Chris Barnewell of Hawks Hoop: “This Week In The Southeast the Atlanta Hawks had the second place spot in the East, and then they didn’t. While hte Washington Wizards and Hawks create distance from the rest of the division everybody else just seems to be fumbling around. The Miami Heat don’t look like they’re going to get any better and that’s a problem this early in the year. Meanwhile the Orlando Magic continue to stay competitive while the Charlotte Hornets try to right the ship.”
Mike Prada of SB Nation: “National analysts, NBA fans and even Atlanta residents tend to forget about the Atlanta Hawks. They seem occupied in no-man’s land with no hope to move up or down, all in a market that doesn’t seem to care either way. And that’s before we get to this summer’s scandal, where the general manager set off a firestorm by reciting a Luol Deng scouting report that suggested the free-agent target “has a little African in him.” But this year may finally be the one that changes the narrative. The Hawks are 16-7 and near the top of the Eastern Conference despite a buzzer-beating loss in Orlando. They’ve amassed their impressive record against an easy schedule, but they’ve also blown out their competition, a key indicator for future success. Atlanta’s won 10 of 12, and seven of those wins were by double digits. Before the schedule gets tougher, these are the five things to know about the Hawks.”
Matt Winkeljohn of the AJC: “A brief recap of the Hawks’ home win over the Bulls, which snapped a six-game losing streak to Chicago: How the game was won: Al Horford played one of his best games with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and the Hawks held off a flurry of charges by the Bulls to win for the 10th time in 11 games. The Hawks (17-7) led most of the way despite being slaughtered 57-40 on the boards, but every time Chicago (15-9) pulled close, Atlanta made a critical play. The clinching shots were free throws by Jeff Teague, whose pair with 14.3 seconds left gave the Hawks a 91-86 lead. Paul Millsap scored 17.”
