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The Hawks only played 2 games in this short week and they ended up splitting the games. The week could have gone worse but in the end, the Hawks are still the best team in the east and look to finish the second half of the season strong after the break. Anyway let's get to the rankings and see what the various writers think of our team headed into the break.
SB Nation's Drew Garrison drops the Hawks to the No. 2 spot in his latest ranking.
The Hawks turned an average start into a franchise-best winning streak and look fully bought into the team concepts Mike Budenholzer has laid out, as evidence by four All-Star game selections. Atlanta has played like the best team in the NBA through stretches and is on track to be the No. 1 seed out of the Eastern Conference. It's worth pausing to acknowledge Kyle Korver is on track to lead the NBA in three-point shooting percentage for the third year. His current .523 mark isn't even the best he's ever clocked.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com also puts the Hawks at No. 2 and notices the recent road struggles.
The Hawks' offense came up empty in two of their last three games before the break and they've lost three of their last four games on the road. They have one of the tougher remaining schedules in the East, but nine of their 15 remaining road games are against teams under .500 and, with a comfortable lead, it will be tough for anyone to catch them at the top.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com drops the Hawks to No. 2 after a 3-3 stretch
The Hawks, despite a 3-3 stretch and a bad loss at Boston before the All-Star break, are still riding high with a 6 1/2-game lead in the Eastern Conference. They need to play only .600 ball for the rest of the way to clinch the first 60-win campaign in franchise history.
Finally, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports drops the Hawks to #3 in his latest ranking.
Keep an eye on Atlanta, which is 3-3 in February, regarding free agent Ray Allen. The Hawks have the East's top record and nearly $5 million in cap space.
That does it for the rankings. Let's hope that the Hawks can bounce back after the break and be that dominant Atlanta Hawks team that we have watched so far this season. Anyway let me know of your thoughts in this weeks ranking despite the short week.