by Jordan Fickling, sports editor
Many fans did not see this coming, but the Atlanta Hawks have gone on to have the best season they’ve had in years by having a strong grip on the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Following a disappointing season due to Center Al Horford’s pectoral injury and a first-round exit from the playoffs, Atlanta looked to change things drastically.
Horford was available this season and that contributed to the Hawks’ success. However, aside from Horford’s return, Atlanta also acquired a new coach in the name of Mike Budenholzer. What was so instrumental in the acquisition of Budenholzer was the fact that Budenholzer was previously was an assistant coach to the San Antonio Spurs Head Coach, Gregg Popovich.
Popovich is known and famous for his leaderless offense and defense.There is no go- to player amongst the team which is why cohesion is emphasized. This is a major reason why the Spurs have won five NBA championships, their recent one being in 2014. Atlanta quickly adopted this form of team building as the Hawks’ new moniker is the “Spurs of the East”.
“The reason the Hawks have been so good is because they don’t have a star player like LeBron. The don’t have people that have 40 point games. They pass around the ball which is why they win,” eighth Grader Andrew DeDomenico said.
Atlanta had the best January in NBA history. They recorded 17 wins and zero losses which is most wins any team has ever accumulated without losses. However, they had a 19 game winning streak which was snapped in early February.
“That’s a very impressive feat and from my understanding that’s the first time its been done in history. Anything that is a first in the NBA, considering it’s extensive history, is certainly something that needs to be recognized,” Assistant Principal Mr. Jurman said.
Besides the Popovich-esque coaching, all five of the Atlanta starters bring something unique to the team. Their backcourt is very versatile, and their front court is very lethal. Following their record January, all five of the Hawks’ starters were named the players of the month, and three of them were named as reserves in the NBA All-star game.
January’s players of the month for the Eastern Conference, consists of Point Guard Jeff Teague, Shooting Guard Kyle Korver, Small Forward DeMarre Carroll, Power Forward Paul Millsap, and Center Al Horford.
“My favorite player on the Hawks is Jeff Teague. He’s very creative with the ball and he knows when to pass and score with it. He’s very underrated because he wasn’t named an all-star starter,” DeDomenico said.
As the NBA reaches its halfway point, Atlanta is red hot and arguably unstoppable. They have great records against both East and Western conferences alike and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the playoffs.
