Atlanta Hawks: Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Dec. 17

Nov 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown yells during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After seeing the Philadelphia 76ers lose badly on the road to a middling Atlanta Hawks team, it became abundantly clear to me that the Sixers are by far and away the worst basketball team we’ve seen in years. They could very well be worse than the Bobcats of a few years ago. Philly may win five games all year.

It has gotten to the point where I could totally see the 76ers losing all 41 of their road games. The team doesn’t know how to close out games and that is a crucial part of being able to at least tread water on the road. Do they play hard, yes, but does this team have what it takes to win 10 games in 2015-16? No.

Brooklyn is in the worst spot of any team in the NBA. They’re tied for the third worst record in the NBA, but don’t control the rights to their certain lottery pick. If their front office was smart, which it clearly isn’t, I would heavily advise making some trades with a playoff team to acquire a first round pick, just to get something in return from their declining players.

I haven’t seen as much of a salary cap nightmare in the NBA since it went to one several years ago. Brooklyn has put itself in a tough situation where it will likely be a basketball team for the next five years or so. Expect the Nets to make some moves here shortly.

Though the Milwaukee Bucks knocked off the then undefeated Golden State Warriors this past week, this team doesn’t have the same positive vibes as it did last year. From a team that was a sneaky Eastern Conference Finals pick to becoming one of the few teams in the East not in it, Milwaukee has been a major disappointment thus far.

Their young corps is exciting and growing pains are honestly expected, but are we sure that Jason Kidd is the right coach for the club? Perhaps the unreasonable expectations placed on this teams were a bit too much. However, the young Bucks may get better in the second half of the season, not enough to get back in it, but enough to show promise through progress.

Next: Tier IV: Not Making the Playoffs