The NBA season is entering the homestretch with approximately six weeks to go in the regular season. With most teams near or at the 60-game mark, it’s not too early to call some of them underachievers.
Glancing at the standings, there are six teams that best fit that category. The Rockets certainly qualify, as they head into the week one game under .500. No one could have expected a team led by superstars James Harden and Dwight Howard to be floundering.
The other Western Conference team that easily qualifies as a major disappointment is the Pelicans. They were supposed to be on the upswing with Anthony Davis leading the way and Alvin Gentry taking over as head coach, but they’re currently 12 games under .500.
The Eastern Conference has its share of disappointments as well. The Hawks entered last season’s playoffs as the conference’s top seed but they’ve come back to the pack this year with a 33-27 record.
The Bulls are loaded with big-name veterans but it’s been a rocky campaign in the Windy City. They head into their final 24 games just two games above the .500 mark and in some danger of missing the postseason.
Any team with John Wall at the controls should be better than the Wizards’ current 28-30 mark. Washington is on the outside looking in for a playoff berth.
Entering training camp, it seemed like the Bucks were on the upswing with young pieces surrounding free agent prize Greg Monroe. Instead, Milwaukee is wallowing at the bottom of the Central Division, 11 games under the .500 mark.
This leads us to our question of the day: Which team has been the biggest underachiever this season?
Please take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.
Milwaukee has been incredibly disappointing. I thought with a full season of Jabari and MCW as well as the Monroe addition that they’d be a 4-5 seed in the east. I also expected Antetekumpo to take the step to superstardom which he hasn’t yet.
Milwaukee is certainly a prime contender in this category. The Pistons and Pacers have both zoomed past them in the division standings.
The Bucks have been disappointing, but mostly because they took such a huge jump last season, moving from the league’s worst record to a playoff spot in one year. They still have a young nucleus that’s going to get a lot better. The Pelicans have been dismantled by injuries, but the Rockets have been the definition of disappointing.
you obviously haven’t seen Giannis play much. he and Khris have been outstanding. Jabari is coming on stronger lately. that’s how the Bucks are measuring success this year. Moose has been Moose steady and reliable and a low post threat but he totally restricts what Jab and Giannis do well — attack the rim. i follow the Bucks closely and its MCW and the bench which have been huge disappointments.
Houston is the most disappointing by a mile, the Suns close 2nd and Bulls 3rd in my books.
With Bledsoe & BK, signing Chandler, getting Booker, bringing Len off the bench and having the “better” Morris brother sprinkled in with youth and atleticism, the Suns should be battling for the playoffs.
instead they are an absolute train wreck.
Great point on the Suns, though the backcourt injuries really hampered them. They have essentially hit the reset button the second half of the season.
I’ll say the Pelicans, though it’s not like you can really blame them. Sometimes injuries just completely eat up a team.
I too follow the Bucks closely and I too expected more from them. Before the year started I thought they could definitely get home court advantage in the first round. However if you take a closer look at them you see that some pieces like MCW and Monroe, don’t fit very well. Combine that with young and short bench and the east being tougher this year making the playoffs would be hard. It would also help if Parker had played most of the season like he has after the all star break.
I do think Houston has been the most disappointing with Washington and the Suns up there too. The Wizards were talented and deep enough to be in the the top of the standings before the Morris traded
Bulls. ibid. Hoiberg post