Josh Smith believes that last night’s win over the Jazz was much more than another notch on Atlanta’s belt.

“This shows everybody in the world the Hawks are for real,” Smith said. “They have to take the Hawks seriously. Utah is an outstanding team. We played the best in the West and were able to beat them.”

But aside from Smith, does anyone really believe that this Hawks team is a legit threat?

All year long, there’s been an undercurrent of doubt surrounding Atlanta’s success. A big part of that is the shaky relationship between J-Smoove and Mike Woodson. It went from being completely fractured during the off-season to rosy, back to uncomfortable during a game against Charlotte, and supposedly it’s now headed down a dead end.

“The Hawks are still struggling to develop consistency with a young, talented roster,” writes SI’s Chris Mannix. “They have big wins, such as a 100-93 win over Utah on Wednesday that snapped the Jazz’s 12-game winning streak. But they also have puzzling defeats, like last month’s 24-point home loss to the Clippers. At 37-28, Atlanta is a virtual lock to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. But after starting the season 21-10, the Hawks are a pedestrian 16-18 through Wednesday, and barring a prolonged playoff run (read: out of the first round), either Woodson or Smith may have to go.”

But instead of talking about what’s going to happen after a presumptuous first-round exit, it’s worth noting that it was Josh Smith who insisted last night’s win was a statement game. After Joe Johnson admitted there were chemistry problems in the locker room following the Woodson-Smith spat in Charlotte (“I don’t know,” Johnson said last week. “I think we all need to get on the same page. But it’s kind of tough to play when the chemistry is not there, and we’re not playing as one.”), Smith played his best game since the middle of January last night, and brought out the best in his teammates too.

Joe isn’t the type of guy to call out teammates and straighten out a locker room. Maybe that’s why some people said that he would never be able to full grasp the mantle of a “superstar”. But in this case, JJ shouldn’t even be asked to intervene. It’s Smith’s mess, and he should be the one to clean it up.

Against the Celtics last year – which will continue to be the barometer for Atlanta’s success until they win another playoff series – it was Smith who provided the spark. If the Hawks overcome their rocky season thus far, it’ll be because Smith lets go of the shot-selection debate with Mike Woodson, and reclaims his spot as one of the League’s most explosive players.

Right now, every playoff-bound Eastern Conference team would rather draw Atlanta in the first round than Miami (No. 5) or Detroit (No. 6). But if Smith can get back to where he was, the Hawks might start looking like the team that went 21-10 to start this season.

Source: SI and ESPN