Atlanta Hawks: Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Feb. 11

The New York Knicks became the fifth organization to fire their head coach before the 2016 NBA All-Star Break, as general manager Phil Jackson ousted his protegé Derek Fisher in favor of another disciple of The Triangle Offense in former Laker Kurt Rambis.

Rambis has coached in the NBA before, most notably with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the Knicks are looking for a long-term solution heading into next year. While the corps of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis should have no issues getting New York back into the playoffs in the not-so-distant future, who’s to say that Jackson won’t leave the Knicks to go back to the Lakers next season?

It’s not just because the Orlando Magic beat our Atlanta Hawks twice in a back-to-back that has them rise slightly in this week’s Eastern Conference Power Rankings, they almost have an outside chance at making the NBA Playoffs this year.

With a superstar center in the making in Nikola Vucevic, a good head coach in Scott Skiles, and many intriguing assets currently on their roster, if Orlando were to make a trade before next Thursday, they could find themselves challenging for the No. 8 seed this March and April.

The Washington Wizards are still hanging around the bottom middle of the Eastern Conference this season as it enters the 2016 NBA All-Star Break. I feel like this team is on a teetering point, where they could make a trade to either improve or dismantle this current roster.

John Wall is a franchise cornerstone as arguably the best point guard in the East, but his supporting cast is suspect at best. The Wizards organization may need to reevaluate in figuring out how to build a winner around Wall if the Wiz fail to get back to the NBA Playoffs in 2016.

Next: Tier III: Likely First Round Playoff Exit