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Hey look, the Hawks managed to win a couple of games. This is something that the fan base desperately needed. So as we all know, when the team wins we can hope to see them move up in the rankings.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com moves the Hawks back up to No. 10.
The Hawks lost their first three games out of the break, but won their two most important games on their five-game homestand, beating the Bulls on Friday and the Hornets on Sunday. As they've dropped from fifth to 17th in offensive efficiency, they've risen from 14th to second in defensive efficiency, allowing 2.7 fewer points per 100 possessions than any other team over the last 7 1/2 weeks. Tuesday's game will be a test, though.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com also moves the Hawks up to No. 10.
Kris Humphries has to be a welcome addition, given Atlanta's well-chronicled issues on the boards, but losing out to Miami (as opposed to Cleveland) in the Joe Johnson race is a painful cut, not only because of the fun headlines such a reunion would have generated, but also because that's the sort of bold move that could have made up for the Hawks' letdown of a trade deadline.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com moves Atlanta up to No. 11.
Though popular opinion on the Hawks has been somewhat lukewarm, they finished February playing far better than their results showed. Atlanta posted the league’s top defensive rating (95.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) and fourth-best net rating (7.3) on the month and justified hanging onto Al Horford and Jeff Teague.
USATODAY.com managed to also put the Hawks at No. 10.
Entering Sunday the Hawks were 2-5 in their past 7 with both wins coming over the banged-up Bulls.
Kurt Helin of NBCsports.com puts the Hawks at No. 8 this week.
Big wins over the weekend, knocking off the Bulls and Hornets at home, and they are doing it thanks to a lock-down defense that is the best in the NBA over the last 10 games (three points per 100 possessions better than the second-place Clippers).
Finally, Matt Moore of CBSsports.com drops the Hawks to #15
Two solid wins vs. playoff-caliber opponents has stemmed the tide a bit. They have the toughest remaining schedule, however, and the Hawks aren't exactly known for stepping up when things get their toughest. Atlanta needs to find a higher gear in a hurry to keep a lock on its playoff spot.
That does it for the rankings, and we see the Hawks move up after a couple wins. Let's hope the Atlanta can continue to improve as they head out on a five-game road trip. As always leave your thoughts below in the comments.