Atlanta power rankings

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The Hawks are (mostly #2), but they will get their shot at everyone's universal #1 pick, the Golden State Warriors, on Wednesday. It seems like a safe bet that whoever wins that game will be tops on all of the lists next Monday -- and quite possibly for the rest of the regular season too.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter:  @AnaheimAmigos

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Power Rankings: Top Two Meet Head-To-Head This Week

The NBA's regular season is roughly 19 weeks old, and about five weeks of it remain before we get to the Second Season.

At this point, it takes more than a win or a loss or a hot or cold week to precipitate a change in the standings, so the Hawks reside largely where they did last week: in the #2 spot.

Atlanta is about to embark on a six-game, 10-day Western Conference road trip that includes a game against the consensus #1 team, the Golden State Warriors. Go ahead and circle March 18 on your calendars now. That's a big one.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @AnaheimAmigos

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Power Rankings: Stranglehold On East Gets Stronger For Hawks

The Hawks have measuring stick games against the playoff-bound Rockets and Cavaliers this week before taking on the 76ers on the road. Atlanta (47-12) has largely settled into most polls' #2 spots behind Golden State (46-11), but a mid-March matchup between the two top contenders looms.

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Power Rankings: Hawks Lurking Near Top After Perfect Week

In addition to the usual spate of power rankings from each of the major media outlets, each excerpt is followed by a bonus excerpt that takes us back to the preseason. Some were closer than others; we've graded each prediction accordingly. 

As it turns out, there weren't a whole bunch of experts who predicted that the Hawks would be leading the Eastern Conference on March 1.

(And yes, we're still a week away from March 1, but the Hawks have a 7-game cushion. Regardless of what happens between now and then, Atlanta was still be the Beast of the East going into next month.)

BONUS PRESEASON PREDICTION: (17th overall, 8th in East)

This prediction missed the boat on Schroder, Scott, Bazemore, and company. Worse, though, it put the Hawks in the bottom half of the NBA.  I do like the word 'floor-spacingest', because the Hawks are a lot of that. (Prediction grade: C+)

BONUS PRESEASON PREDICTION: (7th in East): 

Adding Thabo was a great move, and the Hawks are closing in on the playoffs faster than anyone else in the East. (Prediction grade: B)

BONUS PRESEASON PREDICTION: (47 wins, without explanation): 

The Hawks seem like a super safe bet to eclipse 47 wins, but at the same time, 47 wins this season would have put the Hawks much closer to the top than what some of the other rankings projected. (Prediction grade: B+)

BONUS PRESEASON PREDICTION: (Aldridge ranked the top-15 in the NBA; Hawks were left out without explanation): 

None of the Hawks' players were mentioned in Aldridge's lengthy NBA preview, so maybe he was following the "If you can't say anything nice ..." adage? At least Aldridge has the Hawks on top at the moment. (Prediction grade: C)

BONUS PRESEASON PREDICTION: (10th in the NBA)

Marc Spears got closer than everyone else. (Prediction grade: A-)

Well, 16th in the NBA was way off, but the rest of the points made here were valid. (Prediction grade: C+)

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Power Rankings: Hawks Obliterating Preseason Predictions

Remember what life was like before the college football playoff? 

Recall when we had things like #1 Idaho A&amp;M beating #2 West Hawaii State, but then losing to a lower-ranked team like New Hampshire Tech (Yes, I'm making up team names to protect the innocent). And remember when no one could ever come up with a foolproof argument for which team was actually the best team.

The NBA power rankings went through the same sort of convolution last week.

The Hawks, Warriors, and Grizzlies entered the week with the #1, #2, and #3 teams in almost all the power polls. The Hawks beat the Warriors, then lost on the road to Memphis. How would the rankers react?

As it turns out, the Hawks and Warriors were rewarded for still having vastly better won-loss records than the Grizzlies. (Plus, the Hawks snuck in a nice win over the Wizards too). So for at least one more week, unanimity reigns. The Hawks are still on top.

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Hawks Stay #1 After Downing Warriors

The good news: The Hawks have climbed to the #1 spot in each of the major NBA power rankings, which is what is supposed to happen when a team wins 19 in a row.

The bad news: Banged up and thinned out, the Hawks have back-to-back games against the Warriors and Grizzlies this week. Those two teams are the popular picks for the #2 and #3 spots in most rankings.

Win or lose, it's going to make for a week of superbly entertaining basketball.

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It's Unanimous! Hawks #1 In All Power Rankings

The streak has made it to sweet, sweet 16. The Atlanta Hawks continue to roll, capping off a 4-0 week with a 112-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Atlanta started the week with a win over the Detroit Pistons on Martin Luther King Day, and continued their remarkable run with wins over Indiana, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota.

The Hawks' last loss came exactly one month ago today: Dec. 26 vs. the Bucks.  With a 30-2 record since Thanksgiving, it's no surprise that the Hawks are in one of the top two spots in each major power ranking.

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Hawks Getting Closer To Unanimous #1

After another perfect week and a 33-8 overall record, this list shouldn't surprise you: