IS it....

[Diesel]

1. Ease of Schedule

or

2. Chemistry finally coming together.

that we're seeing?

[Dnice]

Maybe a little of both. We'll see at the end of the week.

[Swatguy]

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Maybe a little of both. We'll see at the end of the week.

This is my thinking also.

Starting tonight. If we are a playoff team, we put Memphis down tonight. If we lose tonight, we have not matured and not a good team.

[jhay610]

Let me give a politically correct answer by going on record officially with a "yes".

The Hawks are playing much better and Bibby getting comfortable with teammates has everything to do with it. The guys know where he likes to spot from and he knows what each player is trying to do out there now.

His foot doesn't seem to be hampering him as much either. JJ has returned to the form we had grown accustomed to and there have been enough contributions by the supporting cast to win some games.

However, the schedule has given us some breaks. We are definitely beating teams that we are supposed to beat if we are to get in. Not to diminish the good play, but the Bulls and Nets are where they are for a reason. They aren't very good. Losses to those teams could have stung a lot more if those teams had strung together some wins after beating us.

We should be beating the bottom-dwellers, especially at home. The weeks after the Bibby trade, though, we looked like we wouldn't win another game, so there has definitely been improvement. Hawks are finally beating some teams that they should beat, but we should all be thankful that this is the case, because we haven't been better than anybody during this millinnium.

[swolehawk2]

Mostly ease of schedule.

[AHF]

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Mostly ease of schedule.

This is my feeling but who cares? I just want the wins right now, baby!

[TheTruth]

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Mostly ease of schedule.

This is my feeling but who cares? I just want the wins right now, baby!

True, but it's an indicator of how our team is really doing. I think it is more ease of schedule. Why? Because we can't kill the teams we should be blowing out.

Our offense looks hella better with Bibby here. Now, if only we could get our defense to show up every game.

[Dexmethylphenidate]

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Mostly ease of schedule.

This is my feeling but who cares? I just want the wins right now, baby!

True, but it's an indicator of how our team is really doing. I think it is more ease of schedule. Why? Because we can't kill the teams we should be blowing out.

Our offense looks hella better with Bibby here. Now, if only we could get our defense to show up every game.

I just want them to contest those threes... Bibby and Childress seems slacking in this area.

[JackB1]

We are getting very balanced scoring lately. Last night almost everyone + Chillz was around 10-15 ppg and also more balanced rebounding. We are relying less on JJ, which is great and we are also getting more used to Bibby and he to the rest of the team. Bibby's heel getting better also helps.

[Admin]

The ease of the schedule has definitely helped but name another time in our past 5 seasons when we would consistently win at home and win the games that we are supposed to win? Obviously this isn't the first easy schedule that we have had so to me the biggest thing is that we are finally maturing and learning how to close teams out. No we aren't blowing them out but we are winning the games and Bibby is certainly the biggest reason for our recent run of success. Along with that Horford has really started showing off an impressive ability to score in a variety of ways, JJ is getting better looks, and usually one of the kids (Marvin, Smoove, and Chillz) will show up as our 2nd or 3rd option. I believe that Woody has started making better coaching decisions as well, although his substitution patterns are still abysmal.

Tonight will say a lot about where we are at mentally and I expect us to either come out on very focused or not focused at all but either way I expect we will win the game by less than double figures. These games that we are supposed to win are the absolute mark of a playoff team and positive growth for the Hawks.

[Gray Mule]

Chemestry. Why do I say that? This Hawk team plays up or down to the competition

they are facing. They play great against great teams and lousy against lousy teams.

The improved chemestry has allowed them to overcome their habit of losing those close

games, whoever they are playing. Previously, they would have lost some of those

games that they have recently won.

Easy games? Tough games? They're all the same to these Hawks. They have the

ability to either win or lose any of them. If and when they make the playoffs, we

can know that we are capable of beating any NBA team.

[Traceman]

I think our schedule is helping us develop our chemistry faster too. I think that winning reinforces good habits, it helps define roles and it provides confidence. If we were playing teams like BOS & DET during this stretch, I think we would still be developing chemistry but it would be developing much more slowly.

Look at DAL. They have had a tough schedule since Kidd arrived and they are still talking about chemistry because they are losing. Not so much talk about that around here.

[Plainview1981]

The first one.

[Swatguy]

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Chemestry. Why do I say that? This Hawk team plays up or down to the competition

they are facing. They play great against great teams and lousy against lousy teams.

The improved chemestry has allowed them to overcome their habit of losing those close

games, whoever they are playing. Previously, they would have lost some of those

games that they have recently won.

Easy games? Tough games? They're all the same to these Hawks. They have the

ability to either win or lose any of them. If and when they make the playoffs, we

can know that we are capable of beating any NBA team.

Your're probably right 'mule.

I noticed last game (Knicks), JSmith seemed to purpose the defensive rebound. When JSmith and Al are on the boards together, they rule. It's also when they usually combine their efforts (defensive rebounds) against Dwight, again they dominate.

It is what the coach preaches.

Maybe it is that third element, listening to the coach ('s).

[thesheedera]

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1. Ease of Schedule

or

2. Chemistry finally coming together.

that we're seeing?

I won't claim that the chemistry issue is fixed for good, but tonight it looks the way it should look. It's amazing how easy it can look when this group shares and moves the ball.