Christmas in the NBA: What sits at the top of each team’s wishlist?
Philadelphia 76ers: Space
The Philadelphia 76ers have elite potential on the defensive end and possess the ability to make games ugly, even if that’s not always what they’re trying to do. The struggles for this version of the 76ers are the same that they’ve been for past versions: when they need a basket at the end of the game, they don’t really know how to get it.
I think part of this is coaching, but a big part of it is not having shooters that can space the floor for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to work in. It’s certainly possible that they’ll be good enough on defense to make up for it, but they’ll regret it if they don’t pursue some shooting before the deadline or in the buyout market.
Phoenix Suns: To know what winning feels like
After a hot start that had people losing their minds about the Phoenix Suns, they’ve come back down to where they’re supposed to be. But they absolutely have to stay in the hunt for that 8th and final playoff spot.
The Suns have been so bad for so long that the franchise just wreaks of losing culture and being in the mix for a playoff spot could be the first step to changing that. They don’t even have to get that playoff spot, but Devin Booker and the rest of this team need to have meaningful games to play late in the season. We’re always waiting for the Suns to take the next step, this is it.