As the NBA playoffs begin, the Hawks must take some comfort in the fact they're not being cast as the longest of long shots to win the league championship. That distinction belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks (500-1), who, as the East's No. 8 seed, will begin the postseason by being rolled in Panko bread crumbs, deep fried and served with a nice dipping sauce for Miami.
That said, it doesn't seem the Hawks are being taken seriously by the masses. They're undersized. They've lost two regulars (Lou Williams and Zaza Pachulia) to season-ending injuries. Both their head coach (Larry Drew) and often their most dynamic player (Josh Smith), whether accurately or not, as being painted as lame ducks.
But to overlook these past six months — when expectations were nil — seems at worst unfair and at best presumptuous.
The Hawks endured at least as much, if not more, scar tissue as any other team in the 16-team playoffs. Yet, they won 44 games.
Drew continues to get little respect from critics. He wasn't handed a great team. The last year of his contract overlapped with the first year of general manager Danny Ferry's makeover. That's never good timing for a head coach.
Drew has used 29 different starting lineups in 82 games this season, and it’s not because he was just trying to keep all of his All-Stars happy. The Hawks’ don’t have an All-Star. It turns out that’s even worse than having Joe Johnson.
The 29 starting lineups were the most of any of the league’s 16 playoff entries. Indiana, the Hawks’ first-round opponent, used nine.
The Hawks’ most frequent starting lineup was used for 16 games. The Pacers’ most common starting lineup was used for 60.
The Pacers won only five more games.
Tell me again why Indiana is viewed as an overwhelming force in this series?
Because we live in Atlanta, there is a tendency to focus on the Hawks’ ills. There’s also the hangover from past postseason exits. But a little perspective, please: There’s probably not more than one great team in the league (Miami), and if there is another it’s in the West (Oklahoma City). Miami is like the lord in the East, looking out the window and down on the serfs.
Miami: great. Indiana: not great. New York, Chicago, Boston, Brooklyn, certainly Milwaukee: not great.
The Hawks are just another not-great team. At times, they just seem to set themselves up for more mocking with spectacular flops. They’ll go through periods when they run the court, share the ball, shoot and defend — only to, without warning, then resemble a sixth grader whose attention has been stolen by a fly on the wall.
The Hawks are tee ball for guys such as Charles Barkley, who said recently: “The good thing about Atlanta is they’ve got a great airport here so, after the first round of the playoffs, they will be able to get (away for) a really great trip somewhere.”
(Laugh track.)
The good news for the Hawks: Overconfidence won’t be a problem.
“Nobody gave us a chance to make the playoffs, either,” Smith said Friday. “We’ll just continue to play with confidence and not pay attention to the outside distractions. I like our no-quit attitude. Even when somebody screws up, we still give ourselves an opportunity to come back and win the game.”
Ferry used the buzz words “resilient” and “adaptable” to describe the Hawks.
“I like the fact that we’ve had some challenges,” he said. “We’ve played poorly at times, but we’ve been able to turn it around.”
Drew deserves some credit for that.
He may not be able to keep his job. Ferry didn’t hire him and sometimes these decisions become about more than just wins and losses (perceptions, marketing, a general manager wanting his own guy). Some may consider the playoffs a referendum on Drew, but to take that position would render the past six months meaningless.
Ferry avoids addressing the Drew situation. He softened only slightly on the eve of the playoffs, even if indirectly: “This group has worked hard. This group has had a good year. They’ve worked through different challenges. The players and coaches have done a nice job of getting us to this point. Our entire focus right now should be on nothing but Indiana.”
Drew offered even less. “If we go out and play the way we’re capable of, we’ll win,” he said. “Given my situation … right now that’s my least concern.”
A series win over Indiana presumably would help his cause. Given the backdrop of this season, nobody should consider that unthinkable.
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