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DirtybirdGA wrote:You are up and at em this morning.

ATLHawksfan21 wrote:We are about to crush the Raps. I wouldn't be too worried about it. They caught us in the first game of the year when Schroder didn't play and Al wasn't himself. In game 2, Thabo didn't play which gave Lou Will a chance to go off. Thabo is going to put Lou Will in a straight jacket tonight. Toronto won't make near 50% of their 3's either.

Mediocrity wrote:

ATLHawksfan21 wrote:We are about to crush the Raps. I wouldn't be too worried about it. They caught us in the first game of the year when Schroder didn't play and Al wasn't himself. In game 2, Thabo didn't play which gave Lou Will a chance to go off. Thabo is going to put Lou Will in a straight jacket tonight. Toronto won't make near 50% of their 3's either.

We will see about that but honestly I feel like you guys will crush us. We have been playing horrible as of late, and I imagine Demar will still be shaking off some rust. In the end though, as long as one of us beats Cleveland in the playoffs I will be happy

ATL Boy wrote:[tweet]https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/555781097267937281[/tweet]
I'll just leave this right here for your viewing pleasure.

reazun wrote:Am I correct in saying that if we win today it ties or longest win streak in the teams history?

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DirtybirdGA wrote:Pmott3 you'll have to get a custom sewn jersey 1/2 and 1/2.

The Hawks' roster, which lacks true star power, has capitalized on “controllables”—variables that are primarily in the players’ control and have little to do with outside influences such as opponent play—and has maximized intangibles to earn the second-best record in the league to date. Most notably, the Hawks have created a culture of trust and teamwork anchored in purposeful personal accountability. Currently, the Hawks lead the league in Helps per 100 Chances (11.08) and 6th in Double Teams per 100 Chances (5.89), thus trusting and relying on each other defensively. Yet the team ranks third lowest in Switch% (7.64)—a strong indicator of personal responsibility players have been entrusted with by their coach.

The Hawks’ strong emergence this season has also been fueled by a sense of selfless discipline. While the wisest players in the game today understand the energizing value of a timely rim-rocking dunk, a demoralizing block that sees the ball fly into the 10th row, or even an occasional technical foul to provide a spark, these players never forget that self-control is superior. They are fully aware that at the end of the day, discipline will always dominate showmanship. In that vein, the Hawks currently rank an impressive 2nd in the NBA in Block-to-Possession Rate (64.12), thus creating extra offensive opportunities for themselves and earning roars from the crowd for consistently efficient play rather than temporary superficial excitement.

Their meticulous rim protection has the Hawks sitting in 2nd place in Opponent Inside Shot% (47.41), well ahead of championship contenders such as the Mavericks (49.11, 5th) and the Bulls (49.5, 6th).

The Hawks' focus on controllables is further evident in effort-based statistics like Deflections per 100 Chances (4.60, 2nd), Pressure Rate per 100 Chances (7.35, 6th), and Loose Balls Possessed per 100 Chances (2.43, 9th). While it is still questionable whether the Hawks have the player personnel to make a deep run even in an Eastern Conference that lacks depth, their relentless focus on intangibles mirrors that of past teams that had great postseason success despite a lack of superstar power on their roster—the 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons come to mind.