You can set aside teams that have been accused of tanking (looking at you, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers) because there are other teams that have outright disappointed fair and square.
With the NBA playoffs/play-in tournament upon us, it’s a time when many basketball pundits say “the real basketball begins” as if the last 82 games didn’t matter. While the Oklahoma City Thunder appear primed to make another postseason run, and the Detroit Pistons have seemingly turned back the clock and mirrored the Bad Boy Pistons’ years, plenty of teams have left much to be desired.
Talking about “bad boys” (lower case), here are my picks for the top five bads.
5. Golden State Warriors
Photo courtesy ESPN and ABC7.com
While it may be hard for the NBA world to admit, we are nearing the end of one of the most dominant runs in league history. The Warriors were the class of the league for quite some time, but the dynasty seems to be in the rearview. Draymond Green and Stephen Curry remain from those championship-winning teams, but it feels more and more like a distant memory. There will be a time when Steph Curry will hang up his sneakers and walk into the California sun. As much as that will be bittersweet, it is inevitable.
Over the past few years, the Golden State has been relegated to the play-in tournament, and this year, they will go in under .500. While they had their share of injuries to battle and the odd feud/trade with Jonathan Kuminga, the reality is stark.
Parting thought…. The Warriors organization needs to start looking to the future, and, truthfully, it should have done that a few years back.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Something about this team … feels off. Perhaps a better way of saying it is that this team … feels concerning. While the Timberwolves are headed to the playoffs, this team never quite feels like it could win a championship. That’s saying something because any team with Anthony Edwards should be farther along than it is, including making a serious playoff run.
A few seasons back, when Luka Doncic was still on the Dallas Mavericks, his shot against Rudy Gobert put a dagger in the Wolves fans’ hopes. The team was disbanded after that, and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo came from New York.
Put succinctly, Minnesota doesn’t pass the eye test.
Parting thought…. They often don’t measure up against good teams, and if you are thinking about putting money on them going to the Finals or even the conference Finals, think twice.
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Luka that was (photo, Dallas Mavericks)
Just think. This team is only a few seasons removed from an NBA Finals appearance. That was before ex-GM Nico Harrison thought it best to trade generational talent Luka Doncic. While that left the fanbase in shock, some of the heatbreak was mitigated when the Mavericks hit a streak of good luck and drafted Cooper Flagg. He has been the only good thing about the Mavericks’ season. They started off so abysmally that the unthinkable happened: Anthony Davis, the player they traded Luka for, was sent to the Washington Wizards. Moreover, Kyrie Irving hasn’t graced the floor this season, and Nico Harrison is no longer with the team.
Mavericks fans have no idea where this team is headed. What will the roster look like next year? What will the expectations be?
Parting thought…. Flagg is undoubtedly a great talent, but can Dallas fans trust the organization to build a good roster around him? Past decisions suggest the management isn’t trustworthy.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
What makes the Grizzlies even more disappointing than other teams is that Memphis once had a promising future. There was once a time when the NBA world fell in love with their fearless style and ability to compete with the league’s upper echelon. That was then. Trading Jaren Jackson was a tell-tale sign that the Grizzlies organization realized they were headed for another rebuild, and now it’s time for Ja Morant and the Grizzlies to move on.
Morant’s off-court choices prevented him from being what he should be on the court, and the season started with Morant’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
Morant’s story is a tragedy. It could’ve and should’ve been different.
Parting thought…. The decision to run a team past its expiration date is bad for business, and the Grizzlies did that with flying colors.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis (photo courtesy NBA.com)
What has become of the Bucks is the most embarrassing thing for the NBA and its commissioner, Adam Silver. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if Giannis wants to play and the team has told them he can’t. It also doesn’t matter if Giannis doesn’t want to play, and it’s all a lie.
What matters is that the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis need to move on. It should have happened at the trade deadline, but it did not for some reason. Maybe Milwaukee thought, in some miracle, things would get better, but that was a foolish endeavor.
Giannis wants to be somewhere else, and the Bucks should want to move on. The whole thing should be rebuilt from top to bottom, Doc Rivers included, a move that happened while I was writing this article. I take nothing away from Rivers as a coach, but it’s clear that the Rivers-Bucks partnership didn’t work.
While numerous teams have been accused of tanking, which is embarrassing for the NBA, even more embarrassing is when one of the league’s star players finds himself on a mess of a team and organization.
Parting thought…. No one is going to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be in the Hall of Fame one day, but this season did nothing to cement that outcome.
