by Tim StS

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

What's in store for the Atlanta Hawks?

The answer to this question is more obvious and absolute than it is for any other team in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. The Hawks are in store for an ugly, first round exit from the playoffs.

Why is this so absolute? Let's start with the Hawks regular season record. They finished 37-45, which means they lost more games than they won. Only one other team in this years playoffs (Philadelphia) finished the regular season with a losing record, but even theirs was a more respectable 40-42. The fact of the matter is that a team that could not win half of its regular season contests is bound to struggle in a seven game series against a better opponent.

Which brings me to my next point. The Hawks are stuck playing the Boston Celtics, who won over eighty percent of their games this year. Included in the Celtics 66-16 record is two wins over, you guessed it, the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks don't have enough firepower to keep up with the Celtics trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce on the offensive end. They also lack a big guy that is capable of containing Garnett in the paint. The Celtics are more talented, and far more experienced than the Hawks and should make quick work of them here. Look for a four game sweep.

On the positive side, the Hawks have been one of the worst teams in the NBA for most of the last decade and making the playoffs is a huge step in the right direction. As mentioned earlier, they are a young team and as such, should only get better in time.

Al Horford, The Hawks' first round draft pick, should win the Rookie of the Year award. His 10.1 points per game and 9.7 rebounds are solid first year numbers, and will increase next year. Joe Johnson is earning the huge contract the Hawks gave him three years ago by averaging over 20 points and nearly 6 assists per game. Add Josh Smith and Josh Childress to the mix, and you can see why the Hawks are excited about their future. Not a single one of these four studs is over 25 years old.

The Hawks short-term prospectus looks bleak, but they should become more and more of a factor in the next few years.

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