Josh Smith and Josh Childress Should Not Get Away from the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks and their young core of players have been under negative speculation for as long as they have been together. Although they have an abundance of young talent, veteran leadership, and potential (especially in the Eastern Conference), they haven't done much with it. When they forced the Boston Celtics, the eventual NBA champions, to an unlikely Game 7, a small part of that untapped potential surfaced.  All of these young players that have been said to be busts were lighting up the Celtics' defense, which they prided themselves in. A record of 37-45 may not look like much, but that playoff series really showed something.  Al Horford, a rookie, was averaging a double-double against the defensive player of the year in Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, who is an excellent defender himself. Not only was Josh Smith playing the great defense he was said to be destined to have, but he was putting up 15.7 points per game.  Let's take a look at the Hawks important ... (link)