Memphis Grizzlies
New Year's Resolution: Get Ja Morant back to a superstar level
A little more than two months into the season, the Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the more consistent teams in the Western Conference. No one seems to be talking about how good the Grizzlies have been but they're currently a top-3 seed in the conference. Perhaps what has been most impressive about this team is the fact that they've been able to play this well without Ja Morant playing at a superstar level. Make no mistake; Morant has been good but he hasn't played at a superstar level so far this year.
Heading into 2025, the Grizzlies should prioritize trying to get Morant back on the superstar track. If they can, there's nothing that could stand in the way of this team emerging as a real threat to make some noise in the West. For many, it was always going to be a wait-and-see approach when it came to the Grizzlies. However, this is a team that looked the part through nearly the first half of the season. If Morant can get back to consistent superstar play, the Grizzlies are going to be a headache for many contenders in the West.
Miami Heat
New Year's Resolution: Smoothly transition to a new build
When this season began, it was natural to be slightly bullish about the Miami Heat's chances to emerge as any sort of threat in the Eastern Conference. Those who believed that have been proven to be quite accurate. In fact, the only reason why the Heat have made headlines so far this season is because of their potential demise and not necessarily the way that they've played on the floor. That's why heading into the new year, their big goal as a franchise should be to embrace the inevitable about their future.
In 2025, I believe that the Heat is likely going to have to slowly retool if they're going to have any shot at being competitive next season. For as talented of a player as Jimmy Butler is, he's past his prime and it's difficult to see how the Heat is going to be able to put pieces around him to give this team a better shot to compete. That's why I don't think it would be that terrible of an idea for the team to trade him ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. Whether the Heat agrees remains to be seen but I do think this is the most logical path forward for the franchise.