New Year's Resolutions for all 30 NBA Teams

From playoff rotations to hitting the reset button entirely, what should each franchise look to achieve over the next calendar year?

Happy 2022, everyone! We hope you and your families are happy, healthy and enjoying the basketball season.

We aren’t big on New Year’s Resolutions: if there’s something you want to change or accomplish, don’t wait for a calendar turn just to motivate yourself. That said, the next calendar year can bring a fresh start, or at least give a clearer time frame in which a goal can be met.

For all thirty NBA teams, we’ll look at the confines of the next 365 days to see what the top goal and overall resolution should be for each franchise around the league.

Atlanta Hawks
Resolution: Establish a long-term hierarchy at the 2 thru 4

There are good problems to have and there are bad problems to have. The Atlanta Hawks have a very, very good problem: there are too many young, talented bodies on the wings.

Coming soon, this good problem turns into a tricky problem: the Hawks have to figure out who to pay and who not to. There’s realistically no way Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk can afford to keep all the talented wings: Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, DeAndre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and even 2021 draft pick Jalen Johnson can be lumped into that category. Add to that the fact John Collins gets 28-34 minutes a night at the 4 and there’s a major logjam here.

The core portions of this roster are in place. Trae Young is a superstar, Collins a good energy frontcourt option and Clint Capela an underrated center. With a big contract in Danilo Gallinari, some draft picks in the future and an enticing slew of options on the wings, the Hawks are a prime candidate to consolidate some of those pieces to land a big star, should one come available.

Boston Celtics
Resolution: Figure out how to add a third “top option” on offense

Ime Udoka has been somewhat wrongly judged over the first 35 games of his coaching career. He’s done a fantastic job with the defense and is much blunter with the Celtics at addressing problems. The C’s have been hit incredibly hard by COVID, so he’s dealing with mismatched pieces and juggling players in and out of the lineup.

Still, the role players around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are turning into known commodities. And none of them fit seamlessly next to the big two. Robert Williams is an effective rim roller at the 5. He and Al Horford, a competitive point center in the twilight of his career, can’t play together in the postseason. Marcus Smart can shoot it, but he never seems to take the right ones. Somehow, Dennis Schroder is even worse.

Young guys like Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams all have limitations and top out as sixth or seventh options. Combine all these factors and the C’s are pretty baren when it comes to young talent they can bank on. They need to acquire one, either in the draft or via trade. Unfortunately, neither avenue is clear right now as they toil in the middle tier of the Eastern Conference.

Brooklyn Nets
Resolution: Set Kyrie Irving up with Antonio Brown’s vax card guy

…kidding

The Nets need closure to the Kyrie Irving situation. While COVID cases rise this Winter amidst the Omicron variant and CDC guidelines change faster than a magician’s assistant, there’s the elephant in the room coming soon as Irving has begun practicing with the Nets: the playoffs. If Irving cannot play at home games for the Nets, their postseason becomes easily one of the strangest to predict.

Look, the Nets can win a title without him. They just shouldn’t have to. There’s very little tinkering to this roster other than the standard veteran addition after the buyout deadline. They need one pillar in their big three to come back and be part of the group, or at least find closure to moving on.

Charlotte Hornets
Resolution: Figure out the best option at the 5

It seems like this is the year the Hornets, America’s favorite League Pass team, break through to make the postseason — or at least the play-in. With a superpowered LaMelo Ball, the Hornets now have the league’s third best offense, complete thanks to the ascension of Miles Bridges (19.7 points per game) and role player addition Kelly Oubre Jr. (16.4 points).

The only issue is that the defense is… pretty porous. The Hornets are small in the backcourt, feature very few plus defenders and don’t get much shot blocking from the current center combo of Mason Plumlee and PJ Washington (who is now spending 85% of his minutes at the 5). Washington hypercharges their offense but kills their defense, and Plumlee feels like a sturdy placeholder until they can get a true rim protector/ roll man.

If that is all that’s missing from getting the Hornets to cement their spot in the top-eight of the East, it shouldn’t be impossible to add without breaking up too much of the core.

Chicago Bulls
Resolution: Keep everyone healthy and happy…including Patrick Williams

This year’s feel good story has been the emergence of the Bulls as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan looks fantastic, Zach LaVine is playing inspired defense and Nikola Vucevic is rounding into form. Role players like Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are carrying the defense, and even rookie Ayo Dosunmu has been a solid producer.

Eventually, second-year pro Patrick Williams will return to the rotation and add an intriguging dynamic: an athletic wing defender at the 4 whose offensive development is a strange fit on a team already crowded for touches. He’s due to return around the time the postseason begins, a strange time to inculcate a young player to a new situation.

The trajectory the Bulls are gone, they need to keep the core group together and on the floor. Williams should factor in positively to that, and other moves around the periphery (like getting Coby White to a new home) might improve their depth.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Resolution: Finish the year with Darius Garland as the clear-cut top option

Rivaling the Bulls for feel-good story has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently fourth in the Eastern Conference. There have been many reasons for their ascent, none more consistent than third-year point guard Darius Garland. How he’s played — particularly with Collin Sexton out — has been admirable. Since Sexton suffered a season-ending knee injury, Garland has put up 21.1 points, 7.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48-37-92.

The offense, and the team in general, needs to be built around him moving forward. That means conversations with Sexton need to go one of two ways: return with the understanding that you will be helping Darius, not supplanting him, or be prepared to find a new home. With the knee injury, trading Sexton is out of the picture. These are conversations that will likely be had ahead of July 1st.

Garland is great. Sexton is very good and gets a bad rap. But the Cavs are finding out who is better fit to lead their team, and there’s risk that by keeping Sexton — just so he doesn’t walk for nothing — they get some of their current chemistry to decline.

Dallas Mavericks
Resolution: Find another offensive piece to give them a Big Three

Jason Kidd has been better than we thought he’d be as coach. He’s rejuvenated Kristaps Porzingis, been a little more balanced with getting others involved and done wonders for point guard Jalen Brunson. Still, it feels like the Mavericks are a big-time scorer away from being good enough to make a deep playoff run.

Ideally, they’d add an off-ball scorer and a backcourt option who can slot next to Luka Doncic and Brunson. How to acquire that player… we’ll leave that up to the experts. The Mavs need someone else, and we don’t get paid enough to wade through all the options to figure it out. Give me a CJ McCollum or even a Ben Simmons in Dallas.

Denver Nuggets
Resolution: Get healthy

Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray are out with long-term injuries. Man, that’s a terrible waste of Nikola Jokic’s prime.

The Nuggets have a top-three team in the West at their fingertips when healthy. All the pieces fit well together, and they just acquired the missing piece in Aaron Gordon last winter before Murray went and got hurt. This team doesn’t need to shake up their core, just find a way to get that core on the floor at the same damn time.

Side note: Monte Morris is very good at basketball.

Detroit Pistons
Resolution: Get more athletic… while getting better shooters

Oh, Detroit. The three first-round picks snagged in 2020 have been anything but consistent. Saddiq Bey has turned it on since donning the headband, but Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart have their ups and downs. Cade Cunningham looks every bit the franchise leader he was projected to be.

So as the Pistons hope to add another top-five pick (they’d love top-three with this group) and build a long-term core around Cade, there are two major flaws the current iteration of the rebuild: a lack of shooting and a lack of athleticism.

It’ll be hard to address both issues at the same time with one young player or pick. The Pistons need both, and they need to find a way to balance those needs so that Cade doesn’t get stranded in a tough situation.

Golden State Warriors
Resolution: Win an NBA Championship

Pretty simple goals for the Warriors. They have the talent, are getting Klay Thompson back and have two intriguing young assets in James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga to dangle out there if they want to make another splash.

It’s not necessarily championship or bust in the Bay, but it’s pretty damn close.

Houston Rockets
Resolution: Prioritize the frontcourt… especially if they draft another frontcourt prospect

Alperen Sengun and Christian Wood are both really good. Daniel Theis is a serviceable big man who fulfills the noble premise of being a veteran that helps the youngsters around him. We are still super high on Usman Garuba, too.

At some point, the Rockets have to realize that those four don’t really mesh well together and there’s a logjam up front. Houston is still in the asset-gathering phase, so fit doesn’t matter immediately. That said, long-term minutes get blocked for Sengun and Garuba to a certain extent. Plus, there are three bigs at the top of the draft class who quasi-fit next to Sengun and/or Garuba and/or Wood. Rafael Stone needs to figure out his plan of attack before the draft comes around.

Indiana Pacers
Resolution: Rip the band-aid off

Do you hear that? It… it sounds like Bruce Buffer.

Yes, I think it is. It’s… it’s…

Hey Pacers: there’s no better time to embark on a rebuild than now. Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner all have strong value on a trade market where every other team is standing around waiting to figure out who is available. So, be the first! Make your guys available and begin that arduous process you’ve been dreading since Reggie Miller was a rookie.

Management just needs to rip the band-aid off and start the process of finding their next generation of stars. There’s little star power on the roster; a guy like Sabonis is young enough to keep as part of the long-term plans, and Caris LeVert has some promise. Other than that? Gut the damn thing.

Sidenote: is Chris Duarte actually their most valuable trade chip? He’s 24, can play immediate minutes for a contender, is super cheap and signed through 2025. Attach him to a bigger name like Turner or Brogdon and they can get a serious haul in return.

Los Angeles Clippers
Resolution: Make sure they have veterans prepared for a 2023 championship window

As of this writing, Paul George is out for an indefinite amount of time due to an elbow issue and Kawhi Leonard is still nursing his torn ACL. Without those two, the Clippers really don’t have a championship run in them this year.

There’s no indication that either would be hampered during the 2022-23 season, meaning the next twelve months should be about preparing to win a championship that year. Get George and Leonard healthy.

But how do they fill in the gaps? Older pieces on the roster right now (Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka) might fall off the cliff by June 2023 and no longer be useful. Can those guys hang on long enough to help the Clippers next year? If not, can the organization cash out now and prioritize minutes to some younger pieces like Brandon Boston or Keon Johnson? Would they consider swapping those younger guys this summer for more veteran depth?

Lots of options, none perfect, but it’s hard to envision the Clippers doing much this year.

Los Angeles Lakers
Resolution: Don’t waste the end of LeBron’s career

This is a safe space, Lakers fans. Let it all out.

The Russell Westbrook addition hasn’t gone according to plan in Los Angeles. The less-than-stellar play from Anthony Davis is a factor, but the lack of shooting and the bullish tendencies of Westbrook seem like the major hindrances.

LeBron James turned 38 just before the New Year. He’s averaging 28 points per game, without a doubt the most ever for someone his age. He only has a couple of seasons left to make a championship run. It’s on Rob Pelinka and the organization to do whatever they can to not waste them. All options should be on the table.

Memphis Grizzlies
Resolution: Win a playoff series

After a while, a young and promising team evolves into the team that can never get over the hump. In order to make sure they don’t become the latter, the Memphis Grizzlies need to make a push this year. Frankly, the Western Conference will never be more ripe for the picking. The Lakers are a mess, injuries are derailing the Clippers and Nuggets, and other stars (Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic) aren’t surrounded by great teams.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have taken huge steps forward. Dillon Brooks is a hella competitor. Ja Morant is still an enthralling star who can go off for 40 on any given night. The Grizzlies need to prove they’re a legitimate team out West and win a playoff series this year.

Miami Heat
Resolution: Hit the stretch run healthy

Bam Adebayo could be out through the start of the postseason after thumb surgery. Victor Oladipo is, well, Victor Oladipo. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, the two elder statesmen who have absorbed heavy minutes throughout their careers, are tasked with doing so through the rest of the year. Veterans like PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris will have to stay on the floor during the regular season to make up for some of the injuries, too.

The Heat brought in Lowry and assembled this team with the hopes of making the NBA Finals in the next two seasons. Without being healthy, that isn’t a reality. I know it seems like a cop out to keep saying that a team’s New Years Resolution is to have good health, but when injuries are the main threat to their postseason viability, it’s the only answer to give.

Milwaukee Bucks
Resolution: Trust their wings enough to play Giannis at the 5

Trust is a two-way street. Minutes need to be given to players in order for them to show they deserve to be trusted. But players can’t get that precious playing time until they’ve earned a modicum of trust. That catch-22 often prevents younger guys from carving out big roles on playoff teams, even if their regular season minutes are productive and solid. The postseason leads to the shrinking of rotations, and veterans get the nod.

The Bucks have a few intriguging young wings on their docket, including Grayson Allen, Jordan Nwora and even Rodney Hood. Allen has been a starter all year, and we’d expect that to continue even with Donte DiVincenzo back. But Nwora and Hood, longer wings who can play the 3 and even the 4, have a fringe benefit to the Bucks we haven’t seen talked about a ton: their ability to play bigger on the wing means the Bucks finally have enough depth at those spots to play Giannis some minutes at the 5.

The NBA is trending smaller. In a postseason series against the Phoenix Suns, who play a true rim-running 5 in DeAndre Ayton? Probably not a great option for long stretches. But against a team without such a player, like the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors or Chicago Bulls? Forcing the issue by surrounding Giannis with shooting could give the Bucks an extra boost to get through the postseason once again.

According to basketball-reference, Giannis is currently getting a career-high 49% of his minutes as the team’s 5, a necessity following the back injury to Brook Lopez. They’re pretty good as a result of the change. Let’s hope Mike Budenholzer doesn’t bail on the strategy in the postseason just because he doesn’t have built-up trust in a youngster like Nwora. Heck, I wouldn’t hate seeing the Bucks add another wing to play such a role.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Resolution: Let chemistry be what lifts the team to the next level

Often times NBA general managers are impatient. They tinker with the roster, ship off a star when a shinier object becomes available, fire the coach as a means of adding something different, the list goes on. But with a strong three-man core in place of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, the Wolves have the blueprint for future success.

Heading into this season, the trio has gotten very little time to play together. They’ve been outstanding when they do: in the 22 game, 446-minute sample, Minnesota’s version of the Big Three has a net rating of 13.6, fantastic considering they go up against other team’s best units.

Sachin Gupta’s challenge is to not get impatient. He just got the gig, might want to put his own flavor on things, but what they have is working. Defensive-minded role players like Jalen McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt help fill out the rotation. Young guard Leandro Bolmaro has a ton of hope to join the fold as exactly what they need. Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley are playing their roles well.

If the Wolves are going to make the playoffs and take a step forward this year, find ways to keep their top group on the floor as much as possible. There are small moves that can be made on the fringes, but they need to resist the desire to grab any fancy, dangling objects that come across their radar.

New Orleans Pelicans
Resolution: End the Zion Williamson drama

Does he want to be in New Orleans? Is his foot going to get healthy? How much does his weight factor into his foot’s health? Will he get his weight to a manageable place? Can the Pelicans trust him as the max-contract franchise cornerstone? Will Zion want to demand a trade or walk away via free agency? When will the Pelicans learn that? Can they even trust his health enough to offer a max extension before free agency?

So many questions, so few answers. Pelicans fans deserve an end to the drama and just a little bit of closure. Still spurned by the last star player to ask out, the fanbase is treading water through a losing season while Zion rests his injured foot. The uncertainty around his future will have much more clarity by this time next year, but clarity might not be enough. The franchise needs an answer.

If Zion wants to stay, lock him up through an extension this summer when he’s eligible. If the team knows his injuries are too worrisome to extend, blunt conversations need to be had about their likelihood of extending him. If Zion wants out, don’t wait until the February 2023 deadline to ship him off. Do it this summer and start from scratch.

New York Knicks
Resolution: Stabilize the point guard spot

We thought Kemba Walker would be a short-term answer. We were wrong. Derrick Rose is hitting the injury wall once again. Immanuel Quickley is more of a bench-scorer, the team’s own version of Jamal Crawford, than a long-term answer at the point.

If the Knicks truly believe that RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are top options for a playoff run, they need another who can get them the ball, athletically break down defenses from the point of attack and be a long-term factor in their plans.

To us, the easiest pathway there is to punt this season, ensure a top-12 draft selection and try to take one of the few strong guards out there, like JD Davison from Alabama or Jaden Ivey from Purdue. Other stopgap measures can help, but run the risk of having this season’s Kemba fiasco happen once again. They need a long-term solution, and without a surprising trade that surfaces, that’ll be hard to find.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Resolution: Nail the draft

No secret sauce to the rebuild in Oklahoma City is possible without the secret ingredient: high-value draft picks. Thunder general manager Sam Presti is sitting on a treasure trove, to the point where he can consolidate several to get a top pick and not even make a dent in their long-term arsenal.

Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander look like the backcourt of the future. Role player finds like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Lu Dort have a spot long-term. Year Two of the Alexsej Pokusevski experiment hasn’t been ideal, but this is 100% the time to perform such a bold development plan. The Thunder are in a very good spot long-term, and it’s incredibly doubtful they get impatient. Nail the 2022 NBA Draft in a class with a few solid bigger bodies and a lack of star power, and the Thunder gain a major comparative advantage over other teams in a rebuilding stage.

Orlando Magic
Resolution: Find A Franchise-Caliber Scorer

On this week’s podcast with Keith Smith, we talked a lot about the Orlando Magic. Their young backcourt trio of Jalen Suggs, RJ Hampton and Cole Anthony, the two-headed big man dilemma up front with Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba, the injured Jonathan Isaac and how he might fit next to rookie sensation Franz Wagner. That’s seven solid, quality young pieces, and that doesn’t even mention Chuma Okeke or Markelle Fultz.

Orlando also has two future draft picks: a 2023 first-rounder from Chicago (likely in the 20s) and a 2025 pick from Denver, both of which help their long-term cache. There are a lot of solid pieces to their rebuild.

Still, one thing is missing: a go-to scorer. With Bamba hitting free agency and Carter signed to a long-term contract that’s incredibly team-friendly, the Magic can take any of the top big men in this year’s class to build around. To us, only one is worthy of franchise alpha consideration: Paolo Banchero.

The offseason, and in general calendar year of 2022, isn’t a failure if the Magic don’t wind up with Banchero. However, they’d still be missing an alpha scorer. The rebuild isn’t over until they can find a way to acquire one.

Philadelphia 76ers
Resolution: Wash their hands of the ugly Ben Simmons drama

NBA executives are trained to think about assets. Draft picks are assets, players and their contracts derive value that makes them an asset, even money is an asset at their disposal. Such a dehumanizing view of the people in their building makes it really difficult to mend fences once they’re broken, and even harder to do right by the people in the locker room when priority number-one is successful asset management.

The value game is fully in play. In all likelihood, Ben Simmons will never wear a Philadelphia 76ers jersey. The reason he hasn’t been traded yet? Daryl Morey’s desire to make sure his team wins the trade. That’s his job, no ill will towards him should be felt, but it complicates the situation.

We’re approaching the point where, because the Sixers can’t make a credible championship run with Simmons and his $29 million sitting at home, even pennies on the dollar of a return would help the Sixers salvage a season or two of playoff runs in Joel Embiid’s prime. At some point, the need to not waste Embiid’s time will overtake the need to get the perfect haul for an imperfect Simmons.

To us, going through the entire 2021-22 campaign without trading Simmons would be a failure. The leverage game and asset management be damned, Embiid is a top-ten player in this league and the Sixers have some good players on their team. Don’t waste an opportunity just because nobody else is stupid enough to offer a king’s ransom for a jester.

Phoenix Suns
Resolution: Suck every drop of value out of Chris Paul’s career

Father Time is undefeated, but he’s currently fighting into the late rounds against timeless wonder Chris Paul. The Point God will turn 37 during the upcoming NBA Playoffs, and he’s somehow still producing: averaging 14.4 points and 9.8 assists per game on the NBA’s best team. Still dropping in elbow jumpers at an elite rate, still controlling the final three minutes of games, it’s becoming clear that Paul as the catalyst for the Suns makes them a perennial title threat, not just a team that capitalized on a depleted Western Conference last season.

Winning a championship, or making the Finals again, is clearly the ultimate goal on the clipboard in Phoenix. But simply making sure that they keep Paul motivated and leading the charge is the way to do so. As he ages and eventually will succumb to Father Time, the Suns will need to reevaluate their roster plans for how to win games and replace such an impactful leader. Don’t worry about that yet. Win games, live in the moment and keep letting Paul run the show.

Portland Trail Blazers
Resolution: Give control of the next steps to Damian Lillard

We’ll be honest, we don’t really know what to do up in Portland. If a star player like Damian Lillard doesn’t want to leave town, I’m never an advocate for trading him. Even if it means taking one step back in order to take two steps forward, if he’s okay with waiting a year to ramp up for the postseason again, let him be. To us, trading Lillard isn’t an option we’d consider until he demands out.

If he wants to go, this becomes easy. Tear it down, hire a new executive and let them rebuild from the ashes. If Lillard wants to stay, the difficult decisions that come are for who to keep, who to move and what to try and construct in return. CJ McCollum’s days are likely numbered, and the few young players in town (Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little) need to get the Lillard blessing to be part of the long-term solution.

This roster has a great deal of flaws, but if the Blazers are going to make it through and keep their franchise icon, they’ll need to get his input on how to reshape the roster in a mold he can win with. Too often we shudder at the thought of players dictating front office moves, but in this case, it might help keep a superstar in Portland for the next half-decade.

Sacramento Kings
Resolution: Get Vivek to admit the Kings are more than just “one move away”

Nothing can torpedo a team-building project faster than an impatient, unrealistic ownership group. Vivek Ranadive has done a lot of good for the city of Sacramento, building a new arena and keeping his franchise there despite rampant rumors of relocation. He’s also done a great deal of harm, pursuing aggressive win-now deals year after year that prevent the Kings from resetting the deck and dealing the cards they need to build sustainable success.

There’s a great deal of talent in Sacramento right now, probably the most they’ve had over the last 15 years. The issue as that they don’t really fit well, both from a positional standpoint and a timeline perspective. Finding minutes for De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Davion Mitchell and Buddy Hield all at the same time is an arduous task. Hield’s defense is poor, Fox is putting forth subpar effort and their last two lottery picks in Hali and Mitchell are worthless if they are pushed aside for the other two.

Harrison Barnes will never have more trade value than he does now. Marvin Bagley is playing better but the damage may have been done to the point where he still requires a fresh start. There are deals that can be made, with Hield, Bagley, Barnes and others on the block. If Vivek is unrealistic about the type of return necessary to get their playoff timeline in sync and what positions best build around Fox, things won’t get any better in Sacramento.

San Antonio Spurs
Resolution: Find “the” guy

There are so many guys on this Spurs roster that we like. Dejounte Murray is playing like an All-Star. Keldon Johnson shooting at an elite level, combined with his bowling ball finishing, makes him a starter in this league. Devin Vassell is a great defender with a blossoming pull-up game. Guys like Derrick White, Lonnie Walker and eventually Josh Primo are rotation-caliber scoring guards.

While those six are good enough to play, none are good enough to be the man. Not even Murray, who is a jump shot away from solidifying his spot as the team’s best long-term prospect. The logjam in the backcourt will eventually solve itself. My biggest fear: the Spurs stay away from taking the best long-term option available, even if he’s a guard, because they are content with the group they have. The Spurs need a top option, and the 2022 draft is likely the best spot to find him. Until they get that top option, treading water in the 10th-13th spot in the Western Conference is where we’ll find this organization.

Toronto Raptors
Resolution: Embrace the Scottie

I’m not one for player comparisons. We don’t like the false expectations that come as a result, nor the lack of understanding for greatness that comes from saying an 18-year-old reminds you of a current MVP candidate. Alas, when we saw Scottie Barnes play prior to his time with the Toronto Raptors, the one player whose mirroring of feel, size, athletic tools and open-floor impact was Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That’s a lofty comparison, one that isn’t perfect, but to us the Raptors need to follow the same development plan when it comes to Barnes. Mainly: let him take his reps now so he can be ready as the alpha when he’s 24.

The Raptors have a unique and somewhat brilliant roster construction underway. They’re assembling length everywhere, betting on their development plan to teach guys how to shoot, and snatching up good, athletic defenders. Barnes, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam works because they all do a little bit of everything and can be aggressive enough defensively to play in the open floor.

In the half-court, we want to see more Scottie. Ease more responsibility onto his plate, keep working on that jump shot and turn him into the most weaponized version of himself he can be. That’s the recipe forward for Toronto.

Utah Jazz
Resolution: Beef up their perimeter defense a smidge

The premise of their roster construction two years ago was near flawless. With such a unique interior defender in Rudy Gobert to protect the rim, sacrifice defense and quickness on the perimeter for supreme shot-making and offensive production. It worked for a while, but as the rest of the league has trended smaller and 5s start to shoot it, Gobert found himself in no-win situations: help off his man in the corner and risk his teammates getting blitzed 1v1 with no protection, or take away the rim and realize the Jazz will give up an open kick-out 3-pointer.

Whether by this year’s deadline or next summer, the Jazz likely need to get a little more help on the perimeter to limit the times they’re beaten off the bounce. Both Joe Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic is a tough pill to swallow, and even an older Mike Conley or less-inspired Donovan Mitchell have their issues. This is a title contender on offense and a damn good defensive group, but this one fatal flaw could be what stands in the way of an NBA Finals berth.

Washington Wizards
Resolution: Figure out what they want to be

Does this want to be a team that competes now? Builds for later? Prioritizes youngsters like Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura and Corey Kispert? Rolls with Spencer Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal forever?

There’s a great deal of depth on this roster, but that depth is dangerous. Having option that are good means you really don’t have many that are great. Before the Wizards start competing for a title or winning a playoff series, they need to figure out who they want to be long-term. A winning team around Bradley Beal isn’t a good enough answer, either. Figure out how to do that, who on their roster helps them get there, and then make subsequent moves to bring that to fruition.

Easier said than done…