The Atlanta Hawks are not a desperate team by any means. Going into the All-Star Break, they rank 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 32-24 record. Paul Millsap will be playing in his fourth consecutive All-Star game, while Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard have played at All-Star levels.
The teams in front of the Hawks currently all seem to be at least equally talented. The Wizards have been red hot since December, and the Raptors may have the best starting lineup in the NBA now after acquiring Serge Ibaka from the Magic.