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Atlanta Hawks: Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Jan. 21

By John Buhler

Jan 20, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) has his shot blocked by Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) during the fourth quarter of the game at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Hawks won the game 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) has his shot blocked by Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) during the fourth quarter of the game at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Hawks won the game 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra makes a call during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra makes a call during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Previous: . New York Knicks. 9. team. 27. .

The New York Knicks are one of the more enjoyable teams to watch in the Eastern Conference this season. It has something to do with how the roster fits together and their overall competitiveness. They sit at .500 at 22-22 and are knocking on the door for playoff contention.

There’s a chance that Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis can help get the Knicks into second place in the Atlantic Division behind only the Toronto Raptors. New York seems to have a higher ceiling than the Boston Celtics this season, but their potential lower floor is what keeps them out of the playoffs for now as the best team to not make them in the East this year.

18. . . Previous: . Boston Celtics. 8. team

Boston has to make a trade. Though the Celtics have held on to the No. 8 seed for almost the entire 2015-16 NBA season, there are teams behind them in the standings that could end up surpassing them in the final weeks of the year. Their floor is incredibly high, but general manager Danny Ainge needs to pull off a trade to make the Celtics slightly better to ensure their place in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

My guess is that Ainge needs to target an off-ball shooter or a sixth man type of player than can create his own shot with relative ease. They can still have a defensive-minded mentality, but need to become more consistent putting the ball through the hoop.

110. . . Previous: . Miami Heat. 7. team

Maybe the Goran Dragic trade wasn’t good for the Miami Heat after all? Miami hasn’t been able to run their offense effectively since acquiring Dragic from Phoenix last NBA trade deadline. Point guard has long been an issue with the Heat, so maybe head coach Erik Spoelstra is to blame for the Heat’s hit or miss offense?

Miami stands as the second-best team in their division behind the Atlanta Hawks and should make the playoffs in 2016. However, this year’s Miami Heat team may end up losing in the first round, something the team hasn’t done since before the LeBron James era in South Beach (2010-14).

Next: Tier II: Eastern Conference Finals Ceiling

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