Assessing which slow starters are ripe for turnaround

Deron Williams and the Jazz should benefit from a favorable schedule this month. AP

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The strains of Auld Lang Syne have wafted away. The confetti has been cleaned up. The hangover cures have run their course. Yes, it's back-to-work time.

For several NBA clubs, the end of 2007 was surely a time to celebrate. The Cavs, Bulls, Heat, Rockets and Jazz are just a handful of teams that have failed to live up to expectations so far this season and are welcoming the arrival of '08. The good news for these clubs is that there is still plenty of time to get it turned around.

So which of these early-season disappointments are in the best position to straighten it out? Here's a look at the less-than-fab five, ranked in order of their likelihood to change their fate in '08:

1. Jazz: A 51-win team and Western Conference finalist last season, Utah is simply too good to stay down (in this case around .500) for too long. Part of their recent struggles can be attributed to a December schedule that saw them hit the road for 10 of 16 games (they went 1-9). While it's true that good teams find ways to win on the road, the Jazz have always been a team that plays much better at home. With nine of 13 games in January at raucous Energy Solutions Arena, they should be able to get back to playing the kind of intense defense that has been absent much of this season (through Wednesday, they ranked 25th in opponents' field goal percentage).

Unlike some of the other struggling clubs, Utah also has a top-notch point guard in Deron Williams. He gives the Jazz a big advantage at a key position most nights.

Two years ago, the Jazz were 11-16 at one point and still wound up 41-41. Here's a bet that they have a similar turnaround this season.

2. Cavaliers: With 11 losses in their last 17 games, the defending Eastern Conference were eighth in the East entering Thursday's play. But there is plenty of reason for LeBron James & Co. to be optimistic. For one, the Cavs' slide began with a six-game losing streak in which James was mostly sidelined with an injured finger. For another, Larry Hughes and Anderson Varejao are still working their way back into shape after lengthy absences.

Finally, their defense has begun to show signs of returning to last year's form. Coach Mike Brown's decision to go back to last year's starting backcourt of Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic has paid off, as Cleveland has held four of its past six opponents to 90 points or fewer. The Cavs might continue to struggle offensively, but they will win a lot of games if they can get back anywhere near to last season's level on the defensive end.

3. Bulls: New coach Jim Boylan already has the Bulls playing looser and more relaxed. For a team that relies on jump shooting, it's vital. He also has persuaded Ben Gordon to embrace his role as a scorer off the bench, which should further boost Chicago's offense.

The other reason the Bulls have a good chance to turn it around is that the schedule eases a bit. Their defeats in December came to the Celtics (twice), Mavs, Lakers, Rockets, Magic, at Pacers and at Spurs. One could make a case that last season's Bulls would not have won most of those games either. With a softer schedule, a new spirit brought on by the coaching change, and all those other struggling Eastern teams, look for the Bulls to scrap and claw their way back into the hunt for the No. 7 or 8 spot in the conference.

4. Rockets: With a new offensive-minded coach in Rick Adelman, many expected Tracy McGrady- and Yao Ming-led Houston to challenge the Spurs, Mavs and Suns for the top spot in the West. Instead, the Rockets have mostly fizzled in falling to 10th in the conference. Houston ranks 21st in scoring (94.8) and 25th in field goal percentage (43.6) as Adelman has been unable to recreate anything close to the flowing offenses he had during his Sacramento days.

Like the other teams on this list, the Rockets can blame the schedule for part of their woes; they arguably have faced the toughest slate of any team in the league, playing 19 of their first 32 games on the road. Houston will pick it up in the second half as it faces lesser foes and Adelman gets a chance to further tweak his system. But one gets the sense that the T-Mac/Yao pairing isn't going to meet those preseason expectations -- not with subpar point guards and McGrady continually in and out of the lineup with various ailments.

5. Heat: It's risky to count out a team with Dwyane Wade, especially in the mushy East. Indeed, Wade has made them look better than their record on a lot of nights as he continues to regain his form after offseason knee and shoulder surgeries. Lately, it has been injuries more than anything else that have kept Miami from gaining any traction. But injuries are a fact of life for the Heat's aging roster, like the team's slow feet on defense and its lack of bench strength. With Shaquille O'Neal unable to muster his old dominance, Miami is too much of a one-man gang. The only thing that could save the Heat's season now is a major trade.