Hawks looking for more after solid preseason

The Hawks have actually tossed around (gulp) winning 50 games as one of their goals this season.

That’s big-game hunting for a franchise that hasn’t won more than 37 games since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

A 13-win improvement from last year’s 37-45 campaign would likely qualify the Hawks as one of the NBA’s most improved teams for the second straight season.

But did you see enough during the Hawks’ 5-3 preseason schedule to convince you that they are capable of such a jump?

Glimpses are all Hawks coach Mike Woodson said he saw, glimpses of the things he expects from his team during the regular season.

Woodson did, however, come away confident in the fabric and character of his team. “One thing that I really like about this group is that they showed some serious fight whenever they got down,” Woodson said. “That says a lot about these guys and what they are all about.”

Other notable observations Woodson gleaned from the preseason:

The second five

After trying various combinations over the past four years, Woodson has for the first time settled on a group of reserves that he can play during crunch time. Led by veteran newcomers Flip Murray and Mo Evans and holdovers Zaza Pachulia, Acie Law IV and Solomon Jones.

Woodson’s take: “The bench has been more than what I expected in such a short period of time and throwing them together the way we did. “They’ve probably been more solid than our starters because we were able to play them in a block and really get them on the same page. Again, they’ve really been better than I think we imagined they’d be going into the season.”

Ready to rise up

The real Pachulia appears ready to make his return after last year’s dismal season, filled with injuries and a demotion to the bench. Nowhere was the Hawks’ lack of depth more pronounced last season than in the post, where Al Horford had to handle the job as a rookie without much support until Pachulia came alive in the playoffs. Pachulia continued to play well during the preseason and seems destined for a return to form.

Woodson’s take: “One of our main goals was to get him back programmed and ready to go. The biggest thing is Zaza accepting his role, whatever that is every night. And the bottom line is he knew that once we got into the playoffs he was instrumental to us winning the three games we won at home. And it’s not about playing 30 minutes every night. I think he understands he’s a big piece to our puzzle and we need him to win.”

Healthy and rested

Two years ago the Hawks lost Speedy Claxton and Marvin Williams to injuries during the preseason, which turned out to be a prelude to an injury-filled season that ended with captain and All-Star Joe Johnson missing the final 25 games with a calf injury. This preseason, though, just like last year, the Hawks avoided significant injuries.

Woodson’s take: “It’s huge, huge when you can keep everybody healthy versus two years ago when it seemed like we couldn’t keep anybody healthy. Last year we were almost injury free, outside of Speedy [Claxton]. And that’s a huge part of any season for any team, is keeping your key guys healthy and ready to play.”

Roster balance

For the longest the Hawks have struggled with a roster overloaded at the forward positions (former GM Billy Knight was playfully referred to once as the “King of Wings” due to his preference for drafting and acquiring similarly skilled swingmen) and short on depth at point guard and center. No more. The Hawks’ roster finally has a balance between post players, wing forwards and a solid rotation at both guard spots. Acquiring Murray and Evans helped achieve that balance.

Woodson’s take: “We know what we have in our starters. What was unclear is how these [new] guys would fit. But what you have in Flip and Mo is two guys that can defend at a high level and two guys that can score the ball. And both of them can play multiple positions. You can’t ask for much more than that.”