Learning to fly again; Hawks escape doldrums with lottery picks.(SPORTS)(ON BASKETBALL)

Byline: Mike Jones, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A 15-13 team is nothing to celebrate, but when that team is the Atlanta Hawks - a franchise that has averaged 27.2 wins a season since 1999 - that record is a sign of serious progress.

By going 5-1 in the last two weeks, the Hawks moved above .500 for the first time in eight seasons. And what's more, Atlanta has climbed into second place in the Southeast Division and sit four games behind Orlando.

But unlike many franchises, which use trades and/or free agency to cure their talent-deficient rosters and induce winning ways, the Hawks ...

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