A new year is upon us! As the calendar turns over and the football calendar shrinks, the NBA takes the attention of the American sporting schedule. You might have seen some wild stories and stat lines lately and wondered what have you been missing. Never fear! I have some NBA New Year’s resolutions for each NBA Western Conference team. These resolutions are goals (or perceived goals) to make the rest of the season a success for each team. Let’s get to it.
NBA New Year’s Resolutions: Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have a chance to win the NBA championship! The current #1 seed in the Western conference should make a resolution to get Jamal Murray playing like his 2020 bubble self! That guy was a monster and matching him with the MVP Nikola Jokic makes the Nuggets a handful in 2023.
Portland Trailblazers
The Portland Trailblazers should make a resolution to continue the development of their young guys. Anfernee Simons has taken a huge leap this year in terms of consistent All-Star-level play. The roster is balanced nicely with superstar Damian Lillard, All-Star free agent pickup Jerami Grant, veterans, and young players.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz should make a resolution to continue trusting executive Danny Ainge and his rebuilding process. It is the most competitive rebuild in the league considering the summer trades of superstars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Speaking of Gobert, his new team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, fail to use him most effectively. Based on the record haul they gave up for him, the underwhelming Timberwolves should make a resolution to become a defensive-oriented team with Gobert as the anchor. Current coach Chris Finch, known more as an offensive coach from his Rio Grande Valley Viper days, may not be the guy for the job.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder should make a resolution of health for their young players. The second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, was lost to injury before his season started. The Thunder have shown the ability to win and compete more consistently this season. Though on pace for their best season in three years, they recently lost another young player, Aleksej Pokusevski to a tibia fracture.
NBA New Year’s Resolutions: Pacific Division
LA Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers should have a New Year’s Resolution of chemistry. The more they can keep superstar and three-time NBA champion, Kawhi Leonard in the lineup, the more winning chemistry will be developed. A healthy Clippers team has the talent and coaching acumen (head coach Tyronn Lue) to win the championship.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns will soon have new ownership and the best way to make a splash is to make changes both on and off the court. That should be welcome news given the former culture in the building. The best way to make a splash on the court is with a trade or two to shake up this sixth-place team. They need the resolution to shake up the entire organization and make another run to the Finals. Superstar point guard Chris Paul would appreciate another Finals opportunity to complete his resume.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings should make a resolution to continue how they are playing now! Currently, the 7th seed in the Western Conference with star players and a championship head coach in Mike Brown, the Kings have held court all season. I have fully expected playoffs for them since this summer. It would be their first playoff appearance since former All-Star Brad Miller manned the paint for them almost two decades ago.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors should make a resolution to trade their young players for win-now veterans. No more wasting Stephen Curry years with uneven play this season. Defend your 2022 championship and win now.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are pretty screwed without All-NBA play from oft-injured star Anthony Davis. It seems like the Lakers have only had the resolution to sit back and watch future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James break records. LeBron is not interested in playing for losers though so perhaps a resolution to make roster changes is in order. Wake up general manager Rob Pelinka!
NBA New Year’s Resolutions: Southwest Division
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies have both rebuilt their teams exactly right. A tremendous mix of young superstar draft picks, veterans, and utility players. They are fun, exciting teams to watch, and either could make a run to the NBA Finals!
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have tied for 1st in the Western Conference thanks in large part to the brilliant play of Zion Williamson. Zion’s health and availability were a topic all summer. I challenge the New Orleans Pelicans fans to make a New Year’s resolution to be available and go watch their team play. They are ranked 26th out of 30 teams in attendance.
Memphis Grizzlies
Similarly, Memphis Grizzlies fans should make a resolution to vote their frontcourt players like Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. to the All-Star game. Superstar guard Ja Morant deserves to run alongside a fellow Grizzly in the league’s showcase.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks need to make a resolution to get more players for Luka Doncic to play with. Sixty-point triple-doubles are cool and everything, but that took overtime against a shorthanded New York Knicks. Aside from the current five-game winning streak, Dallas has been near the bottom of the pack all season. It feels like the Mavericks and Lakers would make natural trade partners. Something to explore.
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs should make a resolution to discretely send a package of Tex-Mex food to Victor Wembanyama and see how he likes it. This team is contending for draft lottery balls at the moment. 2023 will mark the 26th anniversary of the last superstar seven-footer that the Spurs tanked to get.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets need to make a resolution on the value of the coaching currently in place. Are the young players playing better as a product of natural development or is coach Stephen Silas making an impact? Why is improved gameplay resulting in a record number of losses for a historically winning franchise? Long-term do you want to pay career losers in Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and others (they will be due for extensions in 2024 and they will want lots of money)? Or maybe the coach is fine and re-signing All-Star James Harden is the answer this summer. You tell me.
Stay tuned for the NBA New Year’s Resolutions for the Eastern Conference!
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2 Comments
Very nice! Love how this article was put together. Definitely should do one for the eastern conference.
Well done. Can’t wait to see what you have for the Eastern conference