Fansided

NBA: 5 disappointing teams so far this season

By John Buhler

Nov 16, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and guard Jason Terry (31) sit on the bench watching the Boston Celtics in the second half at Toyota Center. Celtics won 111 to 95. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and guard Jason Terry (31) sit on the bench watching the Boston Celtics in the second half at Toyota Center. Celtics won 111 to 95. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao (17) positions for a rebound between Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Khris Middleton (22) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Milwaukee Bucks (5-8)

The Milwaukee Bucks perhaps should have not traded away point guard Brandon Knight to Phoenix last season. Acquiring Michael Carter-Williams from Philadelphia was part of head coach Jason Kidd’s plan to build up this young, but talented Milwaukee Bucks team while remaining competitive.

Many looked at the Bucks’ upside entering 2015-16 as a team nobody wanted to face in the first round of the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Milwaukee earned the sixth seed last season and took Central Division rival Chicago to six games with their strong team defense.

Though Milwaukee had the fourth best defense in the NBA last season (102.2), offense remained a concern (102.7, 26th in the NBA). As expected, the defensive intensity did drop in hopes of finding offensive continuity with Carter-Williams, Jabari Parker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, among others.

However, nobody in the Milwaukee Bucks organization would have wanted the 21st-rated offense (102.8) if that meant dropping all the way to dead last on the defensive end (112.5). This team was going to have growing pains, but seeing the Bucks’ defense plummet this drastically is a major concern.

Perhaps bringing in center Greg Monroe has confounded the young Bucks’ defensive spacing. Milwaukee sits 13th in the Eastern Conference ahead of only 3-11 Brooklyn and 0-14 Philadelphia at 5-8. Kidd will have to right the ship in a deep Central Division if he wants his Bucks to make the playoffs in 2016. Hopefully he doesn’t resort to throw ice on the floor like he had to in Brooklyn to get a timeout to stop the ensuing madness.

Next: 2. Houston Rockets (5-9)

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