NBA: Grading each team’s 2014-2015 season

ATLANTA HAWKS. A+. <p>No one saw this coming.</p> <p>No one.</p> <p>The Atlanta Hawks have 60 wins and have enjoyed a season that resulted in a runaway in terms of the Eastern Conference standings. While the general consensus in the preseason was all over the map, even the most optimistic projection placed Atlanta in a battle for home-court advantage in the first round, and even 50 wins would have seemed very aggressive.</p> <p>By now, you likely know that the Hawks placed four players on the All-Star team in addition to head coach Mike Budenholzer, and the return of Al Horford from injury certainly serves as a major factor in their success. However, Atlanta has posted a top-10 mark on both offense and defense for the season, and they have done so without a singular dominant individual performance.</p> <p>Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll and Kyle Korver (in addition Horford) are all above-average players in today’s NBA and that must be noted. Still, the Hawks have overachieved by any rational measure, and this is a team that looks the part as a legitimate title contender, which was unheard of 12 months ago.</p>. 1st. Southeast Division, Eastern Conference