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NBA standings 2012: Hawks shocking the league

The Hawks are one of the biggest stunners of the year, showcasing their new style of basketball.

Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

With the NBA season now a quarter of the way over, some teams stand out more than most as surprises and disappointments.

The Atlanta Hawks would certainly qualify as one of the former, with a 14-6 record to their credit. Atlanta is tied with the Miami Heat for the Southeast Division lead largely because of team-first play, something that hasn't been associated with the franchise in many moons.

In the West, the Golden State Warriors have to be the biggest shock going, sporting a 15-7 mark, good enough for fifth in the conference. Second-year head coach Mark Jackson has David Lee and the boys playing defense, which led to their road win over the Heat this past week.

Some teams are doing exactly what is expected of them, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are enjoying the league's best record at 19-4. Conversely, the Washington Wizards are predictably awful at 3-17.

Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.