Hawks’ Budenholzer named coach of the month

The stellar start of the Atlanta Hawks is leading to accolades.

Coach Mike Budenholzer was named to the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month on Monday after directing the Hawks to a 14-2 record in December. The .875 win percentage is the highest in franchise history for a month. The 14 wins tie the franchise record for most in a month with January 1997.

The Hawks’ 25-8 record is best in the Eastern Conference and third-best in the NBA.

In December, the Hawks recorded impressive wins against the Bulls and Clippers at home and road wins over the Heat, Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets and Mavericks.

Hawks players have credited Budenholzer with helping to change the culture of the franchise.

“It’s the regular season,” center Al Horford said recently of the Hawks’ winning ways. “We are not going to win any championships by winning one game. We’ve had a stretch here where we have beaten a lot of quality teams. The next game is one where we want to continue to get better.

“That’s all coach Bud and what he believes in. We all feel the same way.”

The Hawks are a league-best 8-2 against the vaunted Western Conference, with seven straight wins. They are also 10-5 against teams with a winning record.

Budenholzer is the fifth Hawks coach to win the award. Larry Drew last won in December 2012 in leading the team to a 10-5 record. Mike Fratello, Bob Weiss and Lenny Wilkens were also honored.

Budenholzer credited the players with the current philosophy of the team.

“I think it starts with our players,” he said before the Hawks departed on a three-game west coast trip that concludes tonight against the Clippers. “They have very high expectations. They know what’s important. I think as an organization or as a coaching staff, we just approach each day as we want to get better. We have the same mindset going into every practice, going into every game. We want to get better and better and be playing our best ball at the end of the year. I think it’s a day-to-day approach, building our habits, work ethic, professionalism. I think it’s your actions are much more important than anything we say.

“If you stay grounded in your day-to-day approach, it becomes who you are.”