NBA Power Rankings: Cavaliers are right where they want to be

Atlanta Hawks. 7. team. 125. The Atlanta Hawks weren’t supposed to be able to recapture the magic. They had let too many of their core players go. They had signed Kent Bazemore more than he needed. They handed the keys over to Dennis Schroder and replaced Al Horford with Dwight Howard. <p>Surprisingly enough, Dwight Howard has not caused the Atlanta Hawks to spontaneously combust yet. The one time pariah with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets might have finally found a home in his hometown with the Hawks. Howard’s a superior rim protector than the departed Al Horford–hopefully cinephiles catch that whimsical pun–and his play as a roll man is better suited for Dennis Schroeder’s game who has taken over at point guard for Jeff Teague.</p> <p>Mike Budenholzer is truly showing that he will one day have a Coach of the Year trophy on his mantle piece, potentially more than his mentor Gregg Popovich. Budenholzer is proving that his style and system are not only adaptable, but produce winning basketball as well. The Hawks have latched onto this and are using it to keep their hopes of Eastern Conference supremacy alive. Paul Milsap still is completely undervalued and underappreciated by the NBA masses and quietly has helped turn things around in Atlanta.</p> <p>The Hawks have the talent to do damage in the East, but they are still ways away from giving the Cleveland Cavaliers any cause for concern. The Eastern Conference looks like they haven’t been able to live up to the hype that they built over the offseason. Through six games it’s the Cavaliers and everyone else. Out of that second grouping though the Hawks have steadied themselves at the top. Remaining there will be a yearlong challenge and hopefully they will be able to keep everything in order for years to come.</p>. .