get pummeled four games to none. The Hawks proved they are a good young team, but they also proved they weren’t ready to be an elite Eastern Conference team.

It’s now the ‘09-‘10 season and the Hawks are proving to everybody they aren’t ready to go away. When the season started the Eastern Conference was about only three teams; the Magic, Cavs and Celtics. After all, nobody else even has a glimmer of a chance in the East. Right? Not so quick. What about the Atlanta Hawks? Doubters across the nation will say it’s just the regular season, and it’s only not even a quarter of the way through. They will say the Hawks are good, but can’t match up with the three elites of the Eastern Conference. Let’s not forget the Magic didn’t get much pub last year either. Sure most people thought they were a great third team in the Eastern Conference, but nonetheless the third best team. People will even say now, that if the Celtics were healthy than it would’ve been a different story. I can’t argue that since the Celtics were indeed missing their heart in Kevin Garnett. I also can’t say that I’m sure the results would’ve changed if they had Garnett.

I’m not even saying that the Atlanta Hawks are better than any of those three teams this year, although they do have a better record at 9-2. What I’m saying is I think this is the year that we better give the Hawks some true respect. Not just as a playoff team, but as a team that does indeed have a chance at least causing some havoc in the playoffs and competing with the elite three. They might even surprise us and take one or two of them out. The Hawks have serious talent, and therefore are a serious threat in the Eastern Conference this season.

I know people will make the same arguments. They can’t match up with Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. They can’t play as physical as Kevin Garnett and his Celtics. They can’t stop Lebron James. Heck, who can? These arguments might still all hold true come playoff time. What the Hawks do have is an elite scorer and all around player in Joe Johnson. They have a young and hungry, double-double machine for a big man in Al Horford. They also have an absolute stat sheet stuffer, and all around player in Josh Smith. They even have some great supporting cast in Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams. The truth is this Hawks team still might be one piece away from being just as good as the elite three, but they have the talent to make something happen if the chips fall just right. If they hit stride and gel going into the playoffs, what team can match up with them?