With a month left in the NBA season, it's evaluation time.
You know how report cards work, yes? Great! The only tweak here is we're grading performance relative to expectation. Teams measuring up to the preseason title hype or exceeding lower bars are eligible for top marks. Those failing to meet expectations? They'll fail…obviously.
Talent, coaching, transactions and injuries are factors, and we'll give them weight where appropriate. Sometimes, for example, we'll take pity on a team struggling to meet its goals because it lacks enough healthy NBA bodies to compete.
Red pens ready.
Atlanta Hawks: B+
Just about anything feels like a step back after that 60-win effort a year ago, but the Hawks have met every reasonable expectation. And in some areas, they've been better. Defensively, for example, Atlanta has been fantastic.
With a defensive rating of 98.6 through their first 67 games, the Hawks rank second in the league, per NBA.com. That's been helpful, as the offensive inferno that set the league ablaze last season is more of a controlled burn now.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Grant Hughes
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