Are the Hawks Building an NBA Power in Atlanta?

He may not get much love from All Star voters, but Atlanta's Paul Millsap has combined scoring, rebounding and elite defense to help push the Hawks to the top of the East.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Are the Atlanta Hawks for real?

With their Spurs-like style under longtime San Antonio assistant Mike Budenholzer, the team has an Eastern Conference-best 28-8 record, their best 36-game start to a season ever.

To put the Hawks’ performance into perspective, just 65 teams have performed this well through 36 contests over the last half-century. No wonder Budenholzer was recently named the December Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.

As the only team in their conference with both offensive and defensive efficiencies in the top eight in the league, the Hawks own the NBA’s longest current winning streak and longest current road winning streak.

NBA All Star Weekend Shouldn't Feel This Dull

Winners of the most boring competition ever conceived: The NBA's Shooting Stars Challenge.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Many of us are still enjoying an elongated weekend for Presidents Day, but the NBA's All Star weekend is completely finished. Per usual, it left American sports fans groaning a collective "meh," despite what the league will insist was one of the most exciting All Star weekends in history.

It shouldn't be this way.

As far back as I can remember (somewhere around '93 or '94) fans and pundits have been trying to "fix" the All Star game. On paper, last night's game should have put a ribbon on a thrilling weekend of events. The East broke an All Star game record by erasing an 18-point deficit, and winning with an also-record 163 points, as both teams combined for a, you guessed it, All Star Game record 318 total points.

With all those records being set, Blake Griffin dunking his way to 38 points, Kevin Durant matching him for the game high, and Melo and Kryrie Irving each gunning their way to 30+, what could be better?