2010 is here.

Almost everyone makes resolutions and goals for the new year. Some have to do with losing weight, some are work or school related, some deal with love and relationships, and some are much deeper. Though I have my own personal resolutions, which yes, I realize rarely hold their ground past the month of January, I also have things I wish to see from others. And seeing as I am who I am, basketball crazed and all, I have come up with a list of NBA expectations for 2010.

-The Chicago Bulls must get it together and not only improve their record but also make it to the Playoffs once more. I realize some of you out there may think I'm losing my mind as so far the Bulls have had a shaky season but I still believe its early enough to change that. Most of the players, with the exception of Jannero Pargo whose back is still giving him some grief, are healthy and back on their feet, meaning that Derrick Rose can now drive the ball with confidence, Kirk Hinrich can be the leader he needs to be, and Tyrus Thomas can use that unbelievable wingspan to block, rebound and dunk. Those key elements combined with Taj Gibson's stellar rookie season, Joakim Noah's growing rebound numbers (hes currently second in the league for them) and Luol Deng's shots should be more than enough to carry the Chicago Bulls to the Playoffs again as well as give them a record they can be proud of. What I would like to see more of in 2010 however is better shooting from John Salmons, one of my favorite Bulls, less turnovers from all the players in general, and some active participation from James Johnson, a rookie I was really excited about drafting. I also should add that although in general Luol Deng has stepped up his game, consistency still seems to be an issue, and with a lack of a clutch player like the Bulls had in Ben Gordon, that can't be ignored. Players must play hard every single game no matter what. Which brings me to my last point on the Bulls: lack of confidence. Its understandable that a losing streak, let alone one of the magnitude the Bulls were once on, would bring a team down and make them question their skill, but it always seems to be a snowball effect with Chicago, and if that doesn't end now, things could get really ugly. Overall, the Bulls can certainly bounce back from the way they started the season but it is going to take a lot of hard work, a confidence boost, and individual improvement from players to make it happen.

-Teams need to stop relying on old reputations and realize that the time is now. I guess this goes hand in hand with my Bulls point but I want to take it a little further than that. It seems this season that teams, whether good, bad, or just mediocre, seem to be missing the point that a new season has begun, only falling back on how they were last season, or even a few seasons back. Great teams, and currently its the Cleveland Cavs that come to mind, seem to be playing sloppy games, almost as if they have this mindset that no matter what they do, in the end its just somehow going to work out for them. I'm not saying that the Cavs (I may as well stick to them for now) have had a bad season, as they are currently 27-8, but their level of play, at least to me, seems to be at a standstill. Perhaps its the new addition of players like Shaq, or the behavior of players like Delonte West, but something just seems a bit off. Likewise, teams like the Washington Wizards, seem to always have this inferior attitude about them, when in reality, players like Gilbert Arenas are killing it this season. Still though, they stand at a 10-21 record, and though I personally enjoy them as a team, are often laughed about and mistreated. This year, now in 2010, I want teams to shake off however they were last year, to drop the labels they were once given, and start fresh. If you were said to be a great team, prove it. And if you were never given a chance, show me you deserve it. Because otherwise standings will never change and well, what fun would that be?

-Players need to stop complaining about their lives and just play the damn game. (I know what all of you are thinking. "She loves Allen Iverson, how can she be making such a claim? What a hypocrite." And you all are somewhat right. However, as I've explained before, I think his situation was a bit different given that the conditions first announced by the coaches and GMs, turned out different than what were actually set. However, though I personally don't include him in this rant, I give you free reign to do so yourselves. I see where you're coming from, I just don't happen to agree.) Lately many players have taken it upon themselves to decide when they should play, for how long they should play, and who they should play for. Which to a certain extent, I think is necessary, seeing as a player should know himself better than any coach or GM or owner, and should be allowed to express his opinion. However, I feel as though lately this whole freedom of expression bit has gotten a bit out of hand, causing teams to be turned upside down, players to leave the league for indefinite periods of time, and the game of basketball to start looking more and more like a business than a recreational activity. Of course I understand the politics behind it all and understand how money is the underlying goal of the NBA, but at the same time, what happened to the game of basketball being these players' lives? Being their one true loves? Being their passions? Its a shame to see players forget why they ever wanted to play in the first place and get caught up in all the hype. Its time for everyone to come back to earth and remember what its all really about. Or should be about anyways. The game.

-The NBA needs to ease up on fines. Once again I guess this is connected to the previous point but seriously, things are getting out of control. We all know the economy is bad but players are recently getting fined for things including blogging and tweeting, both of which are personal activities and in my opinion should have nothing to do with the league. I understand the NBA wants their players to represent them well and what not, but at this point it is more than obvious that the struggle for money has grown and the chosen way to deal with it is fines. Come on now. Lets try another tactic for 2010, shall we?

-Coaches need to coach. This may seem like an obvious jab at Vinny del Negro, but its not. In fact, I haven't actually even decided whether or not I want him fired. But my feelings on that are a totally different subject. The fact of the matter is, is that recently many coaches, especially those who have not been in the league for that long, seem to have taken a back seat on coaching, letting decisions be made by the players, and sometimes even the GMs or team owners. Coaches have become more passive, more laid-back, and in a league in the NBA where you really never know what happens, this seems like the worst way to get your team on a good path. Sure some teams have players that are born leaders (ie Kobe, Lebron, Chauncey) but some don't (ie the Bulls), and regardless, every player needs some encouragment and direction. After all, theres a reason a team has a coach in the first place and isn't just a group of guys telling each other what to do. Coaches need to come up with solid plays, need to have speeches that actually contain substance, and need to have the back of their entire team, not just certain players. It makes me sick when situations such as the Larry Hughes/Vinny del Negro one or the T-Mac/Rick Adelman one or the Nate Robinson/Mike D'Antoni one occur because a team, coach included, is supposed to be a unit. A single soul. And so often that is not the case.

I could probably go on with this list forever but as I find these hopes/desires/ideas/resolutions/goals/etc most important, I thought I'd only focus on them, at least for now. One never knows what the new year will bring but I can only hope that 2010 will give basketball some clarity and fufill these things for me. Happy new year everyone.