Atlanta Hawks: The Annual All-Star Controversy
By Adam McGee
For most NBA fans, there were very low expectations of the Atlanta Hawks this season. So, to enter 2015 with them positioned in the No. 2 spot (and potentially ready to seize the top of the East Friday), will be shocking for most observers.
In that case, you’d expect the Hawks to be getting hounded with plaudits and recognition, and although that may be more true then ever before, there’s still one area that holds potential for Atlanta to be ignored.
The All-Star Game has always seemed like an event that passes Atlanta by, as even during some of the team’s better seasons they have ended up with deserving players watching the All-Star game from a distance.
Sure, Joe Johnson got his fair share of credit for a number of years, but in some of those season’s there could be no argument that Johnson had teammates who were as, if not more deserving of a spot.
The point being, at times the All-Star game acts as the perfect microcosm to remind everyone that the general NBA fan doesn’t necessarily pay enough attention to the “smaller” teams in the league to ensure that the right players get rewarded.
In some years, as a franchise, the Atlanta Hawks would be able to just brush this off, but this time around it could leave an unsavory taste in their mouth. The current Hawks squad is built as, and wins as a unit, meaning there isn’t a true standout star.
That was reflected in the first ballot returns of this year’s All Star voting too, where Paul Millsap was ranked highest of any Hawk, and was still only the 13th highest-anked forward.
This is a problem for the Hawks, as this year for the first time in a long time, they are truly deserving of multiple All-Stars. Along with Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford and Kyle Korver have all done enough to merit consideration, but with the Hawks on the outside looking in with the fan vote, the chances of even two players being selected appears to be very slim.
To be fair, the coaches vote is where the most deserving players often get their ticket to the NBA’s showcase, and although I would expect them to recognize the Hawks success, there’s stiff competition.
When you consider that players who have been as great as Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler have been this season could also end up relying on the coaches’ selections, you start to see where the potential for the Hawks to be squeezed out is.
Having been selected last season, and followed it up with another tremendous season this year, Paul Millsap seems like the obvious choice from Atlanta. Although Jeff Teague isn’t far behind him in terms of contribution to the team either, the point guard competition in the East may see him just missing out again though.
One thing’s for sure, as much as All-Star selections could upset Hawks’ fans, they won’t get to the players that easily. They are a team used to being overlooked, and somewhat comfortable flying under the radar.
This season, with their current form their eyes are on bigger prizes too. Jeff Teague recently summed up the team’s mentality while talking to Chris Vivlamore of the AJC:
"We are just playing together. We believe every game we can win. That is all that matters. When we come out and play hard as a team and play defense, we are a really good team."
If there’s any justice, the Hawks will receive a couple of All-Star selections almost as a badge of honor for their team play as much as anything else. On the other side though, if they come up empty-handed, don’t expect them to flinch, the Atlanta Hawks will just keep winning instead.
Next: Atlanta Hawks: Victories Against The West Are Key To Success