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This squad isn't just some flash in the pan, rolling through the Eastern Conference only because that half of the NBA is at a historic low point. Atlanta isn't going to fade away into obscurity and mediocrity anytime soon, even if the team still inexplicably doesn't draw in enough outside viewers who would surely appreciate watching the pristine ball movement and three-point prowess.

No, these Hawks are here to stay.

...the Hawks are scoring 108.1 points per 100 possessions and allowing 103.1 over the same span. That gives them the No. 11 and No. 7 finishes in those two categories, respectively, and the combination undoubtedly makes them one of the top two-way squads in the Association. Are the Hawks elite on either end? Not really, but they're quite good on both.

"When he's healthy, he's one of the top 25 players in this league," an anonymous but high-ranking NBA executive told ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman just before Christmas. "He plays both ends of the court, and that's what separates him from some of the other big men. Sure, Dwight Howard is better defensively—but he can't really score. Kevin Love is a better offensive player, but he doesn't guard. Horford does it all."

MaceCase wrote:

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But uhhh, Dieng, Bebe, Louis, whatever, whomever, however.

Jamaaliver wrote:But the key behind the expected improvement upon that 53-win pace rests on the shoulders of Al Horford...[he] struggled at the beginning of the season, but lately he's been rounding into his All-Star form of previous years...

Let's not forget that Horford is a two-time All-Star who's still only 28 years old.

"When he's healthy, he's one of the top 25 players in this league," an anonymous but high-ranking NBA executive told ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman just before Christmas. "He plays both ends of the court, and that's what separates him from some of the other big men. Sure, Dwight Howard is better defensively—but he can't really score. Kevin Love is a better offensive player, but he doesn't guard. Horford does it all."