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Decade in Review: The 2011-2012 Atlanta Hawks

By Dallin Duffy

BOSTON - MAY 6: The Hawks, from left to right: Jeff Teague, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Marvin Williams are a beat looking group as they wait for play to resume after a fourth quarter timeout. The Boston Celtics hosted the Atlanta Hawks for game four of a first round Eastern Conference NBA Playoff Game at TD Garden. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - MAY 6: The Hawks, from left to right: Jeff Teague, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Marvin Williams are a beat looking group as they wait for play to resume after a fourth quarter timeout. The Boston Celtics hosted the Atlanta Hawks for game four of a first round Eastern Conference NBA Playoff Game at TD Garden. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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Taking a look back at the ’11-’12 Atlanta Hawks squad.

After a semi-disappointing season the year before, the 2011-2012 Atlanta Hawks got back in the groove of things a bit.

In the lockout-shortened NBA season, the Hawks went 40-26, although they would have to settle for the 5th seed once again.

This is in spite of Al Horford‘s injury. The emerging center who had made the All-Star game in his previous two seasons tore his bicep in the team’s 11th game of the year, and he didn’t return until the playoffs.

After the Horford injury the starting five looked like this:

PG – Jeff Teague

SG – Joe Johnson

SF – Josh Smith

PF – Marvin Williams

C – Zaza Pachuila

While they went as deep as season’s past, they had talent off the bench with guys like Kirk Hinrich, WIllie Green, and Tracy McGrady, who was in the final year of his Hall-of-Fame career.

They once again started off hot, going 16-6 through the first month and a half, before dipping with a rough February.

Despite winning nine of their final 12 games, they had to settle for the 5th-seed, drawing a tough matchup with the vet-saavy Celtics.

They were able to take Game 1, but lost the next three, eventually losing the series in six. As noted earlier, Al Horford was able to come back for the series, but playing in three of the games just wasn’t enough.

As for the regular season numbers, Joe Johnson (in what would be his final season with Atlanta) and Josh Smith both scored 18.8 points per game, and funnily enough, both averaged the same 35.5 minutes per game.

Jeff Teague, in his first year as the Hawks full-time starting PG led the team in assists and steals, showing true promise as a future star.

The team was a true defensive menace, allowing the 6th fewest points to opponents, and the 10th lowest field goal percentage.

Josh Smith ranked 5th in defensive rating and 1st in defensive win shares, but he still failed to make the All-Defensive team.

The 2010-2011 team. light. Related Story

The team probably would have had a much higher ceiling if not for the Horford injury, and it’s a little sad to see the Joe Johnson era leave with a whimper rather than a bang.

The Hawks would retool on the fly, but would take a couple years to get back to this team’s talent level.

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