With the fate of most teams already determined as the NBA regular season winds down, it’s now become clear which teams have been a major disappointment this year.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets started the season 6-1 and that was their peak. From then on, they completely collapsed, turning into a sub-.500 team and falling out of the playoff race. After they clinched a playoff spot last season and pushed the Miami Heat to seven games, the Hornets looked like a team on the rise behind their All-Star point guard, Kemba Walker. Instead, they totally flopped, playing mediocre basketball en route to a disappointing 36-45 record with one more game remaining.
Detroit Pistons
Just like Charlotte, the Detroit Pistons seemed like another team on the rise. They secured the eighth and final spot of the playoffs last season, only to deteriorate this season. Stan Van Gundy has seemingly lost respect from his players; at least that’s what has been reported. The Pistons have played uninspired basketball for most of the season, and Reggie Jackson hasn’t become the star point guard they hoped he would be. It’s been an upsetting downfall for the Pistons because at one time it looked like they had a complete starting unit, enough to make another playoff run.
Minnesota Timberwolves
With the vast emergence of Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Andrew Wiggins, the Minnesota Timberwolves looked ready to compete for a post-season position.
They added Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach as well, which was supposed to make them a better team. Instead, they spent all season at the near bottom of the standings and failed to make the playoffs. Although the young players performed well throughout the year, the defense was an utter dissatisfaction.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic made an obvious mistake during the offseason by trading Victor Oladipo to acquire Serge Ibaka, who they later traded for Terrence Ross and a draft pick.
The disappointing part is that the Magic worked so hard to rebuild after the Dwight Howard era and were gradually progressing, only to completely destroy everything in one season. Now it seems like they’ve had a major setback and may need to reconstruct the roster again. It has been frustrating to watch this young team collapse and become one of the worst offensive teams in the league.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks a playoff team? Not even. The Knicks constructed a starting lineup that looked so superior on paper that it fooled most people. At one point of the season, the Knicks were in the midst of competing for a playoff spot, but they dropped down in the standings afterward. New York struggled to build solid team chemistry throughout the season, as the team was unable to run the Triangle Offense. The pieces simply did not fit together, as there was minimal ball movement and too much isolation. Carmelo Anthony trade rumors also took a toll on the team, but it was no excuse for them to play at a mediocre level. A disappointing, drama-filled season will finally come to an end for the Knicks, and they may hit the reset button this summer.
