At the start of the NBA season hopes are always high among fans and players alike. Players have improved over the offseason and teams have developed chemistry during training camp and the preseason. Teams always have expectations set on them, both by the media and by themselves. And no matter how good or bad some teams are, they fail to live up to expectations. Whether this is because of injuries, a lack of chemistry or just poor play, a few teams always end up underachieving. Here are five teams set to disappoint.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets made some big moves this offseason when they traded for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. They also signed Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko to add to an already stacked roster. Even with all this talent, there are some major challenges this team will face. The first will be in developing chemistry. Last year this team struggled with developing chemistry. They had multiple ball dominant players and that led to offensive ineffectiveness. By adding four more very talented offensive players it will be essential that this team develops chemistry. And I don’t think I need to remind anyone what happened to the Lakers last season when they added a few star players. The second factor that could cause the Nets to struggle is injuries. While every team faces unfortunate injuries, the Nets are especially at risk. Last season Deron Williams struggled with injuries and it affected the whole team. Both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are advanced in age and it’s unclear how much they have left in the tank. It will be very important for the Nets to make sure these players stay healthy and fresh. The final factor that could lead to an ineffective Nets team is new head coach Jason Kidd. Kidd was a fantastic player for many years; however, he is an unproven coach. It will be very important that he can earn the respect of the locker-room and handle the responsibilities of being a coach.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are another team that made big moves this offseason. They signed the extremely talented Josh Smith and traded for point guard Brandon Jennings. Following these moves many people except the Pistons to compete in the East. For as talented as this team is they have a few major flaws. The first will be floor spacing. If the Pistons plan on starting Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, and Josh Smith this severely limits the Pistons ability to stretch the floor. With three players who excel in the post this could make the paint extremely crowded. A solution to this problem would be to bench either Drummond or Monroe and let Smith play his natural position at the four. Unfortunately this will hinder one of their big man’s developments. The other major issue facing the Pistons is the lack of a true pass first player. Jennings is a solid point guard but he is an ineffective distributor. Jennings is not only a shoot first player, but an ineffective shooter at that. With so many players that need the ball in their hands to succeed, this team could struggle with serious offensive inefficiencies. Both Jennings and Smith are infamous for taking poor shots, and to compete in the East you need to make sure every shot counts.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Last year expectations for the Timberwolves were high. The Timberwolves, led by Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, were expected to compete for a playoff spot in the West. Unfortunately, injuries hit this team hard. Love was only able to play in 18 games and Rubio only played in 57. This team struggled without their stars and finished with a very disappointing record. This year, expectations are again high for this team. Love is in his prime and Rubio will be entering his third year in the NBA. Unfortunately there will be a few things that will hold them back. This season the West is extremely talented. The top seven spots are nearly guaranteed, meaning there will be a race for that eight seed. While the Timberwolves are very talented they lack a star presence on the wing. With the talent and explosiveness other teams have on the wing, the Timberwolves could struggle to keep up. The strength of this team is in the post; however they lack real offensive firepower on the perimeter. This team also has a history with injuries and it can be expected that both Love and Rubio could miss time. In five years in the NBA Love has yet to play all 82 games. And when your best player misses extended time, it can really hurt your team.
San Antonio Spurs
Much like the Nets, the Spurs is a team full of veterans. Led by Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili, this is a Spurs team that has been one of the top teams in the West for many years. Unfortunately, father time eventually hits every player and the Spurs are no different. All three of their decorated veterans missed time last year, especially Parker and Ginobili. With an ever improving West, the Spurs may start to fall behind if some of their veterans start falling. The Spurs will no doubt play it safe and rest the trio if necessary. The Spurs are a team built for the playoffs, and they will certainly make it there, however, they may not be kings of the West for much longer.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have been one of the most iconic and well known basketball teams in the NBA. Through the years they have been led by the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately to start the season the Lakers will be led by Steve Nash, Nick Young and Pau Gasol. That’s not a real inspiring group of players. Expectations are all over the board for the Lakers, but many believe they can compete for the eight seed in the West. I am not one of these believers. It is still unsure when Kobe will return, and at what level he will be able to return to. The Lakers, when healthy, can be a successful team. However injuries severely hindered this team last year and I expect the same will happen this year. Nash is very injury prone and a backcourt of Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry and Nick Young won’t be able to make much of an impact. This is a team that also suffers from poor coaching, as Mike D’Antoni struggled to control the locker-room. This is a team with a lot of problems and a lack of any real young talent. It could be a dark season for this normally successful Laker franchise.