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Friday, February 27, 2009
The pack is here!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Marvin Williams said it best.
“Being in the fourth spot in the East,” he said Thursday, “it’s our job to keep it.”
Now that the pack has arrived (and Miami and Philadelphia constitute the pack since all three teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games), the Hawks have no more room for foolishness.
Whatever petty differences and bickering have sidetracked them in the past seven to eight weeks has to be done.
If not, they’ll be staring up at the Heat and possibly the 76ers in a matter of days.
The Heat come to town tonight in a HUMONGOUS head-to-head matchup between the current No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the standings. The Hawks get a day off before LeBron James and his crew show up for a nationally televised Sunday night showcase.
And then it’s back to the road for a three-game stint in Washington, New York and Charlotte before coming home for that much anticipated seven-game home stand.
“To have most of the month of March here at home,” Joe Johnson said, “it’s going to be big for us.”
The Hawks are applying the memory of their last home stand (they went 7-1 during that impressive December stretch that pushed their record to 21-10 at the time) to this one coming up, assuming they can duplicate the feat and create a little space.
I’m not sure that works.
The first time around the Hawks were playing at a high level when the home stand came around. This time … not so much.
Detroit (March 7), New Orleans (9th), Utah (11th), Indiana (13th), Portland (15th), Sacramento (17th) and Dallas (19th) are on the menu during this upcoming home stand. And the Hawks will follow that up with another wicked four-game home stand at the end of the month - with Minnesota (23rd), San Antonio (25th), Boston (27th) and the Lakers (29th).
Basically, the month of the March determines the Hawks entire season. Rise up and meet the challenge and fourth spot is theirs. Falter, just a little bit at home (where the Hawks are 19-6 and have been solid all season long), though, and this entire thing comes unraveled in a matter of weeks.
In years past, March was the death march to the draft lottery around here. It was just a foggy ride to the finish of yet another substandard season.
For once, the home stretch actually means something.
“If we’re talking about winning at a high level,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said, “We’ve got to handle our business down the stretch. There’s no doubt about it.”
No doubt!
