Every NBL team's New Year's resolution

Brisbane Bullets: Share the love

There are some things to like about how the Bullets have reshaped themselves after multiple years dwelling in mediocrity: the culture within has improved, they're a reliable defensive team, and seemingly have a sustainable plan for the future. What has been poor for much of the season, though, is their offence.

Justin Schueller's team is bottom-two in the NBL in offence -- only above Adelaide -- and, as much as success in the league has historically been dictated by effectiveness on the other side of the floor, you still need to put the ball in the hole. Nathan Sobey is their best scorer, averaging 20 points per game, but does it on volume and low efficiency. No-one else on the team averages more than 12 points per game, and they're the worst three-point shooting in the league (28.1 percent).

The thing is: they have the personnel to overcome those things. The eye test says the Bullets have among the worst shot quality in the NBL, and you can probably put that down to a lack of advantage creators on the perimeter: guys who can, for example, consistently get two feet in the paint to draw defenders and create good quality looks. Can that be Sobey? Could the Bullets draw that out of Shannon Scott and Mitch Norton to create better looks for their very capable three-point shooters? It's more sustainable than the iso-ball that creeps in, so it should be the priority to end this season.

Cairns Taipans: Keep trusting the process

Adam Forde and the Taipans know they have to operate in a unique way compared to other teams to be successful. That means having different expectations and recruitment methods with regard to roster construction, which then bleeds into the general processes that come with growth over the course of the season.

The Taipans are going through the rollercoaster most would have expected from a relatively young and inexperienced team that has intriguing talent. Sam Waardenburg is going through a version of a sophomore slump, Taran Armstrong is still figuring out how to be effective as a pro, Sam Mennenga has taken time to find his spots in the NBL, while Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall can only carry things for so long.

The bad thing is that those things affect wins and losses, which can impact morale. The good thing is that all of those things should be expected, and there's reason to believe the grass is greener on the other side. We're already seeing the fruits of that with Mennenga's impressive play of late, as well as more and more glimpses from Armstrong. The key is not giving up on that young talent; Forde hasn't, and won't -- and so he shouldn't -- so you'd bet on all of them trending in the right direction sooner than later.

South East Melbourne Phoenix: Keep those top four guys healthy

The Phoenix's margin for error is extremely narrow these days. The injury to Craig Moller, in particular, really hurt their already-dubious depth, while the team's primary players feel like a house of cards. The top-four guys on that team -- Mitch Creek, Alan Williams, Gary Browne, and Abdel Nader -- are, in a vacuum, an extremely talented core, but there's some volatility there. Creek is coming off a knee injury that had him miss multiple games, Williams got banged up in the Phoenix's last loss and didn't look 100 percent from that point on, while Nader is still working his way back into basketball form after two years away from the sport.

Great players miss games all the time, but Mike Kelly's team just doesn't have the depth to make up for any potential losses, all while the Phoenix's spot in the top-six becomes more and more precarious. The Phoenix can't afford to play many more games without that quartet on the floor together, so figuring out how to sustain the health of those four guys is supremely important as the postseason draws nearer.

New Zealand Breakers: Find all the reps in the world with Will McDowell-White and Zylan Cheatham on the floor together

The Breakers are slowly but surely taking shape. They're largely healthy for the first time this season -- though Finn Delany (calf) remains out -- Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Anthony Lamb are guiding what's looking like the NBL's best offence right now, while Mantas Rubštavičius is providing a significant two-way impact. The thing is: these Breakers don't seem close to their ceiling yet. A big part of reaching that sky-high potential is getting repetitions into McDowell-White and Cheatham; both of whom have been injured during stretches of this season, and are the keys to unlocking the best of this team.

In those two guys, you have one of the league's elite point guards and one of its elite big-men, who have the potential to develop an unstoppable partnership; with McDowell-White's creation and Cheatham's athleticism, they could be the best pick-and-roll duo in the league. Getting more reps into Cheatham is particularly important, given his ability to play the five-spot on a team that's still searching for its best option at that position. If Mody Maor can continue to get minutes into those two elite-level players as the regular season comes to an end, the Breakers will be positioned unbelievably well going into playoff basketball.

Illawarra Hawks: Start the extension discussions with Justin Tatum

The Hawks don't want to rush into this decision, but we're approaching a point where Tatum has earned himself another go round.

Tatum took over as interim head coach of the Hawks just nine games into the season -- Jacob Jackomas had led them to a 2-7 record -- and has since gone 5-2 in his time at the helm. During that stretch, the Hawks have been a top-three defence, and gotten more effective production out of all three of their imports.The significant improvement hasn't entirely been about the head coaching change, but it's pretty clear that Tatum has the ear of this roster, who are leaning heavily into the style of play he's trying to implement.

The Hawks have rushed into an extension of a head coach before, so there's no real desire to jump at what, theoretically, could be an extended honeymoon period for Tatum. That notwithstanding, we're at a point where Tatum's probably earned another year with the group. His price won't 'go up', per se -- that's generally not a thing; no other team in the NBL is going to enter the market for Tatum's services, and he has a close connection to the Hawks' ownership -- but there'd be some value in locking in that head coach to create some stability going forward. As soon as the season comes to an end, it'd be smart for the Hawks' decision-makers to begin those talks as imminently as humanly possible.

Adelaide 36ers: Overhaul the basketball ops department

This one seems like a brainer but it bears repeating.

The 36ers have already moved on from CJ Bruton, but their issues on the court haven't really improved in any measurable way. The roster construction was poor from the start, and there's no-one among this group who'd be a top-three player on a winning team. Scott Ninnis is doing his best, given the circumstances, but he's not the long-term fix for this franchise; and the decision-makers in Adelaide feel the same way. There needs to be a top-down revolution of basketball decision-making within the 36ers: both a general manager of basketball and a head coach, with the priority for both being a demonstration of the fostering of good relationships around the sport in Australia. Right now, players don't have a reason to sign in Adelaide; so, give them one.