Magic mark reached, one more ahead

[DrReality]

Magic mark reached, one more ahead

By Sekou Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Reaching the summit has been more rewarding than the journey for the Hawks.

Monday’s win over Minnesota clinched the Hawks’ first winning campaign since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

The playoffs are next. The Hawks’ magic number to secure their second straight berth was two after Monday’s games. The Hawks led Chicago, the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference, by nine games with 11 games left before Tuesday’s Bulls game vs. Detroit.

For teams like San Antonio, the Hawks’ opponent tonight at Philips Arena, winning seasons are routine. Only championship seasons get the blood pumping.

For the Hawks, it’s hard not to pause to acknowledge the difficult road traveled.

“When we first started, we had a bunch of young kids trying to learn to play NBA basketball,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “And every year we’ve grown. It’s been a rocky road. But we’ve gotten better. I tip my hat to the guys in our locker room. Those guys have worked on their individual games in the summer, and they all bought into what me and my staff were trying to do.”

Only Woodson, his staff and forward Josh Smith were around at the start, when the Hawks trudged through a 13-win season five years ago. Many other players have passed through the Hawks’ locker room since.

The only thing that piled up faster than the losses, Smith said, were the Hawks’ critics. That’s why he, as much as anyone, smiled all the way out of the building Monday.

“It feels good to prove people wrong as a team and as an organization,” he said. “You get tired of being told you’re not good enough or you can’t do something. And that’s all anybody had to say about us for a long time. So to be in this position now, with a chance to not only make the playoffs but also a chance to snag home-court advantage and put up the best season this city has seen in years, it means a lot.”

But the Hawks are hungry for more, according to captain Joe Johnson, who played on a Phoenix team that led the league in wins during his final season with the franchise.

“Once you get a taste of winning, it drives you even harder to get to that next level,” he said. “A winning season is great. There’s no denying that. But the real test is seeing how much better we can get. We’ve still got a lot left to do this season, and I’m talking before we even start thinking about the playoffs.”

The Hawks have achieved one of their main goals, which was to better last year’s 37-win total and secure a winning season.

“Me knowing the dynamics of where we’ve been and where we’re going, it’s really just unbelievable,” Woodson said. “It takes a lot of work to get to this point. And this team, and these guys, they’ve made major strides in a short period of time when some people didn’t think it was quick enough.”

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: vs. Spurs

> When: 7 p.m. today

> TV; radio: FSSO; 790 AM

[tonegully]

Im very proud of our team this year. I wish more fans would show up at the games and show the guys more support.

[mrhonline]

The playoffs are next. The Hawks' magic number to secure their second straight berth was two after Monday's games. The Hawks led Chicago, the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference, by nine games with 11 games left before Tuesday's Bulls game vs. Detroit.

Come on, Sekou.

The Hawks don't have to have a better record than Chicago to make the playoffs. They simply have to have a better record than the 9th place team.

Bottom line, if the Hawks win tonight, they clinch a playoff seed. (They've already won the season series with Charlotte).

[Dsinner]

Im very proud of our team this year. I wish more fans would show up at the games and show the guys more support.

I'll be there Sunday!!! Whoo hoo!! (first game this season).

[WraithSentinel]

Fans do show up for the important games. Can't really blame them for not really caring about the T'Wolves in this economy. Take whatever fans you can get at the lesser known games. Then try to pack the place for the big name teams.

[Guest]

The Hawks don't have to have a better record than Chicago to make the playoffs. They simply have to have a better record than the 9th place team.

True in this scenario but not in general. In the event that Atlanta went into a three-way tie with the current 8th and 9th place teams and that three-way tie left Atlanta out of the playoffs then they would need to have a better record than the 8th team. Doesn't apply to our scenario though, so I am just speaking in possible other situations that have no current application...

The NBA should really hire someone with a decent math background to figure out magic numbers. But now that I think about that, they probably did have someone who did that and then decided to lay him off because there isn't that much use to having someone figure that out. If someone really wanted to know it they would probe around the internet and could eventually find someone capable of doing that on a messageboard somewhere.

[Mrs. Joe Johnson]

Fans do show up for the important games. Can't really blame them for not really caring about the T'Wolves in this economy. Take whatever fans you can get at the lesser known games. Then try to pack the place for the big name teams.

If u are a fan u will support this team when they are playin whoever. The problem is the fans or groupies (men and women) only want to come out for superstars like LEBRON,DWADE,KOBE,ETC. Only want to be seen tryin to be cute.

[WraithSentinel]

That is the way Atlanta has always been. Many fans here prefer to cheer for stars instead of the teams. In this current economy got to give fans a pass. Overall we are doing quite well in attendance. Orlanda is barely ahead of us. We are drawing better than Philly.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance

[hawkman]

That is the way Atlanta has always been. Many fans here prefer to cheer for stars instead of the teams. In this current economy got to give fans a pass. Overall we are doing quite well in attendance. Orlanda is barely ahead of us. We are drawing better than Philly.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance

I hate that. I don't get the chance to go to many games except for the higher profile ones, but I sure as heck don't/won't cheer for the other team's superstar. I'm sick of those clowns getting the "star" treatment on our home court when JJ can't even get a friggin foul call in the paint. It's even worse when some of the home crowd cheers them on. Hearing locals scream "MVP" or "Sheeeeed" for the opposing team(s) just seems out of place. I will say that during last season's Playoffs, all that crap stopped and it seemed like the entire crowd was squarely behind the Hawks. It looks better on TV and feels surreal in person. I hope it will be the same way this postseason.