MY NBA NEW YEARS WISH FOR EVERY TEAM

With New Years right around the corner, it’s time to take a look at the most important item on each and every NBA team’s wish list.

One of the biggest days of the NBA calendar — and the most wonderful days of the year in general — is approaching. With only one weekend separating us from Jan 1st, it’s easy to start looking ahead to the slate of games for the New Year, the haul of wishes that await basketball fans and the turning of the calendar year to 2019.

However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we’ve got one last chance to take a look at what our favorite NBA teams should have at the top of their holiday wish list.

All 30 teams in the association have given their fanbase a gift at one time or another. From game-winning buzzer-beaters to championship runs to underdog stories and everything in between, NBA basketball is the gift that keeps on giving.

With that being said no team is perfect — not even the Golden State Warriors. Each and every one needs something heading into the holiday season, so with New Year’s just around the corner, now is the best time to examine what those things are.

In that holiday spirit, it’s time to take a look at the biggest item at the top of the wish list for all 30 NBA teams (in alphabetical order). Some of these gifts may take a while to materialize, but for the most part, they provide a good idea of what each team should be wishing for with the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign in mind.

ATLANTA HAWKS: CHEMISTRY FOR TRAE YOUNG AND JOHN COLLINS

John Collins‘ return to the lineup hasn’t had a profound impact on the Atlanta Hawks‘ trajectory. This is still undoubtedly a rebuilding franchise, without an established star in place. The cornerstones are there, but making sure they fit together is the next step.

Before Collins made his season debut, Atlanta had gone 3-12, ranking 30th in offensive rating (101.1) and 26th in defensive rating (110.9). In the 15 games he’s played, the Hawks have gone 4-11, improving to 27th in offensive rating (103.6) and 23rd in defensive rating despite posting a slightly worse number in that category (111.7).

Collins has had a positive impact, but not an overbearing one by any means. He and rookie Trae Young developing chemistry is paramount, especially for the team’s centerpiece who’s a nifty passer and its athletic rim-roller and dynamic finisher. Young’s numbers have fallen off since his hot start for a number of reasons, but the contrast with and without Collins is striking, and needs to start trending in the opposite direction:

• Young without Collins: 16.7 PPG, 8.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, .400/.256/.814 shooting splits
• Young with Collins: 14.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 2.1 RPG, .357/.243/.766 shooting splits

BOSTON CELTICS: AN ESTABLISHED ROTATION

Ever since Marcus Smart (and Marcus Morris) joined the starting lineup, the Boston Celtics are 8-2, including an eight-game win streak. Gordon Hayward‘s rust, plus a minor Jaylen Brown injury and his own season-long struggles, paved the way for these changes. For the time being, this may have to be the new status quo.

No one’s under the illusion that either of the Marcuse’s is more important to the team’s long-term future than Hayward and Brown (unless Anthony Davis suddenly becomes available on the trade market, which isn’t happening anytime soon). With that being said, these changes from Brad Stevens have brought stability to a team that started 10-10.

Ten games is a small sample size, but the early returns have been promising. Brown and Hayward have been up-and-down, but the highs have been more encouraging than anything they showed in the starting lineup. Smart provides defense and doesn’t soak up the shots Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum need to excel, while Morris is having the best year of his career. Fingers crossed this new rotation is finally the answer to the Celtics’ question of how to feed so many hungry mouths.

BROOKLYN NETS: CLARITY ON 2019 NBA FREE AGENCY

A return to the playoffs would be nice, but with Caris LeVert out for the foreseeable future, that might be unrealistic for the Brooklyn Nets, even as they sit only 0.5 games out of the 8-seed at the moment.

Since the Nets own their own first round draft pick this year (finally), missing the playoffs certainly wouldn’t be the end of the world.  A little clarity on D’Angelo Russell‘s true value would be nice, however, especially when factoring in Spencer Dinwiddie‘s contract extension and the franchise plans to put max cap space to good use on a marquee free agent.

Can a team that’s been so bad for so long turn the corner with a big-name star? It’s difficult to say, cap space and attractive location notwithstanding. Is Russell the team’s long-term solution at point guard or a legitimate star in the making? Again, difficult to say. Getting a feel for the lay of the land and being able to evaluate Russell all year long is key for the next 4-5 months.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS: HELP FOR KEMBA WALKER

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Kemba Walker desperately needs help. Leading the Charlotte Hornets in scoring at 25.1 points per game, his next-closest teammate is Jeremy Lamb, who’s averaging 15.1 points per game.

Kemba can be a one-man wrecking crew, as his 60-point detonation showed, but he’s not perfect. He’s not a top-10, or even a top-15 player in this league, and on the nights where he’s not cooking, the Hornets’ entire kitchen might as well be on fire.

With Walker approaching unrestricted free agency and the Hornets hovering on the cusp of the playoff picture in .500 territory, the pressure is on to make the playoffs, prove franchise pillars are already in place and reaffirm that re-signing in Buzz City wouldn’t be a mistake. Both sides have been adamant about wanting this relationship to last for the long haul, but a little reassurance this team is actually going places sure wouldn’t hurt.

CHICAGO BULLS: AN ACTIVE NBA TRADE DEADLINE

The Chicago Bulls have the worst record in the league, the worst point differential and fired their head coach a few weeks ago. To be honest, new head coach Jim Boylen is probably heading for a swift exit too if he keeps his military style practices and mutiny-inspiring tactics up.

It’s pretty clear this is going to be a lost season for the rebuilding Bulls, and outside of Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Zach LaVine (and maybe Kris Dunn), everyone is expendable. As the trade deadline approaches, Chicago should aim to turn a few expiring contracts and useful NBA players into young players or draft assets.

Robin Lopez, Justin Holiday, even Bobby Portis — all of these guys have value and could fetch some kind of asset in a trade. Moving Jabari Parker would be nice, but with that $20 million salary, it’ll be difficult. Either way, the Bulls should be big sellers given the way the season has gone thus far.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: STOCKPILE MORE ASSETS

The Cleveland Cavaliers are already off to a good start on this front, dealing Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz for Alec Burks and two future second round picks, and then moving George Hill to the Milwaukee Bucks for the larger salaries of Matthew Dellavedova and John Henson while pocketing first and second round picks in 2021.

Next up on the agenda to replenish the cupboard: moving J.R. Smith. The much-maligned wing gunner is currently away from the team until a trade can be worked out, and the Cavs will be hoping they can snag a young player or a draft asset of some sort for his services.

Trading Kevin Love once he’s trade-eligible is another conversation (and one worth having), but for now, the Cavs should focus on stockpiling future picks and youngsters to evaluate in a season that’s not going anywhere in the win-loss column.

DALLAS MAVERICKS: A PLAYOFF BERTH

The Dallas Mavericks may currently sit in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, but they’re only 0.5 games back of the 8-seed. That’s how tight the playoff race is in the West, and after an ugly 2-7 start, hardly anyone expected them to respond as a potential playoff team.

But respond they did, sporting a 13-8 record since, and that mark would be even better if not for their current four-game skid. The Mavs aren’t world-beaters, but Luka Doncic has been truly impressive and now that Harrison Barnes is on the court, they’re finding their groove. Everyone wants to make the postseason, but doing so would hold a particular significance to this group.

Give Rick Carlisle a couple of talented guys, some quality role players and a little depth and he’s able to churn out playoff-caliber teams with dangerous second units. That’s exactly what’s happening in Dallas at the moment, and with this possibly being Dirk Nowitzki‘s final season, returning to the playoffs is the only real goal that makes any sense. Check back with Santa in April.

DENVER NUGGETS: A RETURN TO FULL HEALTH

It’s pretty remarkable the Denver Nuggets have risen to the top spot in the Western Conference standings despite the injury woes they’ve faced early on. Last year, Paul Millsap missing half the season was a crutch for falling short of the playoffs on the last night of the regular season.

This year, despite Will Barton missing 28 games, Millsap missing five and expected to miss another 3-5 weeks, and Gary Harris missing nine games and expected to be sidelined for another 2-3 weeks, the Nuggets have the second-best record in the NBA, the second-best point differential out West, a top-10 defense and offense, and have won 11 of their last 13 games.

It’s scary what Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and an improved Denver bench are doing right now. Just imagine what this team will be capable of if Millsap, Harris, Barton, Isaiah Thomas and — God forbid — Michael Porter Jr. can actually get healthy and shake that rust off.

DETROIT PISTONS: 3-POINT SHOOTERS

Despite taking 33.8 3-pointers per game (seventh-most in the league), the Detroit Pistons aren’t a good 3-point shooting team. They’re converting just 33 percent of those looks (28th in the NBA) and only boast two rotation players shooting better than 35 percent from downtown.

Those two players in question are Reggie Bullock (39.8 percent on 5.9 attempts per game) and Blake Griffin (37.3 percent on 6.3 attempts per game). Griffin’s drastic improvement in this area is commendable, but outside of him and Bullock, the Pistons are sorely lacking in floor-spacing.

With Luke Kennard back in the starting lineup, hopefully he rises through the ranks and improves his 34.2 percent shooting on 3.2 long range attempts per game. Most likely though, Detroit will need to make some moves at the trade deadline to strengthen this glaring Achilles heel.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: THE RETURN OF BOOGIE

Whether it comes in January or February, before or after the All-Star break, DeMarcus Cousins‘ return has to go smoothly — both for the Golden State Warriors‘ and DeMarcus Cousins’ sake. Obviously January would give Boogie and the Dubs more time to mesh before the playoffs, but whenever he winds up making his debut, finding the right balance on the court will be paramount.

The Warriors have mostly coasted through this season as they often do, sporting a less than dominant record and point differential because of injury problems. Once everyone is back to 100 percent, the time for excuses will be over. Not long after the initial transition period, every loss with Cousins on the floor will be heavily dissected and scrutinized.

If this works out, it’ll be one of the greatest single-season pickups in NBA history. A team with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is already unfair, so if Cousins can get healthy and bring some rebounding, passing, interior scoring and floor-spacing to the mix without derailing a championship aspirations, the Warriors will have it made in the shade.

HOUSTON ROCKETS: A NEW HAMSTRING FOR CHRIS PAUL

Originally, something like a defensive wing would’ve fit nicely in the Houston Rockets‘ stocking, but after Chris Paul exited the team’s game Thursday night with a strained hamstring, that takes precedence over everything else.

It’s not just because the Rockets are 0-5 this season, or because he has a history of hamstring injuries.  It’s also because he just signed a whopping four-year, $160 million contract that extends through his age-36 season, and starting off year one with a kind of setback like this is extremely worrisome.

Houston is only one game above .500 at the moment, clinging to the final playoff spot out West. It’s still early, of course, and James Harden is playing like a man on fire at the moment, but the Rockets could be in big trouble if CP3 misses significant time … or worse, if this injury rears its ugly head again down the road.

INDIANA PACERS: STAYING UNDER THE RADAR

Closing out games has not been a strong suit for the Indiana Pacers of late, but they posted a more than respectable 7-4 mark when Victor Oladipo was sidelined. They also won seven straight games before the recent two-game skid. By virtually every measure, this team is damn good, and largely overlooked among the Eastern Conference elite.

The thing is … that might be okay. This team functions better as an underdog, and even during the days of title contention with Reggie Miller, or more recently with Paul George, this franchise has historically embraced the underdog identity. This year’s dark horse team shouldn’t be any different.

While securing a high seed is still important for a Pacers squad that’s 11-5 within the confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, even if they wind up as the 5-seed just on the outside of the Raptors-Celtics-76ers-Bucks quartet everyone expects at the top, staying under the radar is how the Pacers nearly dethroned LeBron James last year.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: LESS AVERY BRADLEY

Everyone’s thinking it at this point: The Los Angeles Clippers play Avery Bradley way too much. Although his 29.6 minutes per game don’t seem detrimental, that’s quite a large chunk in the rotation for a guy putting up 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on paltry .369/.269/.818 shooting splits.

True enough, there are two ends to the court, but L.A.’s defense is actually slightly better when he’s not on the court. Whether it’s by taking him out of the starting lineup or simply playing him fewer minutes, Doc Rivers has to stop showing so much love to one of his former Celtics.

The Clippers’ 18-13 start is a great story and this team has enough balance and depth to hold on all season long for a playoff berth. If they’re going to get there though, reducing Bradley’s minutes is a must.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: A QUIET TRADE DEADLINE

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t have a championship-caliber roster right now, so yeah; trading for Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard or another “Future Laker” would be great. The thing is … isn’t this what was expected? This roster wasn’t supposed to challenge for the crown in year one, and making a hasty trade to speed that process along would just result in a loss of young talent.

If Magic Johnson can turn an expiring contract like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope into something neat, or AD suddenly becomes available, then sure, go for it. Other than that though, guys like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and even Hart should be nowhere near the trade block.

It’s only natural to want to avoid wasting a year of LeBron James’ prime. He’s about to turn 34 years old, and even a cyborg like the King will break down at some point. With that being said, he knew what he was signing on for, and too often we’ve seen LeBron teams make panic moves that backfire, feeling the pressure of trying to appease the best player in basketball. Even for the NBA’s premier organization with the league’s best player, free agency is still where this team should set its sights for a game-changing move.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: CLARITY

The Memphis Grizzlies are a much better team when Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are healthy, as they quickly proved with their 12-5 start. Since then, however, the Grizzlies have gone 4-10, spiraling down the Western Conference standings as the prospect of their top-eight protected first round pick starts to look more and more tempting.

Thanks to the Jeff Green trade back in 2015, Memphis owes the Celtics its 2019 first round pick if it lands in the 9-30 range. However, if the Grizzlies miss the postseason, wind up with one of the worst records in the league and secure a top-eight pick, they’ll retain their selection.

Jaren Jackson Jr. looks like a franchise cornerstone, but with Conley and Gasol getting up there in age and this team’s window for contention looking more like a rearview mirror, rebuilding needs to become the top priority at some point. The question is, are we there yet? And does this front office finally abandon the Grit-N-Grind, trade Gasol and Conley and fully embrace the tank?

MIAMI HEAT: ROSTER FIREWORKS

Even after Thursday’s win against the Rockets pushed the Miami Heat to three straight victories, they still sport a losing record at 14-16. Goran Dragic is out for the next two months due to a knee procedure, and if the season ended today, this team would be missing the playoffs.

All the reports say the Heat are not interested in tanking, which makes sense — they’re too good to lose games, but probably not good enough for anything more than a first round playoff exit. That leaves them in NBA no-man’s land, with a bunch of bloated contracts that need to be moved before the rebuild can really get underway.

Josh Richardson, Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow form a nice foundation for the next chapter, but whether it’s Dragic, James Johnson, Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk or Tyler Johnson, this team has to start unloading unwanted salary. A major roster blow-up is unrealistic, but we’ll settle for some casual fireworks.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS: A FINALS RUN

Getting Giannis Antetokounmpo past the first round of the playoffs is step one, but with head coach Mike Budenholzer optimizing the Greek Freak and the rest of his teammates like never before, the time is now for the Milwaukee Bucks. This present is on a bit of a time delay, but on paper, this team has what it takes to challenge for a spot in the Finals.

A deadly 3-point attack and top-five offense? Check. Tons of length and a top-five defense? Check. The NBA’s best point differential? Check. The best player who could take over any potential seven-game series? Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors might have said something to say there, but other than that, check.

An Eric Bledsoe trade would normally be something to consider here, but the Bucks appear to be all in, and rightfully so. The John Henson/Matthew Dellavedova trade already freed up cap space to re-sign Khris Middleton, so for 2018-19, this team’s goal — and a realistic one at that — should be winning the East.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: A NEW HEAD COACH

Nothing personal for one of the NBA’s most respected head coaches, but Tom Thibodeau isn’t the right man for this job. He’s been unable to unleash Karl-Anthony Towns or Andrew Wiggins, and one could easily argue his misuse of them on offense, as well as his inability to improve them on defense, has stalled their development.

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t out of the playoff hunt just yet, and have looked more competitive since Jimmy Butler was shipped out, but Thibs is essentially coaching for his job now. With the Wolves sitting at 14th in the conference, he’s not building much goodwill at the moment.

The West is loaded, but between the Butler fiascos, a regressing team of youngsters and horribly mismanaged rotations, what the Wolves need this Christmas is a new leader on the sidelines.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: THE LONG-AWAITED TRADE FOR A TWO-WAY WING

Between Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle, the New Orleans Pelicans have all the offensive talent in the world. Even with an average 3-point attack, the Pellies rank fourth in offensive rating. No, the problem is the other end, where AD and Holiday somehow aren’t enough to keep this team’s 25th-ranked defense afloat.

When the Brow is on the floor, the Pelicans give up 108.0 points per 100 possessions. When he’s off the court that number balloons to 113.5. With Holiday, NOLA sports a defensive rating of 107.5. Without him, it leaps to 115.1. With only two stout defenders, this team desperately needs to manufacture a long-awaited trade for a 3-and-D wing.

Doing so without giving up one of Randle or Mirotic will be difficult, especially with Trevor Ariza off the market now. Most likely, the Pelicans will have to part with their 2019 first round pick to entice someone into surrendering wing help. But with AD’s future in New Orleans approaching a crucial point with his possible super max extension next summer, this franchise is running out of time to prove it can put a title contender around a legitimate MVP candidate.

NEW YORK KNICKS: KRISTAPS PORZINGIS’ RETURN

The New York Knicks have been able to feed developmental minutes to Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Damyean Dotson and Emmanuel Mudiay with Porzingis sidelined, but there’s no question the Unicorn is still this team’s centerpiece, and their only hope for being competitive.

Whether he dives back into action before the end of season or New York decides to proceed with even more caution, the Zinger’s return will immediately give more meaning to Knicks games beyond simple learning experiences for the youngsters.

Getting him back around the All-Star break and giving him a chance to shake off the rust in a lost season would be ideal, but the biggest Christmas gift Knicks fans can receive for 2019 is at least some sort of timeline when he’ll be back.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: A MIND-NUMBINGLY STINGY DEFENSE

While the Oklahoma City Thunder already boast the league’s stingiest defense per 100 possessions, the scary thing is, they could be even more stifling on that end if Santa Claus decides to leave a healthy Andre Roberson under the tree.

Though he’s still about three weeks away from being re-evaluated after an injury setback, Roberson was an All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2017 and is one of the game’s elite wing stoppers. With the way Paul George is clamping down on that end, plus Steven Adams anchoring the middle, this Oklahoma City defense will be head-and-shoulders above the competition if he can come back healthy.

A key player returning to the rotation always affects chemistry during the ensuing adjustment period, but the Thunder won’t need him to do much other than lock down on D. He’s more than capable there, which could serve as the catalyst for a more dangerous contender in OKC.

ORLANDO MAGIC: PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNGSTERS

Every team wants to make the postseason, but with Nikola Vucevic‘s career year likely leading to a pay day on the open market in free agency, the real benefit for the Orlando Magic would be giving their future franchise pillars playoff experience at a ripe young age.

Vucevic, Terrence Ross, Jonathon Simmons, D.J. Augustin — those guys might not be around past this season, let alone the foreseeable future. Still, even though they’re some of the team’s most reliable players right now, getting Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba their first look at playoff basketball — even in a short first round series — would be huge for a slowly churning rebuild.

Not only would it initiate them to what real NBA basketball looks like, but it’d establish winning as a habit to build on. To that end, continuing to hover around .500 territory and giving the youngsters new expectations moving forward would be a great way to expand their confidence and ultimately, their identity as franchise cornerstones — something the Magic have been unable to establish since Dwight Howard left.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: ADDING MORE DEPTH

Between Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler, the Philadelphia 76ers are all set on the star front. What they need now is 3-point shooting, consistency and depth outside of J.J. Redick.

Given Markelle Fultz‘s health problems and the issues that have plagued him to this point in his career, anything he provided would be a pleasant surprise, but they can hardly rely on him at this point. Rookie Landry Shamet is already taking on too much responsibility, Wilson Chandler looks washed up and Mike Muscala shouldn’t be starting on a playoff team.

With Trevor Ariza no longer being an option. The Sixers need to find a way to trade for wing depth and 3-point shooting. Their defense is middle-of-the-pack, as is their 3-point efficiency. To take the next step to being a legitimate title contender, they could use some extra depth.

PHOENIX SUNS: STABILITY

On and off the court, the Phoenix Suns have been to hell and back again about 17 different times this season. Despite frequent injuries to Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, no established NBA point guard and veterans like Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson dialing it in, things have possibly, maybe, (NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS) stabilized.

Ariza is gone, De’Anthony Melton has proven a capable starting point guard, Warren is quietly enjoying his best season yet, Booker is back and actually 100 percent healthy and this team may have finally settled into a set rotation. It might be the biggest Christmas miracle in the NBA.

It’s no coincidence the Suns have won four straight games during this stretch, playing their best basketball of the season. A trade for an upgrade at the 1 would still be nice, but at this point, all this young group really needs is some structure and stability for once. Phoenix may have finally turned a corner, but don’t say it too loud or change anything. You’ll just scare it off.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: CONSISTENCY FROM THE BENCH

It’s pretty simple for the Portland Trail Blazers, who started the season 10-3 before going 8-10 over their next 18 games: When their bench plays worth a damn, this looks like a competitive playoff team. When the second unit doesn’t show up, Rip City looks awfully vulnerable.

In 18 wins this season, the Blazers’ bench has averaged 40.1 points per game, posting .475/.382/.748 shooting splits with a plus/minus of +3.6. In 13 losses, those numbers plummet to 26.8 points per game on .402/.293/.714 shooting splits with a -7.8 plus/minus.

Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic are chugging along as they always have, but they can only do so much. The playoffs are going to be how this team is measured after underachieving there last year, but a nice Christmas present for the starters would be some reliability coming off the bench.

SACRAMENTO KINGS: JUST AVOID GOING FULL KANGZ

Being one game above .500 isn’t normally a monumental achievement 31 games into the season, but it sure feels like one for a Sacramento Kings franchise that hasn’t had reason for hope in over a decade.

De’Aaron Fox looks like a fringe All-Star, Bogdan Bogdanovic is healthy, Willie Cauley-Stein and Buddy Hield are showing signs of being franchise cornerstones and Dave Joerger has his team playing at a fun and frenetic pace that suits the youth on the roster.

Unfortunately, tensions between Joerger and the front office threaten to bring the whole thing crumbling down if the Kings go full KANGZ. The front office was right that Marvin Bagley III needed to play more, but please, Sacramento. Don’t ruin a good thing here.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS: 22 STRAIGHT

Something like “acceptance” or “gratitude for a historic playoff streak” is probably more appropriate, but let’s be real here: All San Antonio Spurs fans want for Christmas is a 22nd straight playoff appearance.

This team’s defense is underwhelming, its 3-point attack is efficient but operates on low volume, and there’s every possibility Gregg Popovich and the Spurs miss the postseason for the first time in over two decades. Even so, that stubbornness and dedication to competing is what makes the Spurs the Spurs.

Seeing as how Christmas is a season for hope, it felt more fitting for their biggest Christmas gift to be another year in the postseason, even if it’ll likely end in a first round exit. Tanking just isn’t in this team’s DNA. (Well, not since David Robinson‘s injury helped scoop up Tim Duncan, at least. And come to think of it, that did work out pretty well ….)

TORONTO RAPTORS: A HAPPY KAWHI LEONARD

The Toronto Raptors look like the most likely team to represent the East in the 2019 NBA Finals, and they have legitimate title aspirations this year. With that being said, the Warriors are still at the top of the league totem pole, and everyone’s eye up north is fixated on July, when free agency begins.

At that point, Kawhi Leonard can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. The whispers have been pointing toward Los Angeles for years now, and we’ve already seen his inner circle influence a trade demand from the Spurs, perhaps the NBA’s most well-respected organization for the last two decades.

That has to scare Raptors fans. Will a conference finals appearance be enough? What about an NBA Finals appearance? Would it take a championship to keep Leonard happy and in Toronto for the long haul? A deep playoff run ending in the organization’s first Larry O’Brien trophy is obviously the ultimately goal, but one overdue Christmas present in July would be a happy Kawhi Leonard who ultimately decides to stay with the Raptors beyond this season.

UTAH JAZZ: A MORE EFFICIENT DONOVAN MITCHELL

Last year, the Utah Jazz started the season 19-28 before ending on a 29-6 tear that resulted in a conference semifinals appearance. So no, it’s not time to panic over their 15-17 start just yet.

However, the difference was last year, the Jazz rode Donovan Mitchell‘s expanded role and Rudy Gobert‘s return to action to their hot streak. This team was supposed to carry that same momentum forward in 2018-19. So far, it hasn’t materialized, and Mitchell’s inefficiency has played a large role in those struggles.

It’s unfair to pin all of a team’s shortcomings on one 22-year-old in his second year in the league, but Utah also relies on him for offense. He’s upped his scoring to 20.9 points per game, but his assists have dropped to 3.3 per game and his .411/.296/.814 shooting splits on such a high volume are ugly. If Mitchell doesn’t get back to Rookie Donovan Mitchell’s more efficient output, the Jazz’s 24th-ranked offense could be in real trouble.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: APPRECIATING ASSETS

Trevor Ariza is the Washington Wizards‘last chance at salvaging this season, and quite possibly this core’s future together. If (read: “when”) that fails, it’ll be time for management to stop putting Band-Aids on wounds that require amputation.

A more fitting Christmas wish would be someone trading for Otto Porter Jr. or John Wall‘s appalling contracts, but that probably isn’t going to happen before February. Bradley Beal is the team’s most attractive asset, but he’s also the one Washington should cling to for the inevitable rebuild that’s coming.

The Wizards actually aren’t that far away from a bottom-rung playoff spot, sitting three games behind the current 8-seed. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely something so broken will somehow come together for anything more than a first round exit. At this point, the kindest gift Santa can bring is mercy in the form of Wall and Porter playing so well that some other desperate team makes a generous trade offer to jumpstart the next chapter.