Chicago Bulls: A new regime
Probably the most unlikely Christmas gift on this list, but I’m always game for an opportunity to call for an end to the GarPax nightmare on the Magnificent Mile; kind of similar to an off-brand reboot of Nightmare on Elm Street if you replaced Freddy Krueger with two men who consistently make poor basketball decisions.
As long as GarPax and Jim Boylen are running the show in Chicago they won’t be a top free-agent destination. It’s a reality that Chicago fans shouldn’t tolerate (and I don’t believe they do). There have been moments of promise for the GarPax regime, the Derrick Rose teams were well constructed for the most part, but the time for change is long overdue.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A “better to give than receive” holiday mindset
They say it’s better to give than to receive this time of year, but I don’t think anyone told the Cleveland Cavaliers that. Their team leader in assists is rookie Darius Garland at an uninspiring 3.1 per game.
Maybe the team passing is more than the sum of its parts? Sorry, hypothetical antagonist, it’s not. The Cavs rank in the bottom three in both assists and assist to turnover ratio. Additionally, there have been some early reports that the players are unhappy with John Beilein’s coaching style, but I’m sure Coach Beilein isn’t too thrilled with their playstyle either.
Young teams like the Cavs are always going to have some growing pains, but a little more sharing and a lot less ball-stopping would go a long way in making everyone feel a little better. Specifically, Kevin Love, who can’t seem to get a look from the ball-dominant, four-headed guard monster of Garland, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Kevin Porter Jr.