Welcome to 2008, with hopes, dreams, and promises for everyone. No, I'm not talking about NBA title contenders. I mean everyone else — the common folk — those of us in the real world. This is the time of season where everybody makes a resolution for a new year. Everything from getting in shape to owning less clutter gets put through the ringer once "Auld Lang Syne" starts perking up in the crowd.
But what about the professional basketball players? They're people, too, right? They must have something to try and improve on, just like everybody else. What could those guys have been thinking about during their New Years' Eve parties?
I will try to double my efforts
Players are usually known to be prolific in one or two offensive categories. Great big men look to pile up points and boards, while the fantastic guards attribute their success to scoring and giving out dimes. However, there are a few ballers whose goals are a little loftier. These are the "triple-threats," the ones who provide all three facets of the offensive game to their teams.
At the dawn of 2008, two men stand out ahead of the rest in this regard. Jason Kidd has been throwing triple-doubles at old vets and young rookies since entering the league in 1994. The Nets' on-court leader had 94 stat lines (in the regular season) with two digits in these categories as of December 22nd and is third all-time in the Association's history. LeBron James could be on his way to joining that top five before all is said and done. The Cavaliers' star has already put up 14 regular-season "T.D." lines, and he's only 23.
Both men can accomplish this feat any night, continually letting fans wonder, "Can either man make the improbable happen?" The improbable, you ask? A triple-double for an entire season. The only man to accomplish that is Oscar Robertson (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 11.4 apg in 1961-1962). Right now, Kidd looks to be the front-runner (11.5 ppg, 10.6 apg, 8.6 rpg), but King James (28.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 7.6 apg) might need to complete it if his team wants to talk about a postseason.
I will own my own domain
For the second season in a row, Orlando has gotten off to a nice start. The Magic have beat up on the East, going 14-5 during the first 33 games. They play fantastic away from the Amway Arena, displaying a 15-5 road record. However, this team just can't seem to get going at home. Maybe they've been spending too much time on the thrill rides, but a 7-6 mark seems a tad puzzling.
It's even more surprising when compared to the other division leaders. No other team in that position has more than five home losses or is winning at less than a 70-percent clip. At this rate, the Magic might want to try and enter the playoffs as a fifth-seed, or at least not give Goofy and Donald season tickets.
I will change my philosophy on living
It was only back to June of 2006 when everybody saw Pat Riley as a genius on the sidelines for the first time in years. He brought in Shaquille O'Neal and a core of veteran role players, while dusting off his coaching skills to lead the Miami Heat to their first NBA title. But something went wrong on the way to now. The players got old, the coach got frustrated, and the team is in shambles at 8-23.
Utah was last year's surprise (for the entire season) squad. With a youth movement leading the way, the Jazz ended up winning the Northwest Division and making it to the Western Conference Finals. Things also started off well this year. Then, the Wasatch crew found out how tough expectations were. Still floating along at 17-16, Utah hopes to instill a little bit of energy in their recent trade of disgruntled guard Gordon Giricek for Philadelphia 76er shooter Kyle Korver. A win on Monday night against the smoking Portland Trailblazers seemed to put one foot in the right direction.
Then there is the disappointment known as the Chicago Bulls. A team with a nucleus of young talent looked oh so splendid at the beginning of the season. However, their knack for slow starts hasn't worn off yet. And that wore thin on Bulls management as they bumped the leader of the band, namely coach Scott Skiles, off his podium on Christmas Eve. Now in search of a new identity, can Chicago salvage their pride and make a postseason push?
I will get more organized
It might be due to lack of experience, lack of talent, or lack of will, but something can be said for sloppy play on the court — it gets your team plenty of losses. And this year is no different. When it comes to giving opportunities, it's not just how many you give your opponent, but the number you take away, as well. Heading in the new year, five teams have a turnover give-to-take ratio of more than two per game. Wanna guess where most of these teams stand? You guessed it. At the bottom of the list.
Minnesota (4-26) and Seattle (9-22) can blame the youth, while New York (8-21) and Memphis (8-22) can just blame pure dysfunction. The other team on this list would be the New Jersey Nets, which might explain their 14-16 record (or could it have something to do with Boston being in the division?). Either way, these teams might want to think about cleaning up their play before someone above their heads decides to clean house.
I will get out there and meet new people
Are you in a rut? Need a fresh start? How about a switch. That's what the Boston Celtics did this past offseason when they decided to forgo the rebuilding phase and brought in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. The two have teamed with Paul Pierce to be the most formidable force in the early part of the season. Their 26-3 record also harkens back to the days of the great Celtics' squads of the '80s.
For a team that went the opposite route, let's look at the defending Eastern Conference champs in Cleveland. The Cavs made it to the Finals in '07 on the strength of LeBron James alone (well, almost alone). Unfortunately, instead of adding or building, Danny Ferry and company stayed pat. The team didn't even have everybody available by the season opener, as both Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao held out for new contracts. The result? A 14-17 record and tied for ninth in the conference. LeBron's a strong fella, but he can't carry the load forever.
No matter what the reason, everyone has one resolution they want to see out this year. That would involve holding up the Larry O'Brien trophy in June. I mean, everybody's gotta have goals ... even those lovable New York Knicks.
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