Hawks Fall on Road Once More

Road games are always tough to win for any team but, Atlanta has had huge trouble winning on the road. Saturday night showed a huge hole in the otherwise deadly Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have struggled on the road all season long being at a pitiful 19-22 this season. While Atlanta has had some excuses for losing on the road before, the game Saturday showed a huge flaw in Atlanta and there is no excuse now.  

In the 2008 playoffs a young, eight-seeded Hawks team exploded against the soon-to-be NBA champs Boston Celtics. Even though the Hawks took the Celtics to seven games, they were hammered on the road. However, Atlanta was young and facing the best NBA team of the 2007-2008 season.

The next year Atlanta gained the fourth seed and while they did need seven games to beat Miami they were able to win on the road. The Hawks would get swept in round two versus the Cavs.

Now in the 2010 playoffs the Hawks face hardships on the road again. However there is a major difference with this year's team. The Hawks are facing a weak sixth-seeded Bucks team.

To make matters worse for the Bucks they are without their best player in Bogut. The first two games were in Atlanta and the Hawks seemed to handle the Bucks easily. Then the problem arrived; Atlanta gets blasted by a Bogut-less Bucks team. 

While they're a dominant force on the home court, the Hawks are a less than average team on the road. Atlanta should and will get out of the first round in five or six games but, if this road play continues, they will not last long in the second round. Whether it's the coach or the players, something needs to change in Atlanta NOW or the Hawks will never be an elite team.