As I prepare for 2019, I assign a New Year’s Resolution to every NBA
team The 2018 calendar year hasn’t let us down by any stretch of
the imagination, and I still have a few more days in order to make it more
memorable. However, 2019 could be even more intriguing, especially with a few
recent trends that we’re beginning to see in the NBA.
From the Golden State
Warriors not looking as potent as years past to the
potential of Anthony Davis being traded sooner
rather than later, there is a real chance that I could see some real changes in
the Association in the next few months.
Which is why I want to assign a New Year’s Resolution to
each team, ahead of the turn of the calendar.
Another way to think as a New Year’s Resolution is to think
of it as somewhat of a goal for teams. While, on the surface, each team should
be gunning for an NBA Championship. We know all too well that isn’t always the
case.
For some teams, that’s not a feasible goal. And it wouldn’t
be fair to put those types of expectations on them. With that said, let’s take
a look at what each team’s New Year’s Resolution should be as I head into the
year 2019.
ATLANTA HAWKS: LAND A SECOND BUILDING BLOCK
IN THE 2019 NBA DRAFT
The Atlanta Hawks have
some serious work to be done on their roster construction before they become a
playoff team again, much less serious NBA Title contenders, but they’ve done
well by adding Trae Young and John Collins over the last two NBA
Drafts.
The majority thought is that while Collins has posted good
numbers to start the season, he’s probably not a primary building block for the
team. He is a good role player, but won’t be the centerpiece of any good
franchise. And that’s not a knock on him, that’s just the where the NBA is at
the moment.
With that said, the hope is that Trae Young can be one of
those primary pieces. He’s flashed at different moments this season, but still
has a ways to go when it comes to consistency and efficiency.
There’s no question that the Hawks’ New Year’s Resolution
this season should be adding a second building block in the 2019 NBA Draft,
assuming they’ll be picking in the top 5 once again.
BOSTON CELTICS: TRADING FOR ANTHONY DAVIS
There’s a war coming for Anthony Davis, assuming that he
hits the NBA Trade Block this summer (and there’s growing belief around the
league that he will) and you can bet that the Boston
Celtics will be at the center of it.
The team that the Celtics need to worry most about, when it
comes to the fight for Davis will likely be the Los Angeles
Lakers. Like the Celtics, the Lakers have some real young pieces
on their roster that could probably spark the interest of the New Orleans
Pelicans in any trade talks.
The Celtics have struggled, to a certain extent, this season
and it would be huge if this team could and a player of the caliber of Anthony
Davis. He would likely right the ship and get this team right where they want
to be.
BROOKLYN NETS: ADDING A BIG-NAME FREE AGENT
DURING THE SUMMER
The Brooklyn
Nets have seemingly done everything right over the last few
off-seasons. So much so that they’ll likely is a sneaky good landing spot for
any big-name player looking to make a splash during the summer.
And the great thing about the Nets is that they have some
young talent already on the roster. Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen have all been good for
Brooklyn this season, even more so as of late.
The fact that we’ve already talked about three young players
without mentioning their best overall talent tells you all you need to know
about this team’s future prospects. Assuming Caris LeVert returns to health, the
Nets could be one big free agent signing from making a return to the playoffs.
It’s no secret: The Charlotte
Hornets want to re-sign Kemba Walker. And with the way that
he’s played this season, it actually wouldn’t be a bad idea after all. Walker
is averaging a career high 25 points, four rebounds and six assists on 43
percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range.
Even though the Hornets are not in a great spot when it
comes to their salary cap situation, they’re actually out of it after next
season. If they can keep Walker for the foreseeable future, they’ll be able to
rebuild around him during the summer of 2020.
It might be a big gamble, but Walker is proving that he can
be a core player in today’s NBA, which caters to a more guard-oriented roster
construction.
CHICAGO BULLS: SPENDING MONEY WISELY
Whether they trade Jabari Parker for a good return or not
is irrelevant at this point. What’s done is done, and the team made a clear mistake
when it comes to giving him a two-year, $40 million contract last summer.
Even though there’s not really anything that they can do
about it now, their goal for the New Year is to spend their money wisely moving
forward. This current Chicago
Bulls team is a roster of misfits and they have been really
bad this season.
The good news is that they will get a clean slate this
summer, whether they trade Parker or decline the team option after this season.
Hopefully, they don’t make the same mistake by throwing money around just for
the heck of it.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: EMBRACING A COMPLETE
REBUILD
After losing LeBron James during the summer,
the Cleveland
Cavaliers didn’t really pivot towards a complete rebuild.
And I believe that was real mistake on part of the team, and it’s forcing them
into somewhat of a lost season this year.
Kevin Love was extended during the
summer, but if the team doesn’t plan on trading him then I’m not sure I get the
signing. He might be a good player, but he’s not a player that can carry a team
anymore at this stage in his career.
The team should look to trade him sooner rather than later,
probably when he’s healthy again, and do their best in ridding themselves of
some of the terrible veteran contracts on their roster at the same time. It
won’t be easy, but this team needs to rebuild the right way.
I don’t think there’s any question that the future of
the Dallas
Mavericks will feature a good amount of Luka Doncic. He’s
been great during his rookie season, and has arguably already wrapped up the
NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
In his inaugural NBA season, Doncic is averaging 19 points,
five assists and seven rebounds per game. He’s also shooting 43 percent from
the field and 35 percent from 3-point range, including a number of big-time
moments already in his young career.
The Mavericks need to make Doncic the centerpiece of the
franchise, and cater to his every need. From here on out, the team should be
building around Doncic.
DENVER NUGGETS: SECURING A PLAYOFF SPOT
This might be an oversight by most NBA fans, especially if
you’ve been paying attention to what the Denver
Nuggets are doing this season. But in the NBA, every season
should be a step in any franchise’s road to a championship.
Right now, the Nuggets should be focusing on making the
playoffs – not winning a playoff series. I say that because this team has, over
the last two years, seen hot streaks fall in vain. They missed the playoffs by
one game last year and the year before.
This Nuggets team is immensely talented, and has continued
to look impressive despite numerous injuries to rotation players, but making
the playoffs should be the first step in 2019.
When Blake Griffin is heathy, the Detroit
Pistons are good. When he isn’t and not playing at a high
level, well they’re just an under-achieving team with a ton of big names. If
the Pistons are going to make the playoffs this season, and potentially improve
heading into next season, they’re going to do it with a heathy Blake.
Griffin has had somewhat of a resurgent year this season,
averaging 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists with the Pistons this year
and it has resulted in the team currently sitting in the 6th spot of the
Eastern Conference.
If Detroit wants to keep this momentum going, it’s going to
be centered around Blake Griffin.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: COMPLETING THE
THREE-PEAT
The Golden
State Warriors have had an amazing run over the last few
seasons, and there’s only one thing that this team should be worried about
right now. And that’s completing the Three-Peat, etching their names in NBA
lore.
They shouldn’t be worried about re-signing Kevin Durant or DeMarcus Cousins, or making sure Klay Thompson gets his shots so he’ll
want to return too. This team should have their mind on winning their third NBA
Championship in a row and four in five years.
Even if it comes at the expense of one or two of their
stars, winning the NAB Championship this year will place this team and
franchise amongst other NBA greats.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: KEEPING THE CHAMPIONSHIP
WINDOW OPEN
The Houston
Rockets may have recovered from their terrible start to the
season, but there are some growing concerns that this team has seen its NBA
Championship window close, just months removed from falling one game short of
knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
Nevertheless, the goal for this team in 2019 should be to
keep it open as long as possible. I’m not sure if they can actually do that –
considering that Father Time is undefeated – but if they can, perhaps by making
a move or two before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Rockets need to do everything
in their power to remain championship contenders.
They paid Chris Paul big money over the summer
for just that, and need to make sure that they see some sort of dividends for
investing big time in an aging superstar.
INDIANA PACERS: ADVANCE PAST THE FIRST-ROUND
OF THE NBA PLAYOFFS
The Indiana
Pacers nearly knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the
first-round of the NBA Playoffs last seasons, but if they want to be taken
seriously moving forward, they’re going to need to start producing results when
it matters most.
That means not just taking a team to seven games in the
first-round, but coming way with a first-round playoff win. Right now, the
Pacers would host a playoff series if the season ended today. But it’s not, and
if you had to guess the Pacers will likely be playing the fourth or fifth seed
in the first-round this year.
That means a potential playoff matchup against a team like
the Celtics or 76ers. It won’t be easy, but knocking one of those teams out of
the playoffs would go a long way in legitimizing this team.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: LAND KAWHI LEONARD
Make no mistake about it; the Los Angeles
Clippers have their eyes locked on Kawhi Leonard as the
summer approaches. And with the likes of the Lakers and Celtics keying on
Anthony Davis, and the Sixers landing Jimmy Butler a few weeks ago, there
might be a clear path for the Clippers landing their guy.
It won’t be easy to pry Leonard away from the Toronto
Raptors, especially if their magic continues all the way to the
NBA Finals this season, but if there’s one team that has the inside track in
landing the all-star it’s the Clippers.
Expect the whispers to only grow as we inch closer to the
off-season and NBA Free Agency, but Leonard to the Clippers is looking more and
more plausible.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: TRADING FOR ANTHONY
DAVIS
Why yes, this is the same New Year’s Resolution as the
Celtics’. That means one of the two won’t achieve theirs. Either way, it proves
just how important the war for Anthony Davis will be this summer. And it’s one
that the Los Angeles
Lakers can’t really afford to lose.
Assuming that Kawhi Leonard doesn’t have much interest in
playing with LeBron, that Klay Thompson isn’t going to leave the Warriors, that
Kevin Durant won’t move there either and that Jimmy Butler is going to re-sign
with the Sixers, there isn’t another big-name out there that is a realistic
option for the Lakers.
That’s why it’s imperative that they can land Davis, if he
hits the trade market. If LeBron is going to have any chance at winning another
NBA Championship, this is the first domino that has to drop.
The Memphis
Grizzlies pretty much have to eat the next two seasons.
Unless Marc Gasol opts out of the final year of his contract (which is worth
more than $25 million), the Grizzlies will likely have to sit and just wait it
out.
While Gasol and Mike Conley are still good and have their
moments, they’re no longer good enough to be the building blocks of good team.
They might not even be good enough to lead a team to the playoffs anymore.
What Memphis has to figure out is what life without these
two is going to look like in the not-too-distant future.
MIAMI HEAT: GETTING SOME BAD CONTRACTS OFF
THEIR BOOKS
If the Miami Heat don’t
want to embrace the tank, fine. I get it. They don’t tank. All that Heat
culture nonsense. Cool. If they really think it’s a game-changer for their
franchise and a potential recruiting tool in the future, so be it.
However, there’s no question that this team needs to focus
on getting some of these horrific contracts off their books if they can. The
next couple seasons won’t be about making the playoffs or even making a deep
playoff run, it’ll be about clearing their books for potential big-game hunting
during the off-season sooner rather than later.
The Heat have some really bad contracts on their books and
it starts with the likes of Dion Waiters, James Johnson and Tyler Johnson. Woof.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: KEEPING THIS CORE TOGETHER
TO SEE WHAT THEIR CEILING IS
The Milwaukee
Bucks have been one of the most intriguing and surprising
teams this season, and they’ve been led by their NBA MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, they have
some work to do in keeping this core together.
Khris Middleton is a free agent after
this season, and is going to command huge money offers on the open market. It
could prove to be difficult for this team to retain Middleton, but the Bucks
need to do everything in their power to do so.
This team has been sensational under new head coach Mike
Budenholzer, and could only be scratching the surface on their true potential.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: FINDING A NEW HOME
FOR ANDREW WIGGINS
I think it’s time to call it. While he has shown flashes of
his potential over the first few years of his career, I think it’s safe to say
that it might be best for all parties involved for the Minnesota
Timberwolves and Andrew Wiggins to move on from each other.
And while they may be trying to get his trade value up, I
believe they need a clean break from each other sooner rather than later. The
Wolves should focus the rebuild around Karl-Anthony Towns and try to acquire
a high pick in this year’s NBA Draft – I know, easier said than done.
The Wolves need a new lead man; I think that’s very well
evident.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: GET A BIDDING WAR
BETWEEN THE LAKERS AND CELTICS STARTED
The uneven start to the season hasn’t helped, but I think
it’s been pretty evident that the end is near for the New Orleans
Pelicans. Not necessarily the end of the franchise, but the end
of Anthony Davis in a Pelicans uniform.
There’s really not much the team can do now to avoid it, but
what they can do is get as much as possible in a potential trade. And that
means starting a bidding war between the Lakers and Celtics during the summer.
If they can successfully start a bidding war, the Pelicans
could end up raking a nice package in exchange for Anthony Davis. At this
point, that’s really best they can do.
NEW YORK KNICKS: LAND ONE OF THE BIG 3 IN
THE 2019 NBA DRAFT
As it currently stands, the New York
Knicks are tied for the third-worst record in the NBA and
only one game back of the worst record in the league. One quick shortcut to a
potential return to prominence in the NBA could be landing one of the Big 3 in
the 2019 NBA Draft.
And that should be the Knicks’ New Year’s Resolution. Could
you imagine if this team landing the top pick and added Zion Williamson
to Kristaps Porzingis? The Garden would be
rocking again, and the Knicks would automatically be relevant again – something
they’ve been seeking to do since the great duo of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire fell flat on their
faces.
The Knicks could embrace the tank. Hope is just around the
corner.
The Oklahoma City
Thunder may currently be a top 3 seed in the Western
Conference, but if they’re going to be considered a real threat come playoff
time they’re going to need a resurgent Russell Westbrook during the second half
of the season.
During the month of December, Westbrook has been really bad
from the field. He’s only averaging 17 points on 36 percent shooting from the
field and 29 percent from 3-point range. This can’t continue to be the case for
this team moving forward.
The exceptional play of Paul George has continued to keep the
Thunder afloat, but this team needs Westbrook on top of his game for the
stretch run.
ORLANDO MAGIC: RE-SIGN NIKOLA VUCEVIC
If the Orlando Magic aren’t
going to trade him at the NBA Trade Deadline, and nothing that has been
reported would suggest that they are, they need to make sure they can bring
Nikola Vucevic back for next season.
In the final year of his contract, Vucevic is having a
career year. The 7-foot big man is averaging a career high 20 points, 12
rebounds and four assists on 52 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent
from 3-point range.
If he’s going to continue to play at this level, there’s no
reason for the Magic not to bring him back next season. Especially if they
continue to be in the playoff mix this year.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: CAPITALIZE ON THE JIMMY
BUTLER ACQUISITION
The Philadelphia
76ers need to make sure they capitalize on the Jimmy Butler
acquisition in 2019, but right now that move alone simply doesn’t feel like
enough in the Eastern Conference. They are still squarely behind the likes of
Raptors and Celtics in hierarchy, but that needs to change for this team – and
core – to be considered a success.
Even more so assuming they pay Butler the type of contract
that he’s going to demand on the open market. And if the Sixers are going to
pay him that type of money, he has to be the game-changing talent that
completes The Process.
PHOENIX SUNS: WIN MORE GAMES
This may sound a bit silly, but this is plainly what
the Phoenix Suns need
to do more of in 2019. They continue to fall short on any expectations that are
placed on them, even if they are low compared to other teams.
The Suns have talent, there’s no question about it. Led
by Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, the Suns have the building
blocks to be special in the future. But that starts with taking the next step
as a franchise.
Right now, they’re stuck on the ground floor – a place that
they haven’t seemed to break out of over the last few years.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: DECIDE BETWEEN C.J.
MCCOLLUM AND DAMIAN LILLARD
I firmly believe that the Portland
Trail Blazers need to make a decision between Damian
Lillard and C.J. McCollum sooner rather than later. Despite their success in
the regular season, it’s clear that this team needs a shakeup to have a
breakthrough in the playoffs.
McCollum and Lillard are great players and a great duo,
there’s no doubt about it. Although, moving one of them for a player that would
be equally as effective in the front-court could be a game-changer for the
Blazers.
This team needs a shakeup, and it’s probably going to have
to come at the expense of one of McCollum or Lillard.
SACRAMENTO KINGS: NOT TRADE FUTURE
FLEXIBILITY FOR FAUX PLAYOFF HOPE THIS YEAR
In the Western Conference, the Sacramento
Kings have been one of the other great surprises of the NBA
this season. However, I don’t think that this team should fall in love with
their solid start to the season.
Even though the team is only a half game out of the final
playoff spot in the West, the Kings shouldn’t be buyers at the NBA Trade
Deadline in an attempt to make a last ditch effort for a playoff run. Less so
if it’s going to cost them future flexibility.
This team is fine, there’s no rush. They have made strides
this season and if it doesn’t result in a playoff berth there’s nothing to be
ashamed of. The last thing this team needs is to make another false hope heave
in exchange for future assets of cap space.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: FIND THE NEW FACE OF THE FRANCHISE
The San Antonio
Spurs have recovered from their rough start, but they still
don’t have a clear direction as a franchise. And while it would be easy to
blame Gregg Popovich for that, it wouldn’t be fair considering all the Kawhi
Leonard mess really came out of left field.
Nevertheless, the Spurs need a new face of the franchise and
I’m not sure he’s currently on the roster. DeMar DeRozan is a fine player, but I
don’t think he’s going to invent the wheel for the Spurs anytime soon.
It won’t come easy, but San Antonio needs to get creative
over the next off-seasons in their attempt to become a championship contender
again.
TORONTO RAPTORS: RE-SIGN KAWHI LEONARD
The Toronto
Raptors have had a great start to the season, and for much
of the year have looked like the best and most consistent team in the NBA – and
that includes the Warriors. And a big part of that is Kawhi Leonard.
The big goal for the Raptors in 2019 will be re-signing
Leonard, who is a free agent after the season. The thing is, even if the
Raptors make the NBA Finals (and eventually lose to the Warriors), there’s no
guarantee that Kawhi will re-sign.
Kawhi has been long linked to Los Angeles, and Toronto (I’m
pretty sure) isn’t that. So unless Kawhi really has a big change of heart, bringing
him back is no forgone conclusion.
UTAH JAZZ: MAKING A RUN IN THE PLAYOFFS
For the Utah Jazz,
the only way to salvage the season involves them making a run in the playoffs.
They don’t have to make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, but
they do have to perhaps win a playoff round.
Donovan Mitchell has struggled a bit
with his shot this season, and it’s taken a toll on the team’s overall
offensive efficiency. If he can rebound in the second half of the season, it
wouldn’t be all that surprising to see this team make a run come playoff time.
The talent is there, and many thought this team to be good
enough to be a top 3 team in the West. They just need to put it all together.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: FIGURE THEIR MESS OUT,
PROBABLY TRADE JOHN WALL
The Washington
Wizards have been a mess this season, and there have been
no signs of them breaking out. They are currently three games out of the final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, one that is not really good.
It’s tough to place the blame on just one culprit, but my
estimation is that the more this team struggles the more that the onus is going
to fall on John Wall. Probably because he is the highest paid player on the
team (with the supermax about to kick in) and simply the most talented too.
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