The Charlotte Hornets (23-28) are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, being winners of seven straight games, and are now just one game back of the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Atlanta Hawks are currently the 10th seed in the East with a 24-27 record.  

So, should the Hawks be worried about the Charlotte Hornets? Absolutely!!

The Hawks recently won four straight games to get within one game of the .500 plateau, but Atlanta has since dropped its last two games, with one of those games being against the lowly Indiana Pacers. 

Atlanta is a very streaky team, and tonight's game is a must-win against the Miami Heat, but the Hawks are on the road, and playing in Miami has always been troubling for Atlanta.

The Hawks have flirted with being a team that can escape the play-in, and there's certainly still time in a weak Eastern Conference, but Atlanta is now in a position where they need to worry more about the Hornets than catching the No. 7 seed Heat.

One thing is for sure: if the Hawks don't win Tuesday against the Heat, playing themselves out of a play-in spot becomes increasingly more difficult. 

The good news for the Hawks is that both Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher are returning to the lineup, which gives Atlanta much-needed size in Onyeka Okongwu 's absence with a dental fracture. 

Atlanta will have to continue to lean on its All-Star forward Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a nightly basis to try to hold on as a top-10 seed in the Eastern Conference.