POSTED: Mar 23, 2016 1:25 AM ET
So it took a little longer to locate it than expected.
Al Horford
didn't panic. The Atlanta Hawks' All-Star center knew his team would
come around. He knew that they'd find their groove, sooner or later.
The best teams always do.
The Hawks just needed a little extra time, coming off of a franchise-best 60-win season and trip to the Eastern Conference finals while trying to integrate some new faces into the their mix.
But there is no denying it now. The best defensive team in the NBA the past three months resides in Atlanta, not San Antonio or Oakland.
That familiar feeling, Horford said, is coming at just the right time with the start of the playoffs just weeks away.
"We just started playing better defensively," Horford said. "And that all started back in January. The first two months of the season we lost our identity a little bit, our principles and what we were about. And then in January we started to play more consistently as a group defensively. And even though we weren't seeing the results in terms of winning consistently, it felt right just to get back to defending the way we knew we could. And now we're starting to see the results and winning and it all goes back to our defense."
Make no mistake, stout defense has been the bedrock upon which Mike Budenholzer has crafted his program with the Hawks.
The improvement on that end has fueled the Hawks' rise from the inconsistent team that was barely over .500 a month into the season to the crew that was a season-best 12 games over .500 before Monday's home slip-up against the Washington Wizards snapped their five-game win streak.
"A lot of credit to Washington," Budenholzer said. "They played well. They shot the ball well. It wasn't one of our better nights, and I'm sure they had a lot do with that. Between now and Wednesday, we can look at some film, see where we can be better and hopefully make it more difficult for them."
The Hawks have made a point of dealing with adversity this season, on and off the court.
They weathered the drama of the trade deadline, where everyone from Horford and Jeff Teague to the game night ball boys were mentioned in trade rumors. Once the deadline passed without any significant moves being made, a cloud was lifted.
"I think that definitely had something to do with it," Horford said of the Hawks' struggles. "After it passed everybody could just focus on playing and helping the team. I felt like even at that time guys were still very professional and doing whatever they had to do. But once that's over you definitely move on and know that we still have our team together."
It's no coincidence the Hawks' chemistry seemed to improve at that same time. And that was with two new bodies in the mix.
Tim Hardaway Jr., a draft night acquisition who spent more time in the D-League early this season than he did on the active roster, has been on a tear of late and waiver wire pick-up Kris Humphries has made an immediate impact in a frontline rotation in desperate need of his physical presence.
Hardaway has scored in double figures in three straight games, by far his best stretch of the season, and is shooting a blistering 62 percent from beyond the 3-point line in his past give games.
"I'm just feeling good right now, the hard work is paying off," Hardaway said. "I won't stop and my teammates see that and my coaches see that. And we just have to keep it going as a team."
In the 10 games he's played with the Hawks, Humphries is averaging 7.3 points and four rebounds while playing 15.3 minutes per game, giving relief to Horford and fellow All-Star forward Paul Millsap at a time when they needed it in the worst way.
"Humphries has fit in really well," Budenholzer said. "Rebounding is an area where we needed to be better and he's come in and given a little life, he tracks down offensive boards and goes to the offensive boards. And I'm hoping it could influence our other guys, even though it's not something we prioritize. He brings a little bit of physicality and toughness and makes shots, he can spread the court, he shoots and makes threes. And it's his personality, he's really added some personality to our locker room. It's just been a good fit."
The reinforcements couldn't have come at a better time for a team,
Horford admitted, needed someone or something to shake it all up.
"It's a huge difference having those guys ready to go right now," he said. "We lose DeMarre Carroll and we're expecting Thabo [Sefolosha] and Tim to come in and replace some of those things DeMarre brought. And it's hard coming to a new team and a new system the way Tim had to, and it's hard coming back from injury the way Thabo did. Thabo's healthy now and you see what he can do and what he brings on the defensive end. And Tim has just really come into his own. I feel like he's finally understanding what we expect from him and what he needs to do and he's making the most of his opportunity."
The quirky late-season schedule provides the Hawks with another shot at the Wizards Wednesday night at Verizon Center, the perfect playoff primer for a team with the longest current postseason streak in the Eastern Conference (nine straight) and second longest in the league behind the Spurs.
Another trip to the conference finals seemed like a pipe dream when the Hawks got off to an 11-8 start this season.
But not now, not with the chase for a top three or four spot in the standings behind Cleveland and Toronto there for the taking.
"I feel much better about where we are as a team," Horford said. "I talked about this earlier in the year, we'd have one good game and then two bad ones. And it went on like that for a while. But at this time of year, you want to feel good going into the playoffs and I think we are where need to be."
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
The best teams always do.
The Hawks just needed a little extra time, coming off of a franchise-best 60-win season and trip to the Eastern Conference finals while trying to integrate some new faces into the their mix.
But there is no denying it now. The best defensive team in the NBA the past three months resides in Atlanta, not San Antonio or Oakland.
That familiar feeling, Horford said, is coming at just the right time with the start of the playoffs just weeks away.
"We just started playing better defensively," Horford said. "And that all started back in January. The first two months of the season we lost our identity a little bit, our principles and what we were about. And then in January we started to play more consistently as a group defensively. And even though we weren't seeing the results in terms of winning consistently, it felt right just to get back to defending the way we knew we could. And now we're starting to see the results and winning and it all goes back to our defense."
I feel much better about where we are as a team.
– Hawks' Al Horford
The improvement on that end has fueled the Hawks' rise from the inconsistent team that was barely over .500 a month into the season to the crew that was a season-best 12 games over .500 before Monday's home slip-up against the Washington Wizards snapped their five-game win streak.
"A lot of credit to Washington," Budenholzer said. "They played well. They shot the ball well. It wasn't one of our better nights, and I'm sure they had a lot do with that. Between now and Wednesday, we can look at some film, see where we can be better and hopefully make it more difficult for them."
The Hawks have made a point of dealing with adversity this season, on and off the court.
They weathered the drama of the trade deadline, where everyone from Horford and Jeff Teague to the game night ball boys were mentioned in trade rumors. Once the deadline passed without any significant moves being made, a cloud was lifted.
"I think that definitely had something to do with it," Horford said of the Hawks' struggles. "After it passed everybody could just focus on playing and helping the team. I felt like even at that time guys were still very professional and doing whatever they had to do. But once that's over you definitely move on and know that we still have our team together."
It's no coincidence the Hawks' chemistry seemed to improve at that same time. And that was with two new bodies in the mix.
Tim Hardaway Jr., a draft night acquisition who spent more time in the D-League early this season than he did on the active roster, has been on a tear of late and waiver wire pick-up Kris Humphries has made an immediate impact in a frontline rotation in desperate need of his physical presence.
Hardaway has scored in double figures in three straight games, by far his best stretch of the season, and is shooting a blistering 62 percent from beyond the 3-point line in his past give games.
"I'm just feeling good right now, the hard work is paying off," Hardaway said. "I won't stop and my teammates see that and my coaches see that. And we just have to keep it going as a team."
In the 10 games he's played with the Hawks, Humphries is averaging 7.3 points and four rebounds while playing 15.3 minutes per game, giving relief to Horford and fellow All-Star forward Paul Millsap at a time when they needed it in the worst way.
"Humphries has fit in really well," Budenholzer said. "Rebounding is an area where we needed to be better and he's come in and given a little life, he tracks down offensive boards and goes to the offensive boards. And I'm hoping it could influence our other guys, even though it's not something we prioritize. He brings a little bit of physicality and toughness and makes shots, he can spread the court, he shoots and makes threes. And it's his personality, he's really added some personality to our locker room. It's just been a good fit."
And now we're starting to see the results and winning and it all goes back to our defense.
– Hawks' Al Horford
"It's a huge difference having those guys ready to go right now," he said. "We lose DeMarre Carroll and we're expecting Thabo [Sefolosha] and Tim to come in and replace some of those things DeMarre brought. And it's hard coming to a new team and a new system the way Tim had to, and it's hard coming back from injury the way Thabo did. Thabo's healthy now and you see what he can do and what he brings on the defensive end. And Tim has just really come into his own. I feel like he's finally understanding what we expect from him and what he needs to do and he's making the most of his opportunity."
The quirky late-season schedule provides the Hawks with another shot at the Wizards Wednesday night at Verizon Center, the perfect playoff primer for a team with the longest current postseason streak in the Eastern Conference (nine straight) and second longest in the league behind the Spurs.
Another trip to the conference finals seemed like a pipe dream when the Hawks got off to an 11-8 start this season.
But not now, not with the chase for a top three or four spot in the standings behind Cleveland and Toronto there for the taking.
"I feel much better about where we are as a team," Horford said. "I talked about this earlier in the year, we'd have one good game and then two bad ones. And it went on like that for a while. But at this time of year, you want to feel good going into the playoffs and I think we are where need to be."
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
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