It's funny. People ask me all the time (and I mean all the time) about the Hawks. The questions change depending on the time of year, but there isn't a day that goes by where a member of my family, friends, or even fellow co-workers seek out my opinion on the state of the franchise. Right now, with the season just a week or so away from tipping off, everyone wants me to give my projection for the season - will the Hawks make the playoffs again? Can they earn a higher seed? Will they return to obscurity? WILL THEY EVER GET TO PLAY ON TNT??? (Actually, I'm the one asking that last question).

Generally speaking, I tend to lean towards the optimistic when it comes to the Hawks. I don't know if I can't see the forest for the trees or what, but I always look at the team and think about the things that could go right as opposed to what might go wrong. Over the past several years, let's be honest, there haven't been many people who agreed with those viewpoints.

After last year's incredible playoff run against the Celtics I hoped the perceptions of the team would change, but in reading various previews of the season it seems many are expecting us to return to the depths of the East.

I've been pretty happy with what I've seen from the Hawks in training camp and preseason play so far, but as I said, I'm always an optimist. That's why reading Sekou Smith's blog post in the AJC today made me smile. It appears he too may be seeing what I'm seeing:

"Either I’m going soft after all these years on the beat or this team is finally starting to look like the rest of the average and above average teams in the NBA."

Smith goes on to say that he's not predicting anything outlandish like the top seed or 60 wins, and for that matter neither am I, but I do agree with his central thesis that this team, even without Josh Childress, looks to be better than they were a year ago.

Hopefully the regular season will prove us right.

Tonight's game against Orlando is your last chance to see the Hawks in action at Philips before the regular season begins (they have one more preseason game after tonight, at Detroit on Thursday). Come out and see for yourself if the optimism is legitimate!