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 New Year’s resolutions for each NBA Eastern Conference team. These resolutions are goals (or perceived goals) to make the rest of the season a success for each team. While you are here, check out my NBA New Year’s Resolutions for the Western Conference. Let’s get to it.
NBA New Year’s Resolution: Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics
Let’s start with the cream of the crop. The 2023 NBA championship is the Celtics’ championship to lose. Jayson Tatum is my 2023 NBA MVP. Jaylen Brown is amazing. I love his escape dribble jump shot which he has developed into a devastating weapon. Regardless of the coaching in place, the team has the best record in the league. This speaks volumes about the chemistry among the players. I guess Boston can make a resolution to keep former Texas A&M Aggie Robert Williams III healthy. His health might have been the difference between winning and losing the NBA Finals last year. It’s tough being a Celtics hater these days so I’ll just link to my die-hard colleague’s article and move on.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have an opportunity to upset the Celtics. The Nets’ championship duo has the accolades and hardware that Tatum and Brown covet. Superstar and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant is still brilliant. Seven-time All-Star Kyrie Irving cannot be guarded. Neither on the court nor social media. Brooklyn should make a resolution to stay focused on basketball and alter the fortunes of the franchise. The people of New York deserve it.
Kyrie and No. 11, this is crazy.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 1, 2023
(via @NBA)
pic.twitter.com/b2gaGu27qL
New York Knicks
New Yorkers won’t get any fortune-changing from the hapless Knicks. Owners of a perfectly average 18-18 record, the Knicks are more content with giving up 60-point triple-doubles than being a contender. New York should make a resolution to picket in front of Madison Square Garden until James Dolan sells the team be more consistent. The Knicks will not be on national tv until the end of January so it’s the perfect time to find some offensive consistency away from the public eye.
Philadelphia 76ers
This season represents one of the best opportunities for the Philadelphia 76ers to win an NBA championship. Everything relies on the one guy that no one in the conference has an answer for. That guy is a four-time All-NBA player and MVP runner-up in Joel Embiid. The roster has a perfect mix of veterans, star players, bench depth, and coaching experience. Philly’s New Year’s resolution doesn’t matter if we don’t discuss ten-time All-Star and former MVP James Harden.
I wrote earlier this year about Harden’s booty-call relationship with the franchise. That still stands. However, the rumors of him dipping to a new team this summer may be more smoke than fire. A healthy Harden and Embiid have every opportunity to reverse the playoff misfortunes that saturate the resumes of almost everyone in the organization.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors should strongly consider a resolution to tank their season rather than compete for a spot in the play-in tournament (The NBA has a mini tournament at the end of the season to determine the 7th and 8th seed of the playoffs. Only the sixth seed and higher in each conference is guaranteed a spot). Victor Wembanyama is French! It’s a great fit if the Raptors win the draft lottery.
NBA New Year’s Resolution: Central Division
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have a strong opportunity to win the NBA championship this year. One can argue that the Bucks did not get a true opportunity to defend their 2021 championship with a fully healthy roster. Three-time All-Star and former Texas A&M great, Khris Middleton, was lost to injury early in the playoffs. The brilliance of two-time MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo was not enough to overcome the dreaded Celtics. The Bucks are relatively healthy now. They should make a resolution of revenge starting with aiming for the number one seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers
It is impressive to see the Cleveland Cavaliers rebuild from the devastation of losing arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James, a second time. After just missing the playoffs last year, trading for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell sped up the rebuild. If the Cavs can get bubble Donovan Mitchell and/or good matchups, they have an outside chance at a Finals appearance. They should make a resolution to add a few veteran pieces for the playoff push.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been sort of the Mendoza line for NBA teams for years since they traded perennial All-Star Paul George. If you lost to them midseason, you had players-only meetings. If you won against them, you were supposed to. Not anymore. The Pacers sit in 6th place in the conference and have beaten most of the teams ahead of them at least once this season. Led by point guard and future All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers should make a resolution to maintain the 2022 momentum.
Chicago Bulls
However, in the neighboring city of Chicago, the Bulls are a tremendous disappointment. Many of their losses have been to Western Conference teams so the Bulls should make a resolution to be more competitive on the road. I remember this time last year, DeMar DeRozan was getting MVP votes for his last-second heroics. What a difference a year makes.
Detroit Pistons
What a difference a year makes unless you’re the Pistons of course. Detroit Pistons basketball is somewhat of an oxymoron. I don’t have anything positive to say about the worst team in the league. Heralded #1 pick Cade Cunningham is out for the season with shin surgery. They lost nine out of the twelve games he played so we can’t point there. The only fight they have shown on the court is a physical altercation.
Moe Wagner, Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo ejected after this heated exchange.
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) December 29, 2022
PA announcer: “Do not move! Stay in your seats! The moment you move, you’re going to jail!” ?pic.twitter.com/WRQw6AoDZw
Make a New Year’s resolution to be better.
NBA New Year’s Resolution: Southeast Division
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat need to make a resolution to play up to their potential. That means the potential for success with star players showing up for work every day (the Heat were a Jimmy Butler three-pointer away from the NBA Finals last season). Or the potential of a reboot for star players sitting out and fully rehabbing their injuries. The trade for former NBA champion Kyle Lowry has been a disastrous fit. Average team.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks should make a resolution to do something (Read: Anything) with forward John Collins. All of his numbers are down from his career statistics, so obviously the Hawks waited too late to execute on the years of Collins trade rumors. Meanwhile, the team is underperforming for the second year in a row and both All-Star point guard Trae Young and head coach Nate McMillan are rumored to be looking for the exits. This is the team that drafted superstar Luka Doncic and then traded him.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards had a stretch in this early season where they lost 14 out of 16 games. Yikes! The Wizards keep their draft pick if they miss the playoffs and soon-to-be #1 prospect Victor Wembanyama would look nice next to superstar Bradley Beal. They should make a resolution to entice desperate teams with valuable players from their roster. Would the LA Lakers be interested in a Kyle Kuzma reunion?
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have a bunch of talented young players but do not seem to know what to do with them. They are in a better Titanic than the Houston Rockets except the Rockets might sink slower due to their stash of draft picks. To avoid the financial iceberg of paying losing players in 2024, the Magic should make a resolution to revamp the coaching staff. I still say the Orlando Magic is the most likely candidate to lose their team to relocation.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets should make a resolution to keep LaMelo Ball healthy in 2023 so they can see what they have in the team before eventually blowing it up. LaMelo is a great player, but this organization has simply not found a winning formula. Ever. They have missed the playoffs in nine out of the last twelve seasons (first-round exits each time). Everybody’s so-called G.O.A.T. is the antithesis of greatest as an NBA executive and owner.
Pelé
Speaking of GOATs, rest in peace to legendary footballer Pelé. Pelé recently passed away at 82 years old.
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1 Comment
As a heat fan i completely agree with this assessment. Time to clear some space on the books.