What Every NBA Playoff Team Needs to Improve Before Next Season

The 2011-12 NBA season isn't over yet, but that doesn't mean we can't start looking ahead to next year.

The 2012 NBA playoffs have taught us a lot about the respective teams involved.  From the Philadelphia 76ers' big need for a legitimate center to the Utah Jazz's need for some backcourt production, we've learned about all the things that all 16 playoff team needs to improve on this upcoming offseason.

Ahead you'll find one thing that every 2012 NBA playoff team needs to improve on before the start of the 2012-13 season.  Teams are ranked based on their exit from the playoffs. 

Photos are courtesy of Getty Images

Utah Jazz: Backcourt Production

The Utah Jazz dropped an absolute dud against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2012 NBA playoffs.

Their performance showed just how important it is to have legitimate production coming from the backcourt in the NBA.

With players like Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, the Jazz have one of the most dominant and exciting frontcourts in the game.  If they can manage to find some resemblance of a backcourt trio that complements those players they will be on their way to competing in the West.

While Devin Harris certainly amped up his play during the Jazz's push for the 2012 postseason, the Jazz need to decide whether he's the point guard of the future in Utah or if it's time to start looking for his replacement.

Signing a free agent like Nick Young, Mickael Pietrus or Jason Terry, and moving Gordon Hayward to the small forward spot, could be exactly what the Jazz need to become more legitimate contenders in the Western Conference next season. 

Chicago Bulls: Depth at the Shooting-Guard Position

The obvious need the Chicago Bulls have heading into next season is finding a one-year replacement for Derrick Rose—assuming he'll miss the majority of the 2012-13 season.

In addition to that massive need, the Bulls need to figure out what they're going to do with the lack of production they got from the shooting-guard spot this past season.

The Bulls have Richard Hamilton, Ronnie Brewer and Jimmy Butler under contract at the shooting-guard position heading into next season.  If this past season is any indication of the kind of production the Bulls will get from their shooting guards next year, it's time to panic for Chicago.

The Bulls need to entertain the idea of amnestying either Brewer or Hamilton and pursuing a free agent shooting guard like Jason Terry or Nick Young.  Terry would be the Bulls' best option, as he would also be able to run the point in Rose's absence.

Without a legitimate shooting guard, the Bulls will never contend in the Eastern Conference, and that's what they need to focus on heading into the 2012-13 season.  

Dallas Mavericks: Get Significantly Younger

The average age of the Dallas Mavericks' starters is 34 years old and that's at the forefront of what is holding them back as a contender in the Western Conference.

While Dirk Nowitzki (33) and Shawn Marion (34) still have a couple more years of productive, high-caliber basketball ahead of them, it's time for the Mavericks to part ways with players like Jason Kidd (39) and Vince Carter (35).

If the Mavs want to contend in the West over the next few seasons, they need to start rebuilding their franchise, and they can do so in the 2012 NBA draft and by pursuing talented free-agents this summer.

The Mavericks should pursue young talent like Nick Young, Deron Williams, Randy Foye, Nicolas Batum and Kris Humphries.  

By adding one or two of those players, it's very possible that the Mavericks could return to their 2011 championship form because Dirk Nowitzki is that talented of a franchise player.

No matter who the Mavericks pursue and draft this offseason, one thing is for sure—they absolutely must get younger at a number of positions on the court. 

New York Knicks: Chemistry, Chemistry and More Chemistry

When you look at the talent the New York Knicks have—Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Jeremy Lin—it's amazing that they are as inconsistent as they are.

The main reason why the Knicks continually struggle, which included struggling this postseason against the Miami Heat, is because of a serious lack of chemistry they exhibit on the court.

This offseason the Knicks need to work feverishly at developing some resemblance of chemistry between the star players on their roster.

Maybe the Knicks need to go on some sort of team-building retreat where they all do a trust-fall or walk across fire together.  Or maybe they need to all sit down around a camp-fire and sing "Kumbaya."

Whatever it is they decide to do this offseason, they need to make sure that the end result of it all is that they play with an increased chemistry next year.  If they don't do that, the Knicks will be just as underwhelming in 2012-13 as they were this year. 

Denver Nuggets: Improve Defensive Efficiency

The Denver Nuggets were one Game-7 win away from stunning the basketball world by knocking the L.A. Lakers out of the playoffs in the first round.

Sadly for all the Denver fans out there, the Nuggets just couldn't figure out how to play defense, which is the exact same thing that held them back for the majority of the 2011-12 season.

The Nuggets were the proud owners of the 29th-ranked defense this past season—giving up an average of 101.2 points per game.  Aside from their atrocious defense, the Nuggets were actually one of the most productive teams in the NBA.

They ranked first in overall offensive production, with 104.1 points per game, first in assists per game, with an average of 24 per game, and eighth in rebounding, with an average of 43.1 per game.

With the majority of their roster under contract through the 2012-13 season, if the Nuggets can muster up some defensive production next year, they'll be one of the best teams in the Western Conference. 

Orlando Magic: Paint Production

With a new head coach and a new general manager, the Orlando Magic are going to look like a completely different team next season.

That's good news for the Magic and their fans heading into the 2012-13 season.  Assuming that Dwight Howard indeed returns next year and stays for the entirety of it, the one thing the Magic need to seriously improve on is their offensive production in the paint.

With one of the most offensively dominant centers in the game, it's shocking that the Magic ranked 27th in points in the paint this past season with a weak average of just 36.7 points per game.

With a frontcourt of Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson/Glen Davis, the Magic must be better in the paint if they want to be a legitimate playoff contender during the 2012-13 season.

Scoring more in the paint will subsequently help the Magic improve their offense on the perimeter by creating spacing on the floor.  A return to dominance in the East begins with increasing production in the paint for the Magic. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Consistent Production from the Backcourt

With Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on the court, the Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best frontcourt tandems in the game.

If the Grizzlies can add some depth to their backcourt this offseason, they can certainly be one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference next season.

Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gay are consistently productive offensive players for the Grizzlies, but those are the only consistently productive backcourt players the Grizzlies have.

It's time for Memphis to part ways with O.J. Mayo, who hasn't exactly lived up to expectations in his four years in Memphis.  The Grizzlies need to be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason and pursue talented young players like Nick Young, Goran Dragic, Randy Foye and Matt Barnes.

By adding depth to their backcourt, the Memphis Grizzlies can quickly become one of the youngest and most dangerous teams in the West, which will help them contend in an extremely competitive conference. 

Atlanta Hawks: Second-Unit Production

The Atlanta Hawks have one of the better starting lineups in the game—with Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith and Jeff Teague.

Aside from those players, though, there isn't much for Hawks' fans to be excited about talent wise.

The next best players the Hawks have on their roster are Zaza Pachulia, Ivan Johnson, Marvin Williams and Tracy McGrady.  With that kind of talent, the Hawks are going nowhere fast, and it's time for them to make some serious offseason moves to change that.

No, the Hawks don't need to amnesty or trade Joe Johnson and his massive $19 million contract yet.

They instead need to focus on acquiring players like Jason Terry, Chris Kaman, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and Randy Foye to solidify their frontcourt production and their depth on their bench.

If the Hawks want to contend for more than a first-round exit in the Eastern Conference playoffs next season, they have to get deeper on the bench. The best way for them to do that is to be one of the most active teams in the summer of free agency. 

L.A. Clippers: Add Polish to Frontcourt Play

The L.A. Clippers certainly aren't devoid of athleticism and raw talent on their roster.  What they are missing though is a legitimate level of offensive polish when it comes to their frontcourt play.

The starting tandem of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is certainly an exciting one, but if they fail to develop legitimate post moves and efficiency in their offensive skill sets, they'll certainly hold back the Clippers in the long run.

Athleticism can only get the Clippers so far, and they proved that this season when they got absolutely blown out by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference playoffs.

If Jordan can develop post moves and garner some resemblance of efficiency in the half-court offense, then the Clippers should certainly keep him around.  

If he can't do that, it might be time to think about amnestying Jordan, because he's certainly not worth the $30 million L.A. has tied up in him over the next three seasons.

Without an offensive presence in the paint, the Clippers won't be able to contend with teams like the Lakers, Thunder, Spurs and Grizzlies in the West, and that's a major issue moving forward for Lob City. 

Indiana Pacers: Increased Frontcourt Depth

The Indiana Pacers shocked the non-Indiana basketball world when they took the mighty Miami Heat to a Game 6 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

Unfortunately a lack of depth, specifically in the frontcourt, ultimately doomed the Pacers' playoff run.

If they want to improve in the offseason and become a more dominant team in the East, they'll have to increase their bench production at the power forward and center positions.  Sorry, guys, Tyler Hansbrough and Louis Amundson won't ever be the kind of bench production the Pacers can rely on.

With the No. 26 pick, the Pacers can help add depth by drafting a player like Fab Melo, Festus Ezeli or Andrew Nicholson.

In addition to making good use of their only draft pick, the Pacers need to be active in free agency this summer by making a push to sign a player like Carl Landry, J.J. Hickson or Antawn Jamison.

With added depth at the center and power forward position, the Pacers can be a contender in the East because they have the talent at all the other positions to complement it.  

L.A. Lakers: Point-Guard Efficiency and Offensive Production

What do you get when you take a black mamba and two seven-footers?  You get a team that can't succeed without productive point-guard play.

Trading for Ramon Sessions certainly helped the L.A. Lakers this past season, but he wasn't exactly the answer they were looking for at the point.

Sessions' postseason production of only 9.7 points and 3.6 assists per game on 37.7-percent shooting certainly didn't help the possibility of him returning to the Lakers next season, and that might be a good thing for L.A.

With Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, the Lakers have all the pieces they need to be the premier team in the West—as long as they're able to find the point guard of their future this offseason.

The clear choice for that job is Deron Williams, but he'll have to take a massive pay cut to join the Lake-show.  A more realistic option is to sign Goran Dragic or Randy Foye and hope they work out better than Sessions.

With an offensively efficient point guard, the Lakers can return to their glory days of reaching the NBA Finals year in and year out. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Add a Legitimate Center

The Philadelphia 76ers are without a doubt rising to dominance in the Eastern Conference.

While many will detract from their talent because they beat the Chicago Bulls this postseason without their star player, Derrick Rose, there's no doubting the fact that they're still a team with a ridiculously high amount of potential. Taking a veteran Boston Celtics team to a Game 7 clearly put that on display.

With an impressively deep bench, the 76ers have all the pieces in place to contend in the East.  That is, as long as they acquire a legitimate center this offseason.

Spencer Hawes is an extremely talented player, but unfortunately even with his 7'1'', 245-pound frame, he prefers playing closer to the perimeter than he does inside the paint.  Hawes also isn't that intimidating on the defensive side of the ball, which is something the 76ers need to improve this offseason.

With the No. 15, 45 and 54 picks in the draft, the 76ers should be able to work on their lack of an interior presence fairly well without having to reach for frontcourt talent in free agency. 

San Antonio Spurs: Start Preparing for Life Without Tim Duncan

With the San Antonio Spurs getting sent packing from the Western Conference finals—courtesy of a young and exciting Oklahoma City Thunder team—they can start looking towards how to improve for next year.

Yes, Tim Duncan is an unrestricted free agent, but Hell would freeze over before he signs with a team not coached by Gregg Popovich.

With that being said, the Spurs' biggest concern heading into the 2012-13 season is working to add depth to their frontcourt while also beginning to prepare for life without Duncan (36 years old).

With only one pick in the 2012 NBA draft—No. 59 overall—the Spurs will have to try and find the diamond in the rough in this summer's free agency.  A few players the Spurs should pursue this offseason are Spencer Hawes, Omer Asik, Roy Hibbert (restricted) and Brook Lopez (restricted).

Even without adding anyone to their roster this summer, the Spurs will still be one of the best teams in the West.  But if they are focused on preparing for their future, which they should be, they need to start thinking about what life will look like when Tim Duncan hangs up the laces for good. 

Boston Celtics: Retain the Talent on Their Roster

Heading into the 2012-13 season, the Boston Celtics have a whopping six players under contract—including two players who are either in their player option or qualifying option year.

Of the eight-man rotation the Celtics regularly use, they only have Paul Pierce, Greg Stiemsma, Brandon Bass (player option), Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley coming back next year.

The uncertainty surrounding the Celtics isn't necessarily something they can improve on, but without knowing who will be on their roster heading into the 2012-13 season there's not much the Celtics can improve.

In an ideal world, the Celtics will be able to sign Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to two- or three-year, low-cost deals to allow the Celtics to make some serious moves in free agency this offseason.  

That's unlikely to happen though, especially for Garnett, who's proved his incredible value in the Celtics' playoff run.

It's going to be interesting to see how this upcoming offseason pans out for the Celtics.  It could be the dawn of a new age in Boston—without the big three—or it could just be more of the same.  It's certainly going to be a wild offseason in Beantown. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Bench Production Not Named James Harden

Welcome to the 2012 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City.

It's hard to look at a team as dominant as the Oklahoma City Thunder and try to figure out how they can improve, but like every NBA team, the Thunder aren't perfect, and there is at least one area they need to improve heading into the 2012-13 season.

The Thunder need to add talent to their bench to help bolster the offensive production they get from their second unit from players not named James Harden.

It's safe to say that the Thunder have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, but looking at their bench aside from Harden and Derek Fisher, is like taking a peek at an NBA D-league roster.

All right, it's not that bad, but they certainly need to spice up their bench, either through free agency or with their first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft.   

Miami Heat: Establish Some Semblance of a Half-Court Offense

We all know that the Miami Heat can run in transition.  They're actually one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to doing that.

Their main problem, though, is the fact that they are an extremely stagnant and unfocused team when it comes to running a half-court offense.

The main load of that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Heat's coaching staff—specifically Erik Spoelstra.

Miami will never be able to win an NBA title without an established half-court set.  Currently the way things work for the Heat is to have LeBron James and Dwyane Wade cross screen on either side of the court and dish the ball to each other in the post.  

News flash for the Heat, that's an easy offense to stop with a quick double team, and that's what teams, specifically the Boston Celtics, have been doing in the playoffs.

This offseason, the Heat don't need to worry about which players to let go and which players to re-sign.

They need to worry about developing a legitimate half-court offense, because without one they'll never be the elite team in the NBA.