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The Hawks are playing really well and it seems some are taking notice, I didn't think the Hawks would be able to hold onto the third seed but I am glad that they proved me wrong and kept bringing in the wins. So without making you wait any longer, let's get to the rankings.
Matt Moore of CBSsports.com starts things off and keeps the Hawks at No. 5 this week.
Let's imagine they took just two games from Cleveland last year. They have defense, a team that made the ECF last season, versatility, shooters and experience. This team would look super dangerous. But they didn't win two vs. Cleveland last year, so they are about as under the radar as it gets going into the playoffs.
Kurt Helin of NBCsports.com also has the Hawks at No. 5.
Atlanta has won eight of nine. The Hawks have had an elite defense for a while (second best in the NBA this season) but after the All-Star break their offense has improved with starter Kyle Korver regaining his form from three, while bench leader Dennis Schroder is shooting much better from just about everywhere compared to the first half of the season.
USAToday.com continues the trend and moves the Hawks as well but this time to No. 7.
They have scored more than 100 points in a season-high eight straight games and are playing best ball of season.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com has the Hawks at No. 6 this week and makes recognition of the new faces in the lineups.
The Hawks' bench has been strong all season and is now getting consistent contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kris Humphries, who weren't in the picture early on. But their 13-3 record over their last 16 games can be tied to improvement with the starting lineup, which has outscored opponents by 14.0 points per 100 possessions in that stretchafter getting outscored by 2.7 through Feb. 22.
Jeremy Woo of SI.com also put the Hawks at No. 6.
Jeff Teague was almost left behind in Detroit, so this seems like a natural time to bring up how good Dennis Schröder has been. On a per-36 minute basis, the latter has outperformed the former in points (19.8 to 19), assists (8 to 7.5), rebounds (4.6 to 3.4) and shooting percentage (43.3% to 42.8%). Maybe the antsy bus driver was onto something.
Finally, Marc Stein of ESPN.com put the Hawks at No. 6 in his latest ranking.
The Hawks lost their first three games after the trade deadline, but they've found stability after that initial blip, with those trade rumors from the winter fading further. The Hawks are riding the league's No. 2-ranked defense to a 13-3 surge. Kyle Korver, meanwhile, continues to look more and more like Kyle Korver, as covered in greater detail in the enclosed tweet.
That does it for the rankings this week and it is great to see the team getting it together as we get closer to the end of the regular season. As always leave your thoughts below.