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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22. Atlanta Hawks

In the midst of another disappointing season, I'm not really sure what to make of the Atlanta Hawks at the moment. On paper, they should be much better than the 11th-best team in the Eastern Conference. But, as the saying goes, you are what your records say you are. And at this point, the Hawks' record says they're a below-average team. At some point, that's not going to cut it. You'd have to imagine if the Hawks have finally gotten to that point.

Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, there's a very good chance that the Hawks end up making some big changes. There have been whispers that Dejounte Murray is going to get moved by the deadline and if that does end up being the case, it will mark a stark change in the direction of the Hawks. If they were to move on from Murray, it could mean more than a retooling. It could mean a complete philosophy change around Trae Young.

Either way, heading into the trade deadline, the Hawks are certainly a team to keep an eye on. There's a very good chance that the Hawks look like a very different team in a few weeks.