It is that time of the year again. Everyone everywhere is thinking about their New Year’s resolutions and what they need to do to better themselves as the calendars switch over. The National Basketball Association is no different, as players, teams, general managers, and franchise owners all look at their NBA needs and to-do lists, entering 2024. Here is perhaps the biggest need for each NBA team in the Pacific Division:
Clippers Resolution: Lock up a top 6 seed early so they can rest their stars.
Los Angeles needs… their aging stars to be able to rest in April before the playoffs begin. Paul George (33), James Harden (34), and Russell Westbrook (35) are all entering the stages of their careers in which not getting burnt out before the playoffs begin is incredibly important.
Kawhi Leonard (32) is actually the youngest of the LAC stars but is the most injury prone. On paper, the Clippers continue to be one of the best teams in the West, but it is crucial to turn that “on paper” into reality, by having them fresh at the beginning of a playoff run.
Resting these four however, is only doable if they have locked up a top 6 seed and do not have to worry about the play-in. The Clippers are currently the #4 seed in the Western Conference and have been playing much better after Harden getting more familiar with the team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets all seem to be a step ahead of the other teams in the West in terms of regular season consistency, but the Clippers would be next in line there for home-court advantage in the first round.