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Sunday, January 25, 2009
Hawks rise like Sun(s)?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Someone made a comment that seemed innocent enough just minutes prior to tip off of Sunday afternoon’s Hawks-Suns game at Philips Arena.
It wasn’t until a few minutes ago, with the Hawks up 53-47 with just three minutes to play before halftime, that I actually processed what was said.
“Since when do the Hawks compare to the Suns? They’re not even in the same league.”
Forget the context in which that statement was made (I was sitting in one room and heard that being shouted across the next room and technically speaking, the Hawks at 26-16 rank ahead of the Suns at 23-18, no matter how you slice it).
It wouldn’t have seemed like such an obscene statement as recently as last year this time.
But these teams are every bit each other’s equal these days (the outcome of today’s game not giving either team a decided edge in that department).
Seriously, they are on even footing. And the even more stunning thing about the Hawks is that you can say that every night, regardless of what team they are playing.
After years of playing little brother to just about the entire league, save for the occasional expansion team or the LA Clippers, the Hawks have risen from the ashes of their previous incarnation and finally joined the ranks of the NBA’s true contenders (for playoff spots Einstein, not the title).
Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson was around when the Suns morphed into a legitimate power a few years ago (when the Colangelo-D’Antoni-Nash revival rescued that franchise).
There was no secret potion, Johnson said. It was just a perfect storm of forces, events and happenstance that led the Suns from a 28-win season to the upper echelon of the Western Conference.
“I wish I could tell you we did something special or somebody whispered something in all our ears or flipped that secret switch,” Johnson said. “But in reality, it was just a matter of good timing. Me and Shawn [Marion] and Amare [Stoudemire] were already in place when Steve [Nash] came on board. Everything after that, well … we just started rolling from there.”
The Hawks’ road to redemption hasn’t been paved with All-Stars (other than Johnson), MVPs or hired help (Shaquille O’Neal since last season) with engraved invitations to the Hall of Fame.
There’s has been a much more organic renaissance, complete with all the pain and heartache associated with rebuilding an organization through the draft and the hit and miss politics associated with any front office staff (the misses outweighing the hits up to this point).
I’m not sure one way could be described as superior to the other. After all, the Bulls (organic) and Heat (GFH-guns for hire) are proof that both methods can fizzle just as fast as they lift off.
The Celtics are currently in GFH mode and I’m sure the fans and folks in Boston are loving every stinkin’ minute of their time on top (as long as my Wolverines are down and out I’m jealous of any team in any sport that’s rolling).
Either way, it’s hard to knock somebody for enjoying the rise, no matter how it happens.
But that statement that began this whole rant seems even more odd to me now. Because when it comes down to it, all but a couple of teams in both the Eastern and Western Conference are nothing if they aren’t in the same league.
