Atlanta Hawks Need To Focus On Securing Third Seed In 2015-16 Stretch Run

The Atlanta Hawks have been a competitive team over the years, but they have had trouble getting over the top. They are good enough to make the playoffs, and to win a series or two, but just did not have the talent to beat the top teams. Last year, they had a great regular season and looked as if they finally might be able to get through the Eastern Conference, but fell short in the Conference Finals. This year it took them a while to find their rhythm, and now they must close out the season strong to secure the third seed.

If the Hawks want to be a great team, then they will have to beat the best teams at some point. However, it does not hurt to try for the highest seed possible, especially since it will likely give them a better matchup in the earlier rounds. The Eastern Conference has been better than expected, and there are a lot of teams that could give the Hawks problems, so it is important that they at least get home-court advantage for the first round.

The Hawks have been playing well on the defensive end, and are a solid offensive team who can score in a variety of ways. They have an elite outside shooter, several quality big men, and playmakers on the perimeter who can create for their teammates. They do not necessarily have a go-to player which can be a problem when the offense goes cold, but they have enough weapons to be effective.

If the Hawks can keep it up on the defensive end and find their rhythm on offense, then they will be a tough out in the playoffs. They can be hard to deal with because they can win from a variety of positions, and play well as a team. They will need some of their top players to step up in key moments if they are to make a deep playoff run.