LA Clippers
New Year's Resolution: Figure out what life looks like long term without Kawhi
The LA Clippers had a pretty nice season but there's no question that this team is nothing more than a solid playoff team without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. He still hasn't played in a game so far this season and it may be time for the Clippers to come to the quick realization that this may be the new normal for the team. Even though there's hope that he will be able to come back at some point in the near future, I believe the Clippers would be better off trying to figure out what life without Kawhi is going to look like.
Heading into 2025, the big New Year's resolution for the Clippers should be the team figuring out what life looks like beyond Kawhi. Does that look like a rebuild? Does that look like a short retooling of the roster? It's understandable that the Clippers didn't want to embrace a rebuild this past offseason but without Kawhi, you can't help but wonder if the team will continue to have that luxury of bypassing the inevitable.
Los Angeles Lakers
New Year's Resolution: Find a star to send LeBron James off the right way
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle, it's only natural to begin to wonder what may lie ahead of the team. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, this is a team that can't get away with sitting on their hands heading into the NBA Trade Deadline and then possibly into the offseason. You'd have to imagine that there has to be some sort of upgrade for the team sooner rather than later. I'd be on that happening within the next two months if it is going to happen. Heading into 2025, I firmly believe that it should be a New Year's resolution for the Lakers to find a star to help keep this team's championship window open.
There may be some that believe the Lakers' championship window is already closed but I do believe there is still some hope that this team could be one blockbuster move away from reemerging as a championship contender in the Western Conference. Whether that star is going to be available at the trade deadline remains to be seen but there's no question that the Lakers will be on the hunt for a big move.