What if... the Utah Jazz had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/12/06/nba-a-to-z-gordon-hayward-jason-kidd-lawrence-frank-nets-pau-gasol-rockets/3891835/

          The Utah Jazz are a young team that's mostly built through the draft. They were exciting and fun to watch at the beginning of the season. The starters were Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. We knew from the start of the season, they're not a playoff team but they're a team that plays hard every night. Gordon Hayward has really stepped it up for the Jazz this season averaging 19.4 points per game.This goes to show a max-contract can motivate a player to step up their game. He is capable of taking over games but like most good players, he needs to show consistency and more importantly, leadership. Hayward has to make sure his team is communicating and playing defense every possession. Derrick Favors has also shown signs of improvement and has been the teams interior defense along with Rudy Gobert. Like Hassan Whiteside from the Miami Heat, Gobert is a shot blocker who can rebound and is capable of learning the team's offense. Along with Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter can be the next three-headed monster in the paint. They remind me of bigs from the Chicago Bulls who have Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and newcomer, Nikola Mirotic. The Utah Jazz team is raw and they are developing playing who can play next to Gordon Hayward. With one franchise player, they must generate chemistry if they want to produce wins.

          Alec Burks was such an important piece for the Indiana Pacers because his play style is very similar to Paul George. They can both attack the paint and make the mid-range jumper. However, he went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. They are currently 17-31 and have a young core with a high motor. Their resolution to the new year is improving upon their bench. Other than Trey Burke and Rudy Gobert, they need help in their secondary unit. The number one reason why the Golden State Warriors are so good is because of their deep bench. They have David Lee, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston who can come in anytime and for the team to not be worried. The Utah Jazz can learn from them and build from experience. With time, the Utah Jazz might be able to be the same time of team when they had John Stockton and Karl Malone. The fans missed those years in the playoffs and how anxious they are for the team to return. Question is... when will they be ready?

What if... the Los Angeles Clippers had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports from http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/03/nba-chris-paul-iowa-university-mccafferty-fran-pat-cancer

          Is Chris Paul and Blake Griffin enough to bring the Clippers to the NBA finals? Not until the powerhouse of the West starts to decline. If the Clippers were to shift to the Eastern Conference, they will have a  better chance but the West is so loaded. We have the Golden State Warriors led by new head coach, Steve Kerr. Portland Trailblazers is on the rise as well as the Memphis Grizzles and Dallas Mavericks. Then there's the Los Angeles Clippers standing right in the middle of the clump. The team is good but not great. Each year, it will be a struggle to make it pass the first round.

          Can DeAndre Jordan be like Tyson Chandler? Chandler is a decent free throw shooter and can shoot the mid range at times. DeAndre Jordan as of now, is a poor man's Chandler. He can get you rebounds, defend the paint, and block shots. If he wants to stay on the floor at the end of games, he needs to work on his free throws, otherwise the organization might be heading towards another direction. We see signs of Blake Griffin improving his jumpshots and free throws. Maybe he needs to practice in the gym with Griffin and dominate on both sides on the floor. The West is very competitive and if the Clippers aren't improving, Chris Paul might decide to move around because we can't control time. Age is part of life and Paul is inching close to 30. He has championship mindset but is his team ready?

What if... the Houston Rockets had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images from http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12004016/nba-truth-james-harden-defense

         
          2013 playoffs. First round elimination. 2014 playoffs. First round elimination. 2015 playoffs? Make it pass the first round. Since the trade for James Harden, they have made it to the playoffs both years. Exciting as it sounds, they should be doing more damage with Dwight Howard in the paint. Last year was tough to swallow. The Houston Rockets were ready for a game 7 with the Portland Trailblazers when all of a sudden, Damian Lillard made a clutch three pointer that sent them to the second round and the Rockets back to the drawing board. They were 54-28 on the season, enough to clinch home court advantage.

          James Harden is only 25 years old and have just entered his prime. He is considered as one of the top shooting guards in the league, right behind future Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant and Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. With the addition of Josh Smith from the Detroit Pistons, they have a deeper bench who can create their own offense along with Corey Brewer. Josh Smith needs to sacrifice his game and become more like Andre Iguodala who plays an important role for the 29-5 Golden State Warriors. Steve Kerr knows he's a great player and he needs someone who can lead their bench. Kerr has a lot of trust in Iguodala which is one of the many reasons why the Warriors are among the top in the West. Once Terrence Jones is back in the rotation, he will provide more interior defense the Rockets need alongside Dwight Howard. If they don't make it pass the first round, their will be changes made to the team.

What if... the Golden State Warriors had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Saam Esfandiari from http://www.warriorsworld.net/2014/11/18/draymond-green-should-start-at-pf-for-the-foreseeable-future/

         
          We would have thought the Golden State Warriors were going to be the #1 seed in the western conference middle of January? They are currently 29-5 and have only lost one game at home which was against the San Antonio Spurs. Their resolution is to make it to the Western Conference Finals which is doable. They have the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who are carrying the offense and Draymond Green, who is their glue guy. He does all the little things like going for lose balls and offensive rebounds. Andre Iguodala is buying into the system and coming off the bench bringing the leadership they need for their second unit. First year head coach, Steve Kerr, is doing a nice job slowly bringing David Lee back into the rotating after suffering a hamstring injury. Draymond Green is having a fantastic season and would likely remain as a starter averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 8.4 rebounds. For his height, he is plays as an undersized power forward for the Warriors but Kerr likes his ability to run the floor and make smart decisions for the team. Green reminds me of Kawhi Leonard, who doesn't need plays for him to be on the floor. He knows his role and if he's open on the offensive end, he will take the high percentage shot.

          Since they are in the Western Conference, it will be a difficult task to reach the Western Conference Finals but they have all the tools with their roster. Usually, each round gets tougher but in the West, it's different. This year, they might end up going against a team like the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder first round. The Golden State Warriors are heading in the right direction and the fans couldn't be more happier to see their team finally having a successful season.

What if... the Dallas Mavericks had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Kevin Jairaj/ USA TODAY Sports from http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks

         
          The presence of Jae Crowder and especially Brandan Wright will be missed because they fitted into the Dallas Maverick's system so well. They have downgraded their backup frontcourt and anytime Tyson Chandler or Dirk Nowitzki gets into foul trouble, the Dallas Mavericks will have to rely on smaller power forward/ centers of Charlie Villaneuva and Greg Smith. On the other hand, they did get Rajon Rondo in return, who can be the point guard the Mavericks needed.

          The Mavericks need to find a frontcourt player who plays defense and doesn't necessarily need to score. It will be tough for them reach the Western Conference finals since the West is loaded with elite teams such as Golden State Warriors, L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, and Memphis Grizzles. A great team with great players needs to play together for a longer duration like the Miami Heat who lost in the NBA finals when Lebron James and Chris Bosh first came together as the Big Three with Dwyane Wade. In the upcoming years, Rajon Rondo's presence will be a factor if Dirk Nowitzki wants any chance of another ring before he retires.

What if... the Boston Celtics had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

                                      by Brian Robb from http://www.celticshub.com/2014/02/09/report-hawks-interested-trading-jeff-green/                                    

          

          The Boston Celtics are in a rebuilding stage after trading away Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. It's obvious they are not ready compete against teams like the Golden State Warriors or Chicago Bulls. After the acquisition of Brandon Wright and Jae Crowder from the Dallas Mavericks, their roster is filled with more good players, not great players. They have a young star in Marcus Smart who was a great offensive player in college. With a few more years playing with one another, each player from the Celtics should understand their roles better. 

          I want to talk about Jeff Green for a moment. He was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011 so he can backup Paul Pierce and replace him after he leaves the organization. He averaged around 15 points and 5 rebounds before he left the Thunder. I assumed he would play a major role because he had to play behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Those are pretty decent stats playing behind two superstars. His first season with the Boston Celtics was a tough one as he went from averaging 37 minutes to around 24 minutes. After Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce left for the Brooklyn Nets, many people assumed it was the year Jeff Green was going to have a break-out season. Unfortunately, it was another disappointing season for him. Fast-forward to his 5th season with the Boston Celtics, he is finally posting career high 18.5 point per game through 29 games. He produces monster statlines sometimes but sometimes is not enough. Green needs to be more consistent for the Celtics to have a chance winning against teams above .500. Another player who needs to improve his game is Jared Sullinger. Analysts have compared Jared Sullinger to Kevin Love when he just entered the league. He has great size and range for his position. What he needs to work on is his defense and mobility. In time, the Boston Celtics would need Jeff Green to become their veteran leader. Budding young stars of Jared Sullinger and Marcus Smart are key for the Celtics if they want to make the playoffs. They might have a few more disappointing seasons but through the draft and experience playing together, the Boston Celtics will be an elite squad sooner rather than later.

What If... you can choose the top 5 exciting players to watch?

by Ryan McNeill from http://www.hoopsaddict.com/interviews/catching-up-with-giannis-antetokounmpo/    

          Russell Westbrook has been my number one priority because he is always in attack mode and of course is my favorite player. After him, I have to put my thinking cap on. I would have to base this topic on younger guys because they are quicker and can blow by a defender with their moves. Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic, is an rising young point guard/ shooting guard who in my mind will end up as an All-Star at one point of his career. He can finish in the paint and his ball handling moves are what makes you want to watch his game. Next up, I'll take Stephen Curry due to his high volume of three-point shooting and dribble moves. If you blink too fast, you will miss one his fancy dribbling skills. The Golden State Warrior's team in general, are fun to watch, not just him. We need a big guy on this list. Let's go with Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. Every night, there is always a highlight dunk or a posterizer. That man can literally destroy the other team's momentum with a powerful dunk Griffin does on a nightly basis. The fact Griffin is developing an outside shot is scary for other teams. And for my last player on the list, I would have to go with second year player out of Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. His name may be hard to pronounce but not his nickname. Known as the "Greek Freak", he can play multiple positions and his skillset is yet to be known, He has so much potential and as head coach of the Bucks, Jason Kidd has a really special player. Antetokounmpo is an 6 feet 11 guard who can run the lane and is a solid defender. We will see what he becomes after a few years in the league. My top five players to watch are Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

What If... you were able to get season tickets, FRONT ROW, for one team , which would it be?

by Nick DePaula from http://solecollector.com/news/stephen-curry-s-26th-birthday-under-armour-anatomix-spawn-pes/

          Hypothetically, we're not all wealthy so we don't have the court side seats. Stars like Drake watches the Toronto Raptor, who is often seen on TV cheering his team. If I had the chance to choose a team to watch for a season long, especially that close to the players, it would probably be the Golden State Warriors. Two deadly shooters who have range beyond the three-point line is always exciting to watch. The atmosphere is great up at the Bay Area. We know people love city of Los Angeles, who roots for their Lakers and Clippers. It's great to see Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin. But the Golden State Warriors are young and exciting with a new head coach, Steve Kerr. The team is gelling quite fast as they are off to a fast start and is at the top of the Western Conference. It's time to start taking the Golden State Warriors seriously coming to the playoffs because of their depth in bench. Stephen Curry has so many dribble moves making the defense look silly at times. Andrew Bogut also contributed to the team in the limited minutes he plays. Draymond Green has been great who is starting at power forward in place of David due to an injury. And we can't forget about Klay Thompson, who just had a contract extension. We can't underestimate the Golden State Warriors anymore as they will be tough to beat in a seven game series.