The Atlanta Hawks haven't exactly played the style of basketball that everyone expected them to this season, as they sit in the Eastern Conference's number 10 seed with a 28-30 record. They're in a bad spot right now, since they're only one game clear of 11th place, which would eliminate them from the play-in game.

Atlanta had a rough start to the season a year ago, but they were able to turn things around by this time. Unfortunately for Atlanta, they haven't been able to repeat their success this season, as they have spent the whole year playing below .500 basketball.

There are a variety of reasons why this Atlanta Hawks team is underperforming, but one of them is undeniable, and it's that they haven't been defending well. If Atlanta wants to do what they did last season and make the playoffs this year, they'll have to come back to playing the same level of defense they did last season. Their defense wasn't quite top-of-the-line last season, but they did enough to get the job done against elite teams in the playoffs.

Let's take a look at three reasons why the Atlanta Hawks, despite their troubles, may still win the Eastern Conference if everything falls into place during the playoffs.

Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done.

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Hawks Eastern Conference

3. Trae Young has improved from a year ago

Given how good Trae Young was last year, it's hard to claim he's progressed from the previous season. Coming into the league, everyone thought this kid was going to be a star, but it's hard to imagine anybody expecting him to be one of the best scorers in the league.

The fact is that if the Atlanta Hawks want to make the playoffs and have success while they're there, Trae Young will need to keep playing at this level. Obviously, he can't do it alone, and his team's ability to step up around him will be critical to their future success. He has demonstrated during his brief career that he will not be the one who causes this team to lose games.

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Another fact is that if the Atlanta Hawks' squad outside of him does not step up, they are unlikely to have much success.

2. In the playoffs last year, the Hawks knew how to get the job done

One thing that has to make Atlanta Hawks fans feel at ease heading into the second half of the season is what they were able to achieve a year ago. With how brilliantly they performed last season, there's no question that this team will not falter at any point. If they were able to get the job done last year in the playoffs against some very strong opponents, including almost knocking out the world champion Milwaukee Bucks, then they should have no excuse not to get the job done this year in the playoffs as well.

Obviously, a young team like the Hawks might struggle in the playoffs due to a lack of experience, but they should still be confident that if they are playing their best basketball at the appropriate moment, they can still win the Eastern Conference,

1. They're difficult to beat when they're hot

This is going to be the most important thing for the Atlanta Hawks. They'll have to play their best basketball when it means the most if they want to have any chance in the playoffs. They were able to feel confident throughout the playoffs last season because they were clicking at the right time. If Atlanta wants to have any success in the playoffs, they'll have to replicate that level of confidence and performance in this year's playoffs.

Atlanta is a team that no one wants to play when they're playing their best basketball. They have guys who can shoot the three-point shot from all over the court, and Trae Young can score 40 points per night whenever he wants.