Mike Budenholzer is headed to the All-Star game.
How many Hawks will join him?
With Atlanta’s 110-91 win over the Pacers tonight, the Hawks clinched the Eastern Conference’s best record through Feb. 1 – the cutoff date for determining which teams will send their coach to the All-Star game. The coach whose team has the best record in each conference coaches in the All-Star game (unless he coached the previous year’s All-Star game, in which case the honor goes to the coach of the second-best team). Atlanta, winners of 14 straight, is up 5.5 games on the second-place Wizards.
Budenholzer, the early favorite for Coach of the Year, oversees a balanced team that shares the ball offensively and competes hard defensively. It’s a credit to him the Hawks have four players receiving legitimate All-Star consideration.
Jeff Teague probably has the best shot. Al Horford and Paul Millsap might be even more deserving. Kyle Korver will get reserve votes.
It’d be shocking if at least one didn’t make it, and multiple selections are more likely than one. Whichever Atlanta players get selected, though, their coach beat them to the punch.