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 Chicago Bulls had a New Year's Resolution, what would it be?

by Sportabsorb from http://www.sportabsorb.com/2014/07/derrick-rose-dunking-practice/

                                         

          The Chicago Bulls are in a great spot to be in when the playoff arrives. Tied for second place of the Eastern Conference with Toronto Raptors, they will get home court advantage but more importantly they will have Derrick Rose back for the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. It will be a dream come true for the Bulls fans if Derrick Rose is the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls. It would be such a remarkable story for the city of Chicago if they can reach the NBA finals because they have all the tools to make a deep run in the playoffs. Head coach, Tom Thibodeau, has done a good job maintaining Rose's minutes. This season, they have a really good chance only if, ONLY IF, the players are healthy. And that is why the Bull's resolution is to have their starting unit and bench unit healthy. Everyone has missed the Derrick Rose that brought the house down with his vicious dunks. He is not the only threat anymore as they have Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, and Pau Gasol. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and each team has to play through those events. The NBA was never the same when Rose missed the whole 2012-2013 season and I wish him all the best to be ready for the playoffs in April.

What If... the Chicago Bulls stayed healthy all season?

by Tom Loxas from http://www.chicagonow.com/loxas-factor/2013/01/interview-espns-nick-friedell-talks-bulls-derrick-rose-kevin-love-and-the-next-ron-atrest-jimmy-butler/

                                 
          We all know what Derrick Rose is capable of when he is healthy on the floor. So far, he is averaging 18 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. He may not be getting the stats before he was injured but that's because the team has so many options. Through 30 games, he has missed 10 games due to either a knee injury or rest. He will be the key if the Chicago Bulls want to win a championship. Joakim Noah is also having a setback after an off-season surgery. He is only averaging 8.6 points and 9.8 rebounds but newly acquired Pau Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers is averaging almost 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds which balances the frontcourt. As a veteran player of the NBA, Gasol is turning back time as one of the leaders of the Bulls as the are off to an 19-11 start, good for 4th in the East. The Bulls have all the tools to win a title because they have a good starting unit and bench. But in order for them to make it to the end, head coach, Tom Thibodeau, must make adjustments like Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs. Jimmy Butler, who is leading the league in minutes played, almost 39 minutes per game. If he plays to much minutes in the season, Butler will feel the wear-and-tear in his body. He is young but still needs to be careful. But as Chris Webber quoted, "If it wasn't for the injuries of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler would not have developed into the player he is today. He plays with so much passion on both ends of the floor. He guards the best player on the opposing teams and if the Bulls want to make it far into the playoffs, Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler needs to stay healthy.

What If... you can repick the top 5 picks of the 2007 NBA draft?

by Clark Mitchell from http://www.chatsports.com/san-antonio-spurs/a/Report-San-Antonio-Spurs-To-Target-Grizzlies-Marc-Gasol-If-Tim-Duncan-Retires-10-192-358

          If we were to start all over with the picks of the 2007 NBA draft, Greg Oden who was originally the top pick of the draft, should not belong in the top ten. But injuries are part of the game and Oden was an unfortunate player to have multiple leg injuries throughout his short career. So far, the favorite to come first out if we were to restart the draft, it would be Kevin Durant no questions asked. In his first 8 years of his career, he has claimed himself as one of the most lethal shooters in the game. As the 2nd pick of the same draft, I would go for Marc Gasol, who was actually traded for his brother Pau Gasol. He has been as good as his brother if not better. For the third pick, it would be Joakim Noah, who is a very underrated center in this league. He is a tenacious defender who will frustrate the opposing player on every possession. Moving on to the fourth pick, Al Horford who is a center who has a quiet well-around game. For a big man, he has great quickness and footwork to go along with an mid-range shot. For the last pick, it would be Mike Conley,Jr., a crafty player known more for his picky defense. His offense wasn't quick there in his first few seasons but kept working hard and did well after receiving his new contract. Overall, my top five draft would be Kevin Durant, Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and Mike Conley, Jr.