All-Star Analysts Diego Dario, Isaac Go, Chris Newsome, and Coach Willie Wilson share what they hope to see from some NBA teams as we ring in the new year.
Diego Dario: I’ll go personal here since it's the holiday season. I’m a Portland Trail Blazers fan because of Damian Lillard, and ever since he was a rookie, I have followed all his videos and vlogs. I just want Dame back in the playoffs. All the logo 3s, step-backs, and clutch baskets, I think the fans deserve it.
I also want the Warriors to find their mojo. The defending champions obviously are not having the best season, so far. Currently outside the top eight isn’t gonna cut it with the lineup and system that they have. With Curry out, it’s tough to win ball games but with him to start the season, there’s no excuse to play like this.
As a fan, the Warriors are the most fun to watch for me. Their ball movement, 3-point shooting, and pace definitely changed modern basketball. I hope they come into the new year with a different attitude and mentality. They’re the defending champs for a reason. I’m sure they’ll get it going.
Isaac Go: My New Year’s resolution for the Indiana Pacers is to find their direction and commit to what they really want to do. Last season, they hired Rick Carlisle as their head coach, who is more of a win-now type of coach. Then, they traded Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Halliburton – a build-for-the-future move.
It might be better for Indiana to either commit to winning now or building for the future rather than go back and forth. This is a team that usually contends for the playoffs but gets eliminated in the first round. The reason why the team had so much success in the early 2010s was that they built through the draft in Paul George and Danny Granger, then added veterans George Hill and David West. They committed to a direction and found success in it. I do hope Pacers fans get to relive the same success they had before.
Chris Newsome: My New Year's Resolution is for the Denver Nuggets to continue their stellar play and claim the top spot in the West. They should also improve their free throw shooting.
The Nuggets have been on a hot streak and are currently vying for the top seed in the West. They’re doing that despite being 28th in the league in free throw shooting. If they improve their shooting from the line, capitalize on their aggressiveness, and continue to get better defensively, then they will be a very difficult team to match up with come playoff time.
Willie Wilson: My New Year’s resolution for the Los Angeles Lakers is to add more shooting to the team.
The Lakers were last in 3-point percentage to start the season but have since climbed up to 25th, which is still not going to get it done. This percentage is very low which doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that they rank 27th in 3-point attempts. The outside shot is so important in today’s NBA, especially with players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on the team. They are so dangerous in transition and when attacking the basket. Without the spacing that 3-point shooting creates, defenders will just clog up the driving lanes which is why the Lakers are struggling so much on offense.
