It seems to be a consensus that the Atlanta Hawks' success depends on whether or not Al Horford will be able to return to the lineup and have any sort of serious impact. The Hawks have just enough, though, to be ranked 10th in the latest SB Nation NBA Power Rankings.
The San Antonio Spurs are No. 1 in the rankings after winning seven straight games and soaring to the top of the Western Conference standings. Right behind the Spurs are the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.
Here is what Tom Ziller had to say about the Hawks, who just fell to the New York Knicks 113-112 on Sunday:
"This team becomes a legit threat to make the conference finals if Al Horford returns by the second round and Derrick Rose is actually banged up enough to be limited in the postseason. Of course, to get to that second round, Atlanta needs to beat the ... (Boston Celtics)"
Read more about the Hawks at Peachtree Hoops.