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In the NBA, the New Year's is no celebration. While players and teams do take time off to celebrate the previous calendar year and welcome in the new one, it's a different ball game professionally. At the end of the calendar year, each team has roughly played about 35 games, which is not even half of the total regular season games (82). And the regular season isn't even the ultimate goal.
Every player that dreams of playing in the league, dreams of winning at least one NBA Championship. So right now, players and teams are only through about 30% of their journey to capturing the title in June. And everybody has new year resolutions, right?
So here are New Year resolution for the top 5 teams from each conference, which would help them have a long postseason and maybe even win the championship (Standings as of Jan. 9, 2018).
#10 Oklahoma City Thunder - Build a competitive bench
In the attempt to acquire Paul George and Carmelo Anthony this past offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder's bench has taken a hit. Led by reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, the team's starting line-up has enough firepower, maybe even more than required (given the crisis they suffered early in the season with the definition of roles).
The franchise signed Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson in the offseason to have somebody reliable coming off the bench but neither of these players are proving to be valuable, let alone reliable.
The Thunder's bench is tied for 29th in the league in points scored per game - 23.9.
Kyle Singler provides shooting but is a huge defensive liability, same with Alex Abrines. Jerami Grant gets the most minutes off the bench but he's more of a slasher and driver (50.7 FG% but 25.5 3P-FG%), something the team's starting line-up already has enough of. Next up in terms of minutes is Felton, who is a 6-foot 1 guard and weighs 205 pounds. Josh Huestis is the promising player on the reserves list but he only averages 14.4 minutes per game.
Now, how the team is going to bolster their bench is unknown but they have to make some moves in order to be competitive and have a deep Playoff run in the Western Conference.
#9 Washington Wizards - Be consistent no matter who the opponent
There might be a slight drop-off when you compare this team's starters and reserves but the issue isn't as serious as it is for the Thunder. The Washington Wizards' problem is their attitude.
For three of the past four seasons, Washington has bowed out of the Playoffs at the Conference Semifinals stage, sometimes due to unfortunate incidents - injuries or fatigue or pressure of first-time Playoffs. So this team, more importantly, their leaders - John Wall and Bradley Beal, have a swagger about themselves that they are a top-notch team in the league. But the team seems to leave that swagger at home when they play against below .500 teams.
"We talk about it," he said, via Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. "We say when we play these teams that are not above .500 or not one of the great teams, we go out there playing for stats. It's simple as that. We can see it. I think we all can see it when we play."
Through 41 teams, they have a record of 23-18. Of those 18 losses, 11 have come against teams that don't have a winning record. Their road record is also abysmal. They are 13-8 at home at the Verizon Center, while they are 10-10 on the road.
#8 Miami Heat - Continue to be scrappy and feisty
Could you imagine that a team that just missed out on the Playoffs last season (9th seed), is now the fourth best team in the East?
No, right? Well, meet the Miami Heat.
A franchise that has a roster with no All-Stars (past and present) and has close to $127 million (of which $25 million is owed to retired player Chris Bosh) invested in them. Yet, they are seven games above .500 with a record of 24-17, better than Playoff regulars like the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks. What's more amazing is that the team has achieved this without a huge contributor in Dion Waiters, who has been out of action with an ankle injury since the third week of December.
How do you prove they are scrappy and feisty?
Despite their talent deficit each night, they ensure that every game is pushed to the limit. In the clutch, Miami is currently the second-best in offensive rating (125.6) and net rating (26.2).
This team might not go too far in the Playoffs, given the pure talent on their roster, or lack thereof. Nonetheless, the team's current six-game win streak and fighting spirit have been among the best feel-good stories in the league this season.
#7 Minnesota Timberwolves - Reduce minutes load on star players
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 11 games above .500 at 27-16 and look like they can make the Playoffs for the first time in franchise history since 2004. They were 10-5 in December and are currently ranked fifth in the league in terms of net rating (4.0). Everything looks good, right?
Wrong.
Resting players to combat fatigue has been a huge deal in the league but the team's head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't seem to believe in all that. Minnesota's three biggest stars - Andrew Wiggins (1519), Karl-Anthony Towns (1500) and Jimmy Butler (1476) - rank first, second and fifth in the league in terms of total minutes played.
If you are planning to have a longish postseason, these numbers need to see a dip. A huge reason for these absurdly high numbers is the team's unreliable second unit. This is the wrong approach though. Instead of running your best players, no matter how well they are conditioned, to the ground, it's a better strategy to give valuable exposure to the team's reserves.
#6 Cleveland Cavaliers - Build good habits
Last season, the reigning champions - the Cleveland Cavaliers - believed they could just turn on a switch in the Playoffs and put up good defensive performances. They went 12-1 through the East, beating their chest about their record but in reality, their Conference isn't the type of competition you want to be boasting about.
In the Finals, they were handed a tough pill to swallow, losing to the Golden State Warriors 4-1 while giving up an average of 121.6 points. Good defense can be switched on when there was some good defense played. The Cavaliers ranked 22nd in the league during the regular season last year.
This season is no different. They are currently the 29th ranked team with respect to defensive efficiency but there's a silver lining. Their most important guard, Isaiah Thomas, who was rehabbing from his hip injury, recently made his return. Although they have been 2-2 since his return, a championship caliber roster like theirs should be given a grace period to adjust, considering the fact that the only thing that matters to them is the Playoffs and playing in June.
They need to spend the next three month focusing on good habits of playing team defense consistently rather than trying to win games.
#5 San Antonio Spurs - Continue to build 2 horse beast
Gregg Popovich's announcement of the partial tear in Kawhi Leonard's left shoulder is just a bump in the road. The system in San Antonio has allowed the team to withstand injuries yet win more than 65% of their games so far this season (28-14) but it's time the team, management, and franchise as a whole realistically build for the next four-five years.
Leonard, at the peak of his powers, is easily among the five greatest players in the league and is bound to be extended when his contract comes to an end in 2019. Meanwhile, Aldridge was extended this past summer until the end of the 2020-21 season, which is another three seasons away.
Since the Tim Duncan's retirement, at the end of the 2016 season, the team has been led by either Leonard or Aldridge. Unfortunately, they have led the team at the expense of the other. Leonard had a strong MVP season in 2016-17 but Aldridge's numbers and confidence witnessed a dip. With him injured to begin this season, Aldridge took over and the team has been able to rally around him.
The team will still make a lot of noise in the postseason but they aren't realistic championship contenders. Whether it's the remaining part of this season or the beginning of the 2018-19 season, the franchise must spend this calendar year to find a balance between both their superstars and getting both of them accustomed to that system.
#4 Toronto Raptors - Show up on the road & against competitive teams
We are almost midway through the season, with a majority of teams having played 41 games, and the Toronto Raptors have more or less made no noise. Yet, they have quietly put themselves as the second-best team in the East with a record of 28-11.
A lot of positive vibes in the North right now but there are a few huge reasons to worry.
1) Disparity in home and away play - If the team's true and best form is at home then it's difficult to understand why a Playoff-tested team like the Raptors fails to carry that on the road. The team is 14-2 at home, with their second loss coming in their most recent game against the Miami Heat. On the other hand, they are 14-9 on the road. Some of their losses, especially the back-to-back ones at New York and at Indiana are real head-scratchers.
2) Not showing up against competitive teams - Six of the team's eleven losses have come against teams that are on this list. Against the elite bunch of teams in the league, the Raptors haven't been able to register win. The only instance of them registering wins against teams on this list is against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 14 and against the Wizards on Nov. 19. To summarize, they are 2-6 in the eight contests against teams that are also on this list.
If not for the first point, the team has a good chance to test themselves against competition in their next couple of games - against the Cavaliers and the Warriors.
#3 Houston Rockets - Use your Harden's injury to increase depth
James Harden's MVP campaign might have taken a big hit with his most recent injury, that keeps him out of action for close to a couple of weeks. This might just be a blessing in disguise for the Rockets. Their head coach Mike D'Antoni has the notorious habit of playing a short bench even when he has players on the reserves who could give his stars some rest.
Houston is going to be forced to replace a lot of points, in Harden's absence, and we can only hope that they use everybody on their bench to make up. The reason for Harden's absurd Game 6 performance against the San Antonio Spurs in last year's Conference Semifinals will never be known but fatigue could be a reason. He had unnecessarily played all 82 games last season and that might have eventually taken a toll on him.
Players like Bobby Brown, Troy Williams, and Gerald Green might not be the opposition's scouting report but giving them minutes boosts their confidence, gives the starters more rest and keeps the team more Playoff ready. In his seven games for the team so far, Green has provided some much-needed boost off the bench, averaging 17.3 points in 25.3 minutes on 51.8% shooting.
#2 Boston Celtics - Ensure Gordon Hayward's does not return
Whatever the Boston Celtics achieve this season is a bonus because this was not their plan. Given the competitive blood, the team and coaching staff is bound to give their best and make the most of this situation but the franchise had never envisioned being without Gordon Hayward for the entire season when they signed him back in July of 2017.
Gradually, steadily, Hayward has been taking positive steps towards recovery. At the time of writing, he has let go off both the boot and the brace on his foot.
Going by their current form, in all likelihood, the Celtics will be competing against the Cavaliers in the Conference Finals. What the team and franchise must ensure is that no matter what, Hayward should not return this season, irrespective of how well he has recovered and how ahead of schedule he might be.
The risk of losing him again by rushing him is just far too big. The franchise has a long-term championship contending plan, which involves Hayward, a lot of their young wings - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, plenty of draft picks and possibly Kyrie Irving.
#1 Golden State Warriors - Fix turnover issue
Everybody in the Warriors team and management probably already know about this issue that they need to fix. It's a testament to the team's depth and greatness that despite being banged up, they still have the best record in the league (29-8).
However, a familiar theme in their losses and several comeback wins has been their high volume of turnovers. In their eight losses so far, they average 18.2 turnovers whereas, in their wins, they average 15.4, which isn't too great either. Their overall turnover average of 16.0 is ranked 28th in the league, only above the Los Angeles Lakers (16.8) and the Philadelphia 76ers (17.8).
Turnovers are to the Warriors, what defense is to the Cavaliers. They've ranked in the bottom ten on turnovers for the last three seasons as well.
Guess the Lakers players!
