The Atlanta Hawks will close out the first half of the season with games on the road against the New York Knicks on Wednesday and the Orlando Magic on Thursday. With Joe Johnson potentially sitting out the All-Star game and three-point shootout (potentially replaced by Kevin Durant) will give the team an extended weekend to take off and get healthy.
Of course, with time off one can always ponder the possibilities, right? SB Nation's Tom Ziller released his MVP Rankings on Wednesday, and Thursday's contest will feature hometown hero Dwight Howard.
| 6. | Dwight Howard | Magic | 20.3 points on .553 TS%, 15.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks | 6 |
| The clock is ticking for the Magic to make a decision on whether to trade the big man midseason or hold its breath until July. Expect All-Star Weekend in Orlando to stoke those fires heavily. | ||||
Since Dwight Howard has basically put his bid in to play for virtually every team in the NFL for next season, isn't there a real possibility that the Hawks could trade for No. 12? You have three players who could be moved in Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith, and the hometown hero could find things appealing in the ATL.
One can hope, right?
For more on this game Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops while Knicks fans should stop by Poasting And Toasting. For more news and analysis from around the NBA head on over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.