Last week, TGH took a look into six total NBA teams that have been a surprise this season. This week, we’ll take a look at the opposing side: the disappointing teams.
This will start off in the Eastern Conference. If you happen to be a fan of one of these teams, just know that all sports fans have endured a time in their fandom of cheering on a bad team.
Miami Heat (7-13)
Coming off a surprising title run, the Heat have had the epitome of a disappointing season in 2020-21 (so far).
The biggest reason for their recent struggles could be because of the absence of Jimmy Butler. Butler, who has missed 12 games of the season so far for various reasons, is the “it” factor for Miami. He’s proved that in the playoff run the Heat made last season.
Just to add to the point about how important Butler is to the team, they’re 4-3 when he does play. It just shows how much of an impact he has on their record.
Can’t forget to mention the offseason losses the Heat had. They lost Derrick Jones Jr. to Portland, Jae Crowder to Phoenix, James Johnson to Dallas and Solomon Hill to Atlanta. Four solid players that have proven to have an impact on the success of a team.
The season is still young, but so far, Miami has surprised people with how unsuccessful they’ve been. But, with everything they proved last year, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got things turned around quickly.
Orlando Magic (8-13)
Let’s get real for a moment. Did anyone expect the Magic to be a good team this season? If you said yes, odds are you’re a Magic fan.
Over the last few seasons, there haven’t been many expectations for the Magic, but they always seem to impress down the road.
This season was just like many others, but it started out really well. The Magic won their first four games, being the last undefeated team in the league before their first loss to the 76ers.
They then lost their next game against Oklahoma City, but then back-to-back wins against Cleveland. That’s a solid 6-2 start to the season. Since then, they’ve gone 2-11, included a postponed game against the Celtics.
That is why they’re on this list. If you start out hot, then go a full 180 and start being horrible, how could you not be labeled a disappointment?
To add to the struggles, Magic Star Aaron Gordon will miss four to six weeks due to a sprained left ankle, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
To keep it simple, it’s a hard time being a basketball fan in the state of Florida.
Washington Wizards (4-12)
Before the season started, many would say they didn’t expect a lot from the Wizards. But what people did expect is for them to be a solid team, especially with the new pairing of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
Outside of those two stars, Washington is absolutely abysmal. As expected, Russ and Beal are leading the way in every statistical category.
Looking at the team’s season averages for every player on the team, it’s painful to look at. Just to put it into perspective: Thomas Bryant, who tore his ACL earlier this season, is the third best player on the team with points per game, player efficiency rating and rebounds. You would think that because he hasn’t played, someone would step up. That just simply hasn’t been the case.
To sum it up, the Wizards are a disappointment because outside of their All-Star backcourt, they’re horrid. Their record shows it, and it probably won’t get any better.
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