Top Priority for Every NBA Team for Stretch Run of the 2014-15 Season
This is it, kids: The NBA's stretch run is upon us.
It's hard to believe the regular season is already winding down, but here we are, streaking toward the playoffs, equal parts excited and exhausted, wondering which teams will make use of the Association's last call.
The coming weeks represent one last opportunity for teams to straighten out priorities. Lottery-bound troupes can try to shed light on the future. Postseason-ticketed groups can hone weaknesses. The injured can heal, while the youthful can mature.
Anything goes. That's the beauty of all this. Late-season priorities vary across the board. No one team is the same, so the primary focus differs by organization. In some cases, postseason positioning takes center stage. For the most part, though, prime concerns for this time of year pertain to potential improvements, unmet goals, lingering questions and unresolved storylines.
What should your favorite franchise be most concerned with as the season nears conclusion?
Click away and you just might find out. (You will.)
Atlanta Hawks: Crashing the Glass
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Somewhat shockingly, the Atlanta Hawks have a weakness: rebounding.
Truthfully, it's not so much a weakness as a symptom of their play style. The Hawks space the floor, often at the expense of size. Shorter lineups are at a disadvantage to begin with, but they accentuate the issue by pulling everyone outside the paint.
Pretty much all of the Hawks' lineups border on zero-in, five-out combinations. They look to spread defenses paper-thin, opening up penetration lanes for Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder. Al Horford can even be found lurking beyond the three-point line.
Doing this ties the Hawks' hands on the offensive glass, which is why they're dead last in rebounding efficiency on that end. On the other end, their lack of size makes it harder to them jockey for position against burlier forwards and centers. Their defense is also dependent on denying the three-ball, pulling them even further away from the rim.
Basically, the Hawks are both short and tend to play away from the basket. It's difficult to rebound the ball with noticeable volume under those circumstances, a vice that can only be treated with incessant beelines toward the iron once shots are released.
Concentrating on those beelines should help the Hawks jack up their rebounding totals without butchering their personnel preferences.
Second-most pressing priority: Deterring Pero Antic from playing the part of wandering toddler on offense.
Boston Celtics: Testing the Smart-Thomas Combination
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Trading for Isaiah Thomas has added a layer of intrigue to the Boston Celtics' stretch run. Not only do they project as a more viable dark-horse playoff candidate, but they have yet another backcourt dyad to test.
Playing Marcus Smart beside Rajon Rondo never made sense. That experiment was destined to fail. Neither point man has an effective jumper, and assuming he lands a max or near-max deal in free agency, Rondo is about to become one of the NBA's most overpaid floor generals.
Thomas and Smart stand a better chance of working alongside each other. The former can come off the pine, a la Jamal Crawford, freeing up the latter for primary piloting duty. Thomas is also shooting better than 42 percent on catch-and-shoot opportunities, including 41.4 percent on spot-up bombs. Unlike Rondo, he can survive off the ball.
Still, Smart and Thomas have logged just 24 minutes of simultaneous action through their first three games together, during which time the Celtics offense and defense have been disasters. It's still early in the process, but Boston needs to see whether it's working with a backcourt pairing of the future or yet another makeshift model.
Second-most pressing priority: Reminding head coach Brad Stevens that snagging the Eastern Conference's No. 8 playoff seed is the difference between falling outside the lottery and landing a top-10 pick.
Brooklyn Nets: Finding an Identity
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If not for having the league's highest payroll, the Brooklyn Nets would be painfully plain. They have no calling card outside of paying top dollar for middling results.
Finding an identity must take precedence over the crossroad-crammed summer that awaits. The futures of potential free agents Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez and the contracts of Joe Johnson and Deron Williams are distant seconds to the here and now.
Chasing one of the East's final two playoff spots, the Nets rank 24th in offensive efficiency and 21st in defensive efficiency, and their rotation is etched in disappearing ink. They have no on-court specialty—nothing that separates them from other teams.
Two-way balance is the ultimate goal, but the Nets will have to settle for one-sided distinction. With the season winding down and a slew of personnel decisions on the horizon, they need to see something from their presently bland product that can help dictate their offseason actions.
Second-most pressing priority: Making Markel Brown the face of the franchise.
Charlotte Hornets: Making the Playoffs
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For a fast-fleeting five-game stretch, it looked like the Charlotte Hornets would survive Kemba Walker's absence, becoming whole again in time to snatch one of the East's final two playoff spots.
Then Charlotte imploded.
Since losing Walker, who underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, the Hornets have the league's second-best defense. But they've paired that with a bottom-three offense, rivaling even the Philadelphia 76ers, a team actively allergic to scoring points.
Al Jefferson is seeing extra double-teams. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been hot and cold, and Lance Stephenson is playing with the self-assuredness of a serial second-guesser. Mo Williams, meanwhile, has been good for my fantasy team; the same cannot be said for Charlotte's offense, which while anemic to begin with, is lost without Walker.
Not surprisingly, the Hornets are back outside the East's playoff bubble, desperately trying to tread water until their best player returns. Contrary to some of their competitors—Boston, for instance—a lottery pick will not suffice. The Hornets went all-in on improving this season and failed.
In lieu of climbing into a top-four slot or improving at all, they need to focus on clinching a playoff berth—even if that only succeeds in prolonging their season by four to seven games.
Second-most pressing priority: Breaking the news to head coach Steve Clifford that Noah Vonleh is an actual person he can play, not a four-syllable limerick listed at the end of roster sheets for comic relief.
Chicago Bulls: Moving on from Derrick Rose...Again
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Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls are weathering yet another gut punch.
As USA Today's Sam Amick first relayed, Rose will undergo surgery on his right knee after suffering a second meniscus tear. This news comes at a time when the Bulls are just starting to jell and well within reach of the East's second-best record.
Now, instead of relying on Rose down the stretch for the first time since 2011-12, the Bulls are forced to carry on without him—a ramification-rife undertaking that changes the entire season's outlook, as Sean Highkin writes for Bleacher Report:
"Rose’s latest setback is disappointing on many levels. It’s a game-changer for the Eastern Conference playoff picture that couldn’t have come at a worse time: right after the trade deadline, when the Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to resemble the juggernaut everyone thought they’d be.
Thibodeau will say the Bulls still have enough to contend, but between the Cavs and the Atlanta Hawks, coming out of the Eastern Conference without Rose is a tall order to fill for Chicago.
"
This is where the breakout of Jimmy Butler and the addition of Pau Gasol come in handy. The Bulls won't endure the same offensive droughts of years past without Rose. They have two proven scorers and playmakers in Butler and Gasol, both of whom are capable of initiating and finishing offensive sets.
Even with Rose having approached peak form ahead of the All-Star break, the Bulls' net rating doesn't change much once he steps off the floor. They have enough depth and firepower to keep their hold on a top-four playoff spot.
It's what comes after, in the playoffs, with or without Rose, that's less of a sure thing.
Second-most pressing priority: Teaching Tony Snell how to smile.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Showing Kevin Love Some Love
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Nothing seems capable of derailing the Cleveland Cavaliers now.
Not with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in sync. Not with the improved surrounding talent. Not with the offense solidifying itself as one of the five best. Not with only 1.5 games separating the Cavaliers from a No. 2 seed they appear destined to grab.
At this point, having posted the league's highest winning percentage since January 15, the Cavaliers need only worry about putting the finishing touches on their polished product—a process that begins and ends with Kevin Love.
Most teams (read: every team ever) would take 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds from their third-best player, but unsettling inconsistency continues to dog Love on the offensive end.
He has games like the one against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, in which he tallied 24 points on 16 shots. But then he has games like the one against the Washington Wizards last Friday, during which he scored just eight points and attempted only eight shots.
Such turbulence is part and parcel of drastic role changes. More than 43 percent of Love's scoring opportunities come as a spot-up shooter, down from 34.6 percent last season. He's also gone from receiving 87.6 touches per game in 2013-14, to 67.5 now. All of which contributes to his disappearing acts.
Leading into the playoffs, though, the Cavaliers don't need the distractions that come with a topsy-turvy Love. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via The Big Lead) already said most NBA "executives" see Love leaving Cleveland. While seemingly absurd—what with the team contending for a title and everything—the Cavaliers need to nip such talk in the bud any way they can.
Turning Love loose more often would be a good start, if not kill speculation altogether.
Second-most pressing priority: Egg McMuffin Mondays.
Dallas Mavericks: Figuring out the Rondo Situation
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The Dallas Mavericks benched Rondo in their win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night following a good ol' lover's spat with head coach Rick Carlisle, who tried to play it cool afterward.
"Well, it's an emotional game, and we had a difference of opinion," he said, per ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon. "There was an exchange, and then in my mind, it was over."
News flash: This isn't over. Dallas suspended the point guard for one game (since served), per MacMahon, and Rondo is speeding toward free agency, at which point he'll be seeking a lucrative contract. The Mavericks need to decide whether they'll oblige.
Figuring out the answer isn't easy. Rondo is at the point where his star status exists more because of reputation than on-court function, and he's done nothing to quell confusion in Dallas. The impact he's had on the team can only be described as wonky:
| 19-8 | 113.6 | 1 | 105.1 | 20 | 8.5 | 2 | |
| 20-13 | 104.1 | 11 | 100.0 | 6 | 4.0 | 5 |
As a ball-dominant point guard playing within a free-flowing offense, Rondo looks out of place. He's being tasked with operating off the ball more, and it's not working.
But his effect on the Mavericks' previously porous defense makes it so he's not undeniably expendable, rendering this an on- and off-court situation worth monitoring as the season winds down and the West's playoff bloodbath reaches its apex.
Second-most pressing priority: Setting up a thoughtz and feelz session between Carlisle and Rondo.
Denver Nuggets: Evaluating Jusuf Nurkic
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Jusuf Nurkic deserves his own slideshow.
Grantland's Zach Lowe pegged him as the Denver Nuggets' only true untouchable asset ahead of the trade deadline, an enlightening revelation considering Nurkic has appeared in fewer than 50 career games. But evaluating young, developing talent is a pivotal part of any rebuilding process, and Nurkic has showed promise.
Here's a list of every NBA rookie (minimum 750 total minutes) who has averaged at least 14 points, 13 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes:
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Jusuf Nurkic
(Closes jaw.)
Finally beginning a rebuild they've avoided since trading Carmelo Anthony in 2011, the Nuggets have to see if this 20-year-old Bosnian baller is for real. Their long-term outlook depends on it.
Second-most pressing priority: Hiring Brian Shaw an assistant who speaks Millennial.
Detroit Pistons: Picking a Big
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There still isn't enough room on the Pistons for Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.
Waiving Josh Smith has been a boon for the Pistons overall. They're tied for the league's seventh-best record since his departure and contending for one of the East's final two playoff slots. But while coach and president Stan Van Gundy has found a way for Drummond and Monroe to coexist right now, a long-term solution eludes the team.
Both bigs have shared the floor for just less than 17 minutes per night since Smith's exit. The rest of the game is typically devoted to one-in, four-out lineups Van Gundy loves. That's his coaching philosophy, and employing both Monroe and Drummond goes against it, limiting the number of minutes either can log in the process.
Picking one or the other panders to the contemporary, floor-spacing offense Detroit is trying to implement. And while Monroe, a soon-to-be free agent, seems like the odd man out, Drummond remains a two-way project who isn't conducive to immediate success.
Then again, it's not every day—or decade—Dwight Howard comparisons are thrown around.
Whatever the Pistons decide, should they retain one or both, now's the time for them to give this duo a long look.
Second-most pressing priority: Giving Reggie Jackson a jump shot.
Golden State Warriors: Staying Golden
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How's that age-old adage go again?
Oh, right: Change the Golden State Warriors in any way, shape or form and you shall perish in a fiery, bottomless pit, your only form of entertainment being an endless recording of Fran Drescher's laugh.
The Warriors are nearly perfect. The only reason they aren't actually perfect is because there's no such thing at the NBA level. But they come pretty darn close. They rank first in defensive efficiency, second in offensive efficiency, first in net rating and first in pace, appearing unstoppable even when they're slumping.
Which is never.
Finishing atop the Western Conference will indeed be a bittersweet affair; the Oklahoma City Thunder will be waiting, armed with a rabid Russell Westbrook and a presumably healthy Kevin Durant. But that's neither here nor there. Regardless of what awaits the Warriors come playoff time, their first and only priority remains the same.
Change nothing.
Second-most pressing priority: Storing Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut in impenetrable bubbles when they're not on the court.
Houston Rockets: Reintegrating Dwight Howard
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Making room for one of the NBA's best big men is a good problem to have, but it's still a problem.
Howard has been sidelined since January 25 while tending to a right knee injury and isn't expected back until sometime in March, per the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. His return, whenever it actually is, looms large for the Houston Rockets.
James Harden has taken to devouring defenses in Howard's absence, keeping the Rockets in play for a top-three postseason spot. Welcoming Howard back should only strengthen their championship cause, adding a second superstar to this impressive fold.
But Howard will have missed more than 15 straight contests by the time he's re-evaluated. Regaining his game legs could take time, potentially disrupting the Rockets' mojo. They run at a faster pace when Howard is off the floor and are no longer as accustomed to integrating post-up sets into their offense. His return, then, will be an adjustment for everyone.
Houston can only hope there is enough time between then and the playoffs for a subsequent return to business as usual.
Second-most pressing priority: Ensuring Harden's gold shoes aren't too tight.
Indiana Pacers: Extending Their Season
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Offering insight into the Indiana Pacers' end-of-season mindset is difficult. They are neither contending for a championship nor resting on the upcoming draft lottery to change their fortunes.
They are in the middle at less than two games outside the playoffs and caught between the seeming pointlessness of this season and the hope that a return to contention awaits them in 2015-16. And when subject to this kind of doubt, there is only thing to do: try to extend the season.
Ergo, try to make the playoffs in the name of Paul George.
George is eyeing a mid-March return from his broken leg, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears; he's even returned to practice. At only 24 years old, with four years and $74.1 million remaining on his contract, there's no incentive to rushing back. But if he's available to play, it would behoove the Pacers to provide him with ample opportunity to do so.
A playoff berth means more games, and more games means more reps. Rather than work through rust next season, when the Pacers' expectations will soar, George could have the chance to play through an entire quarter-campaign before then, playoffs included.
And hey, if they reach the postseason, there's no telling what happens. From an early exit to a Cinderella run that sends Atlanta into a fit of frowns, the Pacers' season will be alive with possibilities—provided they extend it.
Second-most pressing priority: Unleashing Chris Copeland.
Los Angeles Clippers: Becoming Whole Again
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Inconsistent defensive sets have killed the Los Angeles Clippers all season, but Blake Griffin's health and eventual return take priority now.
Griffin recently had the stitches removed from his surgically repaired right elbow, according to the Los Angeles Times' Melissa Rohlin, which suggests a return is nigh. But the absence of a concrete timetable is troubling.
In the meantime, Chris Paul has placed the team upon his back. The Clippers have won four of their first seven games since Griffin went down, including victories over contenders like the San Antonio Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets. If not for Paul's late-game hiccup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, their record without Griffin might be even better.
None of which means the Clippers are sitting pretty. They're in play for a top-four spot, but they're still slotted at No. 6 as of now, just 2.5 games ahead of seventh place and the first-round matchup against the Grizzlies or Warriors it promises.
“Blake’s out. We want to see individual games and try to squeeze out as many wins as we can,” head coach Doc Rivers said, via the Orange County Register's Dan Woike. “That’s the mode we have to be in."
Until Griffin returns, and so long as their defense ranks among the league's bottom 15, that's the mode the Clippers will stay in.
Second-most pressing priority: Pre-emptively setting up direct deposit for DeAndre Jordan's max contract this summer.
Los Angeles Lakers: Staying Put
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Sorry, Jeanie Buss. This is how it has to be.
Insisting the league's fourth-worst team stay put can feel indecent. When requesting such inaction on behalf of the storied, win-addicted Los Angeles Lakers, it feels impious. And yet, this browbeaten squad has only one thing to play for: a draft pick.
Philadelphia now owns the rights to the Los Angeles' top-five protected selection, per RealGM. As a bottom-four team, the Lakers are projected to keep it. They're even safeguarded against one lottery jump, which means another franchise outside the bottom five can luck into a top-three selection without forcing the Lakers to forfeit their pick.
Draft prospects admittedly aren't how the Lakers plan to retool. Their impending cap space along with Kobe Bryant's swiftly closing career window points to free agency and the hope they can sell outside stars on financial flexibility and Hollywood lore.
Preparing for the upcoming draft has to be part of this accelerated rebuild, though. The Lakers aren't going anywhere this season and, in all likelihood, will enter free agency with a top-five prospect in hand.
Aside from ensuring the lottery odds remain in their favor—aka encouraging Nick Young to shoot from the imaginary four-point line—they'll need to temporarily diverge from free-agent ambition and focus on the draft pool. Their next franchise cornerstone may need to be picked, not poached.
Second-most pressing priority: Keeping Bryant away from any and all footage of Young.
Memphis Grizzlies: Maintaining Balance
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These are not last season's Grizzlies.
Imbalance has come to define Memphis' approach over the last few years, when an impregnable defense accompanied by a laboring offense with pacing and spacing warts. But no more:
| 101.7 | 18 | 97.4 | 2 | 4.2 | 8 | |
| 103.3 | 16 | 102.1 | 7 | 1.2 | 14 | |
| 104.2 | 11 | 100.0 | 5 | 4.2 | 7 |
Hovering around the top 10 of offensive and defensive efficiency is a championship contender's Everest. It implies balance; it suggests two-way superiority.
Judging by the teams currently on track to finish in the top 10 of both, arguments to the contrary would be flawed and flimsy at best. You have the Hawks, Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers. The Grizzlies are right there.
Remaining in this club is imperative for them. They've never been more equipped to make a title push. They're within striking distance of the supposedly untouchable Warriors, and if their winning percentage holds, they'll go down as the best regular-season contingent in franchise history.
Much like the Warriors must not change a thing, these Grizzlies need only maintain their new, improved, balanced identity.
Second-most pressing priority: Letting Courtney Lee (and everyone else) shoot more threes.
Miami Heat: Selling Goran Dragic on South Beach
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Put the Miami Heat's playoff hopes on hold.
This isn't to say they won't reach the postseason. They probably will, and the newly acquired Goran Dragic will be a big reason why. But with Chris Bosh done for the season as a result of blood clots on his lung, the idea that the Heat can be anything more than a steppingstone for the Hawks or Cavaliers is unrealistic.
The team needs to direct its attention toward the future instead. Though seemingly modest, the package Miami shipped out for Dragic isn't chump change. Two first-round picks, wherever they lie, are still two first-round picks. You don't mortgage those kinds of assets unless you're sure Dragic won't leave in free agency.
To that end, the Heat cannot be sure. They can guess or feel confident, but they cannot be sure. As Ira Winderman wrote for the Sun Sentinel:
"There are a lot of moving parts, in fact more than last season with LeBron James, when it ultimately came down to whether the Heat would beat the Spurs in the Finals. Does he stay? I can't fathom that Pat Riley ever would have gone this deep into these waters with any assurances. But not even Riley can truly know what these final two months of the regular season will bring. Saturday certainly was ghastly. I doubt you'll see a "Going . . . going . . . Goran" headline this summer. But as the temperatures rise, there is at least the chance of the Heat having to sweat.
"
Sweat they will. Reports that depict Dragic's free agency as more than a formality are already surfacing, despite the point guard waxing poetic about his time in Miami.
"They take care of players," he said, per the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. "I feel I'm spoiled here. So much great stuff."
Selling Dragic on his future in Miami—on his place beside Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside and Bosh—is the Heat's top priority. It's not even close. They've tethered their long-term well-being to him for better or worse.
Until they're sure it's for the better, the spoiling must continue.
Second-most pressing priority: Coming up with a sweet nickname for Whiteside.
Milwaukee Bucks: Getting Michael Carter-Williams Offensive Reps
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Landing Michael Carter-Williams left the Milwaukee Bucks really, really ridiculously long.
You know that venerable picture of people holding hands to form a circle around the Earth? Fly Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Henson and Carter-Williams to outer space, and they could re-enact that scene without issue.
What Carter-Williams doesn't do is make the Bucks more dangerous on the offensive end. He hails from the Sixers, the NBA's worst offensive team.
That's the offense he last captained. He is an inefficient gunner who is shooting just over 27 percent away from the rim this season. If the Bucks are intent on turning him into their point guard of the future—not to mention hoping to climb out of the offensive basement themselves—there's work to be done.
Lucky for them, they have a future Hall of Fame point guard in Jason Kidd stalking the sidelines. He just needs to stick with Carter-Williams and direct him through growing pains, even if it means things get ugly as Milwaukee gears up for the playoffs.
Second-most pressing priority: Enrolling Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Henson and Carter-Williams in astronaut training.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Exploring the Ricky Rubio-Andrew Wiggins Dynamic
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Looked at objectively, a Ricky Rubio-Andrew Wiggins marriage has its flaws.
Rubio is an injury-prone point man who, while hellbent on passing, dominates the ball like Rondo. Wiggins is a rookie lauded for his athleticism and shot creation, not his spot-up shooting.
Theoretical faults in mind, this pairing is still brimming with potential. Rubio-Wiggins alley-oops are the stuff of legendary highlight reels, after all. Plus, on those rare occasions they've been able to play beside each other, Wiggins has looked good:
| 313 | 104.3 | 15.6 | 50.5 | 51.9 | |
| 1,630 | 98.7 | 16.3 | 42.6 | 45.1 |
Better still, the Minnesota Timberwolves are outscoring opponents by 5.4 points per 100 possessions when both share the floor. That's the net-rating equivalent of the Mavericks (plus-six) and a far cry from the minus-9.3 Minnesota is posting for the season.
Other players factor in to the Timberwolves' future, to be sure; Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng are three names that spring to mind. But no two players are more important to Minnesota's tomorrow than Wiggins and Rubio.
With the latter finally healthy, it's time for coach and president Flip Saunders to take this couplet for an extensive spin.
Second-most pressing priority: Preventing Rubio from telling Kevin Garnett to change his face.
New Orleans Pelicans: Showcasing Eric Gordon
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Eric Gordon's contract is a financial lesion. The New Orleans Pelicans should see if that can change.
We could riff about their attempt to make the playoffs, but we know better. The Thunder are rounding into form without Durant, putting the entire league on notice and bilking the Pelicans of whatever opportunity they had to sneak into this spring's dance.
We could talk about the rest of the team just getting out of Anthony Davis' way once he returns from a shoulder injury. He is not of this planet—or solar system—and seeing how far he can carry these shallow Pelicans is always an informative exercise.
Instead, we have Gordon. Upon exercising his player option for next season, he'll become an expiring contract, one the Pelicans would do well to move.
Finding a team to absorb his $15.5 million salary will be tricky, though, even if it is only for one year. Gordon hasn't shot better than 44 percent from the floor since 2011-12, and he's seen his stock plummet amid injuries and free-falling stat lines.
Already down Jrue Holiday and Davis, the Pelicans have a real chance to feature their struggling shooting guard—whose usage rate is reaching new lows—with the thought being maybe he plays himself out of dead-weight territory.
Who knows, perhaps he'll even fare good enough for New Orleans to move him in favor of some much-needed cap space this summer.
Second-most pressing priority: Finding Luke Babbitt a new barber.
New York Knicks: Letting Cleanthony Early Play
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The New York Knicks need to unleash what little youth they have. This includes Langston Galloway and Tim Hardaway Jr.
It also includes Cleanthony Early.
All the Knicks are playing for right now is the right for this season to end. They have the NBA's worst record, and Carmelo Anthony is no longer playing. Neither the draft nor free-agency can get here quick enough.
In the interim, as they wait for time to speed up, the Knicks have an opportunity to evaluate against the future. They're short on young prospects overall, but in addition to Hardaway and Galloway, they do have Early, the seldom-used rookie who has shuffled between the Knicks' bench and their Developmental League affiliate in Westchester.
"He is explosive at the rim, has legit three-point range and is active off the ball," wrote Joe Flynn for Posting and Toasting. "Defensively, he has quick feet and rarely lacks for effort. What he needs is to add some muscle and get more playing experience. Early must play...somewhere, anywhere."
The Knicks have not been up to handing Early extensive playing time thus far. He ranks 33rd among all rookies in minutes logged and has yet to become a rotational fixture even with Anthony on the shelf.
Knee surgery limited his availability at season's inception, but for a Knicks team devoid of a foundation, there are no excuses for this haphazard approach. Developing what little youth they have—specifically Early—needs to transcend everything else.
Second-most pressing priority: Keeping Phil Jackson off Twitter.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Getting KD Healthy
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Few teams instill fear like a completely healthy version of the Thunder. Problem is, they won't be completely healthy until Durant returns—a reinstatement they have no incentive to rush.
Durant has missed more games this season (30) than in his previous seven combined (16). A sore right foot is responsible for his latest sabbatical, and there is no definitive timetable for his return, per a team announcement.
This should be cause for concern. Except it's not. The Thunder are locked into the West's eighth and final playoff spot. Not one of the Pelicans or Phoenix Suns is catching them. No way, no how. And with their hold on eighth place being a comfortable two games, the Thunder can instead focus on getting Durant healthy at all costs, timetable be darned.
Westbrook, for starters, is more than capable of carrying Oklahoma City. The Thunder's record is a tidy 10-6 in games Westbrook played but Durant did not. That's the luxury of employing two superhumans.
Sure, the Thunder are better when both share the floor. And yes, they're within reach of unseating the seventh-place Spurs. But seventh place is the Thunder's ceiling. Seventh place is the difference between matching up against the Grizzlies and the Warriors, two giant-slaying superteams.
Seventh place is not a priority; Durant's health matters more. If the Thunder want to play it safe, turning his mini-vacation into a weekslong absence, that's fine. They need him in late April and beyond. They don't need him now or, frankly, even soon.
Second-most pressing priority: Mass-manufacturing Westbrook action figures.
Orlando Magic: Running Faster
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Jacque Vaughn's departure should have been the start of something new for the Orlando Magic, not a lateral move perpetuating everything that was wrong offensively.
So much for that.
Despite being built to run circles around opponents, the Magic continue to be their own worst stylistic enemy. They were 15th in pace under Vaughn and have since slowed down even more with James Borrego at the helm, ranking second to last in possessions used per 48 minutes through his first six games.
Caveat: The Magic have improved defensively. They're sixth in defensive efficiency since Borrego took the reins, up from 25th previously.
If only six-game sample sizes meant everything. (They don't.)
Besides, this is more about the offense, and the Magic exhausting half-court sets while ignoring the speed and explosion of Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Tobias Harris and Aaron Gordon. This group should be controlling the pace by running, not milking the shot clock dry. It's time the offense started reflecting the strengths of Orlando's personnel.
Second-most pressing priority: Informing Borrego that Andrew Nicholson is, in fact, allowed to play more than 30 minutes per month.
Philadelphia 76ers: Staving off the Super Tank
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Flagrant tank jobs aren't supposed to worry themselves with staving off unfortunate history. Unprecedented awfulness is sort of their currency. But we're going to make an exception for the Sixers.
Sam Hinkie's talent-shedding spree at the trade deadline has ensured this team will be bad enough. The Sixers don't even have two players with an above-average player efficiency rating. What they do have is an offense teetering on historic futility.
Pumping in just 94.1 points per 100 possessions, the Sixers are on pace to notch the sixth-worst offensive rating in NBA history. Things get even worse when adding a little perspective.
Using adjusted offensive rating—how a team fares in comparison to the league average (formula here)—we find that the Sixers are even worse than advertised. Their adjusted score is 89.1, putting them on track to have the second-worst offense ever—just shy, but still within reach, of the 2002-03 Nuggets (89).
Philly might view losses as wins, but the worst offense in NBA history is a distinction even Hinkie shouldn't want his Sixers to own.
Here's to Isaiah Canaan, new point guard on the block, saving the day.
Second-most pressing priority: Allowing Joel Embiid to live-tweet home games from center court while bellowing out the lyrics to every Rihanna song ever.
Phoenix Suns: Holding Tryouts for 2015-16
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Minutes before the NBA's trade deadline came to pass, the Suns made a decision to flip one batch of uncertainty for another.
Dealing Dragic and Thomas only gave way for even more tough decisions. Newcomer Brandon Knight is set to enter restricted free agency, while Gerald Green, Marcus Thornton and Brandan Wright are also slated to hit the open market.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford says the team hopes to re-sign Knight, but that intent is meaningless as of now. The Suns thought their previous three-headed point guard monster would work. Look how that turned out.
Who stays? Who goes? Where is this team headed?
Securing those three draft picks at the deadline no doubt helps the Suns in their quest to rebuild yet again, but they blew up a fringe playoff core, turning it into a (likely) lottery lock that will demand additional financial commitments beyond this season.
Thus, they're stuck—too far along to entirely turn back and too inferior to strictly build from within.
Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Alex Len and maybe Archie Goodwin. That's the extent of the Suns' present foundation. The rest of this season is about figuring out who else is worth keeping around, if anyone.
Second-most pressing priority: Practicing for the next staring contest with the departed Thomas, which won't take place until sometime in 2015-16.
Portland Trail Blazers: Avoiding Another Late-Season Slide
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Entering last season's All-Star break, the Portland Trail Blazers were 36-17. Entering this season's All-Star break, they were, once again, 36-17.
Deja vu much?
The Blazers sure hope not. They stumbled into the 2014 postseason worse for wear, closing out their campaign with an 18-11 record that exposed them as pretenders. Their defense wilted, and their playoff shelf life might as well have expired in the first round, given the five-game beating San Antonio handed them in the second.
These most recent struggles feel too familiar. Dating back to January 14, the Blazers have lost 11 of 18, watching as their defense and offense regress to inferior levels:
| 105.8 | 8 | 98.7 | 3 | 7.1 | 3 | |
| 101.9 | 15 | 102.2 | 17 | -0.3 | 15 |
Compounding matters is Portland's collective health bill.
LaMarcus Aldridge is playing through a thumb injury. Robin Lopez only just returned after a 23-game absence, and Nicolas Batum hasn't looked right for months. After using two starting lineups through all of 2013-14, the Blazers have fielded 14 this season, lending merit to the belief that this latest downswing will continue.
Fortunately, the Blazers are virtual locks to win their division, guaranteeing them at least one round of home-court advantage. Acquiring Arron Afflalo will also help stop some of the offensive bleeding.
Yet as of now, the Blazers, impressive though they've been at times, are pacing themselves toward fewer wins than they had in 2013-14. Ending this late-season, momentum-killing trend is a necessity, lest their "pretender" label return.
Second-most pressing priority: Recovering Damian Lillard's three-point shot. It's missing.
Sacramento Kings: Establishing Stability
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Instability has not looked good on the Sacramento Kings.
George Karl is the team's third head coach this season, and that means he will install a third offensive system. Prior to his arrival, there appeared to be a disconnect between the franchise and cornerstone DeMarcus Cousins. That the Kings are on track to win fewer than 30 games for a seventh straight season doesn't help.
Oh, and then there's this, from Bleacher Report's Howard Beck:
"Sources say Karl would love to acquire Ty Lawson—if the rebuilding Nuggets were to make him available—or any other members of his last Nuggets team, which won 57 games in 2012-13. Karl wants players who move the ball and push the tempo, and that could mean wild upheaval on the Kings roster. Even DeMarcus Cousins, their franchise center, is not untouchable, according to a source with insight into Karl's thinking. 'At the trade deadline, everyone was available,' the person said. Including Cousins? 'Every single person (on the Kings roster) was available.' Although Karl does not hold a front office title, 'he definitely has control' of future personnel decisions, the source said.
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Chaos is the word you're searching for.
Continuity is what the Kings should be after.
All this shuffling needs to cease and desist. There cannot be a stark misunderstanding between the brass and the team, specifically with regard to Sacramento's only superstar. This is a time for the Kings to get their house in order, ultimately laying a cultural foundation that supersedes the he-said, she-said, rumor-mill operation they've become.
Hiring Karl is something of a fresh start. The Kings should find a way to take advantage of this clean slate, both on the court and behind the scenes.
Second-most pressing priority: Posting "Chairs are for sitting, not punting—yes, that means you DeMarcus" signs all over Sleep Train Arena.
San Antonio Spurs: Discovering the Fountain of Youth...Again
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Look, we've been through this before. Kawhi Leonard won't smile for the camera, and the Spurs won't cry over spilled Sustacal.
Nevertheless, it's time for San Antonio to stop showing its age.
There's nothing particularly terrible about what the Spurs are doing. Their point guard play has been subpar, and Boris Diaw has been under-the-radar bad, but Gregg Popovich's gang isn't dead where they stand. They still rank in the top 12 in offensive and defensive efficiency, and Tim Duncan hasn't yet freed Father Time from his padlocked, all-plaid dresser.
Moving up the playoff ladder is also far from out of the question. Only 3.5 games separate these seventh-place Spurs from the fifth-place Mavericks with more than 25 percent of the season left to play.
Home-court advantage, however, is almost assuredly out of reach. Each of the three division winners nabs a top-four slot, so the Spurs must leapfrog the third-place Rockets, who are five games in front of them.
Beyond that, the Spurs just haven't been yielding Spurs-like results. They've had two separate losing streaks spanning at least three games for the first time in five years, and they're just 7-11 against Western Conference playoff teams; they were 16-11 against those same exact squads last season.
Whatever the Spurs lost, they need to find it. Their postseason relevancy, regardless of seeding, is predicated on owning time. Yet, at the moment, it looks like time finally owns them.
Second-most pressing priority: Laying off Popovich's homemade Metamucil milkshakes on game days.
Toronto Raptors: Remaining in the East's Top 3
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Improving upon last season's playoff finish must be the Raptors' primary goal, precisely because that isn't the primary goal.
"In the words of Casey and general manager Masai Ujiri, a message became clear: winning one series this year is not essential," wrote the National Post's Eric Koreen. "Ujiri’s vision, even if the Raptors should repeat as first-round losers, goes far beyond this season."
Indeed, the bigger picture matters more. The Raptors will have copious amounts of cap space this summer—flexibility Ujiri has opted to preserve over pursuing immediate upgrades. But that doesn't mean the Raptors cannot build upon their first-round exit from 2014.
They can. And the building starts now.
Postseason success has a lot to do with matchups. Remaining among the East's top three sets the Raptors up for a first-round date with the Bucks or one of the Heat, Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Celtics or Pacers (yes, it's a mess). Falling outside the top three, to fourth or fifth place, would set up a series with the Bulls, Cavaliers or Wizards.
Toronto is just 4-4 against Chicago, Cleveland and Washington, compared to 10-5 against the other seven possible opponents. So yes, remaining in the top three matters. And yes, that means the second-place Raptors will need to fend off two of the Cavaliers, Wizards and Rose-less Bulls to close the season.
Second-most pressing priority: Teaching Bruno Caboclo how to foul like Tyler Hansbrough.
Utah Jazz: Forging Backcourt Clarity
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The Utah Jazz have a Rubik's Cube for a backcourt rotation.
Between Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles and Alec Burks, head coach Quin Snyder has a logjam on his hands. Injuries—specifically those to Burks and Hood—have alleviated the issue this season, but no long-term solution is in place.
Burke has come off the bench in recent weeks, a move that's proved helpful for him. His scoring, usage rate and field-goal percentage all improve as a reserve. But Exum is struggling as a starter. Snyder is also averse to playing his prized prospects together; Burke and Exum average less than seven minutes of simultaneous court time per game.
Those two figure to be impacted the most by whatever happens. The Jazz signed Burks to an extension before he went down; his insta-offense is too valuable to ditch, and he's a better fit at shooting guard than Exum and Burke, making it unlikely he's moved back to the second unit in 2015-16.
Can Burke or Exum, two top-10 picks, come to terms with permanent bench duty? Are either one of them even the answer at point guard?
Utah's offense has been pleasantly aggressive and progressive under Snyder, checking in at 14th on the efficiency scale. But its backcourt ranks last in that same category, per HoopsStats.com, so the existing conditions need to change. As for what—or, perhaps, who—is going to change, that's what the rest of this season is for.
Second-most pressing priority: Having Rudy Gobert sew "Gobzilla" onto every one of Ingles' jerseys, just because.
Washington Wizards: Saving the Offense
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It's time to hit the panic button on the Wizards' season—assuming, of course, you expected them to contend for a championship.
Uninventive offensive sets have punctuated what can only be classified as an odd display. Though these Wizards have a shot at finishing with the franchise's highest regular-season winning percentage since 1978-79, they've underachieved, failing to differentiate themselves from last year's model.
Somehow, with plenty of offensive firepower, the Wizards rank just 16th in points scored per 100 possessions. They've been even worse since Bradley Beal went down, too. Much worse. They rank 24th in efficiency since he exited on February 5.
Stylistic plights are at the heart of the Wizards' stale offense. Their lineup combinations are too traditional, and their shot selection is too archaic. As The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg wrote:
"In many ways, Washington is built like a team from decades past, with a gaggle of post players who could have been comfortable in the ’90s: “traditional big men rather than floor spacers,” as ESPN the Magazine put it. Their best player, John Wall, isn’t a standout shooter. Their best shooter, Beal, isn’t on the court because of an injured right leg. And their best big men — Nene and Marcin Gortat, Kris Humphries and Kevin Seraphin — aren’t particularly scary from three-point range.
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Just two other teams attempt more mid-range jumpers than the Wizards: the Knicks and Lakers. Neither is an elite offensive outfit. Washington is also the only top-five Eastern Conference squad that doesn't rank inside the top 10 of offensive efficiency.
This list goes on and on—unlike the Wizards' ceiling, which will level off if the team doesn't iron out these offensive wrinkles.
Second-most pressing priority: Adding a provision in Marcin Gortat's contract that prohibits him from signing "freshly born" babies.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com and are accurate leading into games on February 26 unless otherwise cited. Salary information via HoopsHype.
