NBA Power Rankings: Brooklyn Nets rise after acquiring James Harden

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New York Knicks RJ Barrett (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

28. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have had a few bright spots to start the year but the verdict is still out on RJ Barrett as a potential cornerstone of the franchise – and that’s not great by any means. I still find it hard to believe that this team has enough talent to be a true playoff threat in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks are certainly better than last season and aren’t the laughing stock that they were a year ago, but this team is still 2-3 years away from being true players in the Eastern Conference.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t the 27th worst-team in the NBA. A big reason why the Wolves have struggled over the last couple of weeks, after a strong start to the season, has been the injury to Karl-Anthony Towns.

That said, I’m still not sure how high this team’s ceiling can be this year. Though, a lot of that will depend on how far Towns can carry this roster. The Wolves will go as far as Towns can take them.