Stage 5: Emergence of the Centerpiece
Unlike other grotesquely botched Hawks’ draft picks (such as the selection of Shelden Williams over Brandon Roy in 2006), there was never much question with regard to drafting Al Horford with the No. 3 pick in 2007, a selection Horford validated by averaging 10.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks during a standout rookie campaign.

However, Horford’s anticipated breakout in 2008-09 was slow in the making. Slowed in part by missing 12 games in January because of an injured knee, the second-year center was averaging a somewhat disappointing 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks through his first 39 games (as of mid-February).

In the recurrence of a frequent Hawks trend, Horford has since awakened. Now owning the mindset that every offensive touch is an opportunity to score (rather than an obligation to defer to teammates), the Hawks center has averaged 14.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his last 14 games, giving Atlanta a slightly undersized but unquestionably dangerous option in the middle.

Stage 6: Stay Awake
“Rise Up” has been a prominent Hawks slogan in recent years, but at the moment — with the Hawks on course for their first winning season in nearly a decade and the No. 4 seed in the East — rising up isn’t the issue. The most important thing right now is to stay awake.

Why? Because for a team that’s had trouble maintaining focus, the road ahead requires a daunting amount of attention.

First off, there’s the schedule, which includes matchups against the Cavaliers, Spurs, Lakers, Celtics (twice), Magic and Heat among the remaining 15 games.

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Then, there’s the postseason, where in a presumed first-round matchup with the Heat, the Hawks will have to match the intensity and energy of Dwyane Wade, the man who has played with a bigger quantity of both invaluable qualities than perhaps any other player in the league this season.

Beyond the Heat lies the looming threat of the Celtics, and one critical question: Will the lingering effects of last season’s blowout Game 7 loss coupled with two narrow losses to Boston this season prove to be too much of a psychological advantage for the Hawks to overcome?

The answer to that question — and the question of whether this team enters the playoffs with eyes wide open or adrift with inconsistency — is yet to be determined.

But for now, the objective is more immediate: fight the decade-old gravitation toward losing, keep historically bad habits buried in the past and let the next collective awakening resonate as this team’s most forceful statement yet.

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