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We now interrupt the "Tony Gonzalez is Back!" parade and NFL free agent hysteria to pose this question: Has reality set in for the Hawks?

The Hawks are trending downward as they go into tonight's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. They have lost six out of seven. They have lost their last two games (Brooklyn and Miami) by 30 points. They are 14-19 since starting the season 20-10. And now they get the Lakers.

Some of this could be expected. I'll get into this more in a full column off of tonight's game, but it's well known the Hawks are in the midst of being torn apart and rebuilt by general manager Danny Ferry and are an undersized team built on quickness and shooting. Those are the kind of teams that often wear down in the second half of seasons and particularly down the stretch, when more physical and experienced clubs start to take over. Injuries, particularly the loss of guard Lou Williams, also have taken a toll.

So what now? The Hawks will still make the playoffs. (At 34-29, they're 9½ games ahead of Toronto, the best non-playoff team in the Eastern Conference.) But they're only 1½ games out of the eighth seed, which would mean a first-round matchup (and presumably immediate postseason extinction) against Miami. They're also only five games out of the No. 2 seed.

I hate to put this on the head coach, Larry Drew, because I believe he has done a terrific job this season, given the circumstances. But the onus is on Drew to try to hold this bunch together down the stretch.

Tonight's a major test of this team's resolve. The Lakers and Dwight Howard are starting to put things together and coming off an impressive win at Orlando. Philips Arena could be half-filled with Lakers' fans, which would be just one more thing for Josh Smith to complain about. (See above video.)

UPDATE: There's also this: Drew said before the game that guard Jeff Teague (sprained ankle) will not play and Josh Smith is "doubtful" with a sprained knee.

Have the Hawks hit the bottom of this slide or is this going to continue?

I'll be back later with a full column. Interested in your thoughts, so fire away.