"It's going to be a very interesting league," Baldwin said as the Pero Cameron-coached Waikato Pistons and coach/player Paul Henare and his embattled Sharks surge back in the scramble for the remaining three spots.
The Pistons, Saints and Giants are in the next cluster, respectively, on 16 points each.
On Saturday the Rangers kept the Hawks honest, trailing 53-55 in the first half.
They were minus Darryl Corletto, released to return to Australia following news that New Zealand Breakers have cut him loose.
Again the Hawks kept to a ritualistic plot of a third-quarter side when they thumped Waitakere 32-14.
"We had to make some adjustments after the first half so the boys came out with more fire in their bellies," Baldwin said.
However, the hosts rolled out the first-half cavalry in the final spell but the visitors absorbed the pressure to prevail.
Compounding issues for the Hawks were the fouling out of bench forward Darryl Jones and US import Dustin Scott in the final quarter.
"The Rangers made offensive adjustments to what we did in defence," he said, believing Waitakere were a much better team than their record showed.
Shooting guard Everard Bartlett was outstanding, claiming a double-double 20 points and 10 assists after point guard Jarrod Kenny found himself in early foul trouble.
So did Scott with 21 points and 10 rebounds while fellow US import Kareem Johnson added 24 points and six rebounds.
Rangers' Australian import point guard Jason Cadee had a game-high 25 points with Duane Bailey adding 24.
The Hawks, who are undefeated at home and have a 12-2 record, had six contributors in double figures to reflect their versatility.
However, Baldwin cautioned the Saints were still a very powerful team heading to the Final Four.
He believed Saints coach Shane Heal, a former Boomer, was building their character and knew what was required for the business end.
"He was a tough player who didn't avoid a confrontation.
"If anybody can sort them out it's him."
The Hawks have lost to the Saints and in Wellington at crucial times in recent playoffs, although they ground down the Wellingtonians, 88-78, at the Pettigrew-Green Arena early last month.
They play the Jets on Saturday before returning via the Manawatu Gorge to host the Sharks on Sunday, in 7pm tip-offs.
