There’s nothing like failing to live up to lofty expectations. It can be even worse in the NBA, when people can see you coming up short on basically a nightly basis. For some NBA teams, the how and why isn’t so bad and can even be understandable. Injuries and new faces can mess with your talent level and chemistry, and a slow start is often to be expected. For others, the red flag list is much longer and the inability to capitalize on talent is incredibly frustrating.
There is a lot of basketball to be played, but right now there are some very specific NBA squads that are disappointing their fan bases at a high level. Let’s take a look at the top five:
Houston Rockets
The Rockets are the first team that comes to mind that is just not getting it done. Just a couple wins away from the NBA Finals a year ago, the Rockets have been so bad that they got head coach Kevin McHale fired. For some reason the organization decided it was his fault, and not the players that are clearly giving little to no effort on the defensive end on a consistent basis. James Harden’s offense has been touch and go, but that’s understandable for a star player that gets keyed in on by opposing defenses. His horrific effort on the defensive side of the ball, however, is unacceptable. On top of that, Ty Lawson has been a free agent bust and Dwight Howard has been in and out of the lineup due to rest (back). Even when he’s on the floor, he’s not getting enough touches on offense to make a difference. This team is totally lost and at 8-11, doesn’t look like a legit title contender at the moment.
Milwaukee Bucks
No one thought the Bucks were about to win it all or anything, but after playing sound defense and team first offense last year, they did look like a team on the rise. Jason Kidd has had to deal with some injuries and inserting a new big offensive piece in Greg Monroe, but it’s still just not working. Monroe has been a sieve on defense and the offense has taken a major dip, while one-time star point guard Michael Carter-Williams no longer looks like an asset. The Bucks don’t defend like they did last year and they don’t have enough shooting to make up for their mental lapses on defense. At 7-12, the Bucks may slide out of the playoff picture in an increasingly more competitive Eastern Conference.
Washington Wizards
Washington might be even more disappointing, as they can’t seem to play consistent ball in any regard. Their last two games are a perfect example of their woeful inconsistency, as they went into Cleveland and crushed the Cavaliers and turned right around and lost to the Lakers at home. It just doesn’t make any sense. They have the size and shooting to play with anyone and when they force the tempo, it’s extremely tough to keep up with them. The biggest problem is their best player (John Wall) isn’t an efficient shooter and they don’t defend at a high level. It’s a recipe for disaster and with a 7-9 start, the Wizards look to be regressing after taking positive steps the past two years.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks had the best record in the Eastern Conference a year ago and even made it to the conference finals. This year they probably won’t be able to say either of those things. The Hawks certainly aren’t a bad team, but the loss of DeMarre Carroll clearly stings and the consistency they stretched over last year just isn’t there anymore. Neither is their tenacious team defense, as they’re a pedestrian 12-9 out of the gates and giving up over 100 points a nigh. Atlanta is a solid team that should still make the playoffs and could even still win their division, but they’re definitely not the over-powering team we saw last year.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers ended San Antonio’s title run before it began last year and pushed the Houston Rockets to their limits before caving. That was a devastating blow after being up 3-0 and being one quarter away from their first Western Conference Finals ever and by the early looks of things, they haven’t recovered. There are a ton of issues with this team, as Chris Paul keeps getting hurt, teams are defending Blake Griffin better and the small forward position is unfortunately a rotating door. Los Angeles is still a show on offense and is at their best at home, but they’re inconsistent and need to improve on defense. There is still time to turn things around and be the elite team they’re expected to be, but a sluggish 10-9 start isn’t overly encouraging.
New Orleans Pelicans
No one has failed worse than the Pelicans. After making the playoffs last year, Anthony Davis vaulted himself into superstar status and many figured the Pellies would be yearly participants in post-season play. That could still happen, but The Brow has battled several injuries to start the year and the team has been incredibly unhealthy with five key players missing extended time. Tyreke Evans just returned to the lineup two games ago and could play a key role in getting the season back on track, but the Pelicans are still 4-15 in the brutal Western Conference. It’s highly likely this is too ugly of a hole to crawl out of.
Disappointed even more by another team or think we’re knocking one of these teams too harshly? Let us know in the comments below!
