NBA Rotations Already in Need of Major Adjustment

The NBA season is a month old, and it's clear which teams need to make some adjustments in order to keep up with the top teams. Some squads just haven't found the right formula yet, and are suffering in the standings. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time for concerned coaches to tinker with their rotations and find the right group of players capable of winning big games.

And boy, do some teams really need to make adjustments.

Had I been told one month ago that the Boston Celtics would be just one game over .500 one month into the season, I would have laughed. This was the team that came within one win of the NBA Finals last season, so there was no way they could struggle that badly, right? Well, I and many other fans were certainly wrong.

It's still too early for Boston or any struggling teams to go into freak-out mode. It's a long season, and the one-month slump could just be a stumble out of the starting gate.

Still, with so many teams playing well, those teams would be wise to make a few changes, and fast.

Chicago Bulls

Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose has been out all season recovering from ACL surgery, and Chicago has actually fared better than anticipated. The team is 7-7 and just half a game out of first place in the NBA Central.

Still, the Bulls' point guard woes are not going away. Kirk Hinrich was brought back via free agency, but has been disappointing. He is averaging 5.5 assists per game, but just 6.5 points due to his shooting just 32 percent from the field and 27 percent from long range.

Hinrich's best work is done from behind the three-point line, so this is a problem. Granted, he could always turn things around in the blink of an eye, but coach Tom Thibodeau has nothing to lose by making a change at the point.

Nate Robinson has been a fine spark off the bench, averaging 11.5 points and 3.7 assists. He is more of a shooter, but has tenacity needed to play point guard. Chicago also has rookie Marquis Teague, who has only appeared in six games this season.

By rolling the dice on either player, Thibodeau could change the Bulls' fortunes for the better if Robinson or Teague adjusts to his new role well. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work and Hinrich goes back to starting in Rose's absence.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks got off to a 4-1 start, but have stumbled and now stand 7-9. The lack of star forward Dirk Nowitzki has hurt the team, and point guard Darren Collison coming back down to Earth has also contributed to the slump.

GM Donnie Nelson, not head coach Rick Carlisle, has already shaken up the rotation today. The Mavericks announced the signing of veteran point guard Derek Fisher. According to Eddie Sefko of Dallasnews.com, the five-time champion is expected to start at the point.

Dallas' problems don't stop at the point. Elton Brand and Troy Murphy are proving to be hit-or-miss at power forward, so it may be time to give Brandan Wright some extended minutes. Even rookie Bernard James can be an option at the 4.

The fact of the matter is that the Mavericks are looking lost without Nowitzki, and he isn't coming back any time soon. If Carlisle doesn't want his players to dig themselves into an even deeper hole, he'll adjust accordingly.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets play in the tough Northwest Division, and currently stand 3 1/2 games out of first place with an 8-7 record. Their grandest problem is at center, where coach George Karl has decided to start the slow-footed Kosta Koufos over the quirky yet established JaVale McGee.

Koufos is playing 22.5 minutes per game, but averaging just 6.1 points and 5.9 rebounds. He has established himself as a decent shot-blocker, posting 1.7 swats per game.

McGee is only playing 18.9 minutes per contest, but is a better-rounded center than Koufos. He is averaging just 5.4 rebounds, but also 10.4 points and 1.8 blocks per contest.

And yet, Karl refuses to start him. The fact is that the Nuggets have the tools to make a strong push for the divisional crown, but won't be able to do it unless a change is made at center.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are 7-8, and have won three of their last four. They are still capable of doing better, if just one small adjustment is made.

Rookie Terrence Jones (pictured) did some great work during the preseason, but has yet to crack the rotation save for some garbage minutes here and there. He is averaging just 10.4 minutes over seven games, and the Rockets simply don't realize how great a talent they have riding the pine.

The backup forward getting most of the minutes off the bench has been Marcus Morris, who spent most of last season in the D-League. He is averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 boards over 21.3 minutes per contest.

Morris is talented, but the Rockets are only cheating themselves of an electrifying presence by not playing Jones. He is a great defender, can score points and can also play both forward positions.

By adding his explosiveness to the rotation, Houston will add depth to their approach and be all the better as a result.

Boston Celtics

Boston has gotten off to a sluggish start, but there is a way to fix it. Head coach Doc Rivers must simply give forward Jeff Green and rookie Jared Sullinger more minutes. Green is averaging 21.5 minutes per game, but just 7.7 points.

Keep in mind, before he was traded to Boston from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011, Green was a viable scoring forward. Prior to the trade, he was averaging 15.2 points per game, and slowly establishing himself as a scoring threat.

Rivers just needs to increase his role on offense, and Boston should slowly improve

On defense, it's all about getting the rookie involved. Sullinger averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Summer League, but has yet to play in a game long enough to show both Rivers and the fans what he can do.

He is getting just 17.6 minutes of play per contest, and is averaging 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. This is in spite of the fact that he has great size at 6'9", 260 pounds and would provide Boston with a much-needed low-post presence

Sullinger has the opportunity to become the second incarnation of former Boston bench big man and current Orlando Magic power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis, so it's just puzzling as to why Rivers hasn't gotten him more involved. Davis played a great role in helping the Celtics get to the NBA Finals twice, and so can Sullinger with time and patience.