Insider Special: Best and Worst ~ Hawks

[Weez]

By Joe Lago

ESPN.com

Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Atlanta Hawks.

Best Case Scenario

For the Hawks to sneak into the playoffs in the East for first time since 1999, three things need to happen.

Newly signed free agent Stephen Jackson brings scoring and defense to the Hawks.

1. They're still tenacious on D. After finishing 25th in defensive field-goal percentage (.459) in 2001-02, the Hawks rose all the way to eighth last season (.436) under Terry Stotts. Atlanta finished with such a flourish (21-19 in its final 40 games) largely because of its improved defense. "I want to maintain that," Stotts said.

2. Big Dog is forgotten. In other words, Glenn Robinson's 20.8-point average must be replaced. Jason Terry and Shareef Abdur-Rahim should get more shots, but they'll likely get help from the four-man mix at shooting guard and small forward with Dion Glover, Stephen Jackson, Lee Nailon and first-round pick Boris Diaw. Glover, who started 42 games last season, and Jackson, the starting three on the Spurs' title team, are the favorites to start.

3. Win some road games for a change. Last season, the Hawks were tied for the fifth-worst road record in the East at 9-32. Terry is aiming high for this year's goal for road wins. "We've got to be above .500," he said. Only one team -- Philadelphia at 23-18 -- played better than .500 ball away from home in 2002-03.

Worst Case Scenario

The Hawks will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year if these three things happen.

1. JT and Shareef get no help. The Hawks acquired Robinson two summers ago to give themselves a legitimate Big Three. They'll be back in the same situation if no one from the aforementioned group of twos and threes provides a consistent contribution on offense.

2. They still can't handle adversity. Stotts believes, more than anything, the Hawks must keep their heads up when things don't go their way. "Whether it was the poor road record or being blown out or stopping runs during the game ... I think we have to rely on each other and handle the tough times a little bit better," he said. "I think we got frustrated last year when things weren't as easy as we thought it might."

3. Injuries depletes their depth. Or the little depth they have. Backup center Nazr Mohammed played only 35 games last season due to stress factures in his right foot. Point guard of the future Dan Dickau played just 50 games as a rookie last season because of a knee injury, and he's currently sidelined with tendinitis in his right Achilles from summer league. If Terry or Abdur-Rahim go down, "Crossfire" at nearby CNN will have a larger live audience than Hawks home games.

Joe Lago is the NBA editor at ESPN.com.

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