Feb 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated Atlanta 89-88. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA’s best story this season has been?
Saenz — The Atlanta Hawks, probably. I mean, no one predicted them to be this good this season. Not even close. Although, I believe the Hassan Whiteside emergence has been pretty fascinating to watch unfold too. The Hawks, if they can do damage in the playoffs.
McQuiston — The success of the Atlanta Hawks. Gone from a perennial 8 seed to possible NBA Finals contenders.
Pelosi — Jimmy Butler. Who knew? Such a good player and fun to watch.
DBLTAP
West — The Atlanta Hawks have been the best story this season. Recording the longest win streak in franchise history, winning 17 of 17 games in January, and having three All-Stars to their name. It’s been an incredible season, made even more special for the fact that it has been so unexpected.
Mohamed — The HAWKS! A team that barely snuck into the playoffs last season, they’re now not only the best team in the East, they’re the best team in the NBA.
Veiga — The Atlanta Hawks, of course. I projected them to be the #6 seed before the season. They’re playing better than anyone could’ve imagined (besides Hawks fans
Armstrong — Obviously, it’s Boogie Cousins being named to his first All Star appearance. But now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m going to stray away from the Atlanta or Golden State you might be looking for. My favorite storyline this season is the competitiveness across the conferences. In the West, you’ve got three separate tiers of competition in the playoff race: The top two – Memphis is only three games back from Golden State, the uber competitive mid tier (3-7) where the widest separation is three games, and the eighth seed, possibly the most interesting. Phoenix, last year’s almost Cinderella team, currently holds the spot, while Oklahoma City, who was hindered early in the season by injuries to its top two stars, and New Orleans, led by fringe MVP candidate Anthony Davis, are each one game back. It’s like watching three different brackets.
In the East, where sub-.500 records can get you in the playoffs, it’s not as top heavy as it used to be. While Milwaukee holds down the lower tier, in the upper half of the conference, five teams are slugging it out for contendership. Atlanta has a firm grasp on the 1-seed. Toronto, Chicago, Washington, and Cleveland are all within four games of each other. Toronto stands out as being the only team to have beaten Atlanta twice this season. Cleveland is riding a hot streak after starting out rough and they’re playing their best basketball of the season.
The Wizards, though suffering through a rough patch on their schedule, are one of the deeper teams in the East and they’re dominant on defense. Chicago also boasts a deep roster, probably the deepest in the East, and at the top of their game, they look like a legit title contender. Each of these teams could make a deep run in the East to try to take down the mighty West. Individual games matter so much still, despite being so deep into the season. A lot of times we have an idea of the true contenders by All Star break, but this season, it’s really ambiguous at this time … and I love it.
Hughes — The Atlanta Hawks are far and away the NBA’s best story. To say that their offseason was choppy would be an understatement: their Owner and GM were involved in separate scandals involving racism, they were barely able to sneak into the playoffs in the East despite having a sub-.500 winning percentage, and many felt it was time for them to blow it all up and rebuild.
All of a sudden they turn on the jets this year and have the NBA’s best record, 4 All-Stars, early Coach of the Year favorite, and arguably the Association’s best Twitter account (did you see their playlist battle with the Wolves?).
Julius Lasin, Staff Writer — The NBA’s best story this season has been the quiet emergence of the Bucks. After spending last season in the eastern conference cellar, the Bucks have become a legitimate playoff team, that has bought into new head Coach Jason Kidd’s defensive mentality. T
he Bucks are also a team that is not short on affable players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, the wiry 6’11 point forward, who has at least one Vine-worthy play every night. Or even Brandon Knight, the team’s blossoming point guard, who has elevated his game, with the help of his head coach, one of the greatest lead guards to ever play the game. The Bucks aren’t a title contender just yet, but this season has put them on the radar and proven that defense can elevate mediocre teams into playoff contenders.
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