One thing you can be assured of when looking at the NBA’s Eastern Conference: Everybody is impressed with the Atlanta Hawks and their 42-11 record.
Another thing you can be sure of: Nobody is shaking in their boots at the prospect of facing them in a playoff series.
Still, there is no queston the Hawks are going to be a tough out, and they will likely play the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the playoffs. Avoiding that matchup is one of the items in play over the remainder of the season as the Bulls and Cavaliers battle it out for first place in the Central Division.
I discussed that pre-playoff dynamic, along with trade deadline possibilities, in this interview on the Gio and Jones Morning Show on CBS Sports Radio.