February looks like fun.

[Wretch]

Grizz, Philly, Suns, Pacers, @Magic, Heat, @LA, @Phoenix, @Portland, @Chicago, @NY, and Magic

Look at that trip from LA to NY...

It's great to see the team winning on the road, without Al. It's promising to see the players stepping up individually. But what I really want to see is QUALITY wins...not us manhandling the nobodies of the league. It would have been nice to have that Philly meltdown back, but here comes a chance for redemption. Here's the chance for this team to prove that it belongs.

This is how you shut the critics up and turn the jaded fans around. Then you have to get into the playoffs and actually DO something.

Now.......anyone want to try and predict this home stand?

...or that road trip through to NY?

[buckeye242424]

We also have the Warriors at home on the 29th. I think if we can finish this month with a winning record, 7-6, it would be a success.

[Wretch]

I really want the Pacers and Philly games. Not for payback or anything like that. These are teams that are coming up in the East. I'd rather not see either of them leapfrog us like Chicago did. If this is our time, we really should be keeping arm's distance from them.

I mean, that's where the Squawk is divided right? We need to keep this core? We're one of the best? Time to prove it. As Boston and Orlando (pending Dwight's departure) are probably on the way out, we should be getting over the hump and sliding into their place. We should be that hard to beat team in it's prime, matured, getting quality wins, not worrying about respect, not out to prove anything.

IF this core is capable of pushing ahead and is worthy of tweaking (as opposed to reloading). Let's see us rise to the top of the East and not say, "Well, they're just a good team and we can't win 'em all" when we run into an upstart or a team that stands in our way to the ECF's. We're about to see them all...how many times are we gonna say that this month?

I'm really looking forward to some good basketball. I hope they don't let us down.

Aside from distinguishing ourselves from Philly and Indy, I'd like to see a competitive game in LA and a winning record in general on that road trip. 3-2 would be nice. I'd REALLY like to see us put Chicago down. After last season's playoffs, I've really wanted to see them again moreso than anyone else. We had a chance in that series and we would have given Miami HELL. It would have gotten us some attention....and maybe a someone like Dwight or CP3 would have put us on their radar.

Overall, I'd like to do better than .500 with at least a couple of convincing wins (and no beatdowns like San Antonio). 8-5 would give me hope for the post season, but coming out of this at 7-6 would indeed be a success - especially if we could get the games in bold:

Grizz, Philly, Suns, Pacers, @Magic, Heat, @LA, @Phoenix, @Portland, @Chicago, @NY, and Magic (+Warriors)

[frosgrim]

Over the next 4, I think they can win 3. A loss to Philly or Indiana as the one loss.

On the Orlando/Miami split 2-0

Road trip 2-3, wins at Phx and NY

Come home and beat Orl

That makes the Hawks 8 and 4 over the the next 12.

[Wretch]

Not a good start...

A loss I can deal with, and I expected a loss to either the Suns or the Grizz on this homestand. But this team is better than a 20+ point home blowout. Hate to see that on the homecourt.