5 biggest disappointments of the 2017-18 NBA season

Which NBA teams and players failed to live up to expectations during the 2017-18 season?

The 2017-18 NBA season featured a number of pleasant surprises, from Victor Oladipo’s emergence as an All-Star to the Toronto Raptors’ overhaul on offense. But amidst all of the feel-good stories, a handful of players and teams fell woefully short of preseason expectations.

For some of the disappointments, injuries were largely to blame. Others couldn’t take advantage of wide-open opportunities, raising questions about their long-term upside and future.

While 16 teams brace themselves for the beginning of the playoffs this week, the lottery-bound franchises will be forced to re-evaluate what went wrong and how to prevent a repeat from happening next season. Only one team will walk out with the Larry O’Brien Trophy this June, but a lack of progress toward that goal should raise alarms.

Just ask the Detroit Pistons, who mortgaged their future to acquire Blake Griffin in late January for a midseason playoff push. Instead, they fell short of the postseason for the eighth time in the past nine seasons, which begs the question of how they’ll turn things around next year.

Who else joined Stan Van Gundy and Co. in the realm of disappointments this season? Let’s take a look.

Next: 5. Andrew Wiggins' stagnation