3 Most Disappointing Teams in the NBA

3. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are only two years removed from winning the NBA Finals. Last year, they came five minutes away from another Eastern Conference Finals appearance before losing to Boston in 7 games. This year, with mostly the same team returning, the Raptors are currently 10th in the East with a record of 9-12. Their roster has remained injury and Covid-19 free for the most part this year, something that has affected many teams around the league. Their 3 best players, Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, and Pascal Siakam, have all played in at least 18 of their 21 games so far this year. Siakam, an All-Star starter last year, is not playing up to the expectations given to him as the number one option for Toronto. His PPG are down from 22.9 last year to 19.2 so far this season. His three point percentage is a shockingly bad 23%. And he still shoots 4 a game! Toronto lost both of their starting front court members, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, to free agency and haven’t been able to full the hole left in their absence. Aron Baynes and Alex Len were signed by Toronto, but the Baynes Train hasn’t showed the ability to stretch the floor like he did for Phoenix and Boston. Alex Len played so bad he already got waived. Fred VanVleet has been their best player this year and put up a career and Raptors franchise high 54 points in a win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. To give Toronto a little credit, they have been playing their home games in Tampa, Florida because of Canada’s Covid travel restrictions and haven’t been in their home arena since the start of last year. Toronto probably needs to make some moves at the trade deadline, but I still have them as a lock for the Playoffs in the East. Especially with this year’s expanded field. Toronto has been very slow this year, they either need to find a way to scrap out wins, or blow it up and accept the bad.

(Eric Christian Smith/AP)

2. Miami Heat

Wanna keep talking about surprisingly bad Eastern Conference teams? Well the Miami Heat would like a word. The reigning Eastern Conference Champions are 7-14 to start the year. Unlike Toronto, their roster has been heavily hit by the Covid and injury bug. Their leader, Jimmy “Don’t Call Me James” Butler has only played in 9 games so far this year. Other key contributors like Tyler Herro, Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, and newly acquired guard Avery Bradley have played in no more than 16 of the possible 21 games. Miami’s offense, 7th in the league last year, is currently ranked 26th. The Heat’s team net rating, an analytical measurement of how well a team’s combined offensive and defensive rating ranks with other teams around the league, is 27th out of 30 teams. Miami ranks above Toronto because they are still losing games with their star players back in action. Miami is 4-5 this year in games Jimmy Butler plays. I believe Coach Eric Spoelstra is part of the highest echelon of coaches throughout the league and will turn this team around, but many believe their trip to the finals last year was a bubble caused fluke. The way Miami has started off this year, they are starting to prove their doubters correct.

(backsportspage.com)

1. Dallas Mavericks

In a previous article, I tried to make sense of the Mavericks’ abysmal start to the year, but it still baffles me. Dallas is currently 9-14 and in 14th place in the West. The Mavs have lost 7 of their last 8 games and recently gave up 147 points to the Golden State Warriors. In regulation! They’re currently 5-10 against teams with a record above .500 and only 4-4 against teams below that. As a team many thought, including me, would take a step into being a real contender in the West, they have to be able to beat the teams they are supposed to. Now they’re the team everyone else is excited to run into. Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t been the happiest camper in Dallas so far this year. He’s only played in 12 games and his less than stellar defensive rating of 111 per 100 possessions has kept him off the floor at the end of games. Coach Rick Carlisle has opted to keep him on the bench late in games, causing Porzingis to backhand a water bottle towards the coaches at the end of their recent win against the Hawks. Porzingis is a player that no-one expected to be on the move this year, and he certainly hasn’t been linked to any rumors, but the body language test isn’t great. Like the other teams on this list, it’s coming scary close to “blow it up” time for the Mavs. A statement I’m sure Mavs fans wouldn’t have expected to hear at the beginning of the year. Maybe Bradley Beal for Kristaps? We’ll have to see.