CC SAYS: Hawks have hit their ceiling with current group

The Atlanta Hawks season came to an unceremonious end at the hands of the Orlando Magic after four games. The Magic dominated every part of the series from start to finish, leaving no doubt that they are one of the best teams in the NBA. If you’re an Atlanta Hawks fan, there’s nothing positive you can take from this series. The team managed to play about two and a half out of a possible sixteen quarters of good basketball. That’s awful, and there’s no way to make it seem better. They lost four games by a combined 101 points!
The Magic are better than the Bobcats and Hawks, just like the Lakers are better than the Thunder and Jazz, and the Suns are better than the Blazers and Spurs. There’s no shame in losing to a better team. However, unlike the Thunder, Bobcats, Spurs, Blazers and Jazz, the Hawks didn’t put up much of a fight. Those teams played hard until the bitter end. They had players with broken noses, surgically-repaired knees, and starters who missed the entire series, yet they didn’t let it define them. They didn’t ask anyone to throw them a pity party. They went out there and played hard, which is all anyone expected.
The Hawks have been one of, if not the healthiest team all season long, yet they played like all the odds were stacked against them this entire post season. Fans of the Thunder, Bobcats, Spurs, Blazers and Jazz are disappointed that their team lost, but not disappointed in their team. Hawks fans should be disappointed in their team and how they lost. No one would have been upset about them losing a series to the Magic because they’re clearly a better team. But, when you don’t bother to show up and play hard for four straight games, it’s unforgivable. There’s no reason to blow this team up, but as it’s currently constructed, their ceiling is the second round.
It’s time to go back to the drawing board and make the necessary changes to try to get this team over the hump.