Soaring Down South
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4 Reasons Why The Atlanta Hawks Will Make The Playoffs

By Colby Giacubeno

Apr 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of basketballs sitting at the base of the stanchion before game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of basketballs sitting at the base of the stanchion before game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 19, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots the ball over Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots the ball over Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Ruling the Southeast

The Miami Heat reigned supreme last season in the Southeast Division even though they had the same record as the Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets. Obviously, the Heat won the tie-breaker to win the division, but 2016-17 can look much different.

Much of the weight falls on whether or not Chris Bosh will be able to play for Miami. That decision alone could shift their win total from 33 to somewhere around 50. Assuming he doesn’t play because of his blood clot situation, the division should come down to the Hawks and the Hornets.

Like Miami, the Hornets lost a few valuable pieces in free agency in Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson, and Courtney Lee. It’s likely that they take a step back after winning 48 games last season with those losses.

The Hawks finished 8-8 against divisional opponents last season. Again if the Heat don’t have Bosh, the Hawks have a great chance to win all four games against both the Heat and the Orlando Magic, who finished last in the division with a 35-47 record.

The tougher games will come against the Hornets and Wizards, but the Hawks are good enough to at least go .500 in those eight match-ups. If all this follows suit, they’ll finished with an improved record of 12-8 in the division, which could mean 50+ wins total and sitting pretty as the playoffs approach.

Next: A Balanced Mix

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