The Hawks may have been lucky to survive the first round after being down 3-2 to the Milwaukee Bucks, but nothing came from it after getting swept by the Magic. Were the Magic simply that good? Or were the Hawks not as good as previously once thought.

I have to think that the Hawks were just dominated by a team destined to win a championship. The Magic got a taste of the finals last season, and are favored by some to win the whole damn thing this year. Dwight Howard working inside, while being surrounded by a good amount of shooters has proven to be quite the success.

From the Hawks perspective, they have to start looking toward next year. Changes need to be made if they want to compete with the Magic for the next couple of years. The Hawks big free agent this year, is Joe Johnson, and there is no sure thing JJ stays on with the Hawks. Losing Johnson would set the Hawks back quite a bit. But overpaying somebody who will be 30 next year could come back to haunt the franchise for many years. It’s quite a decision to make. IMO, they have to write a number down for Johnson, and make sure he is easily tradable in a year or two and stick to it. They can’t give up their entire future just to remain competitive next year, especially considering how far behind the Magic the team really looks after today.

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