Atlanta Hawks: 2015-16 Post Free Agency East Power Rankings

In what has already been an eventful free agency period in the NBA, the dust has settled enough to speculate what the Eastern Conference will look like at the end of next season.

Many teams such as the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks look much improved, while other teams will continue to wallow in mediocrity.

-= Related: Thabo Sefolosha: The Atlanta Hawks X-Factor =-

With the Eastern Conference performing considerably worse than the West for over the past decade, Adam Silver stated this week that the NBA is looking into changing the playoff format going into next season. These rule changes do not bode well for Eastern Conference teams that have notched postseason spots with sub .500 records the past few years. Because of the diminishing chance that they will make a playoff appearance, it becomes even more imperative that lower tier teams in the East improve their performance over the course of the regular season.

-= Hawks All-Time Lists: Top 5 Head Coaches =- 

Teams such as the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and the Indiana Pacers will try to reclaim playoff spots entering the season, while clubs like the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks still look years away from contention. The Eastern Conference Champions Cleveland Cavaliers return the core of their team that went to the NBA Finals this past June, and other contenders such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls have added their own pieces to make the top of the East more interesting.

With new head coaches and well-known players switching teams, the 2015-2016 NBA season looks every bit as exciting as last season, allowing fans such as myself the benefit of a long season filled with excitement, drama, victory, and heartbreak.

Let’s take a look at the pecking order of the Eastern Conference entering next season.

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