Joe Johnson is all but gone and as a result, the Hawks will likely suffer a major setback this off-season. It will take some major creativity for Atlanta to have the relevancy in the Eastern Conference that they did this past season.
By: David Kay
’09-’10 Season in Review:
The steady growth of the Hawks continued in 2009-10 as Atlanta posted their best record since the 1996-1997 season and improved their record for the fifth straight year. They earned the third best record in the Eastern Conference and were considered a sexy sleeper heading into the Playoffs. However, that excitement quickly turned into disappointment as the Hawks needed seven games to eek out a series win against the Bucks in the first round and was then embarrassed in the second round getting swept by the Magic losing by an average of more than 25 points per game. With that awful ending to their season came the firing of head coach Mike Woodson.
Still, there were plenty of positives on the court. Al Horford continues to develop into one of the most talented young big men in the league while the acquisition of Jamal Crawford brought a major boost to the bench as the combo guard was named NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. On the flip side, Marvin Williams took a step back as he saw his playing time decrease due to Crawford’s arrival. Mike Bibby showed his age and is not near the player he was a couple of years ago. While Josh Smith remains a force on both ends of the court, he is beginning to develop into a bit of head case, constantly yelling at referees and opposing fans and moping when things are not going his way.
Now the Hawks risk suffering a major setback heading into next season. They have no head coach and their star playing is likely leaving via free agency meaning reaching the same level of success as the team did this past season is unlikely.
Check out the Hawks off-season needs and salary cap situation.
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