| FLIPin' The Switch to February Authored by Brian Reynolds - January 31, 2009 - 9:47 pm
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As the Atlanta Hawks close out a disappointing month of January tonight in Milwaukee, they will look to one of their bench players to help lead them into February.
Journeyman Ronald "Flip" Murray has averaged 14.2 ppg so far in January while shooting over 50 percent from the field. In his last five games, Flip has averaged just a hair under 20 ppg and is shooting a remarkable 64.4 percent.
Flip was signed by the Hawks in August of 2008 after bouncing around the league for six years which included stops in Milwaukee, Seattle, Cleveland, Detroit, and Indiana. With his recent play, be prepared to start hearing "Sixth Man of the Year and Flip Murray" in the same sentence.
As Murray has become hot, however, the Hawks have struggled – putting together a 6-9 record in January after closing out December by winning nine out of ten games. They do still hold the current fourth spot in the East with a 27-19 record, 1.5 games better than Miami and Detroit.
However, February brings a brutal schedule, which asks the question – Can the Hawks hold the fourth spot down?
Coach Mike Woodson has said over and over again that the team's goal is to "secure the fourth spot." They have been able to do so for much of the season, but with only three home games in the month of February and a team that continues to struggle on the road, their work is definitely cut out for them.
Woodson is aiming to play .500 ball on the road. As of now, they are 9-14 away from Phillips so it's clear they have some ground to make up. Following the All-Star game on February 15th, the Hawks will travel West to play the likes of the Lakers, Kings, Blazers, Jazz, and Nuggets.
If Atlanta wants to consider themselves one of the elite teams in the East and a team worthy of homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, they are going to have to prove it by stepping up and winning some of these tough road games, or Miami or Detroit will sneak by them.
The good news for Atlanta is that Al Horford is expected to practice on Monday and should be in the line-up sometime next week. His presence will take pressure off Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby and give the team some much-needed interior help.
And if Flip continues to score at his current torrid pace, Atlanta should be ok.
- Brian Reynolds is a contributing writer from Emory University and can be reached at Brian.matthew.reynolds@gmail.com |
