NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 17: Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks scores two over Brook Lopez #11 of the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on March 17, 2013 in New York City. The Hawks defeated the Nets 105-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Hawks center Al Horford

On the game: 

“I think we played our game. That is the bottom line. We usually make adjustments for other teams but tonight we just played our game.  We started the fourth quarter playing great with Ivan [Johnson] and John [Jenkins]. They did well in setting a tone and had some great rebounds. But our defense played a major role tonight.”

On defending Brook Lopez:

“I just wanted to be solid on him. He is an All-Star and a great player. It is tough to stop a guy that good but I tried the best that I could.”

Hawks guard Kyle Korver

On game play:

“We like to play up-tempo and run to open up the floor. That is when we are at our best, I thought tonight we did that. It was a good win.”

On the Eastern Conference Standings:

“When you start to look at the standings and the tiebreakers, it all comes into play at the end of the season. It was a big win for us as far as that goes. We are fighting for positioning so we need as many wins as we can get right now.”

Nets center Brook Lopez

On when the game started to unravel:

“I think we didn’t really get stops and they were able to get a lot of second chance opportunities. I personally did not play very well at all and I think they took advantage of that.”

On the defensive issues:

“I think we can put a lot of it on ourselves and particularly me. They did very well in the paint tonight and I think that was the game right there.”

On what this loss means with the road trip coming up:

“I always say the good thing about the NBA is that there is always another game and we play again tomorrow and I think we will definitely be much more focused throughout the entire game”

Nets forward Joe Johnson

On how upsetting the fourth quarter was:

“It was very frustrating; it was almost as if we didn’t know the significance of this game. Regardless of who’s playing however many minutes, we need to get a win and now we have to go on the road for six/seven games and we cant leave here without a win.”

On the sense of urgency on this road trip:

“I do not know if the urgency will pick up. I can’t say anything on that.”

On what the biggest issue was tonight:

“Tonight, we were’n't able to get into a tempo. Their big guys push the ball and make plays. At one point and time in the fourth quarter even on the pick and roll they had Al [Horford] and Josh [Smith] so we really didn’t know how to cover it and it hurt us.”

Jan 08, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Nets defeated the Sixers 109-89. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Johnson will return to Atlanta in an opponent’s uniform for the first time tonight. He was traded this offseason for DeShawn Stevenson, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams, Jordan Farmar and draft picks.

In seven seasons in Atlanta, Johnson averaged 20.9 points and 5.2 assists per game in 508 games played. In his first season in Atlanta, the team went 26-56 but by the time he left, the Hawks were coming off five straight postseason appearances and three second round appearances.

Joe Johnson was brought here in 2005 through a sign-and-trade that saw Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and two future first round picks go to Phoenix his place. In the 2010 offseason, Joe Johnson was signed to one of the largest contracts in NBA history, worth over $120 million over 6 seasons, taking up a large portion of the salary cap in the process.

Tonight, the reaction will most likely be cheers with a smattering of boos, but all Hawks fans realize how far the team has come in under 8 years. With Joe Johnson leading the way, the Hawks reached heights unseen since the late 90s and many Atlanta Hawks fans were sad to see Johnson go, despite his large contract.

As a team, the Nets are on fire. After firing Avery Johnson, the Nets have won 9 of their last 10 with P.J. Carlisimo at the helm. Deron Williams has taken over, like he did in his Utah days, and brought the Nets back into contention to challenge for the Eastern Conference.

Their rebounding has seen a noticeable uptick in the past 10 games, an area the Hawks have really struggled in recently. The game will be won on the glass, even though the Hawks will be without the services of Josh Smith for tonight. Look for the Hawks to come out with more energy and hang with the Nets.

As a result, Johnson leaves a pretty gaping hole for the Hawks, one that won’t be easily replaced. However, it also gives the bright lights of The Highlight Factory a new place to shine. Fortunately, for Phillips Arena their front court isn’t a shabby place to start. While Smith will bask in the limelight, Horford’s hard work, tireless effort, and basketball IQ will start to shine through as a pillar of consistency.

Ferry gave us a small preview of what is to be expected with Atlanta’s offense next season in an interview with Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. When speaking of Atlanta’s offense, Ferry stated:

“The ball will be in Devin Harris’ hands a lot and Jeff Teague’s hands a lot. We’ll have space for them to attack the rim. We’ll play through Josh a little more. We’ll use Josh and Al to pick-and-roll or post up. We’ll be fun to watch.”

Playing through the post will give Horford an opportunity to play within the flow of a pick-and-roll, something Horford thrives at. If the Teague’s defender slips under the pick, Horford has the speed to roll quickly and play in a comfortable isolation situation. Whereas, if the defenders switch on the pick, both Harris and Teague have a quick enough first step to beat their man and finish or draw a help defender.

More or less, the Atlanta Hawks offense should be relatively simple. An in and out, pick-and-roll offense is what basketball was built on, and there is a reason it works. Which should allow head coach Larry Drew, a defensive specialist, to focus more on his defensive schemes. Seeing as Drew oddly had the opposite effect last season, orchestrating a creative offense and a bit to be desired on defense. Atlanta we’ll certainly need all the attention on defense the staff can give being undersized and guard heavy, because we probably won’t see Kyle Korver locking down Lebron James or Kevin Durant any time soon. So that attention to defense should give Horford another opportunity to thrive. And although Smith is obviously the more physically capable defender, Horford is extremely underrated. He moves his feet beautifully on defense, and has an uncanny awareness as we saw this year in game 6 against the Celtics.

All that said, it’s easy to forget Horford has yet to enter his basketball prime. At 26 years old he may not be making SportsCenter very often, but Horford has all the tools necessary to lead the new-look Hawks into a bright future. And in doing so, finally become recognized as the heart of Phillips Arena.