An actual Positive Hawks story from cbssportsline.

[TheDude]

Link

Weekly Essentials: Not too early for Hawks to make statement

Nov. 13, 2006

By Tony Mejia

CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer

Tell Tony your opinion!

While you shouldn't make accommodations for the NBA Finals just yet, it's worth noticing that Atlanta enters the third week of the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference. If it weren't for Ray Allen's overtime heroics Saturday night, the Hawks would be in the running for the best record in the league, joining, among others, the Clippers.

Atlanta's Joe Johnson is playing like he plans to join the superstar ranks. (Getty Images)

Let's stop and thank Allen for saving the entire world from falling into total chaos.

As it is, the Hawks have been surprisingly efficient, paced by budding superstar guard Joe Johnson, whose stint with Team USA over the summer clearly agreed with him. Wonder if Steve Belkin still thinks he wasn't worth all that money. Johnson has led the Hawks in scoring every game and opens the week fifth in the league, averaging 28.8 points.

So are the Hawks for real? This is the week to find out.

Atlanta's schedule has featured only one guaranteed lock for the postseason, LeBron James' Cavaliers. That was the game where the Hawks so frustrated him that he walked off the court in the waning seconds of a loss. Opportunities to make a similar resounding statement present themselves this week, starting with Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Although the Bucks haven't been able to defend anybody, they have featured a potent offensive attack; Michael Redd dropped in 57 points against Utah over the weekend and leads the NBA with an average of 32.4. Charlie Villanueva has also started fast with his new team, posting close to a double-double.

Johnson should relish in the challenge of matching Redd basket-for-basket, but the bulk of the work lies with his supporting cast, which needs to execute against a team that has had problems getting key stops when it has needed them. You figure Milwaukee will try to make Johnson give up the basketball, forcing Josh Smith, Speedy Claxton, Tyronn Lue and Josh Childress to handle and make sound decisions.

The ball has to keep moving to the open man and eventually get funneled in to Zaza Pachulia, because you have to let your big guy go to work. I'm amazed I'm typing this, too.

Pachulia is averaging over 17 points and has looked formidable in the post, keeping the offense from relying solely on guard play. In his second season as Atlanta's starting center, he's really beginning to come into his own. While Andrew Bogut gets the hype of being a former No. 1 selection, Pachulia, only 22 as well, might actually be further along.

The Bucks will arrive in Atlanta losers of four consecutive games, and if the Hawks have indeed turned the corner, the number will move to five. Confidence and learning how to win are key stages of development Mike Woodson has been nurturing in his young team, and it would be vital to avoid entering Saturday night's showdown with defending champ Miami on a losing streak.

Yes, I knowingly just shattered my cardinal rule of using the term showdown in November. It certainly shouldn't matter that a division lead is up for grabs at this stage of the season, but these are the Hawks, and normal goes out the window. Atlanta is learning how to win, and maintaining momentum while all the big boys continue to stretch is a great way to feed a resurgence. These games should mean everything for the Hawks, because they should be starving to finally be referred to as a winner. In any form. At any juncture of the season. Remember, the Hawks started 0-9 last season and haven't been this far above .500 since 2002.

"Last year we were faced with so many things before the season even started. We were faced with the death of Jason (Collier), and that devastated our team. It devastated me as a coach," Woodson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But we continued to grow, and we got through that stage. And our team started to play well. And there has been a nice carryover through the summer and now into the regular season."

The Hawks have persevered despite the absence of second-year forward Marvin Williams, whose broken hand is expected to keep him out until early December. At the time he went down, Williams was expected to be one of the primary offensive options based on his offseason development. If the most talented prospect of the 2005 NBA Draft can provide a spark when he returns, Atlanta could have enough juice to stay in the playoff picture into the new year.

They just have to learn how to handle things week to week, look for every edge and take every opportunity. Teams are raising an eyebrow now that the expected rest stop in Atlanta might be undergoing some changes. Now is the time for the Hawks to keep sneaking up on teams while they can still make use of the element of surprise.

[gutz]

Were starting to get recognized and that all comes forth by winning games. We really need to win these next two games at home against Milwaukee which should be a shootout between JJ and Michael Redd. We really need to beat the over the hill bunch in the Miami Heat. We contain Wade and we win. I know its early in the season but the writer for this story is right. Its already a huge week for the Hawks since they are playing playoff teams from last year. Have to keep winning and hopefully Marvin gets back in about 3more weeks.

[Johnnybravo4]

Tony Mejia has always been in our corner. I remember that he predicted that Marvin Williams would be a hall of famer.

[DrReality]

He's a good writer. Like what he said.

I also like the mental toughness that I see our guys showing. Also liked what I read about Marvin being so active in pracitce. Sounds like he is itching to get back on the court. I can't wait either.

[Swatguy]

Quote:

---

He's a good writer. Like what he said.

I also like the mental toughness that I see our guys showing. Also liked what I read about Marvin being so active in pracitce. Sounds like he is itching to get back on the court. I can't wait either.

---

You gotta know that Speedy is chomping at the bit too. He has so much incentive to succeed here. The Hawks are winning and Speedy hasn't put his stamp on it. We really are loaded with talent thinking about Marvin and Solomon, Salim on the bench. Everyone is playing with intensity.

[Sothron]

This is exactly the sort of thing that winning produces. No one in the media will ever change their opinion about the Hawks until they make the playoffs. Period. I personally love seeing our team make these guys eat their words.