Are The Hawks Ready to Take Flight?

Liftoff, we have liftoff.......

Often the beginning of a new NBA season is a time for optimism for any team (unless you live in Memphis), especially for a young team just coming off a surprising playoff berth. 

For the Atlanta Hawks, however, the actions of this past summer was enough for the pundits to predict that they would slip back into the lottery, where they made their living for the past 9 seasons before taking the World Champion Boston Celtics to the limit in the first round of last spring's playoffs.

Think about it: they lose Josh Childress, one of the league's best sixth men, to Greece. Josh Smith, he of the spectacular dunks/defense, yet also the master of creating headaches for his own teammates, almost headed to Beale Street before Atlanta manned up and re-signed him. 

Mike Woodson, who is more hated in Atlanta than General Sherman, is signed to a two-year deal by new GM Rick Sund. Also, the front office drama is guaranteed to be an issue long after the current stretch of Hawks have retired.

Put all that together, and all of a sudden the pundits (re:ESPN) predicted that the Hawks would be so bad that perhaps Georgia Tech would be the best basketball team in the city.

Going into their first game against the Southeast Division champion Orlando Magic, someone forgot to tell that to the Hawks, as they beat the Magic at Amway Arena 99-85, in the season opener. 

Obviously, it's only one game, but for those who saw it or heard it, you'd know that this team has learned how to play in tough environments after dealing with the Boston crowd last May, and it showed.

First of all, they still have two-time All-Star guard Joe Johnson, who has developed into as clutch a scorer as they come. They still have Smith blocking shots and hustling for loose balls all over the court. 

Even without Marvin Williams, who was sitting out for a one game suspension he received after Game 7, Atlanta showed that they may be the next big threat in the East.

Someone forgot to tell that Al Horford, who averaged a double-double in the playoffs, that he wasn't supposed to go mano y mano with guys like Dwight Howard, but Horford held his own, constantly getting loose balls and attacking the basket. 

Also, they have PG Mike Bibby for possibly a full season as he is in a contract year! Especially since he is at the last-chance-to-cash-in age of 30.

With incumbent Acie Law in the wings, Bibby knows he has to be at the top of his game.  Remember how Atlanta's offense improved drastically when he arrived, with the team averaging 103.2 ppg? 

Despite his slow start in the playoffs, he will be fully integrated in the offense and be more prepared next spring.

Finally, the bench. Yes, the bench that has new additions Flip Murray and former Magic guard Mo Evans. Collectively they are known as the FlipMo squad, as penned by Atlanta-Journal Constitution beat writer Sekou Smith, one of the best in the business.

Leave it go people like The Sports Guy Bill Simmons, they might as well be called the crap squad.  Don't get me wrong, I like Simmons, but I would think that two veterans who have playoff experience would get just a bit more respect. 

But alas, I realize that when it comes to the Atlanta Hawks, in the eyes of the media they are still known as "the team that passed up on Chris Paul". Give me a minute to collect myself.....(holding back tears)....

Ahem....back to the column.....

Overall, the first game against the Magic showed that Atlanta will be a team to deal with this year.

They played 10 men, even without Marvin, and everyone from FlipMo to Horford to Josh Smith out-hustled and out-played the Magic from start to finish, obviously showing that they learned to step up their game when they're on the road, where they only won 12 games last year and lost all their road games in the playoffs.

Even Zaza Pachulia rediscovered the stones he lost most of last year until he and Celtics star Kevin Garnett began exchanging pleasantries.

Ok, so you're asking, JR, how on earth can you predict anything? It's one game, and there are 81 left to go. How do you know this team will stay intense during those January & February trips to the West Coast?

Glad you asked. Let's take a look at the ingredients for playoff contenders in the NBA shall we:

Unquestioned Number 1 Scorer who can deliver in the clutch (Joe Johnson)

Floor leader who can keep the team in check and create chemistry? (Bibby)

Rock Solid guy in the paint who's going to deliver a double-double and hustle every night (Horford, who has now developed a jumper)

Second banana scorer who will make teams pay for double-teaming the star? (Marvin Williams, who's developed a three point shot to his arsenal, and he's also playing for an extension)

All around athlete who can fill up a stat sheet and not always looking for the ball (Smith)

Underrated bench whom a coach can put at least 4 guys and not miss a beat? (Evans, Zaza, Law, Murray)

Finally, a team that has the whole "no one expects us to do anything" attitude. So yes, even with Mike Woodson's coaching, the Atlanta Hawks have shown that they will stand and deliver to become a force in the Eastern conference this year!

This year, the time will come where the rest of the NBA world will have no choice but to notice.