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With both Colin Sexton and Ricky Rubio now out for the remainder of this season, the Cavaliers will be relying on their young trio to lead them forward. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have been fantastic and Jarret Allen is playing like an All-Star reserve this season. The Cavaliers have exceeded all expectations this season. New Year’s Resolution: Continue to develop the young core If Simmons doesn’t get traded by the deadline, it’ll be a wasted season for both the player and the franchise. The will-he or won’t-he play preseason question has turned into a definitive “no,” so now it’s on Daryl Morey to close this chapter and start to rebuild with what he gets back in return for the All-Star. This issue has really dragged on too long now and needs a resolution.
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New Year’s Resolution: Sort out the Ben Simmons situation There will always be people who don’t take small market teams seriously, but ignore them and pay attention to the folks who see and acknowledge how good and deep this team is. We’ve seen how good the Grizzlies were without Morant, they stayed afloat in the West and are in a position to fight for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. We know how good Ja Morant is. In fact, he was amongst most people’s candidates for MVP before he got hurt. New Year’s Resolution: Stop with the underdog narrativeĪt some point, Memphis is going to have to come to terms with the fact that no one thinks of it as underdogs anymore. The Heat could solidify themselves as true title contenders with a move or two to add depth at the February trade deadline. The Heat are a prime example of that, with holes in their frontcourt showing without Bam Adebayo (thumb), Dewayne Dedmon (knee), PJ Tucker (leg), Markieff Morris (neck) or Udonis Haslem (protocols). The NBA’s COVID-19 outbreak has hit every team hard, but it has also exposed some depth weaknesses among certain rosters. New Year’s Resolution: Acquire depth at the trade deadline DeMarcus Cousins has provided a surge off the bench since his signing, but Milwaukee might want to look into a replacement starter around the trade deadline. Lopez’s timetable to return is still unknown and the Bucks may have to start considering other options for their frontcourt. The Bucks have been without starting center Lopez since the first game of the season when he suffered a back injury that required surgery. New Year’s Resolution: Make a decision based on Brook Lopez’s health How will that affect the chemistry of a team that owns the best record in the East? Irving will only play in road games (excluding road matchups against the Knicks and Raptors), so it will be a unique circumstance to get accustomed to only having the prolific scorer in certain contests. 5 being a potential target date for his return. The Nets will welcome back All-Star guard Kyrie Irving on a part-time basis after the New Year, with Jan. New Year’s Resolution: Learning to play with a part-time player He’s a key piece to what the Suns are building and he showed his worth in the playoffs.
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But Phoenix should try their best to get Ayton locked up long-term on a fair deal for both sides. We know this, Suns ownership thinks this, and I think deep down inside, Ayton himself knows it. New Year’s Resolution: Sign Deandre Ayton Adding another forward (or two) could be the key to taking this team over the top. Even with Patrick Williams expected to return at some point this season after receiving wrist surgery, they still need more than just him, Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. The Bulls have made it clear that they are one of the best teams in the NBA, but they still need to add frontcourt depth if they are going to contend for a championship. New Year’s Resolution: Shore up their frontcourt Keep the squad you have now and see if you can get back atop the mountain in June. As the trade deadline approaches, we’re going to hear rumors about the Warriors looking to improve by adding a third superstar. The Warriors are the title favorites in many people’s minds without having seen Klay Thompson or James Wiseman on the floor this season. New Year’s Resolution: Stop floating out trade rumors Nick Metallinos ( 2. Golden State Warriors Utah needs to commit and focus on getting the job done, doing whatever it takes to win the first title in franchise history. Brooklyn, Phoenix and Golden State have been incredible, but they’re not unbeatable. If they’re ever going to do it, this season is the one. They’ve had three second-round exits and two first-round exits in the last five seasons. New Year’s Resolution: Commitment to winning a title