3 NBA Teams That Will Fail to Meet Expectations

While the focus often remains on identifying the next championship contender in the NBA, it's important at times to face a harsh reality and acknowledge when a team may have reached its limit or simply lacks the necessary quality.
Some teams that secured playoff berths just two years ago barely clung to a play-in tournament position this season, including the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls. Others, like the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and the San Antonio Spurs, fell completely out of playoff contention.

A myriad of factors can contribute to a team's fall from contention. Some teams grapple with star players unhappy in their current situations, leading to trade demands. For others, the toll of age and injuries has transformed their players into shadows of their former selves. In some cases, teams' lack of significant moves has left them trailing behind, while for others, it's a combination of all the above.

Today, we will assess the teams that fit within these parameters and attempt to predict which ones may not have what it takes to contend for a championship, could regress, or possibly drop out of playoff contention altogether.

Brooklyn Nets

Last season, the Nets finished with a record of 47-35 and found themselves in the playoffs with the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. They faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and lost in just 4 games. The Brooklyn Nets are truly a wildcard this season as there are so many new factors that have been or are being introduced to the team. The addition of Mikal Bridges and Ben Simmons brings unpredictable skill sets to the team, truly making the Nets a mystery.

Through the Kevin Durant trade, the Nets acquired Mikal Bridges. At the time, Mikal was perceived as a solid 3-and-D player who was the 3rd scoring option on the Phoenix Suns. Once he joined the Nets, his production skyrocketed, averaging 26.1 PPG. While this may sound nice on paper, it doesn't really paint the full picture. During the 27 games that Mikal played, the team was actually sub .500 with a record of 12-15. Sometimes, scoring can actually inhibit your team when more effective scorers are available or better looks are open, which may have been the case here.

Ben Simmons has had a complicated history in the NBA, plagued with injuries and trade demands. If we put all of that aside, he's a great floor general, rebounder, and versatile defender, capable of guarding all positions. However, there's a glaring issue. He's a one-dimensional scorer, with career three-point and free-throw shooting averages of 13.9% and 59.1%, respectively. Perhaps this has changed since his most recent absence; I mean, we did see him pull off a fade away in the preseason. This may not be enough, as he's shown a propensity to make boneheaded decisions, such as when he passed on a wide-open dunk, as shown below.



On top of that, the Nets lost three valuable three-point shooters in Seth Curry, Joe Harris, and Yuta Watanabe, all of whom shot over 40% from beyond the arc. Having no true shooters combined with Ben Simmons could be a potential recipe for disaster. If Mikal and Simmons live up to their expectations, then perhaps, as Patrick Beverley said, this team could end up as a top 4 seed. However, this would be banking on everything going right, which is far less likely to occur and could make them a lottery team.

Philadelphia 76ers

The primary concern for the Philadelphia 76ers revolves around James Harden. In February 2022, Harden was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers, but it took just a little over a year for him to request another trade. It appears that he chose to exercise his $35.6 million player option with the sole intention of leaving. Given the reports of Harden's absence from practice, the situation could become contentious.


When Harden sought an exit from Houston in late 2020, he actively disrupted the Rockets' team dynamics, even resorting to the extreme act of throwing a basketball at his teammate, Jae'Sean Tate, during a December practice. Consequently, if Harden were to employ a similar approach in Philadelphia, it holds the potential to foster discord and chemistry issues. This, in turn, could lead to a sluggish start for the 76ers, potentially affecting their playoff prospects.

Furthermore, even if the 76ers eventually decide to trade him, they might not secure the return they desire. The prolonged negotiation is partly due to the 76ers desire for a more substantial offer from the Clippers, who, in the absence of any competing bids, are hesitant to improve their proposal. Currently, the rumoured offer stands at a first-round pick, a pick swap, and some expiring contracts, falling far short of the value one would expect for an All-Star floor general. This situation could potentially set the 76ers back significantly.


With Harden gone, the workload for MVP Joel Embiid will become tremendous. It already seems to be heading that way, as the newly appointed 76ers head coach, Nick Nurse, has expressed his intention to increase Joel Embiid's participation in regular-season games.



Nick Nurse's reputation for emphasizing the importance of pushing his star players to their limits was highlighted during his five-year tenure in Toronto. This was evident in the previous season as key Raptors players Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, who were averaging 37.4 and 36.7 minutes per game, respectively, led the league in playing time. If Nurse were to adopt a similar strategy with Embiid, it raises concerns about the increased risk of injuries for the 76ers big man. Given Embiid's track record of never playing more than 68 games in a single season and his early-career struggles with injuries, the heightened workload could prove overwhelming. The potential risk of a major injury to their star center could disrupt the 76ers season and jeopardize their playoff hopes, especially in the absence of James Harden, further exacerbating their star-power deficiency.

Miami Heat

While the narrative of the Miami Heat's triumphant journey to the NBA Finals, conquering the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics, is well-known, it's important to acknowledge that the perception of their dominance is considerably inflated. Their postseason began on a humbling note as they suffered a 116-105 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks in the initial round of the play-in tournament. Making it into the playoffs was a close call, as they secured their spot by prevailing over the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the play-in tournament. Moreover, their regular-season performance was far from exceptional as they ranked 21st in net rating, 26th in field goal percentage, and 27th in 3-point percentage. This team shouldn't have been a contender and vastly overachieved.

This off season could not have gone worse for the Miami Heat. In free agency, they experienced the departure of both Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, two dependable shooters. Their efforts to secure Damian Lillard, who initially expressed interest in joining the Heat, ended in disappointment as they challenged the Trail Blazers to find a better offer. Well, Portland did find a better offer and traded with the Milwaukee Bucks. Another opportunity arose to acquire a top tier point guard in Jrue Holiday, but once again, they fell short in a trade offer battle, this time against the Boston Celtics. The Heat squandered their chances to position themselves as championship contenders. While there remains a possibility of landing James Harden, it's uncertain if they are willing to meet the necessary requirements at this point.


The Miami Heat's roster is notably aging, currently ranked as the 7th oldest team in the NBA. Among their key players, you'll find Butler, Kevin Love, and Kyle Lowry, all of whom have reached at least 34 years of age, with the oldest among them being Kyle Lowry. Both Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love have exhibited significant declines in their performance during their tenure with the Miami Heat as their careers approach their conclusion. There's a possibility that Butler may experience a similar trend, given that he's only a couple of years younger than the other two.

The worst-case scenario for this team would be the occurrence of injuries to their star players. Their depth is a significant concern; should Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro incur an injury, Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson, both of whom had subpar seasons averaging 4.6PPG and 7.5 PPG, respectively, would be their next best options. If Butler were to get injured, they could turn to Caleb Martin, although it's widely acknowledged that he doesn't possess the same level of talent. This team is notably lacking in depth, durability, and offensive firepower, making it challenging to replicate the success of the previous year.

Credits:
Bleacher Report