Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons Differ on Atlanta Hawks Eastern Conference Ranking

You can probably guess who Bill Simmons ranks ahead of the Hawks.

© Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The regular season hasn't even started, and the Hawks are already getting slighted by Bill Simmons. I've written before about Simmons disrespecting the Hawks, and it looks like 'the Podfather' hasn't learned anything since last year.

On the latest episode of 'The Lowe Post,' Zach Lowe and Simmons discussed the Hawks among other teams. Lowe praised the Hawks, saying, "I think they're legit. They're my pick for third in the east this year." 

Simmons agreed that the Hawks are legit. However, he ranks a different team at the third spot behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.

"I have Boston, not as a homer pick, just like a hair over Atlanta. Just 'cause I want to see the Cam Reddish and all these guys, they had a great moment; we've seen this happen sometimes in basketball where the team has the unexpected better than we thought they were moment. Then the next year it gets a little rocky. A little, tiny bit of 'disease of me.' I'm interested to see if Trae is going to be the same kind of facilitator that he was when they were really humming in the playoffs."

We know Simmons is the biggest Boston homer since Lucky the Leprechaun. His irrational fandom is one of the reasons why we love him. But to place the Celtics above the Hawks is ridiculous.

Last year, the Celtics squeaked into the playoffs via the play-in game. Then the Nets promptly took care of them in a gentleman's sweep in the first round of the playoffs. They improved this offseason by getting Dennis Schroder on a bargain contract, but it's unclear how much that moves the needle.

At the half:

Trae Young and Gallinari: 49 Pts
The Celtics: 49 Pts pic.twitter.com/o8bUR9Jyk5

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 25, 2021

Hawks players and fans seem to thrive off disrespect and perceived slights. So, as our fearless leader says, "Another day, another opportunity."

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