Leading the Atlanta Hawks into a first place spot in the eastern conference, Paul “Grit ‘N Grind” Millsap may be starting to live up to this nickname. In the last four games Paul is averaging 22.7 points and 8.5 rebounds, placing him in first place on the team for rebounds and tied with Jeff Teague for first place for points. At the age of 29, Paul seems to be making a push for superstar status and is having the best season of his career. I would go as far as saying that if the Hawks remain in first place, Paul Millsap may deserve most valuable player, because boy do they need him. Over the last few years there has been a lot of conversation about how in order for an NBA team to be successful, you need a big three, but the Hawks are proving this theory wrong. With Paul and Al Horford being the only players on the team to have played in an All-Star game, this team has been performing way above its expectations. Paul recently said, “I was giving [it] my all as the game was winding down.” Paul is a one of the most scrappy/physical players in the league and when he healthy, is one of the best power forwards in the league. There are plenty of talented big men in the league, but I doubt you ever hear about the Atlanta Hawks as a whole, let alone Milsap. This was a Hawks team that was the 8 seed last season. Yet this 8 seed took the top seeded Pacers to 7 games in the first round. The Eastern Conference is weak, but it is a conference that contains the MVPs for 5 of the past 6 seasons, including super powered teams like the Cavaliers and Bulls. This seasons Hawks are getting no credit, and they are completely flying under the radar. There is no doubt that as the season goes on, everyone will continue to keep a close eye on the Cavaliers and wonder what is going wrong in New York, but maybe it is time to take notice of the best team in the East, as they should be considered a legitimate threat thanks to the emergence of Paul Millsap.