Peachtree Hoops: NBA Power Rankings: Hawks Fall To No. 17 In SB Nation Rankings

[Hawksquawk]

SB Nation's Tom Ziller drops Atlanta one spot this week to No. 17 in SB Nation's Weekly Power Rankings:

17. 

Atlanta Hawks

 (40-30, Prev: 16) 

-- The worst good team ever, the Hawks continue to twiddle their thumbs and wait for the 

Magic

 in the first round of the East playoffs. Oh, for the days when the Hawks were an upstart squad of fun crashing the 

Celtics

' coronation.

At first glance I might want to object to any of the 76ers, Knicks, Rockets, or Suns being placed ahead of the Hawks. However, with the way Atlanta has played of late I am not sure how confident I would be going into a match up with any of those teams so I will just keep quiet. 

Atlanta holds steady at No. 14 in Marc Stein's ESPN.com Power Rankings:

Going 3-2 on a six-game homestand entering the finale against Chicago is somewhat understandable given the quality of the opposition. The unacceptable part? Atlanta has topped 91 points three times all month.

Interesting that Stein has the Hawks ranked higher than Philly and the Knicks. He basically sums it up that Atlanta is beating the bad teams and losing to the good teams. It is hard to move up when that is the case. 

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann has the Hawks holding steady at No. 16

Atlanta

 (40-30)

Pace: 91.8 (27), Off: 103.4 (21), Def: 103.8 (13)

The Hawks have been pretty bad since the All-Star break, but they've actually beat all the teams they're supposed to. That doesn't exactly bode well for the playoffs, but it looks like they'll hold on to that five seed and have a puncher's chance against the inconsistent Magic, who they've beat twice this season.

Atlanta checks in at No. 17 in John Hollinger's ESPN.com Daily Power Rankings.

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