ATLANTA -- "Well, they're athletic."

It happened before every game -- the go-to, garden-variety backhanded compliment that every opposing coach used in the pregame media session when they were trying to say nice things about the Hawks. Left unsaid were things like, "They know how to play," "They have a lot of smart veterans," "They play hard every night" and "There's no obvious place to attack them."

That was the old days, when the Hawks were a lottery team destined to become another speed bump for whatever quality opponent was visiting -- provided the opponent didn't stay out too late in Buckhead the night before. Sure, the Hawks had athleticism, but for good teams, that wouldn't matter if they took the event seriously.

That sentiment faded during last year's 47-win campaign, and a dozen games into the 2009-10 season, everything's been turned on its head. We saw it yet again in the Hawks' 105-90 win over Miami on Wednesday. They sit atop both the computer and human Power Rankings on ESPN.com, and more importantly they're on top in the standings too -- tied with Phoenix for the NBA's best record at 10-2.

We're a long way from answering whether they're actually the East's best team, but we're even further away from the "well, they're athletic" days. The effort on Wednesday night, when the Hawks ran away and hid with a 28-8 second quarter run before coasting to victory, provided further evidence.

Knowing how to play? Check -- even their most suspect performer in this department, Josh Smith, has amazed observers with his shot selection in the early going. Atlanta committed only eight turnovers against a ball-hawking Heat team, and the most cynical Hawk-basher could point to only one or two shots that might have been ill-chosen.

Lots of smart veterans? Check -- adding Joe Smith and Jamal Crawford in the offseason to join the likes of Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans and Zaza Pachulia put the Hawks ahead of the curve in this department. "Guys have figured out that when we play defense at a high level we're tough to beat," said Marvin Williams, who in his fifth season is pretty close to earning a V for veteran himself.

Playing hard every night? Check -- in fact this is probably the area where Mike Woodson's impact has been greatest over the past half decade. Atlanta's lone truly disappointing effort came in Charlotte and was as much a defeat to the schedule-makers (who bypassed consultation with Rand McNally and chose to send them straight from Sacramento to Charlotte) as to the Bobcats. Otherwise they've been spirited on the road (4-2) and invincible at Philips Arena.

No place to attack them? Check -- you can ask Dwyane Wade about that one. He once again struggled to penetrate against the Hawks' defense and suffered from the absence of his usual steady diet of free throws, not to mention the absence of a reliable second scoring threat. The Heat's star mustered only two free-throw attempts en route to a 6-for-18 night that was reminiscent of the 2009 playoffs, when the stout Hawks defense forced him to try more than seven 3-pointers a game.

"Atlanta forces me to be more of a jump shooter," said Wade. "They did a good job of forcing me out of the paint. You have to be smart when you play them, because they are a very athletic team and they will meet you at the rim."

These days, opponent's comments about Atlanta's athleticism emerge in a very different light. No longer is it a throwaway compliment -- it's now a warning. Like, you better not screw up, because they'll make you pay every time.

"Against an athletic team like this," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, "you have to really keep your turnovers down. Otherwise they will capitalize on it. They have long athletic defenders that do a good job of defending the paint. We just need to be sharper."

It's not a token plaudit -- it's a reality. Teams have trouble scoring against the length and mobility of Smith and Al Horford, who began the game first and 11th, respectively, in shot-blocking but are quick enough to pick up the likes of Wade on perimeter switches.

Opponents also give up size every night to Atlanta's wings (6-9 Williams and 6-7 Joe Johnson), making for difficult matchups. On Wednesday night, it was Wade who lamented having to give up inches and pounds against Johnson (a game-high 30 points), especially once Quentin Richardson checked out with a lower back strain.

Meanwhile, the Hawks' athleticism has been turbocharged by the fact that they finally figured out how to use it. As a result, plays like Bibby's one-motion scoop off the floor and alley-oop to Smith were the crowning highlight of a monstrous 28-8 second-quarter run, rather than the lone thrilling moment in a disappointing defeat.

Moments of goofiness like Smith's between-the-legs dunk tries -- sorry, that memory races back when these two teams meet in Philips -- have been expunged from the arsenal, as well. Instead Smith dunked pretty much every other way en route to a commanding 16-point, 14-rebound, seven-assist, two-steal, two-block performance.

And at times, the combo of skill, savvy and athleticism can be terrifying. Early in the third quarter, for example, center Al Horford ripped down a rebound, pushed it upcourt to the opposing 3-point line himself and fired a perfect transition bounce pass to Johnson for a layup. Name me another center who can both average double-figure rebounds and lead his own breaks.

It's a long season, of course, and we don't know yet how the Hawks will cope when the inevitable run of injuries and shooting slumps hits. But know this: They're athletic. And now, they're so much more.

John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.

Dimes past: Nov. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6-7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13-14 | 15 | 16 | 17

ESPN.com writers and TrueHoop Network bloggers chatted with fans and gave their in-game opinions throughout Wednesday night's slate of games -- all in Daily Dime Live.