Dissecting the NBA Title Contenders: Atlanta Hawks

The halfway point of the NBA regular season has come and pass, and yet we are still at a crossroads on many things.

The MVP plum is still up for grabs, with James Harden and Stephen Curry leading the fray. Both conference's playoff picture is not yet complete, as Oklahoma, Phoenix and New Orleans still fighting for the last playoff spot in the West, while Miami, Brooklyn, Detroit (surprise!), and Charlotte, contest for the last two spots in the East playoffs.

However, just one look in the playoff pictures show the upper echelon teams. These are the title contenders. These teams are in the playoffs because of skill, and have a legitimate shot at the Larry O' Brien trophy.

Grab your lab coats everyone, as we will dissect every team that qualifies as a title contender, starting with the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks.

The Spurs of the East?

Everyone who has been watching the NBA for at least 2 years is very well acquainted with the Spursian basketball technique. The ball-movement heavy offense that stretched defenses thin. This passing always leads to easy baskets, which in turn creates an insane shooting clip. The defense that gives up offensive rebounds to prevent transition baskets. The uber-unpredictable rotations that keep players fresh for the end-game.

Well, the Spurs brand of basketball has reached the East, in the form of Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks, who have soared (pun intended) to the top spot of the said conference.

Budenholzer, who left San Antonio for a coaching gig in Atlanta in 2013, has introduced the Popovich-esque offense and defense for the Hawks, and has worked wonders since. After falling in seven games to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in the 2014 Playoffs, the Hawks have catapulted to a 32-8 record after a so-so start (5-5).

As of writing time, Atlanta leads the league in Assist% with 67.9% of their shots being assisted. Their defense is not too shabby either, allowing only 99.7 points per 100 possessions, good for fifth in the league. Scoring-wise, they score 106.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks sixth in the league.

No superstar? No problem!

One particular difference that can be seen for this Hawks squad is the lack of an alpha dog. The Chicago Bulls lean on Derrick Rose. Washington has John Wall. Kyle Lowry calls Toronto his home. The Dubs house Stephen Curry. 

Atlanta? They don't really have an alpha in their squad. Jeff Teague can be considered a leader for this squad, but the same can be said for center Al Horford. One can say the Kyle Korver definitely is the face of this squad, due to his Korver-like three-point shooting, but another could argue with the stat-stuffing big man in Paul Millsap.

While this might be a bane for other squads, this is perfectly fine for the Hawks. In fact, five different players score in double-digits every game (all four players mentioned, plus swingman DeMarre Carroll), which, coincidentally, is their starting lineup.

This unpredictability gives Atlanta the element of surprise. Except for Korver and his shooting (that can't be stopped, let's face it), opposing teams are left guessing who will break out this game. When ALL of the starting five catches fire, you better prepare for a blowout of epic proportions.

X-Factor: Paul Millsap

When we talk about Hawks basketball, the name Paul Millsap does not really come up, which may be caused by his teammates overshadowing his efforts. After all, who does not like watching Teague confuse his defenders with his nasty hesitations? Who does not like a lights-out shooting barrage from Korver? Who doesn't like watching Horford dominate the frontline or the perimeter?

However, Millsap truly stands out because of his energy and stat-stuffing games. MIllsap is second in the team on points per game, leads the Hawks in rebounding (despite having a dominant big man in Al Horford), steals (tied with Jeff Teague), and second on blocks. All of this while also pacing his team in minutes per game.

What makes this impressive, though, is that Millsap only has a 23.5 usage rate, which means that 23.5% of Atlanta's offensive plays run through him. This number is fourth on the team, with Dennis Schroeder (25.9), Teague (24.8), and Mike Scott (23.6) above him.

Without Millsap and his nightly efforts, Atlanta may not be high above the notoriously weak Eastern Conference.