Dex Ponce: Cleveland Wants the Hawks. Cleveland Is Wrong.

Cleveland wants the Hawks in the first round. A KingJamesGospel piece last week called Atlanta the Cavaliers' "most favorable chance to emerge unscathed." They described a team "hovering around middleground" with "no standout defenders."

That team doesn't exist anymore.

The Hawks traded Trae Young, rebuilt the roster around Jalen Johnson, and went 19-3 since the All-Star break — the best record in the Eastern Conference over that stretch. They own the league's second-best defense since the break. "No standout defenders" is not analysis. It's a Google search from November.

The KJG piece says Harden and Mitchell would "have an easy time" against Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the perimeter. NAW is shooting .528/.468/.942 since March 1. That's not an easy time. That's a problem.

And about that frontcourt advantage Cleveland keeps citing? The last time these two played, Jalen Johnson triple-doubled them — 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists. Against Mobley. Against Allen. In their building.

I wrote yesterday that calling the Hawks "dangerous" was premature. The schedule was soft. The wins were empty calories. I'm still at 60% on this team as a legitimate playoff threat. But there's a difference between ME being skeptical after watching every game and Cleveland's media dismissing a team they clearly haven't watched since December.

Two games against the Cavs in the next five days — April 8 and April 10. The gauntlet I called for is here.

Be careful what you wish for, Cleveland. Receipts incoming.