The True Meaning of 60 Wins

Seven decades in, not much has changed about NBA structure. Coaches still cling to a blueprint when the season starts- win 80% of home games, 50% of road games. As formulas go, this remains as consistent a prescription today as it was in 1947. For one thing, it keeps coaches employed as it delivers teams into the playoffs where not much is promised except euphoria or heartbreak.

After a summer of off-season controversies, not much attention was paid to the Atlanta Hawks other than penciling them in for 43 to 48 wins and then yawning at the sheer boredom of it. The Hawks started the year 5-5, fitting the narrative that made so many act as if they didn’t exist. Then the Hawks lost to the Lakers, a one win team, and that seemed to jump start their fury, awakening all of their senses. They went on a 35-3 streak and made everyone who doubted them swallow their words and take notice.

Live Feed

Sir Charles In Charge

Apr 10, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer react to the play against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Hornets 104-80. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As the regular season prepares to close, the Hawks have won 87% of their home games and 64% of their road games. Last night, they won their 60^th game of the year, making them the 45^th NBA team to do so.

As accomplishments go, the ability to win 75% of your games is celebratory. Only 2 out of 30 NBA teams accomplished that this year, making the Atlanta Hawks one of the special franchises this season.

Nevertheless, the 60 win mark is not necessarily a gateway to the NBA Finals and a championship parade despite its intentions. Half of the NBA teams who made it to this glorious mark and won 60+ games never became a NBA champion; 17 never even got to the NBA Finals. They exited the stage with a bitter, solemn memory of losing on such hallowed grounds.

The cautionary tale about the Hawks season is this. Since 2004, (not counting this year), 11 teams have won 60+ games during the regular season.

But, 7 of those teams never reached the NBA Finals (Suns, Pistons, Spurs, Mavericks, Cavs, Celtics and Bulls). The other four were spectacular.

But even they had a story. The Spurs of 2013-14 , the Heat of 2012-13, the Lakers of 2008-09, all had been to the NBA Finals the year before and had their hearts crushed into zillions of pieces and thus they approached the next year with an Attila the Hun like rage to right the wrong of the universe. The Celtics of 2007-08 had the largest turnaround in NBA history, winning 42 more games than the year before. Their three Hall of Famers (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett) didn’t hurt the cause either.

So in that sense, the Hawks are underdogs when you calculate that the experience of their players in collective moments of pressure and stress is small. Recent history shows most 60 game winners don’t march all the way to the finish line without some horrible swing of bad luck or brain freeze or lack of discipline.

Remember Amar’e Stoudamire coming off the bench in 2007 when Steve Nash was checked into the boards by Robert Horry? Stoudamire was suspended for the next game, the Suns lost and the Spurs went to the Finals and beat Cleveland.

Apr 8, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots over Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The most startling case of hero in the regular season, dog in the post-season, was the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-07. They won 67 games that year as they marched through the NBA as if it was a rec-league. Dirk Nowitzki was the MVP and Avery Johnson was Coach of the Year.

But, they changed their lineup before the first game of the series and the Warriors smelled blood. Baron Davis and Monta Ellis led the charge. The Mavs never had a countermove to the Warriors hedonistic guard play, their confidence was visibly shaken. The Mavs won two games in the series and then were on vacation. Over time- because history does this to losers- they were an answer to a trivia question: name the best team to lose in the first round of the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA Playoffs are an intense, often crazy, one moment Shakespearean tragedy, the next moment brilliant domination, series of events in which one mistake can turn the tide of a series and send players into their summer vacation with such sorrow sometimes they don’t go outside their house.

Luck is important, so is good referring, and the ability to make shots and contest them. But, coaching adjustments, the ability to continually adapt to the success the other team is having, is what wins and loses playoff series.

This is how you get to be the Atlanta Hawks in 2014-15. You share the ball and make shots and contest shooters. You eliminate selfishness and push all evidence of egocentrism aside as you model humility. But, even that doesn’t necessarily rack up wins in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, everyone who is there can do the same thing that you can do so you have to separate yourself with flawless execution on both offense and defense, limit mistakes, remain mentally engaged and be prepared for adversity.

Are the Hawks prepared? In 7 days we will know. And so will they.

Next: The Uncertain Future of Danny Ferry and the Atlanta Hawks