There have, undoubtedly, been some surprises in the NBA this year; however, none of these compare to the emergence of the Atlanta Hawks.  The Hawks are a team that people have written off for many years.  It could have something to do with the fact that in just under fifty years of being a professional team they have not win a NBA championship.  The hawks are most well known for being a consistently competitive team in the 1980s and early 1990s under leadership of hall of famer Dominique Wilkins.  Ever since, the Hawks have been nothing but mediocre.

This year they are looking to change their image.  Through forty-five games this year, the Hawks have a league high thirty-seven wins and only eight losses.  The unusual thing about this team is that unlike most other standout teams in the NBA, they don’t have any superstar players.  That is not to say that they don’t have good players.  Shooting guard Kyle Korver is one of the leagues best three-point shooters hitting 53.1% of his shots from behind the three-point arch.  He also leads the league in points off catch and shoot plays.  Power Forward, Paul Millsap, has competed at a high level this year in both scoring and defensive standpoints.  Here’s a crazy stat for you: The Hawks started the season with 75 to 1 odds to win the NBA championship at the start of the season.  Now they lead the NBA at 5 to 1 odds.  They play like a cohesive unit and are determined to change their image and that is what is driving this team.  The Hawks are rolling now but the real question is if they can make it to the next level and secure their first NBA title?