This season, like all others, has seen its fair share of pleasant surprises and monumental letdowns. Some teams were expecting to push for a playoff spot, but have instead found themselves at the bottom of the barrel. Others expected to challenge for the top spots in the league, but for one reason or another have hovered around .500, or worse. Let’s take a look at the teams that have disappointed so far in the NBA season, and how they can get back on track.
New York Knicks
The Knicks of 2014 have assumed the role of the Milwaukee Bucks of 2013. That is, they entered the season with aspirations of making the playoffs only to see their season crumble beneath them. At 4-20, the problems are mounting in Gotham, with Carmelo Anthony hurting and the team not adapting well to the triangle offense. Injuries have also played a role beyond Melo, with Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon missing time.
The biggest issues for this team are team chemistry and defense. Reports have surfaced of arguments in the locker room that have bordered on physical altercations. Outside the locker room, they don’t seem to put up much of a fight against their opponents. To fix this team, head coach Derek Fisher needs to instill a more defensive mindset in his team. They have lost a bevy of close games, most of which went down to the wire. This team has the makings of one that is not 4-20, and playing better defense, getting healthy, and coming together can help them improve as the season progresses. The real question is whether winning games is worth it at this point, or if they should continue to lose.
Charlotte Hornets
Remember all the buzz about this team in the offseason (pun intended)? My, how that sentiment has changed after the first quarter of the season. After making the playoffs in their last year as the Bobcats, the Hornets have stumbled to a 6-15 record. Signing Lance Stephenson was supposed to add a new element to an evolving offense, but he has not meshed well and there were even some reports of Charlotte looking to trade him. Kemba Walker has played well, but the overall offense has struggled mightily.
Charlotte ranks in the bottom 5 in most of the shooting categories, including three-point percentage, two-point percentage, and overall field goal percentage. They are dead last in steals per game, meaning they do not get out in the open and score easy baskets. Turning defense into offense is a surefire way to jump-start a team, and Charlotte has not done that effectively this season. Losing Josh McRoberts has hurt more than expected, and this is a team searching for answers.
To right the ship, Charlotte must get more from its ancillary contributors. Al Jefferson and Walker have played well, but guys like Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Gerald Henderson have not played up to par. They need to create turnovers and perhaps look at trading away some of their players. A shake up this early in the season can send a message and still leave enough time for the team to adjust to new roles, teammates, and expectations.
Detroit Pistons
Like the Knicks, the Pistons had realistic hopes of making the playoffs in a relatively weak eastern conference. However, Detroit has fallen to the second worst record in the NBA at 3-19. Despite bringing on new head coach Stan Van Gundy, Andre Drummond has regressed, and the Josh Smith experiment has proven to be fruitless. Detroit simply does not have enough firepower to win in the NBA. They are 26th in points per game, 29th in free throw percentage, and last in both two-point percentage and overall field goal percentage. Oh yeah, they also have the misfortune of being one of two teams to lose to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The remedy lies in turning around Drummond’s subpar season and finding a way to minimize Smith’s minutes. Greg Monroe has played well and deserves the minutes at the power forward position. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is developing, but this team has serious issues that do not appear to be a quick fix. Brandon Jennings leads the backcourt but this team is devoid of real competitive talent. Even in the east, this team appears to be more of a cellar dweller than a competitor, and it is tough to see this ship being righted this year.