The Hawks rank No. 1 in the NBA. Yes, the Hawks
Win, win, win: It's getting to be a habit for these Hawks. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Before Monday’s game, someone mentioned to Mike Woodson that his team, wonder of wonders, had just ascended to the top of Marc Stein’s NBA power ratings on ESPN.com.
In case you missed that, let me repeat it: The Atlanta Hawks are, at least for this week, regarded as the finest basketball team in the best league in the world. The … Atlanta … Hawks.
“That’s pretty nice,” said Woodson, smiling as he spoke. And Woodson, as you know, is frugal with his smiles. But think about where this franchise and this coach have been, and where they are now: From 13-69 in 2004-2005 to No. 1 after Week 3 in November 2009. (And not just according to ESPN. The power ratings by John Schuhmann of NBA.com likewise have the Hawks at the top. Can the BCS be far behind?)
“I didn’t know that,” said Josh Smith after being informed of his team’s new lofty perch.
“It’s just Week 2, though,” counseled Randolph Morris, who was seated alongside. (Actually, it’s Week 3. But close enough.) “We want to be there at Week 50.”
Which would be shortly after Halloween 2010, which I don’t believe is what Morris meant. Still, you get the drift. It’s a long season, et cetera. But you know what? These Hawks might be No. 1 for a while yet.
After three-plus quarters Monday night, it looked as if that ranking wouldn’t last 24 hours, let alone 50 weeks. The Hawks trailed the Trail Blazers by 10 points with eight minutes left. But the home team steadied itself and nearly won in regulation — Rudy Fernandez hit an outrageous tying trey over Al Horford at the horn — but did win in overtime.
And now this club is 9-2 having handled a good Portland team twice and having won in Boston and having blown out Denver here. That’s a flying start by any measure, and it shouldn’t be considered an aberration. This team is good, folks. This team is really deep, really gifted, really good.
“It’s kind of nice to sit at the top of the division,” said Woodson, speaking of an NBA South that also includes Orlando, Miami and Washington. “There’s nothing wrong with winning your division.”
Could that happen? Sure it could. The smart money will still ride with the Magic, but the smart money wouldn’t have had the Hawks at 9-2 having played six road games. The smart money wouldn’t have been on the home team with eight minutes left Monday night, but the Hawks wore down the Blazers and outclassed them in the end. (Joe Johnson owned Brandon Roy, FYI.)
And to those who keep saying the Hawks must have a big man to do anything of substance: Portland has LaMarcus Aldridge, the fourth player drafted in 2006, and Greg Oden, the first player drafted in 2007, at power forward and center. Aldridge and Oden combined for 29 points and 16 rebounds Monday. Josh Smith and Al Horford had 35 points and 26 rebounds between them. And the Hawks outscored Portland 56-38 in the lane.
“They’re playing for something,” Woodson said of his men. And then: “They know they’ve got a chance to win every time they step on the floor.”
Five years ago, the Hawks figured it differently. They figured they’d lose no matter what happened. But look now. Look at those power ratings. Save the Web page and print it out. Put it in a frame and hang it on yonder wall. Because seeing the Hawks as No. 1 in anything good is truly a moment to treasure.
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159 comments Add your comment
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:05 pm
Hawks Ai. You would technically have the same thing but better in starting Crawford over Williams. You don’t need AI for that you already have a better version. I think that Coach Woodson likes the taller starting line up. With Jamal,Joe, and Mike on the floor at the same time certainly makes your line up smaller. Also you have a smallish front court. Trust me I would love to sit Marvin down forever.
HAwks A.I
November 17th, 2009
12:08 pm
I totally agree, ‘What’…I hope they do not commit the same mistake again like last season.. Joe Johnson was totally out of steam when the playoffs arrived..Woodson is getting premature credit just cos the players are healthy and its the start of the season..That bald idiot got no respect from me..
HAwks A.I
November 17th, 2009
12:11 pm
Yea, Rod..It makes sense to have taller ppl out there..But man,A.I defies all that..If hes got that swag with the right team,he makes the team unstoppable and with A.I and JSmoove on the same side,wow..
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:14 pm
Honestly (What) Teague is not ready for many more minutes than he is getting. He’s truly fast, but also way out of control. If you notice he cannot finish a simple lay up. He has to be eased into minutes. In his defense he is a rookie and no doubt plays like one. As for Joe being out of steam just take a look at Kobe, Lebron, Pierce, and countless others that play those type of minutes that don’t persae run out of steam. There is no such thing when the play offs arrive!!
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:16 pm
I think A.i that he might possibly mess up the chemistry. You know how frequently he wants the ball. Would it be enough to go around. I have always been an Iverson fan. I just think that you already have a better Iverson in Jamal Crawford.
HAwks A.I
November 17th, 2009
12:19 pm
Rod,Joe is great but hes not in that category by any means.The good thing is we dont really need to rely on him alone anymore .Thats what great teams are about .Like you said,there needs to be good rotation.That way none of the players are prone to exhaustion that could lead to injury,etc..Go hawks
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:19 pm
Also A.i I think that AI signs with the Knicks this week. He can run things in the Garden. The Knicks consist of all second string players. That would be his team.
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:22 pm
I agree totally with you A.i on the point that he’s not in that class. I just used those names as the leaders of there perspective teams that can’t use the excuse of running out of steam. On top of that I cannot get too excited about Joe because we all know at the end of the year he will be gone.
John Cardwell
November 17th, 2009
12:22 pm
Wow, I have watched every game for the last two years and have been amazed at the maturation of this group. I will be honest I thought Atlanta was going to lose last night because their field goal percentage up until the last eight minutes was terrible. But wow, Joe Johnson is by far the must clutch player in the eastern conference. Josh Smith and Al Horford is far and a way the most athletic pairing of post players in all of the NBA. They get offensive rebounds with ease. I almost feel sorry for teams as I watch J smooth fly over these 270lb centers and take the rebound away. If and when Marvin Williams gets some confidence and starts scoring as opposed to being dead weight, Atlanta will be front runners for an NBA title this year. You can just tell when watching this team that they are family and play unselfish basketball. There was a span of four alley oops or assisted dunks in a row just to highlight how well this team plays together. By years end as Teague gains more experience and Williams returns to last year’s form, I see Atlanta having home court throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. We all know what that means. CHEERS HAWKS FANS. CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.
MAD-DONNA
November 17th, 2009
12:25 pm
Wow! How much better would they be, with a good starting small forward? I don’t know what MW’s role is. He has absolutely no clue what to do, when he is on the court!
David Smith
November 17th, 2009
12:28 pm
This team is different from last year (when they soared to a 6-0 start) in that they are getting the job done at home and on the road. Bibby keeps the momentum rolling, Joe has been steady, Marvin has been MIA (hopefully he steps it up soon), Josh is playing like he really wants to be an All Star, Big Al has been solid in the post and Jamal Crawford is a revelation coming off the bench. I hope these guys continue to play consistent team ball and, advance deep into the playoffs this year. GO HAWKS!!!
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
12:36 pm
MAD-DONNA I don’t even think that Marvin knows what his roll is. He is and as far as I’m concerned has been lost since we drafted him. Not an asset at all. He’s still playing like a North Carolina freshman that was a sixth man. Keep in mind he didn’t start in college.
jwilli120
November 17th, 2009
12:44 pm
Let’s go to D-Fades A$$ tonight and show the rest of the league
NOT IN OUR HOUSE will you come in and win!!!!!!! GO HAWKS!!!!
FROM ALL THE FANS IN SAVANNAH!!!! We love what we are seeing
wished i lived in the ATL, would be there every night. ATL
stand up and support this TEAM they’re really GOOD.
Elliptical Logician
November 17th, 2009
12:51 pm
The thing I walked away with from yesterday’s game was the way the Hawks snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. There is no way, no now that they should have won yesterday; their game was abysmal. How many shots – including free throws – clanked the rim? JC was pitiful. One of the reasons we had so many offensive rebounds is because we missed so many shots.
But that being said, the Hawks’ TENACITY is what won this game. They simply were not to be denied. It’s like they turned on the switch, their D elevated to another level, their shots started dropping (even the 3’s), and before you know it, they willed themselves to victory.
I don’t know if they can win by sheer will against the likes of the Lakers, Cavs or Magic, but there’s no reason to believe that this isn’t Top 5 NBA material that takes the court every night. The depth is outstanding. Half court offense still lacks – not enough ball movement last night – but the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. I may need to double up on my blood pressure medicine!
HAwks A.I
November 17th, 2009
12:53 pm
Yea,Rod..Hes super sloppy,runs like a paraplegic 14 year old school girl (no offense,but just trying to put a relation here) and doesnt make good shots.we need to keep jamal on the bench and he himself said he likes this role..As long as he is covering his player on defense for now,its ok..but we still need a change.
RODRJ32
November 17th, 2009
1:01 pm
Also A.i if you noticed he starts the game, but he only stays in about 3-4 minutes and then Jamal comes in. Like you said he can’t hurt us but so much, plus our bench is deep this year so we have plenty of rotation.
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November 17th, 2009
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nique
November 17th, 2009
1:11 pm
woodson still sucks. crazy how many layups were given up early on. it will be interesting to see if the hawks get sharper as the season goes on. that’s what really good teams do with good coaches.
JeJe
November 17th, 2009
1:19 pm
MARVIN SUCKS BUT IF WE KEEP WINNING, MIGHT AS WELL KEEP STARTING HIM
Shines
November 17th, 2009
1:26 pm
“There’s nothing wrong with winning your division.”
Haha! And that’s why Coach Woodson gets paid the big bucks.
He later remarked: “It never hurts to play a little defense” and “Basically, three point baskets are harder because they are longer.”
DC
November 17th, 2009
1:29 pm
As of right now, teh only missing piece is MArvin Williams slow start. However, as they stated his touches are down as he is not taking as many shots this year with the addition of a great scorer in Jamal (JC) Crawford. But please believe that he will get on track and when he do, the sky is the limit for these Hawks.
EVERYONE TAKE NOTICE!!!!
Kane337
November 17th, 2009
1:51 pm
The Hawks played bad for most of the game last night but hung around long enough to get some momentum in the 4th and take the lead. That’s what good teams do when they don’t have their better shooting nights. The Hawks are definitely a good team now.
LAKE SHOW
November 17th, 2009
1:56 pm
Waaaaay too early to be celebrating, folks. Just ask QUEEN James and company. We will see how the season plays out.
Iblameurparents
November 17th, 2009
1:57 pm
Not to take anything away form Rick Sund because he has done a great job of adding pieces but Billy Knight had a great vision for building a TEAM. For all the heat he took for taking this team from the scrap heap he looks like a genius now. Even though he is on the outside looking in right now he is my GM of the Year. Every major piece we have on this team, he put there. In this microwave world of quick fixes he was steady and patient and now we reap the benefits. Billy should not be out of work much longer. By far this is the most intriguing Hawks team to watch ever!!!
Wilburn
November 17th, 2009
3:40 pm
Anybody on this blog that thinks Allen Iverson would be an asset to this team: they have openings at Milledgeville awaiting you….Just go out and support the team and quit wishing failure upon them.
jfreak13713
November 17th, 2009
4:00 pm
Most if not all of what needs to be said about the Hawks have already been said so I’ll simply offer an apology to Mike Woodson and Josh Smith. I have been very hard on both of them over the past couple of years and this year they have proven me wrong. I’m proud of both of them and proud of this team. Hope they will continue to play sound defense because the Great Teams play solid at both ends.
AtownFrmDay1
November 17th, 2009
4:03 pm
I hate to bring up the past with all this excitement on the blog, but I was wondering where are all those fans that wanted to run Mike Woodson out of town in the beginning? This should show some of you that you really have no idea how to coach or what it takes to groom a young team. Some of you should stay in the stands and reserve your opinions for dinner table talks!
not ATL Hater
November 17th, 2009
4:25 pm
The Atlanta Hawks are, at least for this week,…. you could have left out that comment!! sound like a hater!
SBM
November 17th, 2009
4:29 pm
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!
Big Mike
November 17th, 2009
4:56 pm
Mark, I actually printed out the standings yesterday when they were 8-2 just like you said. I want to remember how this feels to be on top. This has been a loooong journey from the 2004 season.
Two things that stand out to me with the success they are having this year…Joe Johnson is taking more control in crunch time. He always would get 20 pts, but the 4th quarter he was absent in alot of games. Also Josh Smith is not taking those errant 3pt jump shots and is not turning the ball over.
Mark Bradley
November 17th, 2009
5:00 pm
There were moments last night when the Hawks reverted to iso-Joe form, Big Mike, but at the end the isos weren’t him just standing and dribbling (which he can do sometimes) but make quick and correct decisions. The biggest basket in regulation was a handoff from Bibby where Joe went hard down the left side and left Steve Blake and hoisted a runner over Greg Oden.
IceColdATLien
November 17th, 2009
5:12 pm
I think substituting Mo Evans into the starting 5 for Marvin would add defense and rebounding to the starters while improving scoring punch off the bench even more… not to mention take some of the pressure off Williams because he’s really pressing right now.
Mark Bradley
November 17th, 2009
5:23 pm
I’ve thought for a couple of years that Marvin would make a better sixth man than starter. That’s how he played at Carolina, you’ll recall.
MsDee
November 17th, 2009
5:25 pm
I agree ‘IceCOLDATLien’, I think Marvin would relax more if he was coming off the bench. Cause I really felt bad for him when Woody sat him after throwing him the pass out-of-bounds. Mo has defense and offense..He should be starting now!
All I'm Saying Is...
November 17th, 2009
5:47 pm
Based on his gait and facial expression (or lack thereof), the last thing we need Marvin to do is relax more. He needs to play with a sense of urgency.
Signing A.I. is too stupid to even comment on. Might as well seek out JR Rider.
Joe Johnson is the man. Continue to justifiably excoriate him for passing on Chris Paul and Brandon Roy but Billy Knight saved our franchise when he swung the deal for Joe (at a time when no one seemingly wanted to play for the Hawks) and he got us over the playoff hump when he swung the trade for Bibby.
LET’S GO HAWKS!
Alien in ATL
November 17th, 2009
6:04 pm
nique
November 17th, 2009
1:11 pm
woodson still sucks. crazy how many layups were given up early on. it will be interesting to see if the hawks get sharper as the season goes on. that’s what really good teams do with good coaches.
=> so it is Woodson missing the layups? Hmmm….
SS
November 17th, 2009
6:52 pm
Congrats to the Hawks for finally starting to realize their potential. That’s a nice team you have there in Atlanta. Hopefully that means people will start filling that arena because it’s pretty pathetic to see such a lack of support for a good and exciting team. I swear, watching the game on TV, the cheers for good Blazers plays were just as loud as for good Hawks plays. That announcer worked overtime (in a very annoying way) to try to get the crowd yelling. I hope for the team’s sake, and for the league’s sake, that this changes soon.
I don’t mean to detract from the win, but don’t forget this was the last game of a 5-game road trip, the second of a back-to-back, and it the fourth game the Blazers played in five days. Fatigue was pretty obvious in the fourth quarter and overtime. I think the Hawks’ win in Portland, and their big wins against the Celtics and Nuggets, were much more impressive.
Mafia
November 17th, 2009
7:23 pm
No doubt, SS. I didn’t see much that impressed me from last night aside from the fact that they won. It was a pretty bad game for them.
Zack
November 17th, 2009
7:39 pm
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JD
November 17th, 2009
8:37 pm
The win was impressive because the Hawks played poorly for 3 and a half quarters, Great teams find a way – even on bad nights. The consensus at half time from nearby fans was the Hawks would win but no one thought they would play so poorly for so much of the game.
This is a nice start, but only a start. At the current pace the Hawks would not catch the Bulls for most wins in a season and there is no Michael Jordan in Atlanta to push each player to max out his game.
I see no comments here on Coach McMillan’s decisions, such as leaving Andre Miller on the bench for most of the 4th and overtime. Why sign a high dollar free agent and not use him in the clutch? And LeMarcus Aldridge seemed to be a forgotten man in the 4th and OT.
Also, as poorly as the game was played by the Hawks, Rudy Fernandez had to hit TWO desperation 3’s to put the game in overtime. One at the end of the first quarter as well as the one at the end of regulation.
Give Marvin some slack. He lost some of his shots to Jamal Crawford and has always been a complementary player and every team needs that type. I believe he will grow into his role and be one of the most talented players of this type in the league – and until last year I thought he would be a total bust.
A long way yet to go.
JD
November 17th, 2009
8:43 pm
Allen Iverson? Why not just introduce the “Big C” into the team?
Iverson is a coach killer, a chemistry killer and ultimately a team killer. Ideally, either the Lakers, Suns, Celtics, Cavs or Magic will sign him. Iverson is the Anti-Jordan.
Mike
November 17th, 2009
8:45 pm
Hawks iz the hottest sports team in atlanta,did i jus say that,ga tech iz hot 2,but 2 bad falcons arent or i be feelin real good about my atlanta sports teams.
Dominique Wilkins had a nice compact swing
November 17th, 2009
9:07 pm
Hawks will beat the Heat handily, and look out, Pistons.
jc_dawgs
November 17th, 2009
10:25 pm
Just 4 or 5 seasons ago…this team went 13-69. I thought to myself “this is horrible but we just need to give Woodson a chance to turn things around”. Well folks…he has done just that.
Chip
November 17th, 2009
11:21 pm
Who even suggested Allen Iverson? Everyone knows that if Iverson was here, he’d complain (again) about coming off the bench. Besides, we have enough scorers on our team in JJ, Crawford, Bibby, Horford, Smoove, Marvin (whenever he gets going), and maybe Teague in the future.
On to brighter things, I am really impressed at the Hawks start. Obviously it’s a long season, but they’ve impressed me a lot, not only with last night’s victory, but with their road victories as well. If these Hawks can win games on the road, we should be poised to make good runs in the playoffs, making the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe even the Finals like Orlando did last year. These Hawks would not have been swept by last season’s Cavs. I don’t think they’d be swept by this season’s Cavs, either.
atl
November 18th, 2009
4:19 am
atlanta hawks will never win a championship ,mark my words ,enjoy your 15 minutes of fame hawks.
icecold
November 18th, 2009
10:35 am
i knew at the begining of the season that the hawks was gonna end up at number one at some point this season… the hawks starting five are the most athletic in the league and probally one of the best in the league. we was a good team early last year. it was the fact that when people got injured, we really didnt have good back ups to actually go in the game to win.. or even maintain.. we had week links when people got injured.. now the starting five are staying heathy because they dont have to do as much and can play less minutes. and if somebody does get injured ( knock on wood ) then we have good back ups to feel in…. and now we have a lagit six man that can score at will.. jamal crawford. when him and joe and josh is in the game. people are confused on what to do…
so it is so many factors that the hawks are the best team in the league.. they are young and athletic and can run the floor all day!!!!
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
icecold
November 18th, 2009
10:39 am
and i do not think the hawks can be beat 4 times in a 7 game serious.. i mean if u look at the east.. we would play boston, orlando, or cleveland, or miami in the eastern conference finals.. and neither one of those teams are showing me anything special that can destroy the hawks.. and in a championship game.. they would play the lakers or how its lookin now!!! the suns..but the suns never make it.. and i dont think the lakers can beat them in a seven game series.. and if the hawks take one game away of any series .. then its over.. cuz the hawks will win at home in the play offs!!!!!!!!!!!
ummmmmmm
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
HawkKingBibby
November 18th, 2009
11:23 am
Marv should start because he can defend well and it takes a little pressure off Joe. I think his shots will start to fall. Mo Evans has been nice off the bench. I dont think you can start Bibby JJ and Craw at least not vs a team with a good front line.
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