WILL THEY OR WON'T THEY?

Despite a 26-37 record, the Hawks are currently in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They lead New Jersey by a half game, Chicago by one game and Charlotte and Indiana by two games. With 19 games left, here's a look at why the Hawks will or won't make the playoffs this season.

MAKE IT

1. The schedule: Of the Hawks' 19 remaining games, 11 are against teams with a worse record, including three against the 18-win Knicks.

2. The opponents: The Hawks play Washington, New Jersey, Chicago (2), Philadelphia (2) and Indiana — all teams within four games in the standings.

3. The point guard: Mike Bibby is averaging 12.6 6.4 assists and 31.1 minutes in 14 games since trade to the Hawks.

4. The All-Star: Joe Johnson is starting to score more. He is averaging 29.6 points over the last five games, including 39 against Miami.

5. The conference: The Hawks play in the Eastern Conference, where at 11 games under .500 they are still in the hunt. The Nets, who trail the Hawks by a half-game, have lost 9-of-12 (including six straight) games since trading Jason Kidd.

MISS IT

1. Inconsistency: The Hawks had just one decent winning streak all season — five straight in December. They have won back-to-back games just four times since.

2. Road woes: The Hawks are 7-25 (.280) on the road this season. Nine of their remaining 19 games are away from Philips Arena.

3. No center: Al Horford is playing out of position. The half-court game is crucial this time of year. The Hawks struggle to score in the paint — and struggle to stop anyone in the paint.

4. Defense: The Hawks have given up 100 or more points in nine of their 13 games since the All-Star break. They lost seven.

5. Lack of experience: After Joe Johnson (15 games) and the recently obtained Mike Bibby (51), the Hawks have a combined zero games of playoff experience. They are not used to playing meaningful games this late in the season.