​Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum is coming off a season that saw him find a new home and help put Atlanta back in the playoffs.The 34-year-old was traded from Washington to Atlanta midseason and quickly became one of the most important players on a 46-36 Hawks team that earned the sixth seed in the East.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMcCollum and the Hawks drew the third-seeded New York Knicks in the first round, and while they lost the series in six games, Atlanta was the only team to truly test New York on its way to its first title in over five decades.During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, McCollum shared what he saw from the Knicks up close during their first-round series.”I wasn’t surprised they won. I actually told OG [Anunoby] at the free-throw line, ‘I think you guys can win the championship,'” McCollum said. “Looking at their roster, how they were playing, meshing, and their focus and intensity, I saw a team capable of making a deep run.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”[The Knicks] figured something out. We pushed them to the limit,” McCollum added.The numbers back him up, too, as McCollum averaged 18.7 points, 3.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game during the regular season on 45.5 percent shooting and stepped up in the playoffs with 19.2 points per game against New York.He scored 32 in a Game 2 win and hit the game-winner in Game 3 to give the Hawks a 2-1 series lead, making Atlanta the toughest matchup the Knicks faced in a 16-3 postseason run.After falling behind 2-1, the Knicks rattled off three straight wins to close the series and never looked back.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNew York swept the 76ers in the second round, swept the Cavaliers in the conference finals and beat the Spurs in five to win the title.OG Anunoby was a huge part of that run, averaging 20.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the postseason after putting up 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds during the regular season.After the Hawks series, the Knicks only lost one more game the rest of the way, which makes Atlanta’s two wins all the more impressive.McCollum is running it back with the Hawks after signing a one-year, $21 million extension in June, and Atlanta will look to build on its best season in over a decade.But the Knicks are bringing back their entire starting five of Jalen Brunson, Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the East is only getting tougher. Miami added Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia brought in Jaylen Brown, and Cleveland is still searching for answers.