Before the season got underway, most experts reasoned that the Eastern Conference would be dominated by the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet, seven weeks into the season, Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks are holding on to the second place in the Conference and look like a safe bet for home-court advantage down the stretch. Most importantly, the franchise from Georgia turned out to be one of the few teams that plays equally well on both ends of the floor. Being one of the most athletic squads in the league, the Hawks excelled in the open court and pushed the ball whenever given the opportunity. One key factor appears to be the addition of Jamal Crawford who was acquired from the Golden State Warriors during the off-season. Possibly a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, Crawford put up 16.3 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 30 minutes per contest.

Like Atlanta in the east, Dallas appears to be the dark horse in the Western Conference. Albeit Marc Cuban and Donnie Nelson did a fairly decent job over the summer, few anticipated the huge leap of the slightly tweaked Mavs team. Posting a 19-7 record, the team around Dirk Nowitzki is currently tied for the second place, trailing the Lakers by just two games. Especially the acquisition of swing man Shawn Marion paid dividends as the 6-8 forward provided Rick Carlisle’s squad with more rebounding, outstanding perimeter defense and scoring in the paint. Likewise, Drew Gooden turned out to be a solid option at the center position and took some pressure of Erick Dampier to shut down opposing 5s. To make things even better for the Mavs, Josh Howard appears to have recovered from his ankle and wrist injuries and is bound to further improve the depth of the team.

Albeit it remains to be seen whether the Hawks and Mavs will be able to keep up their high level of play throughout the regular season, both have shown very promising signs so far. Given the fact that Dallas and Atlanta are among the best defensive teams in the league, it is certainly not beyond the realms of reality that they head to the playoffs with home-court advantage.

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