5 Reasons New York Knicks Will Be No. 2 Seed in 2013 NBA Playoffs

The New York Knicks' seventh-seeded regular season finish wasn't exactly where the team envisioned itself as New York walked off the court after a thrilling opening day win against the Boston Celtics.

But it wasn't to be, and the Knicks met their end at the hands of a better Miami Heat team that showed New York there was another level they needed to reach in order to become NBA champions.

Looking ahead, the Knicks' prospects of finishing in a more favorable seed for the 2013 playoffs are looking a lot better thanks to the ever-changing atmosphere of the NBA.

Here's why the Knicks will be the second-best team in the Eastern Conference next season.

Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic Taking a Step Back

Another early playoff exit for the Atlanta Hawks further proves that if no improvements can be made, they are nothing better than a fourth, fifth or sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and certainly not an elite team in the NBA.

In Orlando, the Magic have to decide whether their top center, Dwight Howard, is committed to them long-term. If not, the Magic could look to trade D12 so they don't end up losing him for nothing when he hits the market after the 2012-13 season.

That trade could potentially happen before the season even starts.

Whatever the case may be, both teams won't be huge threats to win the East next season, or any season moving forward.

The Knicks were a combined 4-2 against the Hawks (2-1) and Magic (2-1) last season.

Knicks Are Better Than the Indiana Pacers

The Pacers didn't fair so well against the Knicks last season as New York blew Indiana out in two of three matchups. The only loss came from an epic collapse that saw the Knicks blow a commanding, double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

It's safe to say the Knicks have the Pacers' number sans one bad fourth quarter.

As it stands now, the Pacers look to be the next best team behind the Heat, seeing as how some of the usual suspects in the East might not be fully intact moving forward.

That being the case, if the Knicks are clearly better than the Pacers, there's no reason why coach Mike Woodson's squad can't be a No. 2 seed ahead of Indiana.

Boston Celtics Potential Break-Up

The Knicks still weren't able to get past the Boston Celtics and win the Atantic division, but that could soon change not so far into the future.

Boston could see the end of days and an era after the 2012 playoffs are over.

With an aging group of stars, general manager Danny Ainge will look to rebuild for the future with younger talent that will most likely revolve around Rajon Rondo.

There will be some growing pains as Boston fills its roster with some younger players to complement both Rondo and Paul Pierce.

The potential departure or possible retirement of Kevin Garnett (per Steve Aschburner of NBA.com) would leave a gaping hole in Boston's defense. If they can't fill that void, the Celts won't be as good without their newest center.

Predicting the future of this team at this point is difficult, and there's no telling the lengths Ainge will go to bring some youth to his team's roster. That could mean major overhaul at the expense of winning, and that will put the Celts behind the Knicks in the standings next season.

Derrick Rose Injury

Say what you want about the overall production the Chicago Bulls got from their role players, they will sorely miss their star point guard, Derrick Rose, next season.

According to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, Rose will miss approximately eight to 12 months with the torn ACL he suffered during the playoffs.

"

Cole believes Rose's recovery will be between 8-12 months.

— Nick Friedell (@ESPNChiBulls) May 15, 2012"

Rose could miss up to half of the 2012-13 season, and that fact alone could drop the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings. That's not to say they won't compete, but they won't be elite without the former No. 1 overall pick.

Not to mention, the Knicks would have a much better chance of beating the Bulls whether the team improves or not.

18-6

Under their then-new head coach Mike Woodson, the Knicks finished the regular season 18-6 after the switch.

At that pace, the Knicks would have been among the best teams in the NBA, let alone the Eastern Conference.

Woodson will return for another season and then some after signing an extension with the Knicks, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNEWYORK.com.

Defensively, New York was among the best in the NBA in efficiency with the help of Tyson Chandler and, later, Woodson's defensive knowledge, also per Ian Begley of ESPNNEWYORK.com. Both helped change the culture of this team, and it just so happens that specific culture is one of the keys to being a championship contender moving forward.

Any group of players surrounding the likes of Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert and Jeremy Lin will be enough to duplicate the success the 2011-12 Knicks had in the second half of the season.

The Knicks just have to hope they avoid injuries with a normal 82-game season as opposed to the compressed madness that led to numerous devastating injuries for New York this past season.