New Year’s resolutions for the 30 teams

Health and safety protocols continue to be a concern around the league. Several stars sat out their teams’ Christmas Day matchups, including Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant, although James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action for Saturday’s games.

Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks past the Boston Celtics, while Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors took the game against the Phoenix Suns. Harden and the Brooklyn Nets beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on the final Saturday of the year.

In the latest 2021 Power Rankings, our NBA experts break down each team’s New Year’s resolutions. How can the leading Warriors and Suns get even better? Can Kyrie Irving improve the Nets as a part-time player? Can the Bucks’ big three stay healthy? Can James and the Lakers find consistency in the new year?

What about the teams fighting for contention? Who needs to add a player before the deadline? Here’s where all 30 teams can improve in 2022.

1. Golden State Warriors
   After beating the Suns on Christmas Day, Steve Kerr and company don’t seem to have many worries. The key for this group is to get healthy and keep the momentum going into the second half of the season. In the short term, that means taking Andrew Wiggins, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole and Moses Moody off health and safety protocols and getting Klay Thompson (knee and Achilles rehab) and James Wiseman (meniscus rehab) back in the next few weeks.
2. Phoenix Suns
   It’s hard to find much room for improvement on a team with the second-best winning percentage in the NBA. But the Suns are in the bottom five in the league with just 10.6 second-shot points per game and 24 overall in offensive rebounds per game. Of course, those things are easier to handle when you’re third in the league in scoring and second in field goal percentage.
3. Brooklyn Nets
   Although Brooklyn has welcomed back Kyrie Irving, his immediate entry into NBA health and safety protocols has delayed his official return to the court. The Nets, with their title aspirations, will hope to successfully navigate a truly unprecedented situation, having to incorporate a part-time player into their rotation. Irving is still unable to play in games in New York City due to his vaccine mandate.
4. Utah Jazz
   Utah could use an athletic small forward to address some of the perimeter defensive issues that shortened their playoff run last season. The Jazz had offseason trade discussions involving Joe Ingles, sources said. Ingles (a $14 million contract that expires) and a future first-round pick could generate significant interest in the trade market, but that would mean Utah would give up a key role player who is an important part of the Jazz’s culture.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
   The Bucks may not be dominating the regular season like they have in the past, but their team hasn’t really been complete for most of this year. Still, you have to hand it to Milwaukee that when their big three – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday – start, they have a 13-2 record this season. Keeping them healthy for a chance to defend their championship should be the Bucks’ main resolution for 2021.
6. Chicago Bulls
   Now that the Bulls have established themselves among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, they should look to strengthen their rotation for the postseason. Adding a quality backup at the trade deadline would help maximize this team’s potential this season. The bench, which ranks 29th in the NBA in scoring, could use a boost, especially on the front line. The Bulls rely primarily on the group of Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White and Derrick Jones Jr. in a point guard rotation off the bench.
7. Miami Heat
   Like many other teams, one of Miami’s biggest problems is that they haven’t found consistency early in the year due to a variety of injuries. Jimmy Butler is finally back after missing a few weeks due to a lower back injury. Bam Adebayo is still out while recovering from thumb surgery. Kyle Lowry recently entered health and safety protocols. If they recover, the Heat have the kind of established veteran talent that no team would want to deal with in a playoff series.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers
   The Cavs would love for Jarrett Allen to teach Evan Mobley some of his moves in the post. As wonderful as Mobley’s early career has been, along with the amazing team success that has come with it, the rookie center is shooting 47.4% from the field, while Allen, in his sixth season, is shooting a ridiculous 70.2%. Imagine if Mobley could trend in that direction.
9. Memphis Grizzlies
   The Grizzlies have exceeded expectations, establishing themselves in fourth place in the West standings and strengthening that position during Ja Morant’s 12-game absence due to a sprained knee. For Memphis to maintain home-court advantage in the first round, the Grizzlies must figure out how to maintain their defensive success with Morant (116.1 points allowed per 100 possessions with him on the court). It helps to have Dillon Brooks healthy.
10. Philadelphia 76ers
    The 76ers’ biggest resolution would be figuring out what will happen with Ben Simmons between now and the NBA trade deadline. There may not be a bigger question in the NBA this season than whether the All-Star point guard situation in Philadelphia will be resolved and, as a result, whether superstar center Joel Embiid will receive additional help moving forward in the playoffs.
11. Denver Nuggets
    The reigning MVP is shooting and rebounding better than a season ago, but Nikola Jokic is still without Jamal Murray and lost Michael Porter Jr. for the rest of this season. Murray’s return is uncertain after suffering a torn ACL last April. But if Jokic can keep the Nuggets afloat in the playoff hunt, a Murray return will make them a dangerous team that few would want to see in the playoffs.
12. LA Clippers
    The biggest problem for the Clippers is their health. They came into the season without Kawhi Leonard, whose return from ACL surgery is on the back burner. But the Clippers have lost Paul George for at least the next month, probably more, due to a torn ligament in his throwing elbow. Reggie Jackson remains on health and safety protocols, though Marcus Morris Sr. has just been cleared and is set to return. Tyronn Lue has proven he can extract more than people think from a cast of role players, as he did last season. Now he has to keep the Clippers in the zone for a playoff spot until George, and possibly Leonard, return.
13. Charlotte Hornets
    Charlotte has a defensive rating of 114.2, the worst in the league. The Hornets are an exciting young team, but if they can’t put forth a better defensive effort every night, they will never become the kind of consistent playoff threat they hoped to be entering this season.
14. Los Angeles Lakers
    The Lakers need to find some consistency. They have used 18 different starting lineups in their first 34 games, which leads the league. With Anthony Davis out for at least the next month, L.A. will have to find a benchmark lineup centered around LeBron James and Russell Westbrook that it can stick with and not fall too far behind the top four in the West.
15. Washington Wizards
    Washington has exceeded expectations even as it has cooled off after a hot start, but the Wizards still have room for improvement. With Bradley Beal on health and safety protocols, they have to stay afloat while their star point guard is out. Washington isn’t close to being complete with Thomas Bryant still recovering from his ACL tear. Rui Hachimura has yet to make his season debut due to personal reasons, but he is getting closer. Washington could be back to full strength in February, and if Beal starts playing like he has the past two seasons, the Wizards can solidify their place in the East’s top five.
16. Boston Celtics
    Celtics coach Ime Udoka has emphasized pushing the pace and increasing ball movement since taking over this summer. However, Boston ranks 20th in pace and in the bottom 10 in assists and potential assists per game so far, all of which is contributing to Boston’s 21st-ranked offense.

17. Dallas Mavericks
    The Mavs have few resources necessary for rookie GM Nico Harrison to make significant improvements to the roster, so improvement is likely to come from within. Luka Doncic getting in condition and returning to All-NBA form would be a great start. Dallas also desperately needs Reggie Bullock and Tim Hardaway Jr. to break out of their season slumps and shoot threes at a frequency closer to their career norms.
18. Atlanta Hawks
    As ESPN’s Zach Lowe pointed out Friday, Atlanta hasn’t been the best at transition defense this season. But one thing it has been good at is shooting the ball from deep. The Hawks lead the league while shooting 37.8% from deep. Bogdan Bogdanovic is shooting for 36.3% this season, above league average, and is still 12th on the team for anyone who has attempted a three-pointer this season. If the threes continue to fall at that rate, it will give Atlanta room for error as they get healthier to fix the defense.
19. Toronto Raptors
    Toronto has been true to its preseason defensive expectations in terms of playing fast, athletic and small. The Raptors are among the bottom five teams in the league in opposing offensive rebounding rate and are among the top five teams in the league in forcing turnovers. If Toronto can improve the former and maintain the latter, the Raptors can move up from the middle of the pack on defense and make a push to return to the playoffs.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves
    Minnesota looks like it could clinch a Western Conference playoff spot this season and in both Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves have a pair of young stars around whom they can build. Edwards’ continued development and Towns’ quiet excellence should give the Wolves a good foundation on which to build and, in 2022, they should continue to surround that duo with talent that complements their games.
21. New York Knicks
    Coach Tom Thibodeau’s teams have always been known for being tough defensively. That’s what makes it particularly jarring to see New York ranked 23rd in defensive rating nearly halfway through this season. The Knicks have a lot of problems, but if they want things to improve, good defense should be a good place to start.
22. San Antonio Spurs
    San Antonio ranks fourth in preventing opponent’s free throw attempts, but is also near the bottom of the league in getting to the line. Derrick White and Keldon Johnson are the only two San Antonio players averaging at least three free throws per game. A few more trips to the line would go a long way in helping the Spurs try to get back to the playoffs after missing the last two seasons (after making 22 in a row).
23. Indiana Pacers
    The Pacers have built around the same set of players for years, but have failed to challenge the conference’s true elite and are currently in line to miss the playoffs this season. For Indiana, finding a direction in 2022 should be essential. Can the Pacers stay on the road with the same core and expect to contend, or is a roster shakeup on the horizon?

24.Portland Trail Blazers
From the investigation and subsequent firing of general manager Neil Olshey to trade speculation involving Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Portland’s season is on the brink. The organization must decide whether to change the roster around Lillard or make sweeping changes and rebuild, as the Blazers are six games under .500. Or they can stick with what they have and hope the team finds its groove under rookie coach Chauncey Billups and go for a playoff berth.

25. New Orleans Pelicans
    A healthy Zion Williamson would be a big boost for a team that seems to be figuring things out. After a 3-16 start, New Orleans is 9-5 in its last 14 games. The Pelicans announced that Williamson received a foot injection on Dec. 15 and would be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks. Adding Williamson to the lineup could help the Pelicans with their playoff push.

26. Sacramento Kings
The Kings need to find better looks on the perimeter. They rank 24th in the league in three-point percentage and 24th in assists per game. The stats are linked, of course. It takes smart spacing and crisp passing to generate big opportunities from deep in today’s game with hyper-conscious defenses at the 3-point line. Tyrese Haliburton, who has topped 10 assists in four straight games, could be the key to getting them on track.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder
    Oklahoma City’s rebuild is still in its early stages, but rookie Josh Giddey and 22-year-old Lu Dort appear to have established themselves as long-term centerpieces along with franchise cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. So it makes sense to continue to give Giddey, a talented passer, and Dort, a solid defender who has made great strides as a scorer, plenty of room to stretch their wings offensively, even (or especially) if OKC struggles with some wins this season.
28. Houston Rockets
    The development of No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green is, and always has been, the top priority for Houston this season. The Rockets’ sudden surge in competitiveness coincided with Green missing an extended stretch due to a hamstring strain, but the biggest factor was Houston’s switch to a small lineup, which should give Green more room to operate now that he’s back. He used his time off to work on his smoother, quicker release, which paid off during Green’s 20-point, 25-minute performance in his return.
29. Orlando Magic
    Orlando needs an influx of talent. The hope is that injured building blocks Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac will return in the near future to provide a boost after rehabbing their knee injuries. The same goes for Jalen Suggs, who is recovering from a broken thumb. If all three players return and can help the young group find some consistency, it could alter the Magic’s lottery odds in the spring.
30. Detroit Pistons
    The Pistons won lottery gold in 2021 by getting first-round draft pick Cade Cunningham to fuel their rebuild. However, they still have the fewest wins in the NBA this season. Their biggest resolution in 2022 should be some progress from their young players to give hope that at least brighter days are ahead for Detroit basketball.