Since day one, the debate has been narrowed down to three: Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. No others need apply.
When all the pundits made their conference championship predictions, it was a three-horse race. And all three horses had made significant upgrades over the summer, gearing up for a drag-out fight for a conference title.
The Celtics hit the free-agent market to retool their bench, bringing in Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels while also re-signing Glen Davis. The Cavs made a huge splash by trading for Shaquille O'Neal, obscuring the equally important moves they made in signing Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. Not to be outdone, the Magic made a big trade themselves, reeling in Vince Carter, while also re-upping Marcin Gortat and signing Brandon Bass.
The conference's Big Three stole all the headlines. And from the looks of it, that put a chip on the shoulder of the Atlanta Hawks.
Don't look now, but Mike Woodson's scrappy Atlanta squad is tied for the best record in the NBA. And if you think they're going away easily, you might have a surprise in store.
Here in Boston, it's common knowledge — championships can be won with a strong ensemble cast, lock-down defense and efficient production on the offensive end. That's the Hawks' recipe for success.
You think these Hawks are a fluke? Try telling that to Joe Johnson. The Celtics' former first-round draft pick, now 28 and entering his ninth professional season, has matured into an alpha dog on a legitimate title hopeful. He's the quickest, most athletic, most exciting player on the floor every night, and he's quickly becoming one of the smartest players around to boot. With Johnson leading the way, the Hawks are making the leap into contention.
Try telling it to Jamal Crawford. The 29-year-old guard, dissatisfied after nine years split between the Bulls, Knicks and briefly the Warriors, has finally walked into a situation where he can play for a winner. He's finally improved his shot selection, he's slowly becoming a better defender, and he's putting the team first.
Try telling it to Al Horford and Josh Smith. They're both only 23, but together, they're arguably the best pair of defensive post players in the NBA. Throughout the first month of the season, they've stepped up and shut down some of the game's best big men — Emeka Okafor, Greg Oden, Lamar Odom, and even — to an extent — Kevin Garnett, who scored only 14 points in a Celtics loss to the Hawks two weeks ago.
The Hawks are for real. None of us called it this summer, or even saw it coming a month ago, but they've now emerged as a legitimate top-tier team in the Eastern Conference. They've set out to prove the world wrong, and it appears that they're well on their way toward that goal.
What awaits them over the next four days, though, is a critical test of their muster. If they're still atop the basketball world by week's end, they'll have a lot to be thankful for.
First up is a clash with the Magic, riding high at 11-3 and tied with the Hawks for the Southeast Division lead, in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Johnson will be tested — he's drawn a matchup with the hot-as-wildfire Vince Carter. As for the Hawks' big men, they'll be staring down none other than the big, bad Dwight Howard.
After taking on Orlando, the Hawks hit the road to tackle Philadelphia on Friday night and Detroit on Sunday. It's a grind of a weekend tour — four days, three cities, and three critical Eastern Conference games.
But if they keep playing the way they have all season, they'll come out of it on top. These Hawks are no mere flash in the pan — they're here to stay. Now they're ready to prove it.
