Indiana Pacers
Christmas wish: An average defensive unit
A couple of weeks ago, the Indiana Pacers were one of the most talked about teams in the league. They made a somewhat unlikely run to the In-Season Tournament championship and are sporting the best offense in the league. Tyrese Haliburton looks like he's made the jump to superstardom and the team's supporting cast has been "good enough" so far this season. However, if the Pacers are looking to take another step forward in the Eastern Conference, they're going to either have to have internal improvement or make a splash move for a star player at the NBA Trade Deadline.
Short of making a big move at the trade deadline, one Christmas miracle that could completely change the trajectory of the Pacers this season is that the team suddenly becomes an average defensive team. The Pacers don't necessarily need to be great on defense to make a big step forward in the East. With how good they've been offensively, they just need to be average.
if the Pacers can continue to be an elite offensive team and they can be average on defense, they have to potential to be a dangerous team in the East if they can make it to the postseason.