A Crucial Adjustment for Each NBA Team to Make

Nobody can be perfect. Not even these athletic superstars that we watch on a daily basis.

Even the best players in the NBA have their fatal flaws. LeBron James has trouble delivering in the final moments of games, Kobe Bryant doesn't involve his teammates and Derrick Rose doesn't have much of an outside game.

You can point out a flaw on each and every NBA player, and that includes legends in the past that we sometimes perceive to be immortal.

For this piece, we won't point out the flaws of each player. Instead, we'll figure out the flaws of each NBA team and how they must adjust in order to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a title.

From the elite's down to the cellar dwellers, each team is analyzed as we take a look at the crucial adjustment that every NBA team must make.

Atlanta Hawks

The Adjustment

Size in the middle

Losing Al Horford has only accentuated the problem that is the Atlanta Hawks needing some help down low.

The Hawks may be playing solid enough basketball to have the team atop the Southeast Division with a 13-5 record, but this will be something that's sure to get constantly abused by opposing teams down the road, especially come postseason time.

Even before the loss of Horford, the Hawks were in dire straits when it came to finding a center. They were allowing Jason Collins to start for a lengthy period of time and are now using Zaza Pachulia. These two, nor Ivan Johnson or Vladimir Radmanovic, properly address the problems that arise out of the Hawks having no center or having limited center off the bench.

The Hawks were abused by Dwight Howard in the first round and Derrick Rose's drives in the second round last year. It'll take more than Pachulia if they want to get past the semifinals for the first time since 1961.

Boston Celtics

The Adjustment

The need for young legs

This team is too close to a retirement home. With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all at 34 years or older and beginning to show their age, the Boston Celtics need to make it a purpose to obtain some fresh legs.

Not just for the playoff run later this year, but for the future. It's going to take more than Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass and Greg Stiemsma to make this work in the future. That three-man core of Garnett, Pierce and Allen is what's truly keep this team afloat, and not back to wallowing in obscurity for another two decades.

Even their record shows how their age is beginning to catch up on them. Since their 2008 NBA Finals win, the Celtics have lost only two key players in Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis. That might not seem like much, but the 7-9 record certainly shows that this team has let age, not a loss of players, aid them in their descent.

The Celtics got a few young players, but none that are capable of leading a team outside of Rondo. Jeff Green was a solid pickup in terms of preparing for the future, yet it'll still take a trade or two before this team is truly prepared for the bumpy road ahead.

Charlotte Bobcats

The Adjustment

Need for a pure scorer

Congratulations, Charlotte Bobcats, you got Kemba Walker! That's certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to relieving your scoring woes, but it still doesn't address the fact that you're still ranked 24th in points per game.

24th in the league isn't even that bad for Charlotte. That's considering that they're at least ranked within the bottom five every season if offensive efficiency, being six spots out of last is the best that they could have wished for.

It's not exactly addressing the issue of being 3-14, but, hey, at least they're averaging 90 points per game, which isn't too bad during this post-lockout haze that many NBA teams seem to be in.

The Bobcats have five players scoring 10 points or more per game. Gerald Henderson is leading the way with nearly 16 per, while D.J. Augustin, Corey Maggette, Byron Mullens(!) and Walker provide some needed support.

The Bobcats traded away their lone scorer in Stephen Jackson for Maggette and have yet to see results. Maggette has only played in six games this year and was averaging 12 points on 30 percent shooting.

Walker may pan out to be a 20 point per game player. However, the Bobcats will have a long way to go before they can even begin thinking about that.

Chicago Bulls

The Adjustment

Offensive help off the bench

The Chicago Bulls have been playing like the best team in basketball to start the year.

Even with Derrick Rose sitting out a few games, the Bulls have taken advantage of a soft schedule and are now 16-3, good enough for a two-and-a-half game lead over the second place Atlanta Hawks. Rose has missed five games this year due to an injured toe, but the Bulls have given no clear indication that they've needed him.

Richard Hamilton has been doing a stellar job in his new environment, averaging 14 points per game on 51 percent shooting. Being 33 years old and coming off of two injury-plagued seasons has done little to throw off the longtime Detroit Pistons and 2004 NBA champion.

There aren't too many issues with this Bulls team, except for the fact that they can't seem to get consistent scoring from their bench.

C.J. Watson has helped to address this issue with ten points per, but hasn't gotten much help. John Lucas, Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer are only averaging seven points per game, while Omer Asik is only dropping in four. This Bulls team has plenty of strong defenders coming off the pine, but they'll need to contribute on offense at sometime or another.

My solution? More Brian Scalabrine.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Adjustment

Need for help off the bench

Don't look now, but the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't that bad.

There are still so many problems with this team that I don't know where to start. However, that 6-9 record is certainly enlightening for a team that won 19 games in a full 82 game season last year. The Cavaliers are listening to coach Byron Scott, allowing the young players to take over and have cut the fat with players like Baron Davis departed.

Kyrie Irving hasn't received too much attention with rookies like Ricky Rubio hogging all the spotlight, but he's the true recipient of the Rookie of the Year award if the season ended today. Averaging 17 points on 50 percent shooting to go along with five assists and three boards per game, Irving is quietly turning this Cavaliers team into a future playoff contender.

That doesn't mean everything's bright and easy for Cleveland as they still face a number of severe problems that will impede their progress.

For example, the team has no bench whatsoever. With Christian Eyenga out due to injuries, the Cavaliers are struggling off the bench. Ramon Sessions is a solid sixth man, but guys like Alonzo Gee and rookie Tristan Thompson can't be looked at as consistent supporters for the first unit.

It'll take some time for the Cavaliers to attract free agents after players became wary of joining the team due to the LeBron James situation.

Dallas Mavericks

Adjustments

Need for a defensive stopper in the post

We know what the Dallas Mavericks were doing when they allowed Caron Butler, J.J. Barea and Tyson Chandler to just get up and leave over the summer. They're attempting to free up some money for the 2012 offseason when they will try to obtain the services of future free agents in New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

That doesn't make it right. We've seen teams overhaul their roster in order to obtain an All-Star or two. It's extremely risky and when not all goes according to plan, the team who did the overhauling wakes up with sore pride and a dismal team.

If the Dallas Mavericks don't obtain either of those players, they're going to be in a lot of trouble. Their current point guard is 38, their star player is 33 and their entire starting lineup is over the age of 30. The Mavericks have recovered after a slow start to have this 11-7 record, but their success won't last in the postseason.

When the Mavericks allowed Tyson Chandler to walk, they gave away their championship hopes. He was the player that gave them the mindset to begin playing tough defense, as well as being the guy to deter any slashers or post players attempting to score or rebound.

Chandler can't score that well, but he's an excellent defender and deserves full credit for aiding the Mavericks in their 2011 title run.

Ian Mahinmi's development has been nice to see, but the Mavericks don't need him, Brendan Haywood or Brandan Wright. They need Chandler holding down the fort.

Denver Nuggets

The Adjustment

Need for a true leader

Who needs J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin? Because the Denver Nuggets sure don't.

Playing without a three-point threat, superb perimeter defender and an all-around tough guy, the Nuggets have prospered with a 12-5 record. Thanks in part to the development of Ty Lawson, the versatility of Danilo Gallinari and the post scoring of Nene Hilario among others, the Nuggets find themselves attempting to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder atop the Southwest division.

The Nuggets currently lead the league in scoring with six players scoring 10 points or better and players like Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer coming off the bench and giving the team a needed boost off the bench.

It's looking breezy in Denver, but the only problem is that the team is lacking that significant All-Star who aids the team in their victories and provides that extra scoring boost that helps the team excel. Having a well-balanced team like the Nuggets works in the regular season, but it doesn't get easy in the postseason when they need for a player who can bail them out.

That's the cost of losing out on Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Sure the Nuggets have actually played better without them, but this method of playing won't last. History dictates that each champion has always had at least one or two stars. The Nuggets have none that stick out. Even with the impressive record, there still won't be an All-Star.

Sorry, but a team being led in scoring by Danilo Gallinari won't make the championship.

Detroit Pistons

The Adjustment

Need for a scorer

A need for everything would be better, but we'll just have to condense the Detroit Pistons main need into acquiring a pure scorer or defensive stopper along the perimeter.

The Pistons are currently 10 games under .500, and with no intentions of getting better. They have a solid young core with players like Brandon Knight, Jonas Jerebko and Greg Monroe leading the way, but it's just not enough for this team. They desperately need offensive help and fast before it gets any worse than it already is.

The team currently ranks last in scoring, averaging 85 points per game at 42 percent from the field. They're 24th in three-pointers made, 30th in rebounds, 30th in blocks and 26th in free throws attempted. In simpler terms, the Pistons just aren't that good on either end of the floor.

Monroe has been doing a great job in his second year to average 15 points and nine boards per game, while Knight has quietly contributed 13 points, three boards and three assists per game. However, they have not one player who can step up and score over 20 points on any given night.

Ben Gordon used to be that player, but that was before he went to Detroit and started stinking up the joint.

Golden State Warriors

The Adjustment

Need for bench scorers

Nate Robinson is currently leading the Golden State Warriors bench in scoring at 12 points per game. He's shooting 42 percent from the field and 28 percent from deep, yet he's also the team's fourth leading scorer behind Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and David Lee.

Well, there's your problem. If someone like Nate Robinson is averaging 27 minutes off the bench, you have found the exact reason why your team is 5-11 and last in an awful Pacific Division that also happens to feature Phoenix and Sacramento.

It's not that Robinson is a bad player, he kind of is, it's just that he shouldn't be leading any NBA franchise's bench in scoring. It truly shows just how weak the Warriors are when it comes to their depth. They might have a solid starting lineup with Curry, Ellis, Dorell Wright, Lee and Andris Biedrins, but that bench is horrendous.

Robinson, Brandon Rush and Klay Thompson are the current leaders of the bench for the Warriors. It's all downhill from there, however, as the high-octane scoring prowess of Kwame Brown, Ekpe Udoh and Dominic McGuire take over.

For those who still believe the Warriors will sneak is an eighth seed, I'm sorry to break this bad news to you but it won't happen as long as Nate Robinson is garnering nearly 30 minutes worth of game time per game.

Houston Rockets

The Adjustment

Need for a defensive stopper anywhere

Once again, the Houston Rockets are asserting their authority as an offensive juggernaut. They currently rank sixth in scoring at 98 points per game, lead the league in shot attempts, lead in free throw percentage and are ninth in three-point field goals made per game.

Basically, it's the same team from last year. They sure can score a lot, but they also happen to give up 97 points per game as well, good enough for 22nd in the league. The Rockets had a similar story with the team from last year and that ended up in a missed postseason.

Houston can at least boast having a solid defender in Samuel Dalembert at center, but there aren't many defensive stoppers anywhere else.

Luis Scola can't keep bigger forwards out of the paint, Chase Budinger can't keep up with anyone and Kevin Martin is subjected to playing on one end of the floor. Kyle Lowry can provide a little bit of resistance, but it's not nearly enough for this Rockets team that is lacking at three key positions.

Is it Hasheem Thabust, I mean Thabeet's, time to hit the court?

Indiana Pacers

The Adjustment

Need for a slasher

The Indiana Pacers have a lot of players who can shoot.

Danny Granger can shoot from the perimeter, David West is an excellent mid-range threat, Darren Collison and Paul George happen to solid three-point shooters and George Hill is another solid perimeter threat.

It's good to have jump shooting threats because of how it stretches the floor, which allows post players like Roy Hibbert to have a lot of room to move around without any resistance. Defenders are too focused on the numerous perimeter threats, which means that Hibbert will be subject to many one-on-one situations.

However, the Pacers need a slasher or a current player to begin driving the lane. Jump shots can be extremely streaky at times and you need a player who can drive to the lane and score at will sometimes in order to relieve the pressure off of the three-point threats.

Instead, the Pacers don't have any drivers. Their entire starting lineup, outside of Hibbert, relies heavily on jump shooting. Indiana's off to one of their best starts in years, but they need some efficiency when it comes to taking the ball to the rim.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Adjustment

Need for a bench

With Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups filling out that backcourt and Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan filling out the frontcourt, it's tough to find what exactly could be improved on this Los Angeles Clippers team.

That is, until you take a look into the background and notice the Clippers bench. Outside of a solid shooter in Mo Williams, the Clippers have absolutely not one consistent offensive or defensive threat, aside from Reggie Evans, to rely on.

With Eric Bledsoe dealing with a torn meniscus, the Clippers bench only looks to be more of a disadvantage than before. Players like Ryan Gomes, Randy Foye and Brian Cook are being looked at as supporters who could aid the Clippers scoring when a few members of the starting lineup need to take a breather.

Williams and Foye are the only players off the bench averaging eight points per game or better. Gomes, Cook and Evans are all averaging four points per game or less. This will be a serious issue that could be easily exposed come playoff time.

Chris Paul's injuries and Blake Griffin's inability to provide offense outside of the paint certainly won't aid this team either.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Adjustment

A reliable bench

How could a Los Angeles Lakers team that's getting over 50 points combined from their three-man core struggle to a 10-8 record?

Take a look at everyone not included in that three-man core and it's pretty obvious why. After Pau Gasol's 16 points per game, the next scorer with the closest output is Matt Barnes at eight points per game. It only gets worse from there as the Lakers average 92 points per game, good enough for 20th in the league.

This isn't like the Miami Heat of last year where three players could legitimately handle the scoring load, this is on another level of abysmal support from the rest of this team. Kobe Bryant's leading the league in scoring at nearly 31 points per, but it doesn't matter much when everyone else besides Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum isn't contributing much.

Without Lamar Odom, the weakness of the supporting cast is coming into clear view. Steve Blake represents the team's leading scorer off the bench with seven points per game, while Metta World Peace follows with five points per game and 15 percent shooting from deep.

Troy Murphy is a solid shooter and rebounder and Jason Kapono can shoot when he's left wide open, but the Lakers won't go anywhere with just three players leading the way.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Adjustment

Consistent scoring from the backcourt

This is getting a little strange. The Memphis Grizzlies seem to be a better team when they're losing when one of their top players.

Last year, the Grizzlies utilized a late regular season run and an unbelievable postseason run to make it to the Western Conference semifinals, all of this happening without Rudy Gay. This year, the Grizzlies started off slow, but then quickly turned it around and are now 10-7, all of this without leading rebounder and scorer Zach Randolph.

It must be the sense of urgency, but the Grizzlies seem to play better when they have their top players replaced by bench players who can hardly matchup to the starter they're replacing.

Either way, the Grizzlies are doing good somehow, and I have no way of explaining it.

The main flaw of this team, however, has been the lack of consistency from the backcourt. Mike Conley, Jr. has been playing extremely well this year with 14 points per game on 49 percent shooting, while O.J. Mayo has chipped in 12 points per game with 44 percent shooting from deep.

In years past, these two have been known to disappear in instances, specifically Conley. The Grizzlies are going to need these two, Tony Allen does enough on defense, to make sure that the team has enough support to boost them back into the playoffs with another possible run in store.

Miami Heat

The Adjustment

Need for a true center

Somehow, the Miami Heat have been thriving with a 6'9" power forward as their center. Even though he's the fifth tallest player on the team, Joel Anthony has maintained his status as the Heat's starting center.

How does he maintain that position? Because the Heat don't have a choice. It's either Anthony, an unbalanced Dexter Pittman, a raw Mickell Gladness or Eddy Curry, who's played in two games since December 17, 2009.

Like I said, the Heat don't have much of a choice. The team hasn't allowed not having a true center deter them, aside from their ghastly rebounding, but it could affect them in the long run if they do end up having to play a center that's capable of deterring slashers, while also being able to score.

The Heat are getting four points per game from Anthony and not much else from any other center. They've given Pittman a few opportunities to showcase his talent with little to no result. Curry is basically the only glimmer of hope for the Heat to find their center.

While he did show that he's got some left in the tank in the Heat's win against the L.A. Lakers, there are still serious conditioning issues that he'll have to go through before he can even think about becoming a starter.

On a team like the Heat where athleticism and defense is valued so heavily, Curry has a long way to go and so do the Heat when it comes to finding their center.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Adjustment

Need for scorers

We're long past the days of "Fear the Deer." Nobody is scared to play the Milwaukee Bucks these days.

Instead, teams just don't like to play them. The Bucks play such an ugly version of basketball that it transfers over to their opponents. Both teams play awful basketball for 48 minutes and the team that didn't play as bad ends up getting the win.

Most of the time, judging by the 6-10 record, it ends up in the opponents favor.

What the Milwaukee Bucks are lacking, aside from a conscience, is a scoring threat not named Brandon Jennings. Hell, even Jennings is guilty of being a part of this awful offensive team. Their surprisingly 20th this year thanks to Jennings averaging 20 points per game on 44 percent shooting, but it's been a different story for the first two years of his career.

Brandon shot below 40 percent from the field and it translated to the team finishing well below the league's averaging in scoring.

The problem is that he hasn't gotten any help. The Bucks received Stephen Jackson, but he's still recovering from the lack of a training camp. Jackson and Andrew Bogut are the only other players on this team, aside from Jennings, to be averaging 10 points per game or more.

Carlos Delfino, Mike Dunleavy and Drew Gooden are the fourth, fifth and sixth leading scorers. Each player is shooting below 40 percent from the field.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Adjustment

Scoring from anyone outside of Kevin Love

Get a load of the Minnesota Timberwolves finally getting things together. In 17 games, they're already only 10 wins away from matching their entire wins total from last year.

Thanks in part to Kevin Love's extraordinary scoring prowess, Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams providing rookie sparks, the Timberwolves are at 7-10 and with a reason to be excited for the future. They still got a long way to go before they begin thinking about the playoffs, but this is certainly a great start for a team that hasn't been to the postseason in too long.

However, take a look at the scoring parity between Love and his teammates. He's averaging 25 points per game and the next highest scorer is only at 13. Given that Michael Beasley is injured with those 13 points per game, it's still not encouraging for the Timberwolves knowing that Love is the only player on this team who is keeping them afloat in the scoring department.

Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and Rubio are also scoring more than 10 points per game as the Timberwolves actually find themselves at 14th in the league in points per game.

This presents a huge problem for the Wolves. They need someone else who can consistently score outside of Love. Players like Ridnour and Barea cannot be looked at as viable scoring options who can lead this to victory.

In other words, get some scorers on this team who can aid Kevin Love.

New Jersey Nets

The Adjustment

Need for Dwight Howard

Tough to believe, I know, but the New Jersey Nets are bad again.

At 5-13, it's actually surprising that this team has won five games. Without their top scorer in Brook Lopez due to a broken foot, the Nets have had to scramble and come up with a hodgepodge of players that they're attempting to pass off as legitimate scoring threats.

Deron Williams and rookie MarShon Brooks have stepped up, as well as Anthony Morrow's three-point shooting, but Kris Humphries and the rest of this team just really isn't that good. I acknowledge that Humphries is averaging 13 points per game, but he has the size and strength to easily average a lot more, especially since he's the Nets lone post threat.

Even Williams is guilty of failing to contribute to the Nets offensive problems. He's averaging 18 points and dishing out eight dimes per, but shooting 37 percent from the field overall and 32 percent from deep certainly leaves a lot to be offered from a point guard who's argued as the best in the league.

Brooks has been the lone bright spot on this team. He was considered to be the steal of the draft and he's showcasing why as he's averaged 15 points on 47 percent shooting, as well as 37 percent shooting from deep.

The only way this team survives and becomes relevant is if they make the trade for Dwight Howard.

Help us Dwight Howard, you're the Nets only hope.

New Orleans Hornets

The Adjustment

Need for scorers

We knew that the New Orleans Hornets wouldn't be as good, but 3-14 bad I don't think we saw coming.

Losing out on Chris Paul and David West is tough, but you'd at least expect a little bit of support from their replacements in Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry. Instead, the Hornets are awful and are ranked 28th in scoring at 87 points per game.

The main cog of the Chris Paul trade in Eric Gordon has only played in two games. He was averaging 21 points per before a right knee injury took him out of commission. Without him, the Hornets can't find any go-to scorer. Jack has been averaging 17 and Landry has averaged 12, but it's just enough for this New Orleans squad that could be changing location soon.

Outside of those three and Trevor Ariza's 12 points per, the Hornets don't get much support. Even Chris Kaman who once averaged 19 points per is struggling to adjust to his new environment. The former All-Star center is currently averaging nine points per on an awful 44 percent from the field. For a player his size and with the lack of post presences, you'd expect Kaman to thrive but it's just been the opposite.

There just aren't scorers that you can look to rely on this team outside of Gordon. Until he gets back, the Hornets will continue to struggle, and even when he does come back, they'll still struggle to win games and score points.

New York Knicks

The Adjustment

Need for teamwork

Trade rumors already? It's officially getting ugly in New York...again.

The New York Knicks forced this pairing between Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. They should have known, like everyone else, that these two are pure scorers who always want the ball in their hands. It's even more of a problem when Anthony specifically has to play with the ball and Stoudemire can play when there's a point guard feeding it to him.

Chauncey Billups was the glue guy. The Knicks traded him away for a $15 million post defender, who can only do so much to help aid the defensive woes of this New York team.

You can give all the money in the world to someone who primarily plays defense down low, but that doesn't mean he can address the scoring problems, the teamwork issues or the fact that there's no backcourt.

The biggest problem with this team has been the issue of teamwork. Anthony and Stoudemire need to learn how to share the ball. If Stoudemire is taking nine shots and scoring 12 points in 45 minutes, then there's a problem that needs to be corrected. If your number two scorer is taking nine shots while your number one scorer is taking 30, there are serious issues.

Thankfully, Anthony and Stoudemire are addressing these issues between themselves, which is a great thing since this two need to communicate in order to get out of this slump.

Unfortunately, Baron Davis will be back soon to wrong all of the rights that will be made.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Adjustment

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's teamwork

The Oklahoma City are the most well-rounded team in the NBA. Even more well-rounded than the Chicago Bulls and they have the best defensive bench we've seen in a long time.

The Thunder have a slasher and mid-range threat in Russell Westbrook, a three-point threat and slasher in Kevin Durant, a perimeter defender in Thabo Sefalosha and two post defenders in Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. Off the bench is one of the NBA's top sixth men in three-point threat and all-around athlete James Harden.

With a solid defender in Nick Collison and decent scorers in Eric Maynor and Daequan Cook, the Thunder have the roster to make a trip to the NBA Finals and win it.

The only thing holding them back is themselves, specifically Durant and Westbrook. These two are the heart and soul of this team, and the Thunder wouldn't be in the position they are without them. They're two high powered scorers who can drive, shoot from the mid-range and from the perimeter. If there was one knock on their individual games, it would be their defense.

Perhaps the biggest problem that lies with the Thunder happens to be on whether or not these two can coexist. The conference finals last year featured these two butting heads on who should take the last shot or not. Earlier this year, Westbrook and Durant apparently got into another verbal altercation.

These two players need to figure it out and soon. Durant needs to be the No. 2 and Westbrook needs to be the No. 2. There's only room for one alpha dog, and they need to distinguish who that is now.

Orlando Magic

The Adjustment

Need to feed Dwight Howard

It's the most baffling thing in the NBA. The NBA's most dominant big man, Dwight Howard, hardly ever gets fed in the post. No matter how automatic the points are when he has the ball in his hands and his back to the basket, the Orlando Magic will continue to jack up three-pointers.

If Shaquille O'Neal was taking 20 plus shots per game with Kobe Bryant on his team, there's no excuse as to why Howard is only taking 13 shots per game. There are no reliable, consistent threats on the Magic aside from Howard, yet he is being treated as if he's any regular center just trying to work his way through the ranks.

The Magic will never get anywhere if they don't allow the ball to run through Howard. Instead of running it through the perimeter and taking 25 shots per game, why not allow Dwight to get fed on every single possession? You'll get your three-pointers when he passes out of it, but just allow the big man to get his shots in so he'll have no excuse to leave.

Ryan Anderson is taking nearly as many shots per game. He's attempting eight three-pointers per and while he is still making 41 percent of those shots, that is not a recipe for success. Three-point shooting isn't consistent enough to be relied on throughout an entire regular season and then a postseason.

You can rely on one player's post game, however. The Los Angeles Lakers did it and got three titles out of it.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Adjustment

Need for a scorer

Not since the days of Allen Iverson have the Philadelphia 76ers played this well.

With best regards to the balanced machine that this team is boasting, all credit goes to coach Doug Collins, who has preached a hard-nosed defensive and well-balanced philosophy to this team. After a tough first round series with the Miami Heat last year, the Sixers haven't taken their foot off the gas pedal and will attempt to take the Atlantic Division.

The Sixers currently have seven players averaging 10 points or better. It's led the team to third in points per game in the NBA, first in shots made per and third in field-goal percentage. This team is strictly business when they hit the court as they wear you down with multiple weapons on offense and then a rugged defensive philosophy on the other side.

However, we can only wonder just how far the Sixers can go with this well-balanced philosophy. It's a beautiful thing to see everyone work together, but you need that go-to guy. I've stated before with teams like Denver that any squad who wants to contend needs a guy that they can rely on to hit shots in the waning minutes.

Philadelphia doesn't have that. They have a bunch of players who can shoot well from outside, but none that can be relied on to take over when the team is down. Each championship team has always had that one star who could take over and the Sixers simply don't have that yet.

Phoenix Suns

The Adjustment

Need for versatility

It's depressing that Steve Nash and Grant Hill might just finish their career's on a team who has a high possibility of finishing last in their division. They've got no one to blame but themselves, however, as Hill turned down an offer from the New York Knicks over the offseason, while Nash continues to shoot down trade rumors.

My guess of why they're staying there? The training and medical staff of the Suns. Shaquille O'Neal boasted in his book of how the team doctors resurrected his career after Miami. Perhaps the doctors in Phoenix are the one's that are keeping a 39-year-old Grant Hill and a 37-year-old Steve Nash relevant and in action.

The Phoenix Suns don't have Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion anymore, which means that the team has had to replace them with players that don't exactly matchup well. Marcin Gortat has done well and is the current leading scorer, but there aren't too many other players who are scoring well on this team and that's with Nash averaging 10 assists per game.

The problem is that there's no versatility, specifically no players that can put the ball on the floor and drive. Guys like Gortat and Hakim Warrick predominantly rely on Nash and his passes to get them open off pick-and-rolls. The rest of this team, however, is restricted to the perimeter because they simply can't drive to the rim.

Players like Channing Frye, Jared Dudley and Shannon Brown are all guilty of this. They're all taking more than two three-pointers per game and all shooting less than 33 percent.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Adjustment

Need for a slasher

There's no reason not to love the Portland Trail Blazers. Even with losses of Brandon Roy for the rest of his career and Greg Oden for God knows how long, they've managed to survive with the roster they have and will most likely make another postseason appearance.

At 10-7, you couldn't ask more from a team that had the Roy retirement and Oden setback take place within a few weeks of the regular season starting.

The Blazers are performing well simply because they can play extremely well as a team and have LaMarcus Aldridge as their new floor leader. He's the leading scorers for this team at 23 points per game, but also happens to be one of the few key players on this team that gets the majority of his scoring from within the perimeter.

Those other key players, however? Three-point shooting machines. Gerald Wallace, Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford, Raymond Felton and Nicolas Batum are all taking more than two three-pointers per game, with all of those players besides Wallace taking three or more. Matthews by himself is taking five shots from beyond the arc alone.

These are the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth highest scoring players on this team and they rely heavily on their shooting from the perimeter. There needs to be a player who can put the ball on the floor and drive to the rim consistently. The Blazers won't be able to make it past the second round if five of their best scorers are spending the majority of their time beyond the arc.

Sacramento Kings

The Adjustment

Need for capitalizing

Let's just put this as simple as possible with stats so easy to understand that a caveman could read it and understand.

The Sacramento Kings are second in the league in shots attempted per game with 84, thanks in part to the 15 offensive boards they pull in. They also happen to rank 28th in shots made and dead last in shooting percentage at under 40 percent.

Basically, the Kings can't shoot the ball. They're taking the seventh most three-pointers, but rank 29th in three-point percentage and are last amongst all NBA teams in assists per game. It's obvious to point out that the Kings are getting the ball a whole lot, but then they're making unwise decisions once they have it.

Too many three-pointers being taken by players who can't shoot and not enough of an influence being made in the post. Jimmer Fredette has the highest three-point percentage at 33 percent and the Kings only have one player shooting over 50 percent, that player being center Jason Thompson.

The Kings are inconsistent on offense. They get plenty of looks from their league leading 15 offensive rebounds per game, but are simply not capitalizing on those opportunities because they're not smart enough with the basketball.

Tyreke Evans needs to average better than four assists per game by involving his teammates more and getting them in spots where they feel comfortable in shooting it.

San Antonio Spurs

The Adjustment

Need for competent size

Like the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs should also be on the lookout for young legs that can replace the tired, old ones of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Unlike the Celtics, the Spurs have begun to invest in competent young talent. Gary Neal, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard happen to be good shooters, while the team continues to work on the games of James Anderson and Cory Joseph. Those two may not be ready yet, but it's still nice to see the Spurs investing in youth.

What the Spurs need to truly invest in is young talent down in the post. The Spurs have been relevant for the past two decades because they've been able to rely on guys like Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Unfortunately for them, they don't have any player who is capable of being the next Tim Duncan or David Robinson.

Instead, they have DeJuan Blair, Tiago Splitter, Matt Bonner and Ike Diogu. We'll just throw out Diogu and Bonner because they're who they are, which means that Blair and Splitter will be looked at as the Spurs future frontcourt components.

Blair doesn't have any ACL's, but you wouldn't notice if you saw him play. He's an aggressive player around the basket averaging 10 points and six boards per game. However, he hasn't exactly shown any flashes of being an All-Star caliber replacement to Duncan in the near future.

As for Splitter? Not even close. He needs a lot of work on refining his game. He's averaging nine points and five boards per in 20 minutes, and it's surprising that he's even posting that up.

Toronto Raptors

The Adjustment

A post threat

Where there people seriously calling Chris Bosh overrated? If you thought the Cleveland Cavaliers were bad without LeBron James, then take a look at the Toronto Raptors without their former All-Star power forward.

The Cavaliers have improved. The Raptors have only gotten worse. That's what happens when your 7' center believes he's a shooting guard. He's averaging 22 points per game, which is solid, but that 29 percent shooting from deep on nearly four three-point attempts per game isn't. Bargnani continues to be a perimeter threat, which means that there's still no significant post threat.

Also, the Raptors are continuing to get killed in the middle. With Aaron Gray playing in only three games and Jamaal Magloire playing well beyond his expiration date, the Raptors are still facing a lot of trouble when finding a player who could potentially replace Bosh as a post threat.

We expected that Amir Johnson and Ed Davis might be able to replace Bosh, especially after solid seasons last year, but that quickly came to a crashing thud.

Johnson's currently averaging seven points and seven rebounds per game in 25 minutes per game, while Davis is averaging six points and six rebounds in 23 minutes per. In other words, neither of these players will be Chris Bosh.

Here's hoping that Jonas Valanciunas revives this team next year.

Utah Jazz

The Adjustment

Need for consistency from the backcourt

At 10-5, the Utah Jazz have been one of the surprise teams of the year.

They're holding their own with one of the strongest offensive frontcourts in the NBA and even have the 11th highest scoring offense despite being ranked 28th in three-pointers made per game. That's exactly where the problem lies with this team.

When you have so many post players that can score near the rim, you need to have perimeter players that can score when those post players attract double teams.

That's supposed to be the job of the guards. Instead, they're not doing the job and no one else is either as not one player on this team is averaging a full three-pointer per game. The team is shooting a collective 29 percent from deep with Raja Bell's 36 percent being the highest.

The backcourt as a whole has been disappointing. Devin Harris and C.J. Miles were believed to form one of the strongest backcourts in the league, but have responded by playing absolutely depressing basketball to start the season.

After a strong second half to the 2010-11 season, Miles has failed to transfer that momentum to the 2011-12 campaign. He's currently averaging nine points per on 37 percent shooting from the field and 30 percent from deep.

His backcourt teammate in Harris has been even more sad to watch. This was the same guard that made it to an All-Star game in 2008 and you would wonder why he's even in the league if you watched him this year. He's averaging eight points per on 37 percent shooting, dishing out five assists and shooting 32 percent from deep.

The bench players? Not much better. Earl Watson's averaging five assists per which is good, but Jamaal Tinsley, Raja Bell and Alec Burks haven't provided much else.

Washington Wizards

The Adjustment

Need to grow up

I feel as if I'm insulting my integrity by speaking about this 2-15 nightmare fueled Washington Wizards team.

Stephen King couldn't write a more grotesque novel than what we've seen from the Wizards this year. Watching one quarter of Wizards basketball lowers more IQ points than 25 minutes of Keeping up with the Kardashians. The Washington Generals play more as a team than the Wizards.

Recently fired coach Flip Saunders is the happiest unemployed American in the country.

Barack Obama is moving the White House up north to New Jersey just so he can get local coverage of an NBA team.

The jokes go on and on because this team is a joke. Many of us, including myself, assumed that this team could contend for an eighth seed late this year. While they do have the talent, they don't have the intelligence and mental stamina to withstand a 48 minute game, let alone an entire season.

John Wall is an unbelievable point guard, but he's too out of control. We excused the four turnovers per he had last year as just rookie jitters, but averaging even more this year is baffling and shows that even the team's overall leader doesn't care to improve. He's also shooting 38 percent and averaging an entire assist less than last season.

Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and Andray Blatche are the greediest players in the NBA, and JaVale McGee should be on the And One tour.