NBA Power Rankings: Are the New York Knicks equipped to take down Boston Celtics?

Are the New York Knicks the second-best team in the Eastern Conference at the midway point of the season?

Minnesota Timberwolves v New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves v New York Knicks | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
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28. San Antonio Spurs

This season was always going to be viewed as a success as long as Victor Wembanyama showed signs of promise. That's exactly what he's done so far during his rookie season. Wemby is averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks per game on 45 percent shooting from the field. It's the pieces around Wemby that haven't worked all that well for the Spurs so far this season.

If the Spurs can get that right with moves heading into the NBA Trade Deadline and then during the offseason, this is a team that can make quite the improvement heading into next season. However, that could prove to be easier said than done. In fact, I'd argue that's the hardest part of a rebuild - finding the right pieces to perfectly complement the franchise centerpiece.

Even though the Spurs likely won't win many games down the stretch and will almost certainly finish with a top 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, a quick turnaround for this team could be on the horizon.