There was a time when the longest road trip of the season was something the Hawks needed to survive until they made it back to the comfort of Philips Arena.
Now it seems more like an escape from their troubles at home.
The Hawks have suffered through their two biggest losing margins of the season at home. Most of the their best victories, judging by quality of opponents, came on the road.
Atlanta's seven-game, 10-day road trip that begins Monday in Detroit but won't be easy, but things have been fairly harsh at home.
"When you have struggles at home, I have always been a big believer [that] the best place to get well is out on the road," coach Larry Drew said Sunday before the Hawks departed for Detroit. "We have not shied away from the road. We have taken on challenges on the road, and I am looking for the guys to do the exact same thing.
"This is a good time to go out on the road in a situation like that."
The situation started with Atlanta's 100-59 loss to New Orleans on Jan. 21, the worst home loss in the NBA this season. The Hawks seemed to right things with consecutive home victories against New York, Toronto and the Clippers.
However, Atlanta suffered a 117-83 defeat to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, the second-worst home loss in the NBA. The Hawks followed by blowing a 22-point lead in a 88-86 loss to Charlotte on Saturday night.
Drew said the team had fallen into a "comfort zone" at home. Perhaps the Hawks can regain their edge on the trip.
"It won't be anybody out there but us on the road," Hawks forward Josh Smith said. "I think it will give us an opportunity to do a little bonding and give us a chance to get out of this rut."
They'll get plenty of time to do it with 12 nights on the road.
After playing at Detroit, Atlanta's trip continues with a game at New York on Wednesday night. After the NBA schedule takes a break for All-Star weekend, the Hawks will play five games in seven days starting with a game at the Lakers on Feb. 22.
The Hawks finally will return on March 1, and lots of things could be different by then.
The Hawks (33-20) begin the week in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, six games clear of New York and one-half game behind Orlando. To move into fourth place they'll have to navigate a trip in which five of seven opponents currently have winning records.
It's also possible Atlanta's roster could look different when the team returns. The trading deadline is Feb. 24 and Drew and general manager Rick Sund have said the team is on the lookout for potential deals.
Drew also said he's still contemplating permanent changes to the starting lineup, a subject he first broached following the loss to Philadelphia.
"Let's just see if we can regroup for these last two games before the break," he said. "If we can't and I still don't like what I see then, I will look at possibly making some kind of change to possibly shake things up a little bit."
The Hawks could make Drew hold off on the changes considering the way they've played on the road. Their 16-11 record includes victories at Miami, Orlando, Utah and New York.
"We have just been more focused on the road," Hawks forward Mo Evans said. "We utilize players, we share the ball, we play together on defense. We know that we have to [because] if we don't, we will get blown out on the road."
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