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Playoff Picture: Atlanta Hawks

By Luke Duffy

Feb 6, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and guard Kyle Korver (26) celebrate their win over the Golden State Warriors at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 124-116. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) and guard Kyle Korver (26) celebrate their win over the Golden State Warriors at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 124-116. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 31, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer reacts during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer reacts during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Verdict

No matter what, this has been a great, great year for Atlanta. A top-10 market that never enjoyed the backing of the fans quite as much as it should have, this year has done a lot to change that perception. They are a model of new-age basketball thinking. Not the biggest bunch, but with enough spacing, shooters and inside punch to cause opponents problems on all areas of the court.

They sit third in effective field goal percentage (52.6%) so they know how to put teams to the sword. That ability is crucial this time of year. They were so impressive during the regular season that there came a point that I gave in and accepted they were for real. That still holds true, and yet if you told me they’d get knocked out in the second round, I wouldn’t be altogether surprised.

They will be one of the teams to watch this postseason, and anything other than a conference finals berth will surely be seen as a failure. That’s as far as they’ll go for me though. What a turnaround season for this team.

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