LA Clippers
New Year's resolution: Emerge as a true title contender
Since acquiring Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers haven't exactly gotten the results that the team hoped they would. They made those two big moves with the hope of winning a title. That hasn't happened. And in what could end up being the final year of the Kawhi-PG experiment for LA, the Clippers must figure out a way how to emerge as a legit contender this season. The move for James Harden has helped raise the team's ceiling but it's far from a guarantee.
The 2024 calendar year will end up being incredibly telling in what ends up being next for the Clippers. Ideally, they can remain healthy, compete for a title this season, re-sign Kawhi and PG, and emerge next season as one of the favorites. That's what a perfect calendar year looks like for LA, even if this season doesn't end with a title.
However, if the last few seasons are any indication, it's unlikely that the ideal scenario will end up playing out for the Clippers. That should be the goal for a team that has the talent to compete with any other team in the Western Conference.