HAWKS: Minitrend: There’s no place like home

Hawks coach Mike Woodson isn’t a staunch believer in the carryover effect from one NBA season to the next.

But what other explanation is there for his team’s 2-0 start, the first in a decade, months after their stunning playoff run against eventual champion Boston?

“I think when you make the playoffs and you play at the level that we played, guys like that feeling,” Woodson said. “And there’s no greater feeling. I can’t describe it. I’ve been a part of a championship team [as an assistant in Detroit] and watched a group of guys go through it, and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences to go through from a coaching standpoint.

“From a player’s standpoint, I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels. And these guys tasted it last year, and they want to get back. We have to take it a game at a time, and I know it’s early. But if we continue to rebound the basketball and play like we did [in Saturday’s win over Philadelphia], we’re going to be in a lot of ball games and give ourselves chances to win.”

A chance to get back into the game is all Hawks captain Joe Johnson was looking for after the Hawks trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half against the 76ers.

If the Hawks learned anything from the adversity they faced in their home wins over the Celtics during the playoffs, it’s that no deficit is too great when your comeback is built on defense and effort.

“We have to play with confidence from the start,” Johnson said, making clear his preference for less dramatic affairs at home and away from Philips Arena. “We have to know that teams are going to try and come in here and get on us early and try and hold down our crowd and our confidence, because they saw this place during the playoffs. They know how tough a place this is to play when we’ve got it all rocking.

“Our job is to make sure we don’t just play strictly off the emotion, and that we are more methodical in our attack. Don’t get me wrong —- it’s a good feeling to know that you can battle back with the help of your crowd the way we have. But you have to be more measured in your approach. You have to be more aggressive.”

That still doesn’t explain the Hawks’ 4-0 record, all come-from-behind wins, in their last four home games dating to the playoff series against the Celtics.

At least one player, Josh Smith, isn’t interested in digging too deep into what could be a favorable trend for the home team.

“I don’t see any need in overanalyzing something that’s really out of our control,” he said. “Honestly, I’m more impressed when we start strong and finish strong, the way we did [in the season-opening win in Orlando last week], not that winning at home is something we should take for granted. It’s just that we know we’re a good team, and we know we should be playing at a high level in front of our own fans.

“The road is where we have to have the same kind of fire. That’s where we’re going to earn our keep.”

The Hawks will get their chance Wednesday. The New Orleans game will be as stiff a test as they’ve faced since those road games in that playoff series against Boston.

The Hornets, led by All-Star point guard and Olympic gold medalist Chris Paul, figure to be one of the league’s top teams for the second straight season.

“Talk to me after that game and then we’ll see if anything has carried over from the playoffs,” Smith said, then laughed. “Either way, hard work and focus is what’s going to carry us, no matter where we play.”