The Atlanta Hawks have been the face of mediocrity for the last several years. The Hawks may have the longest playoff streak in the NBA at seven seasons, but they have failed to make it past the second round. Something had to change, and one step at a time it did. The Hawks today are leading the Eastern Conference with a 29-8 record. They look different, not only from years past, but from the rest of the league as well.

After another disappointing playoff finish in 2012, Atlanta decided it was time for a new general manager: Danny Ferry. Ferry was an executive in the San Antonio Spurs organization, which is known for grabbing foreign talent and creating a team that succeeds by sharing the ball. The system is led by coach Gregg Popovich who won five NBA titles, one of which was last year.

Ferry got to work quickly in 2012. In an age where super stars were conglomerating to make super teams, he went against the mold and tried to develop a team around shooters and role players to create a machine like the Spurs had. He quickly made headlines by trading longtime Atlanta star and shooting guard Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets. The next season he let hometown favorite Josh Smith walk. Ferry seemed to recognize that he could sign unselfish role players like Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver and turn them into superstars without a $54 million contract like the one Smith signed with the Pistons. The next step was to find a coach like Popovich to maximize these players. For Ferry there was only one place to look.

Mike Budenholzer was with the Spurs organization for 19 years. He eventually became Popovich’s right hand man and served as the No. 1 assistant to Popovich his last six years at San Antonio. Ferry hired the familiar face before the 2013-14 season as the new coach. In his first season Budenholzer tried to implement his system and did so pretty well. The Hawks started out with an 18-14 record and were the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, but starting center Al Horford tore his pectoral muscle and had to miss the rest of the season. The Hawks staggered into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record as the No. 8 seed only to lose in the first round to the Pacers in seven games.

Year two began much differently. The Hawks welcomed back Horford, but his arrival was clouded by racist remarks that surfaced from Ferry and the Hawks ownership. Only two out of 28 ESPN reporters picked the Hawks, let alone the Conference.

Then once the season began, the Hawks turned heads. The Hawks are 29-8, and have won 22 of their last 24 games without a big name superstar. Even Marc Stein of ESPN.com now has the Hawks as No. 1 in his NBA power rankings. The “Spurs of the East” are making the Spurs look like the “Hawks of the West.” The Hawks used a formula that was unconventional, and it has flourished beyond any Atlanta fan’s dreams.