On Christmas Day 2015, we take a look at the one gift at the top of every NBA team’s wish list.
Merry Christmas, NBA fans! To those of you who spend this joyous holiday watching a full slate of professional basketball; to those of you who will be stealing glances at your phone during dinner; and to those of you who will be reading these words a day late after spending Christmas solely with family and friends, cheers to you all!
Christmas is mostly about family, friends and love, but we’d be lying if we ignored that it’s also about wish lists and NBA basketball. For those of you lucky enough to have those first three things going on already, we’re here to supply you with the last two.
Every Christmas is a time to be thankful for what you have, but it’s also a time when people across the country sneakily — or maybe not so subtly — let their loved ones know what they’d like to see sitting under the tree in the morning. There’s no Santa for NBA teams, but just for today, we’re going to pretend like there is.
As we close in on the 2016 part of the 2015-16 season, what does your favorite team want (or need) above all else? Here’s a look at each and every NBA team’s Christmas wish list with the one gift that they need above all else.
Next: Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
Kent Bazemore Playing Like This All Year
It’s no secret that the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been the same team since DeMarre Carroll‘s departure. They’re not going to win 60 games again and with the Eastern Conference as improved as it is, there’s no guarantee they even make it past the first round of the playoffs. But with Kent Bazemore stepping and then re-stepping into the starting lineup, Atlanta has been in a better place.
The Hawks are currently on a five-game win streak and though Bazemore’s numbers don’t stand out in that span, he’s averaged a healthy 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on .489/.397/.875 shooting splits in 19 games as a starter. In December, he’s stepped those numbers up to 13.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Bazemore is nowhere near the defender that Carroll is, but his offense plus Thabo Sefolosha‘s defense might be able to make up for the loss of Atlanta’s underrated 3-and-D wing.
Next: Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Brooklyn Nets Continuing To Stink
General manager Danny Ainge is still on the lookout for a star player on the trade market, but I don’t see the Boston Celtics finding that player before the season is over. The Celts need offense, but on a roster with so many interchangeable, useful parts, it’s hard to figure out how he’d put all those assets to good use in a deal.
With Boston likely heading back to the playoffs behind an elite defense, but lacking the star power to truly contend in the East, this team is still a few pieces away from being a legitimate force. Luckily, Boston has the luxury of competing for a top playoff seed AND enjoying what will likely be a top-five draft pick.
Thanks to that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade in 2013, the Celtics own the Brooklyn Nets’ first round draft pick in 2016, the right to swap picks in 2017 and their first round pick outright in 2018. The more the Nets (currently at 8-21, the third worst record in the NBA) stink, the better Boston’s odds at a top-three pick.
Next: Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets
A Draft Pick Before The Next Star Wars Comes Out
As the last few drafts have shown, it’s possible to buy your way into a selection of some kind. But that only flies in the second round, where the odds of finding a game-changing player go way down. Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets, their upcoming drafts don’t look so good:
- 2016 first rounder to Boston Celtics
- 2016 second rounder to Los Angeles Clippers
- 2017 first rounder to Boston Celtics (right to swap picks)
- 2017 second rounder to Atlanta Hawks
- 2018 first rounder to Boston Celtics
- 2018 second rounder to Charlotte Hornets
- 2018 second rounder to Philadelphia 76ers
- 2019 second rounder to Charlotte Hornets
- 2020 second rounder to Philadelphia 76ers
As a point of reference, Star Wars: Episode VIII is scheduled for release on May 26, 2017, with Episode IX tentatively scheduled for a 2019 release date. THERE’S A CHANCE DISNEY MIGHT FINISH AN ENTIRE NEW STAR WARS TRILOGY BEFORE THE NETS HAVE A FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK AGAIN.
Here’s hoping Santa brings them a draft pick of some kind, even if he’ll have to take a few lumps of coal off Brooklyn’s hands in return.
Next: Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets
A Seamless Return For Al Jefferson
In 17 games this season, Al Jefferson has averaged 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting — a far cry from the perennial 20-10 player he was just a few seasons ago. However, the Charlotte Hornets were 10-7 in those games and have gone 5-6 since Jefferson started missing time with a calf issue and a five-game suspension after violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Policy.
Big Al has had problems staying healthy, missing nine games and 17 games in his first two seasons in Charlotte. But with the Hornets playing reasonably well in his absence, Jefferson’s reintegration into the lineup needs to be seamless and — hopefully — permanent.
We could have gone with “continued efficiency for Kemba Walker” or “new haircut for Jeremy Lin,” but let’s be honest: everything is going surprisingly well in Charlotte so far, and even Lin’s Dragon Ball Z haircut brings joy to our lives deep down.
Next: Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose Becoming Efficient Again
The Chicago Bulls have way too much talent to be floundering the way that they are, but even with a lowly offense and a muddled frontcourt rotation of Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol and Bobby Portis that needs to be solved, Derrick Rose remains at the crux of this team’s problems.
Whether “becoming efficient again” means finding his athleticism and cutting down on jump shots or whether it means admitting that he’s no longer an MVP-caliber player and accepting a lesser role, D-Rose’s poor shooting and refusal to turn the team over to Jimmy Butler is KILLING the Bulls. His shot chart looks like a topographical map of Mordor for Christ’s sake.
With Rose shooting 37.2 percent from the field on 15 field goal attempts per game and converting a measly 22.4 percent of his three-pointers, the Bulls have been outscored by 1.0 points per 100 possessions with their starting point guard on the the floor. All we’re missing is Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton at this point, because something’s gotta give.
Next: Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Everyone Staying Healthy
We could apply this Christmas gift to virtually every team on this list, but since the Cleveland Cavaliers were missing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for the NBA Finals last year, not to mention Irving and Iman Shumpert for the start of this season, they’ve probably earned the injury-related gift.
When LeBron James left the Miami Heat and returned to the Cavs, it was more than just a feel-good homecoming; it was a basketball decision too. Cleveland was supposed to make his job easier with two young stars who could help him ease into his 30s without having to bear so much of the burden.
That hasn’t been the case thanks to recurring injury problems to the supporting cast, but if the Cavaliers can stay healthy, they’re legitimate title contenders. If not, Cleveland is still a safe bet to win the East, but they’d be hard-pressed to defeat whatever monster emerges from the West in a championship series.
Next: Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Real Chandler Parsons
Will the real Chandler Parsons please stand up? Or I guess, more appropriately, can the real Chandler Parsons stand up? With the Dallas Mavericks swingman still recovering from offseason knee surgery, Wednesday night’s game marked the first time Parsons has been able to play on back-to-back nights.
The Mavs have a surprisingly sufficient backcourt attack. They have Dirk Nowitzki with a direct IV to the Fountain of Youth, they have Wesley Matthews on the mend, they have Zaza Pachulia quietly anchoring the defense and they have a surprising amount of depth despite being made up of ragtag parts.
But even Rick Carlisle‘s sorcery has not been enough to coax consistent, good play out of Parsons, who is averaging 8.7 points in 22.5 minutes per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from downtown. If Santa could return the Chandler Parsons from last year, that would be great for the Mavs.
Next: Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
Getting Their Starters Back
The Denver Nuggets probably aren’t going to stay this close to the playoffs all season long, but they have a surprisingly solid core to feel good about for the future between Emmanuel Mudiay, Jusuf Nurkic, Nikola Jokic, Joffrey Lauvergne, Gary Harris and Will Barton.
However, Mudiay (ankle), Nurkic (knee) and Danilo Gallinari (ankle) are all currently sidelined, taking out three players that would normally start — four if you count Wilson Chandler, who will wind up missing the entire 2015-16 season thanks to a hip injury.
There’s nothing that can be done about Chandler, but Nuggets fans are anxious to see healthy players return to the lineup so they don’t have to rely on Randy Foye scoring 30 points to win games. Wednesday before Denver’s game against the Phoenix Suns, head coach Mike Malone said Mudiay and Gallo could be back soon after Christmas, with Nurkic still needing to get through some full practices first.
Next: Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
A Bench
The imminent return of Brandon Jennings should bolster the Detroit Pistons‘ bench, but this also calls to mind the issue of how Jennings — a starter in 409 of his 412 career NBA games — will adjust to being Reggie Jackson‘s backup. Will he embrace the role? Will he boost his trade value in the process? Will the Pistons consider dealing him depending on how he performs?
There are a lot of questions to answer, but one thing is for certain: Detroit needs some added depth. Detroit’s formidable starting five accounts for 77.9 of the team’s 101.4 points per game with a point differential of +4.0 — the fifth best plus/minus among starting units in the league.
The bench, however, has posted a -2.6 point differential (fourth worst in the league) and only contributes 23.5 points per game, making them the lowest scoring bench in the association. Here’s hoping Jennings and/or a minor trade or two can help the Pistons turn this disturbing trend around.
Next: Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
A Real Challenge
Last year the Golden State Warriors became only the third team in NBA history to win 83 games between the regular season and playoffs, they posted a historic point differential and they dominated pretty much every statistical category you could think of en route to a championship…and yet, they STILL got called “lucky” because they didn’t face the Spurs or Clippers in the playoffs.
This year, with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers all looking like possible title contenders, the Dubs should have no problem squaring off with as many of those teams as possible in order to prove themselves as the real deal.
The Warriors have the best record in NBA history heading into Christmas at 27-1, and they could be within reach of the Chicago Bulls’ all-time best mark of 72-10 (in addition to a bunch of other records). But regular season success, as we saw last year, means little without another dominant postseason run. Bring some rum for that egg nog, Santa. We want to see some dogfights.
Next: Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
Leadership
In the words of Julius Campbell, “Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” For the first month or so of the 2015-16 season, the Houston Rockets‘ shitty attitude and lazy defense was a direct reflection of James Harden‘s nonchalant approach. It was so bad that head coach Kevin Mchale got canned 11 games into the season.
Since their 5-10 start, however, the Rockets have shown some signs of life, going 10-5 to climb back to .500. Harden is averaging 28.9 points, 7.3 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game on more efficient .448/.382/.839 shooting splits over that span and despite all the Dwight Howard trade rumors, Houston is slowly working its way back up the totem pole.
The Rockets’ work isn’t done yet, as they’re currently seventh in a weakened Western Conference. But if Harden can continue to lead by example and maybe give a damn on the defensive end every now and then, Houston could be back on the right track — a track that could turn into the fast track with a Ty Lawson trade.
Next: Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
Help For Paul George
To start the season, Paul George was the best MVP candidate not named Stephen Curry. He was averaging 27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on .447/.440/.846 shooting splits through his first 20 games, the Indiana Pacers had posted an impressive 12-8 record, and he — and C.J. Miles — had been the key to the team’s small-ball transformation over the course of one summer.
Since that red-hot start, however, PG-13 has come back down to earth after weeks of going NC-17 on his opponents. Over the last two weeks, his numbers are down to 17.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 32.8 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent shooting from the floor.
The Pacers have gone 4-4 in that two-week span, and with rookie Myles Turner still out, it’s become obvious that Miles, Jordan Hill and Ian Mahinmi aren’t enough to support George as he comes cratering back down to earth. However, all this might take is Monta Ellis (12.3 PPG, 42.5 percent shooting) finding his scoring touch once again.
Next: Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
A Bench
I tried to avoid duplication as much as possible, but the Los Angeles Clippers won’t be contending for anything other than a second round playoff exit if they don’t figure out their bench situation. Lob City’s bench may not be as bad as we make them out to be, but it’s easily the worst second unit among teams that fancy themselves to be title contenders.
The Clippers’ reserves rank 23rd in scoring, 21st in point differential, 29th in field goal percentage and 29th in three-point percentage. Paul Pierce has been close to useless, Lance Stephenson has become far more valuable with his minutes being cut, Josh Smith is shooting under 40 percent from the floor and their most helpful reserve, Jamal Crawford, has been on the trade block since ‘Nam.
On paper, Doc Rivers upgraded the bench with limited cap space over the summer. In reality, the bench has been just as bad as last year. Unless Rivers has a trade up his sleeve or the Truth still has some extra gas in the tank that he’s saving for the postseason, the Clippers’ Achilles heel will continue to get lit up come playoff time.
Next: Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
This Holly Jolly Kobe
Who the hell is this new Kobe Bryant we’ve seen over the last few weeks? After looking like the bane of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise thanks to his poor shooting and his refusal to accept the inevitability of his mortality, Kobe had been shooting his team out of games and stunting the development of the younger players in the process.
But once the Black Mamba announced his retirement, everything changed. Byron Scott may be as questionable a leader as ever, but Kobe has finally embraced the mentorship role that comes with accepting this as the end. And funnily enough, it’s led to the most efficient play of his final season.
Over the last 12 games, Mamba is averaging 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 40 percent shooting. He’s dropped 31 points in a win over the Washington Wizards and then another 31 in a win over the Denver Nuggets. With this being Kobe’s last season, every vintage performance he turns in the rest of the way is the greatest gift any Lakers fan could ask for.
Next: Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
Kevin Martin?
This might actually make too much sense for it to happen in real life, but the Memphis Grizzlies badly need three-point shooting as the worst long range shooting team in the NBA. This has been their fatal flaw for years now, and the arrival of Mario Chalmers hasn’t changed anything.
At this point, it’s fair to question whether the Grizzlies should blow it up, but the more likely scenario is that they retool the roster for one last attempt at a playoff run. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are having down years compared to last season, but when they play well, the Grizz have a fighting chance.
Does Kevin Martin to the Grizzlies make TOO much sense to happen? pic.twitter.com/DHjG1x5Bru
— Tas Melas (@TasMelas) December 17, 2015
With Zach LaVine thriving in his true position and Andrew Wiggins better suited for the shooting guard spot, Kevin Martin has become expendable for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Memphis still needs major help on the defensive end, but adding a proven shooter and scorer like Martin could do wonders for a team that’s finally starting to embrace the pace-and-space era.
Next: Miami Heat
Miami Heat
Enter The Dragon
Other than scoring a five-year, $90 million extension over the summer, it’s been a rough year for Goran Dragic in his first full season with the Miami Heat. Averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 assists per game on 43.7 percent shooting, Dragic is a far cry from the Third Team All-NBA player he was in his final full season with the Phoenix Suns.
Not too long ago, the Dragon was lighting up opposing defenses with his crafty maneuvering and efficient shooting, but now his wings have been clipped by Dwyane Wade‘s similar need for the ball to be in his hand. The Heat are winning games, but Dragic has clearly been the weak link in the rotation and the one obstacle preventing Miami from joining the ranks of the elite.
From having his tooth knocked out to playing the first month of the season without his family to earning the first ejection of his career, it’s been a rough year for Dragic so far. Until he goes back to being the Dragon, the Cavs will have an unquestionable grip on the East.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
A New Hip For Jason Kidd
With Jason Kidd out indefinitely due to hip surgery, the Milwaukee Bucks are in an even worse place than their 12-18 record indicates. It’s not about any one season with a team as inexperienced as these young Bucks, but losing the leader that’s fostering their development is a significant blow.
Coming off a 41-41 season, the Bucks have been a disappointment so far. The arrival of Greg Monroe has provided Milwaukee with a go-to scorer and playmaker from the elbows, but the team’s once elite defense has completely fallen off a cliff. Between Monroe’s flat-footedness and the departure of veterans like Jared Dudley and Zaza Pachulia, the Bucks’ defense is nowhere near playoff-level.
However, the Bucks had recently shown some signs of life with five wins over their last 10 games, so the timing isn’t exactly ideal. For the development of players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker and Michael Carter-Williams to continue as planned, the Bucks need J-Kidd back on the sidelines again as soon as possible.
Next: Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Gift Of Patience
With a foundation of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns alone, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to be a powerhouse in the Western Conference one day. The trouble is just waiting through the growing pains to get to that point.
Following an 8-8 start to the 2015-16 season campaign, the Timberpups have since gone 3-10 while dropping quite a few close contests and making some grimace-worthy mistakes along the way. That’s to be expected, which is why Wolves fans will need to continue to be patient.
That’s no easy task for the fan base of a team that never made the playoffs during the Kevin Love era and had to watch Kevin Garnett win a ring in Boston, but between Wiggins, Towns, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng, this team is rapidly approaching its promising future.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans
A Christmas Miracle
The problem with the New Orleans Pelicans is you can’t even sum up their Hindenburg start to the season as being a product of injuries. Yes, not having Tyreke Evans, Norris Cole and Omer Asik for a large chunk of games — not to mention Jrue Holiday‘s minutes restriction — obviously hurts, but even with everyone healthy the Pellies are still a mess.
For whatever reason, Anthony Davis hasn’t continued his ascent to demigod status as quickly as we thought he would. He’s still averaging a hearty 23.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this season, but those numbers are slightly down compared to last year and he just hasn’t looked like the same dominant player.
The good news is the Pelicans, for all their early season woes, are only 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the West after winning three of their last four contests. It’s too early to give up on NOLA just yet, but the Pelicans could definitely use a good Christmas miracle right about now.
Next: New York Knicks
New York Knicks
Derek Fisher Finally Changing The Starting Lineup
The New York Knicks‘ starting point guard is trash and needs to be demoted already. Jose Calderon is the New York Knicks’ starting point guard. But with head coach Derek Fisher‘s mind still enveloped in the triangle, the linear reasoning that Calderon needs to be moved to the bench has been lost on him.
To be honest, I think most Knicks fans would be perfectly happy with either capable replacement moving ahead of Calderon in the rotation. Jerian Grant is a rookie who’s prone to make mistakes and is only shooting 36.9 percent from the floor and an anemic 16.7 percent from distance, but he’s a far more willing defender than Calderon and has WAY more upside.
There’s also Langston Galloway, who, despite a nasty shooting slump over the last few weeks, is still a far better long-term option at age 24. Perhaps a move to the starting lineup would bolster his confidence. In any case, this business of starting Jose Calderon has got to come to an end. It’s almost 2016 for crying out loud!
Next: Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
A Deep Playoff Run
This isn’t even about whether or not the Oklahoma City Thunder win a championship this year or not; this is about whether they can get close enough to convince Kevin Durant that his best shot at winning multiple titles remains with the team he currently plays for.
This summer, teams will be lining up around the block if there’s even a whiff of a scent of KD leaving OKC in free agency. The thing is, there’s very little chance that anyone other than the Warriors could offer him a better chance at winning a championship.
The Durant-Russell Westbrook pairing has long been criticized as a partnership destined to fail, but that duo is more than good enough to win a title. The Warriors and Spurs are still the favorites out West, but if the Thunder can make a deep postseason run and or even win it all, they’ll secure their long-term future by ensuring that Kevin Durant wants to remain in Oklahoma City for the rest of his prime.
Next: Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
Confidence And Shooting For Victor Oladipo
Look, I get it: the Orlando Magic have been a better team with Victor Oladipo coming off the bench. Since head coach Scott Skiles made the controversial decision to move Oladipo to the second unit, the Magic are 11-4 with a +5.9 point differential — the fourth best margin in the league over that span.
But the move to the bench has made very little difference for Oladipo himself, with his shot still being a major hindrance to his development:
- As a starter (12 games): 12.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, .370/.264/.750 shooting
- Off the bench (15 games): 12.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, .407/.262/.820 shooting
Oladipo’s scoring has remained the same and his efficiency has gone up with his shot, but he’s still struggling from the perimeter and he hasn’t capitalized on playing against weaker competition as expected. Orlando is a better team with Oladipo off the bench, but isn’t he still the most promising young player on this roster? This is an issue the Magic will need to resolve sooner or later.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The No. 1 Pick In The 2016 NBA Draft
The Philadelphia 76ers were the first team to ever lose 28 of their first 29 games, they’re on pace to set a new standard for the worst win percentage in NBA history and trusting the process has become about as comforting as Edward Scissorhands catching someone in a trust fall.
All this misery had better damn well result in the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, or Philly sports fans may riot in the streets.
What’s ironic is the top prospects in this year’s draft class are mostly big men. That being said, Ben Simmons is a potential once-in-a-lifetime talent who should be every team’s top target. If the Sixers miss out on him, it’s going to be another confounding draft night for a fan base that’s been far too patient as it is.
Next: Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The 12 Days Of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a do-over for Ryan McD! Seriously, what more can be said about the Phoenix Suns at this point? They’re a complete dumpster fire, with tons of problems to be addressed and no easy fix or end in sight.
McDonough built this roster, but it hasn’t meshed well and the team is rapidly losing heart. Markieff Morris remains a head case as always, with his latest incident being throwing a towel at head coach Jeff Hornacek that resulted in a two-game suspension. Keef’s trade value is plummeting, a roster shakeup is needed and it feels like Hornacek might wind up being the fall guy.
One trade won’t fix this team. It’s on Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight to give a damn about stopping opposing backcourts. It’s on Tyson Chandler to live up to his gaudy four-year, $52 million contract. It’s on Hornacek to find a way to reach his players. It’s on Alex Len, T.J. Warren and Devin Booker to find a little consistency.
Even if the Suns got a new gift for every day of the 12 Days of Christmas, it still might not be enough to turn their season around.
Next: Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
Frontcourt Help
Between Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the Portland Trail Blazers already have one of the best offensive backcourts in the league. With those two combining for 46.7 points per game, Rip City is in a good place with its starting guards, even if neither one of them can really defend.
In the frontcourt, however, no one has emerged as a viable long-term option for this team. Al-Farouq Aminu has played relatively well, but Meyers Leonard has failed to step up with the increased responsibility, Noah Vonleh has struggled in the starting role and Mason Plumlee is one of the worst rim protectors in the league.
The Blazers are in no rush in the middle of their rebuilding stage, but Portland will be on the lookout for upgrades in the frontcourt moving forward.
Next: Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
Peace On Earth And Good Will Toward Men
What else could we say about the most dysfunctional NBA franchise over the last decade? This iteration of the Sacramento Kings is no different, even if they’ve looked like a competent team at their best.
At their worst, however, the Kings are a team whose starting point guard hurls homophobic slurs at homosexual referees, kicks broadcast cameras, gets ejected from games and tries to distract opposing players from the bench with bush-league shenanigans like towel whipping. Yeah. That’s Sacramento’s second best player, by the way.
DeMarcus Cousins is one of the best players in the NBA, but he needs help. He needs a coach that he’s not constantly at odds with, he needs the unwarranted trade rumors to subside and he needs stability. This team badly needs a little peace and good will if their long shot at the playoffs is to remain a possibility.
Next: San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The Return Of Danny Green’s Jump Shot
Life is good for the San Antonio Spurs. Kawhi Leonard is an MVP candidate and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate; LaMarcus Aldridge has been integrated more quickly than anyone expected even if his individual numbers aren’t great; Tony Parker and Tim Duncan keep chugging along; and the Spurs boast the league’s No. 1 defense by a Boris Diaw-sized margin.
But if there were one thing that would make San Antonio even more dangerous out West, it would be for sharpshooter Danny Green to find his touch again. So far this season, Green is shooting just 35.1 percent from the field and converting only 30.9 percent of his 4.5 three-point attempts per game.
It’s a minor gripe at this point since the Spurs machine is still rolling the way it always does, but an improved Danny Green would make them that much more dangerous to the Warriors at the top of the NBA food chain.
Next: Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
A Legitimate Playoff Run
Another regular season, another strong start. After setting a franchise record for regular season victories in 2013-14 AND 2014-15, the 2015-16 campaign is off to a similarly successful beginning. But this time around, the Toronto Raptors are hoping they can get deeper into the postseason than the first round.
In 2013-14 it was disheartening to lose that seven-game series with home-court advantage, but they lost in a hard-fought battle against a more experienced Brooklyn Nets team. The following season, however, there was no excuse to be swept by the Washington Wizards with home-court advantage once again.
The additions of DeMarre Carroll, Bismack Biyombo and Cory Joseph added depth and defense to a team that needed both. Now it’s just a matter of making good on We The North’s greatest wish that this team makes it past the damn first round this time.
Next: Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Resurrection Of The Stifle Tower
Without Rudy Gobert in the lineup this season, the Utah Jazz are 4-9. With the Stifle Tower manning the middle, the Jazz have been a superb defense, holding opponents to 99.8 points per 100 possessions (10th in the league). In his recent 11-game absence, that number has dropped to 107.9 points per 100 possessions (26th). That’s a pretty steep drop-off.
With their defensive anchor healthy, Utah has an identity. Derrick Favors is having a career year and Gordon Hayward has come around after a slow start, but this team’s greatest strength still lies on the defensive end.
With Gobert still nursing a knee injury, his return likely won’t be until mid or late January. This Christmas gift may be about a month late, but the Jazz desperately need it to make good on their potential as a playoff team this season.
Next: Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
Aide For John Wall
The Washington Wizards have won three straight games and four of their last six, so I’m not quite ready to jump aboard the “Fire Randy Wittman!” train. As bad as this season has been for the Wizards, firing a head coach midseason has not been proven to lead to success unless a capable replacement is on hand.
In that spirit, giving John Wall some help would be much appreciated. Wall can only carry spare parts for so long, especially since he’s had to put in extra work with Bradley Beal missing the team’s last seven games.
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If the struggles continue on both ends of the floor then yeah, sure, fire Wittman. But until that time, any sort of aide for John Wall could make a huge difference in getting this playoff-caliber team back on track.