Every NBA team comes into the new season with plans for how to better reach their goals. Not all of them manage to execute.
A month into the regular season, it's time to look at how well teams have executed some of their most important strategies. In some cases, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers' undefeated start or the Golden State Warriors riding a deep rotation to one of the Western Conference's best records, it's clear things are working out. But some teams still haven't seen their early-season priorities take off.
The Milwaukee Bucks are scraping to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks are off to slow starts after their preseason blockbuster trade.