Las Vegas Weighs in on the Hawks’ Playoff Chances
Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) grabs a rebound against the New York Knicks in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Hawks aren’t getting much respect around NBA circles despite having the best record in the Eastern Conference by a full seven games (and was more than that before hitting cruise control). Without a legitimate top 10 NBA super star player like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, etc. it’s hard for people to pull the trigger on the Hawks.
Even though Atlanta has become San Antonio-East, the Hawks lack a slam dunk future hall of famer like Tim Duncan or a cast of characters who are the defending NBA champions like the Spurs have. Add to it that the Hawks have never made it past the Eastern Conference semi-finals and it can be a tough sell.
The last time the Hawks were the #1 seed was 1994 – when they narrowly escaped the Miami Heat before losing to the Indiana Pacers. Perhaps the best Hawks team of all-time was the 1987 group who had the #2 seed but where beat up by the Detroit Pistons in the second round. The closest this franchise has ever been was in 1988, when the round two match-up with the Boston Celtics went the distance, ending in a 118-116 Game 7 defeat (Hawks had a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 in Atlanta but blew it).
So- here we are in 2015 with the greatest regular season Hawks team, eclipsing the old franchise record for wins by three full games. What do the “experts” think of our chances?
To win Eastern Conference:
- Cavaliers: 12/5
- Hawks: 4/1
- Bulls: 6/1
- Raptors: 30/1
- Wizards: 35/1
To win NBA Title:
- Cavaliers: 11/5
- Warriors: 11/5
- Spurs: 4/1
- Hawks: 15/1
- Bulls: 15/1
Honestly, how can you blame Vegas (betters) here? The Cavs have LeBron James, the best player in the game. Basketball is a game controlled by star players. The Hawks are trying to buck that mold by playing pure team basketball, but no one has won a NBA championship using that formula since 2004 (Detroit Pistons). The Eastern Conference runs through LeBron James, and whoever comes out of the Western Conference is going to be an extremely good team. Tough road for sure.
My prediction? Glad you asked. Well, I see the Hawks beating the Nets in five games, Raptors in six games and then the ECF will come down to a seventh game in Atlanta. I don’t know if it’ll the the Cavs or the Bulls, and I don’t know if the Hawks will win or not. If Thabo Sefolosha was still healthy and playing I’d say yes, Hawks will make the NBA Finals – but I can’t do it. I’m 50/50 on it. But I don’t think Atlanta wins the Finals if they do get there. I hope I’m wrong about that.