Can Joe Johnson Lead the Atlanta Hawks to Another Playoff Birth?
The Atlanta Hawks were a good team in the 08′-09′ season. The Hawks were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers – this would suggest the Hawks are yet to take the leap into one of the better Eastern Conference teams.
The Hawks finished second in the Southeast division behind the Orlando Magic with a 47-35 record and were swept in the second round of the playoffs. The first round win against the Miami Heat wasn’t that impressive either – every win and loss was in the double digits.
The 08′ playoffs against the Boston Celtics proved that the Atlanta Hawks were on the rise and should compete for the Eastern Conference Championship in the near future.
Johnson is a prolific shooter, especially from the perimeter, and Horford is an exceptional, multi-faceted basketball player whose presence has dominated the team greatly during his two seasons in the league. This is the man to build the team around for years to come.
It will be very tough to over take the Orlando Magic in the Southeast division this season. While the Magic have some new pieces in place surrounding Dwight Howard – they are still the favorites.
One of the major concerns for the Hawks was the lack of scoring on offense – out of the 30 NBA teams the Hawks were the nineteenth in scoring, which for a playoff team isn’t acceptable. If the Hawks ever hope to reach the Eastern Conference Finals their scoring must improve.
The only concern I see is the lack of scoring for this team. They must improve on putting up bigger points if they want to make some noise.
The Hawks might be a playoff team once again but the chance of them reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with their current team is doubtful.
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