"What if... there was an MVP trophy awarded, who would it be for the Boston Celtics"?

by Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports from http://fantasy.usatoday.com/2014/12/basketball-daily-sleepers-busts-evan-turner-russell-westbrook

          When I look at the Celtics, I think of a team who can be as good as the Hawks. The Atlanta Hawks doesn't have a superstar, yet they play in a system where winning comes first and that's what makes a good basketball team. The Celtics has moved around players this season resulting to a distraction as a whole. My MVP for the team would be Evan Turner. He can guard multiple positions and play different roles under head coach, Brad Stevens. I would love to pick Jared Sullinger but until he plays defense, we'll talk more about him then. Turner reminds me of Lance Stephenson when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He can do a little bit of everything. He's not good at one skill but good in most categories. This was a tough choice between the two but I think Turner can contribute more to the team if he puts in the effort. There's no more Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. The team could use his talent and he could be an efficient player if he shifts to a second gear.

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 Indiana Pacers had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports from http://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2014/11/9/7180157/solomon-hill-arrived-indiana-pacers

                               

          The Indiana Pacers are in a developmental stage where the playoffs doesn't matter. They need their franchise player, Paul George, healthy at the start of next season. So far, no one on the team is averaging more than 15 points per game. Is this a bad thing or a good thing? Well, we understand David West and George Hill are coming back from injuries and it will take time to shake off their rust. With the absence of majority of the starters, Roy Hibbert should be the offense who controls the paint on both sides of the floor. He's not an athletic big man like Anthony Davis but he should be scoring more when Paul George is still sidelined. Through 35 games, Hibbert is only averaging 11.4 points per game. The offense should run through him because he can post up, make hook shots, and capable of hitting that mid-range shot. He is also a great passer but not the transition type player who can run the fastbreak. Roy Hibbert is one of the many concerns head coach, Frank Vogel, has to fix.

          The Pacers resolution is all about Solomon Hill. He is the type of player who can play a similar role like Jimmy Butler. When Derrick Rose was down, Jimmy Butler stepped up and played extremely well. His tough defense allowed him to stay on the court and thus play major minutes. Hill has had a reduced role since C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey are taking up the small forward minutes. Solomon Hill has shown signs where he can be a slasher who can get easy baskets and go to the free throw line. He has so much potential and the Pacers need a player who can step up and contribute next season when Paul George is healthy. We will see if the Indiana Pacers decide to trade away players for Solomon Hill to expand his game. 

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

by David T. Foster from http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/11/03/5288306/charlotte-hornets-lance-stephenson.html#.VKYFqSvF-08

                                                 
          The Charlotte Hornets had high expectations coming into the beginning of the season. A fresh start from the Charlotte Bobcats to the Charlotte Hornets. With the addition of  Lance Stephenson, they were a legitimate top five team of the East. Led by Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, he looked like a great fit for the Hornets. 33 games in, they have only won 10 games. Stephenson is only averaging 10 points and almost 7 rebounds per game. When he was with the Indiana Pacers, he played behind Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert while still averaging almost 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. With Lance Stephenson out with a pelvic sprain and Al Jefferson missing the first four weeks of the new year due to groin strain, the season is looking more grim for the Charlotte Hornets. They could only play the wait game as the season has been a struggle. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been a disappointment pick after going second in the 2012 draft, right behind Anthony Davis. There are rumors Lance Stephenson is on the trade market but he is the type of player who can average a triple-double which is very rare in this league. For a guard, he is a great rebounder but needs to work on his mid-range and basketball I.Q. When the core of the Hornets is back, they will start to gel and play as a team but is still missing a superstar player. They might need to wait until the draft because they are lacking an athletic wing-man who can shoot the three, drive into paint and finish.

What If... Paul George came back at the end of the season?

by Alex Expinoza, Correspondent, Bill Baptist/ Getty Images from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1812392-paul-george-will-miss-wednesdays-preseason-clash-with-bronchitis

       
         Paul George was at the point of his career where he transforms from a great player to an all-star caliber type of player. His weakness is a consistency stat line on a night basis. Sometimes he would give you great numbers others not so much. But he's a young player and will learn from the small mistakes. Frank Vogel is a great head coach for Paul George to have as he will push it to his limit. Coming back from a serious injury, George should forgo the rest of the season to rest up. We know if the Indiana Pacers are in the playoffs, they won't have home advantage.

          

          We saw how Danny Granger came back from an injury. He was just not the same player. One reason could be his confidence never came back or he didn't have enough time to heal up and come back to the player he was before. We want Paul George to come back healthy and play great basketball again. Every player wants to come back as soon as possible but if he wants to have a long career, staying out this season is highly recommended. The team is struggling to find offense and rhythm without him but he is their franchise player. Don't worry PG13. Your time will come very soon.

What If... Lance Stephenson stayed with the Indiana Pacers?

by Dan Favale, Ron Hoskins/ Getty Images from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1907195-is-lance-stephenson-playing-himself-out-of-indiana-pacers-price-range 

          Alright, we all know Lance Stephenson is not an all-star caliber player yet. Though, he is a great supporting role player that complemented Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert. If he was still a part of the Indiana Pacers, he could have played an important role as David West and George Hill were hurt at the beginning of the season. And of course, Paul George who is assumed to be out for the reason of the season after an injury during a scrimmage playing for Team USA. All hopes were up for Indiana Pacers reaching the Eastern conference finals as the Big 3 in Miami Heat broke apart last season. The Indiana Pacers had a nice chemistry between the starting players for a couple years hoping to last. If the Pacers knew Paul George's scenario, Lance Stephenson could've developed into a primary player for the team this year. They are desperately looking for a scoring punch as they have to rely on Chris Copeland and Solomon Hill. Stephenson's new team, Charlotte Hornets, are struggling to sustain a winning record as Lance Stephenson continue to learn a new system.