Happy New Year!

By Migs

Okay, so it's been some time since I've posted. Blame it on the Christmas season. Party here, party there.

The hoops season has not stopped, though, and much has occurred since my last foray into this side of town.

2011 has arrived, and with that, come some new year's resolutions.

Atlanta- The Hawks would like nothing more than to build on the confidence they managed to grasp during the absence of Joe Johnson. Marvin Williams may never be an all-star, but he can be a decent player, no doubt. Mike Bibby's veteran wiles have proven to be essential during the stretch when JJ was out of commission. Al Horford keeps getting better, but needs to get more consistent. His team ought to get more consistent too if they want to make it out of the East. Moreover, their bench needs to be more than just Jamal Crawford.

Boston- The Celts just keep on rolling, and despite KG's recent knee woes, they've managed to use their defensive discipline to win them games. This aged bunch of warriors just wants to stay fresh for the playoffs. That's when the real season begins, after all.

Charlotte- Run, run, run. Paul Silas is at the helm now, and when Michael Jordan announced the former's hiring, sighs of relief could be heard from Tyrus Thomas, Stephen Jackson, and DJ Augustin's sides of the locker room.

Chicago- DRose is on the upswing towards becoming one of the top point guards in the NBA. His jump shot is gradually developing, too, and once it becomes consistent, look out. The Bulls would like to build on their current winning streak with a strong finish to the regular season and a deep playoff run. Here's to hoping that Carlos Boozer can stay healthy, too. Thibodeau is getting Boozer to play D as well, and Bulls fans are praying that he remains committed to doing such.

Cleveland- Forget Lebron James. Move on. There are many fish in the sea. While you're at it, try to get 'Melo and get rid of the contracts of Jamison and Mo Williams.

Dallas- With their recent injury woes, it's become apparent that the Mavs need to get a little younger. A trade for Andre Iguodala could be a solution (they should get rid of Caron Butler while he's still of value). I'd bet that Mark Cuban wishes he didn't sign Brendan Haywood to so much money, or at least, wishes that he could teach Haywood how to shoot free throws (20plus percent isn't going to cut it on a playoff team). Haywood is slowly morphing into the second coming of Erick Dampier, and Mavs fans are not happy.

Denver- Trade Carmelo Anthony while you can. While you're at it, trade Chauncey too. You owe it to him to send him to a contender. Let the rebuilding begin.

Detroit- This is another team that needs to be gutted. Tracy McGrady, Rip, and Tayshaun ought to be shipped to contenders, and Joe Dumars needs to pray really hard that he can get takers for guys like Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. So far, no dice. Jason Maxiell needs to get on the good side of the yin and yang as well, considering that he has massively underachieved.

Golden State- If Keith Smart's smart, he'll demand that his club play defense. A prayer to the gods that Steph Curry, Monta Ellis, and David Lee don't get hurt will help, too. This club is beginning to look like the Knicks from years ago- awash with mismatched talent, lacking direction. This team, also, needs a revamp.

Houston- Poor Yao Ming. The fellow works his butt off in the summer to get back on the court, only to incur another fracture and be put on the shelf indefinitely. You've got to feel for the guy. If the Rockets are serious about winning, they need to trade or waive Yao. There's no use counting on what could be when you've got guys like Kevin Martin and Luis Scola to build on.

Indiana- Trade Dunleavy, get a coach that will advocate up tempo play (wouldn't Danny Granger love to be in Phoenix or Golden State?), and give Roy Hibbert the ball. Larry Bird coming out of retirement could help this woebegone franchise rekindle the magic of its glory years.

LA Clips- Develop Blake Griffin, trade Baron Davis while his Hollywood Lovin' beard is still worth 10 cents.

LA Lakers- The Lakeshow's been struggling as of late (being downed by teams like Memphis doesn't help), and with Kobe aging, Artest underachieving, and DFish being his mortal regular season self, I think the time's come to trade Andrew Bynum for a more consistent big, or, a set of picks. A risky move, yes, but then, Bynum seems to have hit some sort of a ceiling and he ought to be dealt while he's worth something (before he gets hurt again).

Miami- Keep the "D" on. Make sure each member of the Three Kings knows his role. While they are at it, maybe they can get a "real" big for some low post scoring.

Memphis- If they can find consistency, and maturity down the stretch, this team could contend for the last playoff spot (their horizons look auspicious in this case because teams like Phoenix and Golden State are erratic at best, and Portland and Houston are frequent fliers injury-wise).

Milwaukee- Injury bug, be gone. If Andrew Bogut can return to what he was in the 2nd half of last season, look out. The Bucks may yet again be the dark horses of the East. Brandon Jennings needs to get healthy, too, and shed his Allen Iverson-esque offensive mentality.

Minnesota- Give Kevin Love a statue, and, while they're at it, trade half the roster for a superstar to help give the city relevance again.

New Jersey- 'Melo. The should land 'Melo with an extension. That's as big a resolution as any.

New Orleans- Keep Cp3 happy, and pray that Emeka Okafor stays healthy. Without him, they don't have much else in the frontcourt.

New York- Give Raymond Felton an all-star nod, and give Amare a backup center/forward he can be proud of (Mozgov isn't exactly Arvydas Sabonis). And oh, please allow less than 106.3 ppg, will ya?

Orlando- With so many scorers, what's not to like? Well, the fact that the Magic don't play too much defense outside Dwight Howard, that's what. And Otis Smith is quietly hoping Gilbert Arenas can become Agent Zero again. In the James Bond spoof film Johnny English, lead actor Rowan Atkinson of "Mr. Bean" fame did manage to save the day despite his bumbling nature. There may be hope for Gil and the Magic yet.

Portland- Greg Oden looks to be the next Sam Bowie, and before Rich Cho can gulp another gulp, he should do something creative with the big man's contract. Brandon Roy's health is also on the pine, and with all the young talent his team's got, maybe it's time for Cho to pull off a stunner and get another all-star to help Roy and Aldridge (or for Aldridge/Roy).

Philly- Here is another team whose rebuilding has been put on hold for way too long. Jodi Meeks and Jrue Holiday are nice pieces, and Elton Brand and his fat contract are immovable at this point. Andre Iguodala, however, is a piece that might just be movable. A swap with Dallas for Caron Butler's expiring deal, seems to be a nice proposition. 76er fans have been stuck on the fringes of the first round for too long now. It's time to get serious about winning.

Phoenix- The Suns should bolster their competitive spirit by running until the day they die. Run, run, run, and see where it goes. If Nash does not get traded, at least, they get to ditch Vince Carter's contract at the end of the season. As I've mentioned in previous entries, I just feel upset that guys like Grant Hill and Stevie probably will retire sans a ring. Truly an injustice.

Oklahoma City- They should fix their sometimes lethargic defense (101.2 ppg) to go with their dynamic offense (8th in the NBA at 103.0 ppg) and give Serge Ibaka an award for being "Mr. Hustle". Graaagh. Power grunt.

Sacramento- If DeMarcus Cousins can get a less erratic game to match his gruff attitude, then, the Kings could avoid the cellar. Give Tyreke Evans some vaccines too because he looks nothing like his previous incarnations. This team needs passion, and attitude adjustments, basically.

San Antonio- Who says these guys are geriatric? The usually slow-paced Spurs have gone D'Antoni on us and have catapulted themselves to 4th in the league in scoring, and the best record in the league. Manu for the all-star team? It should be a shoo-in. Tim Duncan for the gentlest, most humble man in basketball? Absolutely.

Toronto- This Euroleague team needs a rough n' tumble big man who can score. Sorry, Reggie Evans doesn't count because he can't score. Jay Triano would love to have Andrea Bargnani develop more aggression ala-Dirk Nowitzki, too. DeMar DeRozan should play smart also, alongside being spectacular for the highlight reels.

Utah Jazz- 20-plus years with the Utah Jazz, and Jerry Sloan still smiles as much as a solar eclipse happens on our watch. They'd love better health from guys like Okur and Kirilenko, and for guys to rotate a little bit and go motion whenever Deron Williams, err, dominates the ball. Paul Millsap should be given more touches, in my opinion, and my goodness, please teach Fesenko to shoot free throws (he and Brendan Haywood are golf buddies). Al Jefferson has been decent, but for the Jazz to reach greater heights, he's got to be Big Al the beast in the low post.

Washington- John Wall is now the king of Capitol Hill now that Gilbert Arenas has skipped town, and while this is clearly a season in transition, Wall's could use more on-court time to develop NBA level court vision, and savvy. And oh, good luck dealing with Rashard Lewis and his stout contract for the next few years. A resurgence on his part would be more than welcome.

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