Atlanta posted a 94.6 defensive rating with Sefolosha playing, which was more than three points better than anyone else on the roster. Only Korver had a better net rating than Sefolosha (+11.2) during the 2014-15 campaign and the Hawks were impossibly good defensive when he was on the floor. The Hawks were 58-19 when Sefolosha played his last game and, while he was an unsung hero of that group, Atlanta was at its best when he was on the floor. We’ll get to the playoffs in a moment but, first, Thabo Sefolosha’s season-ending injury - at the hands of the NYPD - looms large. For the full season, the Hawks finished in the top-six in both offensive and defensive rating and, from Thanksgiving on (the final 69 games), Atlanta had the NBA’s best defense. The 17-0 mark in January is the single thing that is remembered about this group, but it’s crucial to remember they were (very) good before and after it. Even though things inevitably slowed down, Atlanta was still quite good (20-11) over the next 31 games before pedaling off and losing the final three contests. Over the course of that 35-game onslaught, the Hawks had the best defense in the NBA, allowing 98.5 points per 100 possessions, and they posted a top-five offense for good measure. Atlanta finished that January with a +12.4 net rating that included top-four units in the NBA on both ends of the floor and, overall, the Hawks turned a 7-6 record into a 40-8 mark with a blistering 33-2 stretch. That stretch of 16 wins in 18 games came before January, where the Hawks famously posted a 17-0 record. Hilariously, they were just getting started, because January was coming. Then, they extended that run to 16-2 to end calendar year 2014, playing at an exceptionally high level. it got crazy from there.Īfter starting 7-6, the Hawks won nine games in a row. It is easy to forget that slow start because. Would you believe it if I told you that the Hawks opened the 2014-15 season with a 1-3 record? How about the fact that Mike Budenholzer’s team was just 7-6 on Thanksgiving? Keep in mind that both Millsap and Horford were top-30 players in the NBA, Korver was a dynamic weapon, Teague made the All-Star team and much more. If anything, this group is now underrated from a talent perspective, simply because they became known as the ultimate collection of team play over individual brilliance. Also, DeMarre Carroll put together the best season of his career by a comfortable margin, eventually earning a big-time payday in free agency. From there, supporting pieces like Pero Antic, Kent Bazemore, Dennis Schröder and Thabo Sefolosha contributed at a high level. Jeff Teague enjoyed his best defensive season (by a lot) and his advanced numbers were never better than in 2014-15. Al Horford was, well, Al Horford and in the middle of his prime in his age-28 campaign. Paul Millsap enjoyed his most efficient offensive season. He was the grease for one of the league’s best offenses and, short of Stephen Curry, there was no better shooter on the planet that season. For example, Kyle Korver enjoyed the best season of his career, earning an All-Star appearance and shooting a blistering 49.2 percent from three-point range. While it was a clear response to an unbeaten month and red-hot play, the 2014-15 team had a bunch of players operating at their highest possible levels. Because of the way it all ended (we’ll get there later) and the weird nature of the rollout, it has almost become a punchline that the entire starting five was named as the NBA “player of the month” for January 2015.
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