You do realize the we are not currently a playoff team.

[Peoriabird]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

One week later at 18-12 the Hawks are #3 in the East.

They still don't look good!  The Shooting and the rebounding problems are still here.

[Lurker]

Here’s some scattered thoughts on the last 4 games…

You can barely take anything at all from the 76’ers game. They are a total dumpster fire.

Against the Celtics and Magic, the effort was nowhere near perfect but they played hard throughout the game. There was times in which they played lockdown defense, and times in which they looked like a bottom 5 defense in the NBA. But I do know one thing, they took two pretty good defensive teams apart in both games.

This team is not a good jump shooting team anymore (they cannot buy open jump shots), most of the points they get is inside.

None of the starters took the Blazers seriously, but the bench’s play was fun to watch.

Team can likely beat all but the top 5 teams of the NBA (and there is no top 5 team in the East outside of Cleveland) with the effort they had against the Celtics and Magic, but the only way they’d return to that form is if they regain the form they used to have on the perimeter and found a SF that is a good defender and can hit the 3 at a decent rate (to move Bazemore to SG). Because it’s gone. And I doubt it’s coming back.

[Gray Mule]

Here at the Christmas season, things have changed, and for the better.  As of 12\23\2015

we find Atlanta tied for second place in the east and in 1st place in their division.

Who else, except Cleveland, with King James, the god of NBA east, is a lot better than us?

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

12 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

One week later at 18-12 the Hawks are #3 in the East.

Tied 2nd in East now, and 5th overall, as Gray Mule states.  It's crazy how people go into panic mode after a bad 2 - 3 week stretch.  

[TheNorthCydeRises]

10 hours ago, Lurker said:

Here’s some scattered thoughts on the last 4 games…

You can barely take anything at all from the 76’ers game. They are a total dumpster fire.

Against the Celtics and Magic, the effort was nowhere near perfect but they played hard throughout the game. There was times in which they played lockdown defense, and times in which they looked like a bottom 5 defense in the NBA. But I do know one thing, they took two pretty good defensive teams apart in both games.

This team is not a good jump shooting team anymore (they cannot buy open jump shots), most of the points they get is inside.

None of the starters took the Blazers seriously, but the bench’s play was fun to watch.

Team can likely beat all but the top 5 teams of the NBA (and there is no top 5 team in the East outside of Cleveland) with the effort they had against the Celtics and Magic, but the only way they’d return to that form is if they regain the form they used to have on the perimeter and found a SF that is a good defender and can hit the 3 at a decent rate (to move Bazemore to SG). Because it’s gone. And I doubt it’s coming back.

Just so you know, the East holds spots 5 thru 13 ... and are separated by a mere 1.5 games.

Golden State is playing like the greatest team of all time team at this moment.

San Antonio is playing like a top 5 greatest team of all time at the moment.

Cleveland is playing at a 59 win pace.

And Oklahoma City is playing like the 2010 Atlanta Hawks, who feasted on bad teams, held their home court nicely, but hovered around .500 on the road.

The rest of the league looks like the NFL, mired in parity.

When November ended, the Hawks were 12 - 8.  I thought if the Hawks could finish December with a 20 - 14 record overall, it would put us in the top 4 in the East, and set us up for the 2nd half of the season.

Here's one thing to keep in mind.  Unless one of these teams behind Cleveland get extremely hot, 51 wins may get you a #2 seed in the East.  That means the Hawks will have to go 33 - 19 ( .635 winning percentage )  the rest of the way.  I think 53 wins definitely gets us the 2 spot.

[Guest]

In the last 4 games, the Hawks have:

1. Increased their defensive intensity, forcing 88 turnovers only one less than Memphis since 12/16/15.

2. They are playing with more pace with an increased uptick in ball and player movement.  The players are actually running the floor harder and getting easy buckets in transition.

3. No longer settling for as many 3 pointers, particularly early in shot clock. Guards are cutting to the basket for easy layups.

4. I've seen the players huddling up on the court talking, something I haven't seen this season.

5. The bench has contributed.

It's the way we are winning that's important.  It's not perfect but it seems to be moving in the right direction.  Now, all they have to do is maintain some consistency. 

 

They still having REBOUNDING issues.

 

[benhillboy]

We're finally giving up less than ahunned a game (99.9 lol). The smart pressure is there: we outblock and outsteal our opponents while fouling less.

It seems like it's around  the same time last year when our points allowed dropped every night.  I'd appreciate it again.  I was probably more happy we surpassed Mighty Memphis for the top spot last year during the regular season than our unceremonious advance to the Conference Finals seeing how our pace was twice theirs.

Boosted FT shooting over last season too.  Sap has improved, but Al's insane .070 improvement is mostly the catalyst.  Get there more!!!!!

When we flip our three point shooting percentages with our opponents (.366 to .344) then we'll be  cooking with Crisco.

[hazer]

Some of y'all never learn.....

[HawkItus]

Enjoy ride and quit trying to predict things.

[benhillboy]

We went a disappointing 1-2 on the scoreboard watch this Christmas.  The Pelicans are awful, and it seems high time for OKC to move Durant or Westbrook.  

GS handled busines as expected, somehow with Brandon Rush starting.  Only a couple back baby...