Hawks biggest weakness

With the Hawks starting off the season with 20 wins and only 6 losses its hard to find fault with much of what they’ve done. This Atlanta team has very little weaknesses, and has proven so far that the Big 3 in the Eastern Conference, should now be referred to as the Big 4.

The Hawks are not completely flawless though, and in my opinion they have one major problem. Now this isn’t the only problem with the current Hawks team, but it is hands down the biggest. That problem is Mike Bibby.

The Hawks traded for Mike Bibby almost two years ago. His impact on the team was immediate. He helped lead the Hawks to a playoff berth in his first half season with the Hawks, and almost led them to a 1st round upset of the eventual champion Boston Celtics. The next season he helped increase the Hawks win total, while decreasing their vacation time, as they reached the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since Steve Smith was on the court and not in the broadcast booth. So why, you might ask, is Bibby a weakness?

Plain and simple, Bibby cannot play defense. He’s not just weak, but he’s nonexistent. The past year in a half he covered up these deficiencies with his playmaking on the offensive end. Now though, his age has began to show, and he just cannot beat people off of the dribble like he use to. In a game against the Indiana Pacers this season, the Hawks were vastly superior. The game remained close through the first half though, because Mike Woodson was having to hide Bibby on defense.

In that particular game, the Hawks were forced to let Joe Johnson chase T.J. Ford all over the court on offense, to allow Bibby to guard Dahntay Jones. The Pacers quickly realized no matter who Bibby was guarding they had a mismatch. Time and time again they fed the ball to Jones in the post, and the Hawks were forced to double team and scramble, so as to not allow for Jones to abuse Bibby. At the end of the night, the Hawks won the game comfortably, but their weakness was exposed.

For the Hawks to take the next step, and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and maybe even the Finals, they will have to beat one of the Big 3 teams. Whether it be the Cavaliers, Celtics, or Magic, Woodson will have to strategize around Bibby’s lack of defense. Against the Pacers the Hawks were able to overcome Bibby’s defense, but I’m just not sure they are talented enough to do so against any of the Big 3.

Bibby is still a valuable part of the Hawks, but his defense is going to have to improve if the Hawks want to take the next step. Hawks biggest strength will be coming soon.

Tags: Mike Bibby

An early look at draft prospects

This season is over  one fourth of the way through, and even though it’s early, the Hawks seem to be a lock for a draft pick in the 20s.  I’ve watched multiple college games as well as almost all of the Hawks game and have developed a list of three guys that I would love to see playing in Phillips Arena next season.  Out of these three guys, one of them should fall to the Hawks pick.

My number one realistic draft target for the Hawks is UNC forward Ed Davis.  Davis is a great athlete and also has some newly developed post moves that would drastically help the Hawks in their halfcourt offense.   Davis could come in and make an immediate impact for the Hawks backing up Josh Smith, and could also see some minutes playing alongside Smith.

If Davis is gone when the Hawks pick comes along, then I think they should look at Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson.  Patterson is an absolute beast on the offensive  end.  He has shown that he has no problems banging in the paint, but he also has a midrange jumper that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses.  I think he’d be a great upgrade over Joe Smith on the Hawks bench.

If both of these guys are gone, then the Hawks shouldn’t panic.  Hometown fan favorite Gani Lawal should be available.  Lawal has improved his game each year in college, and brings huge amounts of energy to the court.  He still relies on his athleticism a little bit too much, but he has a huge amount of potential.

When the Hawks pick comes up in 6 months, one or more of these guys should be on the board, and the Hawks should be extremely excited to add any of these three guys to their roster.

Chinks in the Armor

After a blistering start to the season, the Hawks have lost three of their last four and are coming off a truly uninspiring performance on Sunday in Detroit. One of my biggest concerns entering this season was how this team would do on the boards. In their last two losses, they have been out-rebounded an astounding 106 to 68. The team still holds a rebounding differential of +0.8 on the season, and that ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference. Coach Mike Woodson needs to maintain this advantage moving forward if the team hopes to enter the playoffs with home court advantage in the first round.

Captain Joe Johnson has also struggled over the team’s last five games. He is shooting just 34.5 percent during that stretch, averaging only 14.8 points per game. Johnson typically goes through a few stretches like this every season, but rarely has he dealt with shooting slumps so early in the season. Ironically, Johnson is averaging more shots per game than in either of the past two seasons, despite playing less minutes and having a better supporting cast than ever. Joe Cool needs to refocus on being a distributor as much as a shooter. He’s generally regarded as one of the best ball-handlers and passers for his position, but his current assist rate (4.4 apg) is his lowest since his days in Phoenix.

Marvin Williams has also returned to his phantom performances. He is averaging less than seven points over his last three games, to go with four rebounds per game. Aside from his 29-point outburst against the Rockets, Williams has been a supreme disappointment this season. That was the only game in which he scored more than 17 points. He has been held to single digits in 10 of 15 November games despite playing more than 29 minutes per night.

On the season, the starters minus Williams and plus Jamal Crawford are a +92 while on the floor together. The starting five is +28, or about a third as effective.

Thankfully, six of the Hawks next eight games are in Atlanta and just two teams in that stretch (the Mavericks and Jazz) hold records over .500. Five of those games will come against some of the worst (record-wise) teams in the league. They then play five of their next six on the road, finishing the month with two games against the Cavaliers.

December prediction: 10-4. It’s an easier schedule than November and the Hawks should remain among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference heading into 2010.

Hawks Thoughts from the Weekend

Friday Night’s win against the Rockets was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Credit Mike Woodson for holding Josh Smith out for 11 minutes of the fourth quarter due to his foul trouble. When the Hawks needed him most, a tip-in basket with less than a second left, Smith was available thanks to shrewd coaching.

The Hawks should not get out-rebounded by an undersized team like the Rockets, but they were. Some of that was thanks to the bigs being in foul trouble all night. With that in mind, why did Zaza Pachulia only log 14 minutes?

Marvin Williams finally got hot, with 13-of-19 shooting against the Rockets. He hit 3-of-5 from long range, followed by 1-of-5 from deep the next night. On the season, he is 9-of-28 (32.1 percent) on three-point attempts. I still think he’s taking way too many long range jump shots. He has made up for it of late with 13 offensive rebounds over the last three games.

Saturday’s 96-88 loss to the Hornets was a classic trap game. Coming off an emotionally charged win at home against the Rockets, the Hawks had to travel to New Orleans the next day. They came into town as a team claiming to be the best in the league and should have destroyed a struggling Hornets team with a new coach and without their best player, Chris Paul. But the Hawks hit just 37.2 percent of their shots, including just 4-of-22 from three-point range. In contrast, the Hornets connected on 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) three-pointers thanks to lazy perimeter defense.

Losing Mike Bibby in the first quarter certainly did not help. The Hawks were ill-equipped to replace him in the middle of the game. Still, the Hawks only turned the ball over six times. With more preparation, I think the team is deep enough to accommodate an injury to a starter over the short term. Thankfully, the Hawks do not play again until Thursday against the Magic. Bibby is questionable for that game. If he’s unable to go, look for Jeff Teague and Joe Johnson to start in the backcourt. Jamal Crawford is another option, but it may better to keep him in his sixth-man role and allow Teague around 20 minutes at the point.

Coach Woodson on the lack of attendance at the Philips Arena this season: “All I can say to our fans is we need your support. These guys are playing for something this year, man. It’s fun watching us play. I know the fans are there and we just ask you to come out and support us because [the players] need it. I think amazing things can happen when the house is filled.”

The Hawks drew only 12,997 on Monday against Portland prior to that statement. Their next game, a 105-90 win over the Heat, drew over 18,000. Only 16,674 turned out for Friday’s nail-biter. Despite being tied for the best record in the league, the Hawks rank 17th in attendance this season. That’s a shame. During last year’s 47-win campaign, Atlanta ranked 20th. Given the performance to date and the style of play of this season’s team, the Hawks should be selling out every home game. Eight teams in the league are at 99 percent attendance or better this season. The Hawks sit at 91.4 percent.

Tags: Hawks attendance, Hornets beat Hawks, Josh Smith game-winner, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby injury, Mike Woodson

Best Team in the League?

ESPN.com’s latest NBA Power Rankings have the Atlanta Hawks rising from sixth last week to first in the poll this week. What’s changed? Mainly their 11-point win in Boston made everyone truly recognize that the deepest Hawks team in years is as competitive as the best teams in the east when healthy. The team also throttled the Hornets by 23 points the very next night, came from behind to win by 13 in Madison Square Garden and wrapped up a home win in overtime over the Trail Blazers last night.

What’s fairly interesting is that many of the Hawks are failing to meet expectations from a statistical point of view, which, to me, says that Mike Woodson is doing a great job of getting this team to put the team first, particularly on the defensive end.

I’ve chronicled Marvin Williams’ struggles on the offensive end in an earlier post, and he continues to be the team’s biggest underachiever. The Hawks have been a better team with him on the bench, but that’s no reason to write his season off just yet. Woodson needs to get Williams to adjust his game just as he has done with other players on this roster. Williams can still be a major asset for the Hawks, but he may have to alter his role.

Joe Johnson is producing right along where we expect him to, but his turnovers are up and his three-point accuracy is well below his career mark. Perhaps the most noticeable change is that Joe Cool has found his voice. He truly seems motivated to lead more than ever before this season.

Jamal Crawford is still adapting to his sixth-man role, but he’s doing a bang up job with it. He’s averaged over 19.5 points over each of the past two seasons while routinely logging a ton of minutes. He’s only scoring 16.6 this season, but he’s shooting better and making the most of his 28.9 minutes per game. People weren’t discussing him as the best offseason addition heading into the season, but its past time for that discussion to begin.

Mike Bibby should be commended for doing what many veterans fail to do; recognize their degenerating skills, accepting a reduced role, and playing to their team’s strengths instead. He’s averaging a career-low in points, assists, steals, and minutes, but he has played efficiently, indicated by just 1.5 turnovers per game – also the lowest total of his career.

The bench, outside of Crawford, has also played efficiently, but none of them are averaging 15 minutes per game. More importantly, none of them appear upset with their limited, yet important, roles.

Two players that are living up to, and perhaps even surpassing, expectations are Josh Smith and Al Horford. Smith’s focus has returned to the defensive end and he is showing a lot of self-restraint with his shot selection. The maturity that we have all been waiting for seems to be developing – at least on the court. Horford is finally taking a step forward after showing little to no progress in his second season. He is averaging career highs across the board, while showing improvement on the defensive end. I expect both of these trends to continue throughout the season, meaning the Hawks can legitimately contend in the Eastern Conference – as long as they remain healthy.

Congratulations to Woodson, the roster, and the organization for getting the attention of ESPN just 10 games into the season. Just four weeks ago, we were told that this season was all about five or so teams competing for the championship, the Hawks not being one of them. This morning, they rightfully stand at the top of the power rankings.

Tags: Hawks hot start, Hawks Number 1, Mike Woodson, NBA Power Rankings

Hey, You’re a Top 2 Pick!

There’s been plenty written about how much better off the Hawks would be had they taken Chris Paul rather than Marvin Williams back in June of 2005, but as we all know, the Hawks loved Williams’ “upside”, his youth, and his long frame.

Williams is now four years older, has put weight on his formerly wiry frame, but the upside is still just that. Now 23 and signed to a five-year $40 million contract this past summer, Williams is off to an awful start. His 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals are all his lowest marks since his rookie season. His 41.8 percent shooting and 0.4 assists are both career lows.

Some may point to his drop in minutes (down from 34.3 last season to 27.9), but Williams’ play certainly has warranted the drop. Incredibly, the Hawks starting five has an even +/- rating through 102.4 minutes played together this season. Mind you, this is a 6-2 team. When Jamal Crawford replaces Williams with the remaining starters surrounding him, the Hawks are +33 in just 34.8 minutes together. Without question, the quintet of Bibby-Crawford-Johnson-Smith-Horford has been coach Mike Woodson’s best unit through eight games.

Williams is settling for jumpers 63 percent of the time, despite generally being bigger than his opponent. On those jumpers, he has an effective field goal percentage of just 33.3. On his “inside” attempts, which have accounted for 37 percent of his shots, he is converting at a 72.2 clip.

It’s time for Williams to follow Josh Smith’s lead and ditch the three-pointer. In his third season, which was unquestionably his best, he attempted just 10 treys all season long (in 80 games). He’s already launched 15 this season, hitting four of them (26.7 percent). Many point to his 35.5 percent three-point shooting last season and say “he’s good enough to keep it in his arsenal.” Perhaps so, but not unless it’s a very wide open attempt and Marvin’s in rhythm. I’d be much happier to see him ditch it altogether. The Hawks cannot afford to run plays with Williams setting up for shots along the perimeter. Should he catch the ball there, he needs to put it on the floor and attack the interior. He’s hitting 90 percent of his free throws this season and has hit over 80 percent in his career. He needs to be going to the line around five times or more per game – as he did in his third year when he was only 21.

Williams has not played to his strengths this season and Woodson needs to put a stop to it. I don’t think Williams should be removed from the starting lineup – but it’s worth considering. There are elements to his game that warrant a starting job. He’s still an above average defender and he’s not turning the ball over much on offense. Then again, he’s not touching it much either.

But consider for a moment bringing Williams off of the bench. The starters would be just fine. Joe Johnson is capable of playing the three with Mike Bibby and Crawford in the lineup. That’s been proven by the Hawks dominance with that unit on the floor throughout the early portion of this season.

Playing with the second unit would help Williams further develop his strengths. Although the Hawks’ bench is indeed stronger than we’ve seen in a very long time, it desperately lacks interior scoring. Without Al Horford and Josh Smith in the post, there would be a spot on the block with Marvin’s name written all over it. Perhaps that is exactly what he needs to finally tap into all that “upside” that the Hawks invested so much in four years ago.

Tags: Atlanta Hawks blog, Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams

Johnson Calls Out Hawks

As I warned in the previous post, the Bobcats took advantage of a road weary Hawks squad last Friday and emerged 20-point victors. Afterwards, Hawks captain Joe Johnson spoke up.

“I don’t know when we all of a sudden just really became a selfish team,” JJ said. “Now everybody wants to go one-on-one. It’s me, me, me. It’s crazy, man.” He went on to say that he didn’t think certain players on the team knew their roles.

After a 4-2 start, this comment took me and other Hawks followers by surprise. Yes, the Hawks were dreadful in Charlotte and had a season-low 10 assists. Part of that was that point guard Mike Bibby only played 20 minutes. Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith took 14 and 13 shots, respectively, without recording one assist. Johnson was 5-for-12 from the field, but he posted a season-low one assist. Now, through seven games, Johnson is averaging 4.1 assists on the year. That’s his lowest mark since becoming a Hawk back in 2005. In his previous four season, JJ has averaged 5.7 assists per game.

The very next night, the Hawks took advantage of another team in the midst of a long road trip, the Denver Nuggets. Johnson, Crawford, and Smith each scored over 20 points and the Hawks tied their season high with 30 assists. Of course, the Nuggets were without Kenyon Martin (bruised shin) and J.R. Smith (suspended), but the Hawks came out with a sense of urgency that they lacked the previous night.

A more punctual blogger than myself broke down Johnson’s game against the Nuggets over at peachtreehoops.com. It’s an insightful read and I wish to borrow a few points.

Aside from Jeff Teague, Johnson was the only Hawk to shoot below 50 percent in this game. JJ went outside of the team’s offense to go one-on-one on eight occasions, more than twice as often as any of his teammates.

Essentially, Johnson’s play did not back up his message. The rest of the Hawks seemed to have gotten their captain’s point. They moved the ball and played mostly unselfish ball in front of their home crowd.

The Hawks are 5-2, tied with Orlando for the third best record in the Eastern Conference and the fifth best record in the NBA. There’s certainly no need to panic. But Johnson needs to back up his play and be certain not to isolate himself from his teammates. Everything is in place for these Hawks to outperform last season’s version, but Johnson’s team-first mentality must remain consistently strong all season in order for them to follow through on their promise.

Team Ranks

Free throw percentage – 82.0. 2^nd

Turnovers – 12.6. 3^rd

Points per game – 106.9. 4^th

Field goal percentage – 47.4. 9^th

Assists – 21.0. 13^th

Rebounding differential – 0.1. 13^th

Opponents FG% – 46.0 19^th

Points allowed – 102.1. 20^th

Three-point percentage – 33.0. 20^th

Forced turnovers – 14.1. 20^th

Tags: Hawks team ranks, Joe Johnson calls out teammates, Joe Johnson upset

Crawford’s Role Grows More Defined

Through the Hawks first two games, both wins at home, Jamal Crawford wasn’t seeing a whole lot of action and thus was never able to establish a rhythm. Coach Mike Woodson admitted to failing to utilize JC properly, but quickly atoned for it on their west coast road trip. Crawford has responded to a bump in minutes (30 or more in each of the last three games) and the Hawks are +20 with him on the court, compared to the team’s rating of just +6.

He has looked decidedly more comfortable on the court after mostly going through the motions in the Hawks first two games. On Wednesday in Sacramento, he handled the ball extensively and finished with 26 points and four assists while shooting 10-of-15 from the floor.

“This is about the growth process,” Crawford said after the game. “We had that big win in Portland last night but it wouldn’t have been for nothing if we didn’t win this one. There comes a turning point in every game where you can go one way or another. We just dug in and made sure we took this game.”

The Hawks got off to a 6-0 start last season, which included four road wins, but I have been just as impressed by this season’s 4-1 start. Sure, the team did display one miserable quarter against the Lakers in Los Angeles, but more often than not, they have shown a relentlessness that could have them rise to the ranks of the Eastern Conference’s elite. The win in Portland was certainly their most impressive, as the Trail Blazers lost just seven home games all of last season.

Consistent defense does seem to be an issue for this team, but the team’s offense is utterly dynamic with Crawford in the fold. Last season, it seemed as if one of the starters were to have an off-night, the team would struggle to pull out a victory. But Crawford is such a phenomenal offensive player that his production can more than make up for poor performances elsewhere.

Big Men Show Improvement
Up front, Woodson has been able to coax some early season improvement from Josh Smith and Al Horford.

At first glance, you’ll notice that Smith’s scoring is actually down 1.4 points from last season to it’s current 14.2 mark. But further investigation reveals that he has been a far more efficient player. His Player Efficiency Rating has climbed from 17.2 last season to 22.4. Most of that is due to his better shot selection (he has yet to attempt a three-pointer) and his renewed focus on defense. I expect both trends to continue, but Smith absolutely has to improve his horrid free-throw shooting. After hitting 69.6 percent of his freebies in his first four seasons, he has hit a mere 57.6 percent of his free throws since the start of last season.

Horford is not shooting as well as in the past, but he has shown a lot more effort on the boards and defensive end this season. He’s nearly doubled his blocked shots per game, while pulling down nearly two more rebounds per outing. He currently ranks second in the league in blocks (2.6) and is seventh in rebounding (11.6).

Looking Ahead
The Hawks go cross country today, from Sacramento to Charlotte, and will take on a deceptively good Bobcats team on Friday night. Larry Brown’s team is second in the league in rebounds per game and rebounding margin while forcing the fourth most turnovers in the league. The Hawks have taken advantage of weak defenses in Sacramento and against the Pacers to pull out fourth quarter wins through the first week, but that won’t be the case against Charlotte. Mike Woodson’s troops will have to give four quarters of focus to earn their third road victory of the young season, something that may prove hard to do following a four time zone flight.

Tags: Al horford, Hawks blog, Hawks recap, Hawks vs. Bobcats, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith

Defense Optional

Hawks coach Mike Woodson regards himself as a “defense-first” coach and last season his young team mostly lived up to that fact. They ranked 10th in points allowed and 11th in opponents’ field goal percentage. But in Game 1 of the 2009-10 season, defense was optional.

The run-and-gun Pacers were not met with any authority by the Hawks defense and hit 53.4 percent of their field goals and 55.6 percent of their three-pointers. The Pacers rattled off 65 first half points and got 49 points from their bench as the Hawks defense was content to stand back and relax through three quarters.

Up by just one point heading into the fourth quarter, the Hawks finally seemed to wake up. They managed to hold their opposition to only 15 points in the fourth, while, thanks to Joe Johnson, the Hawks scored 25. Johnson scored 17 second half points and four fourth quarter assists. In all, he had a hand in 20 of the 25 fourth quarter points and was the primary reason his team prevailed 120-109. JJ finished with 25 points, six assists, four steals, and two treys.

The fact that they managed only an 11-point win is somewhat incredible. The Pacers gave the ball away 25 times and the Hawks limited their turnovers to 10. However, the home team only managed 35 points off of those 35 turnovers.

Atlanta got impressive efforts from all five of their starters, with the most surprising stat line being produced by third-year center Al Horford. He finished with 24 points, 16 boards, four assists, and two blocks. He took 17 shots, a number of attempts he’s only reached in two other games throughout his career.

Josh Smith had an unlikely eight assists to go with 18 points, five steals, and two blocks. However, the power forward managed only three rebounds as the team was out-rebounded 40-35 by one of the worst rebounding teams from a season ago. Smith absolutely must do more glasswork going forward for the Hawks to meet expectations this season.

Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams did a little of everything and a lot of nothing in the game, but both contributed to the Hawks 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) mark from beyond the arc. All five starters played over 30 minutes against the Pacers despite Woodson’s preseason commitment to use his bench more.

Woody did indeed use five reserves for more than 10 minutes a piece, but the second unit was clearly out of rhythm. While Mo Evans played well, the other four reserves hit just 6-of-19 shots. It was clear Woodson didn’t have much trust in his bench, and they didn’t do anything to put that notion to rest.

The Hawks should have dominated this game, but their failure to guard the perimeter (and just about everything else) or sufficiently rebound kept the Pacers in it until the final minutes. Woodson and company must play much better to win an important Game 2 on the schedule against the Washington Wizards.

Finally, I have read that the announced crowd was 2,000 short of capacity and that even that announced number was clearly inflated. I can’t understand this. This the home opener for a team that did everything to please its fans in the offseason. They were a top four team in the Eastern Conference last season and are in that conversation again. Atlanta is among the top 10 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. What will it take for this city to embrace these Hawks?

Tags: Hawks recap, Hawks vs. Pacers, Indiana Pacers

A Tough First Month

The Hawks season opens up with a visit from the Indiana Pacers this Thursday, a game that lends itself to a load of scoring and one that the Hawks should win. However, things get a lot more difficult for the Hawks starting with a critical home game against the Wizards. The next 31 days will feature nine road games, six home games, five back-to-backs, and a four-game road trip. Let’s break it down:

10/28 – vs. Indiana. A soft opponent to open up with. We should see the Hawks transition game and find out very early if the big men are too inept on the glass. Indiana was one of the worst rebounding teams last season. Hawks win. (1-0)

10/30 – vs. Washington. The Wizards are the Hawks’ biggest competition for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and the two teams face each other four times. The Wiz will be without Antawn Jamison, and the Hawks must take advantage. Hawks win a close one. (2-0)

11/1 – at Lakers. This is the first game of a four game road-trip and it’s certainly going to be an uphill battle. The Lakers are the league favorites and won’t lose four home games all season. Hawks loss. (2-1)

11/3 – at Portland. Portland is the furthest road destination for the Hawks and many other Eastern Conference teams. The Hawks must come out focused and hot to keep this one close. Brandon Roy and Joe Johnson should make for an entertaining battle. Hawks loss. (2-2)

11/4 – at Sacramento. The Hawks have superior talent, but catch the Kings on the road at the wrong end of their first back-to-back. Look for the Hawks second unit to be the difference in this game. Hawks win. (3-2)

11/6 – at Charlotte. Not sure how you go from Sacramento to Charlotte without stopping to play a couple of games in Atlanta, but this is what the schedule has dealt Mike Woodson’s squad. The Bobcats can be tough at home. If Raja Bell (wrist) plays, his defense makes a difference on Johnson. Assuming Bell is out, Hawks win a close one. (4-2)

11/7 – vs. Denver. The Hawks don’t get much rest once they get home. However, the Nuggets will be in the midst of a six-game road trip. A loud home crowd could provide a major boost in this matchup. Hawks win a close one. (5-2)

11/11 – at New York. A four day break is followed by a trip to the northeast. If the Hawks get too much rest and don’t take the Knicks seriously, they could get run out of Madison Square Garden in a hurry. Hawks loss. (5-3)

11/13 – at Boston. Boston is the type of team that is so good, that every player circles them on the calendar. The Hawks have matched up well with them in the past, but the Celtics are healthy and deeper…and playing at home. Hawks loss. (5-4)

11/14 – vs. New Orleans. This is a bit of a trap game. The Hawks will give their all against the Celtics in the first part of this back-to-back, then travel back home after the game. The Hornets will come to town with a monumental edge of having Chris Paul at the point. If the Hawks can’t rebound from their Celtics high, the talented Hornets will steal one at home. Hawks loss. (5-5)

11/16 – vs. Portland. The second and final game of the season against the Trail Blazers comes less than half way through November and is the final game of Portland’s five-game road trip. The Hawks should be able to take advantage and get revenge against Roy and the Blazers. Hawks win. (6-5)

11/18 – vs. Miami. A rematch against last season’s first round opponent should resemble the games of that series. Blowout in favor of the home team. Hawks win. (7-5)

11/20 – vs. Houston. The Rockets figure to force teams into a transition game and this game should be fun to watch. The young opponents should be tough road foes all season long, but the Hawks should be able to take advantage of their edge in pure talent. Hawks win. (8-5)

11/21 – at New Orleans. This will be the final game against Paul and the Hornets, and the Hawks could be gassed after their showdown with the Rockets the previous night. Expect the Hornets to outlast the Hawks in this matchup. Hawks loss. (8-6)

11/26 – vs. Orlando. The Hawks will have four days to prepare for the Magic and they’ll need them. Orlando is better and deeper this season, but luckily they face the Heat the night prior to coming to Atlanta. Still, their depth will serve them well, and the Magic have won three-straight against the Hawks and three-straight in Atlanta. Hawks loss. (8-7)

11/27 – at Philadelphia. The Sixers will be anxious to get this one underway as they will be coming off a three-game road trip that takes them through Cleveland, Washington, and Boston. Still, the Hawks should be the more stable team and deliver their third road win of the month. Watch out for a raucous Friday night Philly crowd. Hawks win a battle. (9-7)

11/29 – at Detroit. The Pistons will likely be hungry for a win after a brutal mid-November schedule. Still, they were dismal on Sunday afternoon home games last season and the Hawks need to continue that trend. This one could go either way, but I’ll give the edge to the Hawks. Hawks win. (10-7)

Honestly, 10-7 would be a very good record after this stretch, which further illustrates just how difficult the start of the Hawks’ schedule is. Coach Woodson can prove his worth if he manages to keep his troops motivated, united, and hungry, as well as prove capable of forgetting losses in a hurry.

Tags: Hawks blog, Hawks schedule