Atlanta, Ga. --- 65 games into the 2014-2015 season, the Atlanta Hawks are 51-14.
Currently a ½ game behind the Golden State Warriors for best record in the NBA, the Eastern-leading Hawks are 10 games up on the next-placed Cleveland Cavaliers.
Coach Mike Budenholzer, 45, is no rookie by any means. Coach Bud, as he is often referred to in the league, was an assistant under San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich from 1996 to 2013. During that period, the Spurs won four NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007). Oh, and just for reference, Coach Popovich won his fifth title last year, beating the Lebron James-led Miami Heat in five games (4-1).
Nevertheless, how does a team that was 38-44 just a season ago transform into one of the top teams in the NBA?
The Hawks of this year are not your average run-of-the-mill team, by any means. There are no superstars, let alone stars. No Jason Terry. No Jamal Crawford. No Joe Johnson. No Josh Smith.
The word continuity is every reason why the Hawks sit atop the Eastern conference right now.
The starting-5 for the majority of the season: Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Al Horford, DeMarre Carroll, and Paul Millsap.
Just how far can this team go?
It should be important to note that Atlanta has yet to put up a championship banner (of any kind) since 1995, and that was for the Braves of the MLB.
According to sportsencylopedia.com, Atlanta has hosted their basketball team since 1968-69.
Before transitioning into being one of Atlanta’s four major professional sports teams (before Winnipeg stole our Thrashers in 2011), the city of St. Louis was home to the Hawks.
Originally called the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, they played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1946-49 until the NBL merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Tri-Cities area refers to three cities along the banks of the Mississippi River: Moline, Illinois; Rock Island, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa.
Suffice it to say, the Atlanta Hawks have a long history within the NBA.
This year’s squad should be able to make it to the playoffs, and then some…
Teague, Korver, Horford, Millsap and backup point guard Dennis Schroder all represented Atlanta in the 2015 All-Star Festivities held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden (MSG).
Let us see how these Hawks will do down the stretch.
Your 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks
