Every NBA Season, fans expect their favorite team to maximize their efforts in the pursuit of a championship. There are a few teams where expectations are lower because the team is young, in the middle of rebuilding or they need to blow up the team and start fresh. However, some teams entered the season after making the playoffs the previous year and were even considered favorites to win the championship. In this article, we discuss the top 5 teams that are most disappointing in this year’s regular season.
5. Brooklyn Nets-I know they made the play-in tournament! However, the team was built to win East as the top seed and hang a banner at the Barclays Center. This season, with all the drama, this team has been like a daily soap opera in the league. It started earlier in the season when Kyrie Irving refused to get vaccinated for personal reasons. The vaccination mandate in New York City prevented him from playing home games. The team plummeted when Kevin Durant got injured by winning only 5 of 22 games without him, including an abysmal 11 game losing streak. Then, with all the pressure to carry this team and the uncertainty of Irving’s status, James Harden wanted out of Brooklyn and got his wish in a blockbuster trade with the Sixers of Ben Simmonds. Simmonds has not played for the franchise since being traded, and the Nets have struggled defensively to stop teams. The team has moved from title contenders to fighting to get out of the play-in tournament. This team may pull off the impossible and put a run together or the most likely result of not being able to get past the gauntlet of teams in the East. However, we can agree that they did not live up to expectations in the regular season.
4. Portland Trailblazers-the Trailblazers entered the season having made the playoffs consecutively with Damion Lillard and CJ McCullum as their star duo. After firing Terry Stotts and making the controversial hire of Chauncey Billups, there were expectations that this team could at least be a lower-seeded playoff team. Lillard got injured on December 31, and after doing abdominal surgery the franchise decided to just shut him down for the remainder of the season. However, the team struggled before the injury and plunged in the standings after. The team waved the white flag at the trade deadline when they moved CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr, and Tony Snell for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Tomas Satoransky. The future is uncertain in the Rose City, and this season may be the start of a rebuild for this team. Also, questions will swirl about whether Dame Lillard will stay with this team, given the murky waters.
3. Washington Wizards-the Washington Wizards made the play-in tournament last year, and there were expectations that the team could do well this year. In the off-season, the team acquired Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Aaron Holiday, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Spencer Dinwiddie in the trading of Russell Westbrook. The team started impressively by winning 10 of their first 13 games. However, the team plummeted with a 25-44 record in the last 69 games. The team struggled defensively to contain the opposition and ranked in the bottom half in most defensive categories. In a January game, Bradley Beal injured his wrist, and this led to season-ending surgery. The team changed direction at the deadline by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and a protected second-round pick from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. The acquisition of Porzingis did not galvanize a playoff run, and it remains to be seen whether the move will convince Beal to stay with this franchise. If he leaves, then this team will officially be in a rebuild mode.
2. New York Knicks-the Knicks have one of the best fanbases and home crowd at Madison Square Garden. The team finished with a 41-31 record in the previous season, and there were expectations that they could take the next step. The team acquired Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to add an offensive punch to the unit. However, this team never clicked, and Coach Thibadeau seemed to have lost the locker room. Kemba Walker struggled to stay on the floor due to his defensive limitations and injury problems. Julius Randle also failed to build on his All-star play from last season and even regressed at times. The team finished 37-45 and could not even make the play-in tournament. The future of this team in New York is very unclear, and the uncertainty will make the fanbase very concerned.
1. Los Angeles Lakers- After acquiring Russell Westbrook, signing veterans like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard most analysts felt the Lakers were a lock to win the championship. Russell Westbrook struggled to meet expectations on the floor by shooting the ball poorly and turning the ball over at a high clip. Anthony Davis struggled to stay healthy all season which diminished his ability to produce. The roster contained too many veteran players that struggled to stop the opposition. The management failed to make a deal at the deadline, and the team struggled against one of the toughest schedules in the second half. After failing to make the playoffs, the management has taken the step to fire Coach Frank Vogel but more has to be done to address this roster. The only good note from this season is that at age 37, Lebron James played at an elite level. However, with few future 1st round picks to trade, it will be an interesting off-season to see what moves this team can make to win it all next season.