clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NBA Power Rankings: Final Push

We are now in the month of April where the long 2012-2013 season finally comes to an end. Where will the Hawks rank when its all said and done? For now we wont think to much into the final rankings and look where they are to begin the month of April.

By J. Lane
Kevin C. Cox

Well guys we are at the final 7 games of the season and the final month of our very interesting 2012-2013 season. Atlanta looks to be playoff bound even after the many ups and downs from the season that range form inconsistent play to the devastating injuries that we have been hit with. Even with all the problems, Atlanta has been in the mix for the playoffs and looking to cement positioning in this final month of the season. John Schumann of NBA.com will start things off for us in this weeks ranking by putting us at #15.

Larry Drew kind of ripped into Josh Smith's shot selection after Saturday's loss in Boston, and we all feel Drew's pain. But isn't he equally responsible -- via the offense he runs and discipline he instills -- for the shots Smith takes? Smith has attempted just 51 percent of his shots from the paint in three years under Drew, down from 63 percent in six years under Mike Woodson. That's a big difference.

Marc Stein of Espn.com makes mention of how we have been playing with a team of expiring contracts by keeping Atlanta at #13.

Are they really No. 1 in the rankings for teams filled with guys on expiring deals while management plans for free agency? Or is it all because the Hawks live in the East? Seems like a three-team tournament with Utah and Dallas is in order ... no matter what happens in the West race for No. 8.

Matt Dollinger of SI.com has us at #13 while mentioning the good play of John Jenkins.

John Jenkins might not be prolific, but he's proficient. Since Lou Williams went down in January, coach Larry Drew has given Jenkins more minutes and opportunities and the shooting guard hasn't disappointed. The rookie has averaged 6.8 points off the bench the past two months while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 40.5 from three-point range.

Sam Amico of foxsports.com wraps up our season pretty well in one sentence at #12
Started strong, survived the Josh Smith trade rumors, and have been breaking even since. For a team with a bunch of expiring contracts, Hawks have been pretty fun.
Matt Moore of cbssports.com has us at #13 and talking about our playoff history.
They've settled into where they usually end up: pretty good, but without any serious momentum. They're a treadmill.
Well that's it for this weeks power rankings. It appears that many are impressed that not only are we playoff bound, but also that we are doing it with a team full of players on expiring contracts. No matter the outcome this has been a fun season to watch with a ton of new faces that took some time to adjust to. But anyway, the season is not over yet so let me know your thoughts on this weeks ranking and a possible ranking in the future.

More From Peachtree Hoops