Ten years ago, the Atlanta Hawks were an afterthought in NBA circles. From 1999 until 2006 the Hawks were abysmal as a staff, label and crew. In fact, their best finish was 11th in the 2003 season. And who could forget the 2004-05 campaign when the Hawks were led by stars such as Lee Nailon to 13-win season.
Yes, the Hawks were as bad as the 76ers are today and didn’t even have a cute “trust the process” slogan to help the cause.
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“All that losing was hell,” former Hawk Jason Terry told Sporting News. “It was being a Hawk. I’m glad they’re better than when I was here. I wouldn’t wish that sadness and losing on anybody.”
All the sadness went away when the Hawks took Al Horford with the third pick in the 2007 draft. The team made the playoffs and gave the Celtics one of their toughest challenges on the way to their 2008 championship.
For nine seasons, Horford became the consistent factor on the Hawks. Every year during Horford’s tenure the Hawks made the playoffs.
"Soon as it became a possibility I was coming to Atlanta, Al was the one to reach out to me," Kent Bazemore said. "It made me feel welcomed and important. Al was the glue of this organization."
In the nine seasons, the Hawks saw three coaches, three general managers and an ownership change. As much as things changed, Horford was an anchor on and off the court. At 6-10, Horford played center instead of the power forward position. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds in 578 games in a Hawks uniform.
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It didn't matter who came or went — the Hawks were always in good hands with Horford. He was the guy in the locker room that always answered for bad performances on the court and stupid statements by ownership off it.
“Al has a strong presence," Mike Budenholzer said. “For him to welcome me and welcome a different style of playing, a different system, I am very grateful to him. When your best players are buying in and willing to do anything that the coach is asking, everyone else tends to fall in line. He was one of those guys who helped us establish a culture and a way of playing. He’s moved on, we’ve moved on, I think, with a ton of respect for each other.”
Indeed, Horford is gone and now a member of the Hawks' biggest nemesis in the Celtics. His return to Atlanta on Jan. 13 alluded to the crossroads the Hawks face as a franchise. At 24-18 with the schedule becoming easier, the Hawks have the potential to at least match the 48 wins from a season ago and return to the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year.
But that also brings about a question that's been asked by Hawks fans since Horford started the run of playoff appearances ... When is just making the playoffs no longer good enough?
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It appeared that the Hawks were ready to blow it up once they traded Kyle Korver and were taking offers for Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. It was finally time to start over — until the Hawks went on a seven-game winning streak. During that stretch, the Hawks were paced by Dennis Schroder. He averaged 20.0 points and 6.6 assists in those seven victories.
"We feel strongly about this group," Budenholzer said. "The collection of guys, the way they fit and play together, we have shown an ability to play well for long stretches and against good teams. We just have to maintain that for the rest of the year and we are excited about the group."
That win streak prompted Budenholzer to tell Millsap he wasn't on the trading block anymore.
"Paul and I have a lot of conversations about basically everything," Budenholzer said. "Paul has been a pro, he has been great and I think he really believes in what we are doing and we are just excited about this group. He is in a good place and I am always very open and very honest with him."
Two years ago, the Hawks had the best team in franchise history. They won 60 games and made it to the Eastern Conference finals. The only man left from that starting lineup is Millsap. It's a very different team in Atlanta, and even Horford noticed.
"It's still my old home, but it's also very different," Horford said. "There's so many new faces and new people making contributions for them. I saw a lot of guys leave while I was here. It's just how this league can be."
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Now the team is depending on Schroder, who is averaging 17.3 points and 6.1 assists per game. He's been great at times, like when he scored 28 points and drained the game-winner against the Knicks on Monday. He's also struggled, as evidenced by the clunker of a performance against Horford's Celtics. He allowed Isaiah Thomas to get in his head. Thomas had a big game and hit the shot that iced it while Schroder sat for the entire fourth quarter.
"He has to be better than that," Budenholzer said. "Schroder is a fierce competitor and we love that. But he also has to realize when he's hurting by being overzealous."
In the previous nine years, Horford would've been tasked with reigning Schroder in. That's part of the "Spurs Way" Budenholzer brought over from San Antonio. The Hawks may have replaced Horford's production on the court, but in order to be great, the real task is replacing what Horford brought that never showed up in a box score.
"I learned so much about the league from Al," Bazemore said. "He was our go-to guy on everything. That mattered as much as what he did on the court. He's a truly first-class guy."