Atlanta Hawks: Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Dec. 3

The Philadelphia 76ers won a game! They beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Kobe Bryant Appreciation Night to move to 1-18 on the year earlier in the week. Then the Sixers went right back to losing basketball games.

This isn’t anything close to an NBA caliber team and the advanced metrics indicate that. Philadelphia is last in the NBA in point per game (91.2) and offensive efficiency (93.3). Though they beat the Lakers, this Sixers team may win 5 games this season, if that.

When you don’t control your own first round pick, especially if it is an unprotected one, then there is no incentive to tank. Entering Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets have the 4th worst record in the NBA and are only ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference at 5-13.

Their offense is only slightly better than Philadelphia’s, as the are 28th in points per game (95.7) and 29th in offensive efficiency (98.5). It doesn’t help if the Nets also boast a bottom-third defense, allowing 101.9 points per game (20th) and are the 21st most efficient defense in the NBA (105.0). The Brooklyn Nets with their poor front office management likely won’t sniff competitiveness until 2020.

More from Atlanta Hawks

• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
• Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
• Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
• Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks

The Milwaukee Bucks are probably not going to get back into the Eastern Conference Playoffs in 2016. Perhaps trading away PG Brandon Knight to Phoenix and bringing over PG Michael Carter-Williams deserves a Mulligan, but Jason Kidd hopelessly won’t get one.

Milwaukee is still a bad offensive team, 29th in points per game at 95.3, but have fallen off a cliff defensively in 2015-16. The Bucks that finished 4th in team defensive rating the year before sit at 29th in 2015-16 (110.1). There are major concerns with these young Bucks going forward.

Next: Tier IV: Not Making the Playoffs