The Atlanta Hawks have clinched a playoff berth for the sixth straight season and this may be the best coaching job Larry Drew has done with the Hawks. After trading away two main components from their playoff runs, Danny Ferry decided this wasn’t going to be a rebuilding year, but he also wasn’t going to tie up payroll in long-term contracts. With Joe Johnson in Brooklyn, Drew had to find offense from a variety of sources.
Having used 27 different starting lineups based on matchups and injuries, Drew has frequently put his team in a position to win. Unlike most teams the Hawks are unsure of who will be their leading scorer each night, but they do know that someone will step up. Down the stretch run, Jeff Teague has played with more intensity and pushed the tempo allowing the Hawks to demonstrate their athleticism.
One issue that many experts have with this Atlanta team is its reliance on the three-point shot, but the Hawks have shown their ability to win ugly games as well. Devin Harris and Jeff Teague both have a knack for penetrating the defense and making things happen. The ability of Josh Smith and Al Horford to create mismatches allows the Hawks to go to them when the rest of their options have been unsuccessful.
With the season winding down, Josh Smith and the Hawks have their sights set on the fourth playoff spot and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. While they don’t know who their matchup will be, many will discount them and their ability to advance past the first round. This team has been built with enough scoring weapons to put up enough points to compete with any team in the league. As long as they play their system, the Hawks will be a tough out for any team in the playoffs.
A DIFFERENT FEATHER …
The Falcons have made numerous offseason moves, but none will be as heartwarming as the signing of Brian Banks. Banks was a prep star committed to USC before he was accused of rape and sentenced to five years in prison. After having served his prison sentence and years on probation, Banks was finally exonerated of all charges when the woman who filed the original charges withdrew her claim and helped him clear his name.
The Falcons worked him out last year before he signed with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He will be worked at inside linebacker and given every chance to make the roster. With the changing defensive scheme, moving more towards an amoebic formation that shifts from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 front depending on the situation. While the headlines will be graced by the names of Tony Gonzalez, Osi Umenyiora, Steven Jackson and others, the story that should be watched with care throughout spring workouts and OTAs is Brian Banks’ fight to keep his dream alive and make the Falcons’ roster.
BRAVE DISPLAY …
Opening Day has arrived and the new-look Braves did not disappoint. With the many storylines circulating throughout spring training it was nice for the players and fans for the season to arrive and the games start to matter again. In a pitch that signified the transition from the past to the future, Chipper Jones threw a strike to injured Brian McCann Monday night to officially begin the Braves’ season, but it will be the last time Jones dons the Braves jersey this season.
Tim Hudson, the oldest player on the team, was the Opening Day starter and he was appreciative of the support. The Braves’ offense seemed to thrive on the crowd’s energy blasting three homers off Cole Hamels, chasing him after five innings. Justin Upton made his Braves debut memorable by hitting a Hamels offering 460 feet into the left-center seats causing Turner field to erupt and giving the Upton brothers their first chance to celebrate together on the same team in the major leagues.
If the intensity from the fans and players can maintain this level of excitement throughout the year, the race in the National League East between the Nationals and Braves could be one of the greatest ever.
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