There is still a way to go before we get to the NBA playoffs. But there are already some teams that we can just about disregard if you are interested at all in NBA betting. There have been plenty of welcome surprises this season – but some teams and players have been downright disappointing.
Not all of those on the list below can forget about postseason action quite yet. But the early months of the season have been ones to forget. There is still time to turn things around but things need to happen fast.
LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers
It is not as though everything was great with the Lakers last season. But it does seem as though it has gotten markedly worse at the Crypto.com Arena. This is a team that is proving almost conclusively that it doesn’t matter if you have an entire roster of veteran stars if they don’t gel.
The addition of Russell Westbrook last year was a mistake – and nothing has gotten better recently. But it is the image of LeBron struggling on the court that worries us the most. Age looks like it is catching up with one of the best to ever play the game and a final trip to the playoffs with the Lakers looks incredibly hopeful at this point.
Steph Curry’s Injury
After two injury-hit seasons across the entire roster, the Warriors came back last year like they owned the league and won yet another championship. It seemed like the Dubs were back on top. But then Klay Thompson started this season poorly. That would have been controllable if the main man hadn’t then picked up an injury.
The two-time MVP had started this season where he left off last year but injured his shoulder against the Pacers on December 14 and has been missing ever since. The Warriors have stabilized since then but need Curry to climb higher in the East. The good news is that it looks like he will be back fairly soon – but it is worrying that he has missed so many games already.
Trae Young’s Shooting
Knicks fans everywhere will find it difficult to have too much sympathy for Trae Young’s shooting woes. But they are seriously affecting Atlanta’s hopes of gaining a good seeding for the playoffs. Trae Young is such an important player for this team that he needs to be on fire all the time.
His shooting has just been off from everywhere on the court, aside from at the free-throw line. His composure has helped him there but the rest of his team has not been able to help him in that regard. Young can’t quite do it all on his own for the Hawks and they really need him to have a better second half of the season.
Minnesota Rebound Problem
Minnesota went all in on Rudy Gobert taking the franchise deep into the playoffs at the very least in the offseason – and it has not really worked out so far. It is not all Gobert’s fault, but he was specifically brought in to make everything better in these kinds of situations.
With so much height on the team, it is just not acceptable how poor the T-Wolves have been rebounding at both ends of the court. There has been a distinct lack of desire to do the dirty work and, at times, it seems the rest of the roster is waiting for Gobert to save it. A more collective approach is needed.
Heat Turned Down
Miami finished last season top of the East and was only just denied by the Celtics for a shot at the championship. All the big players returned this season but there has been a curious lack of success for the Heat so far. A really poor start did get better in December. But this is not what we have come to expect from this team.
Kyle Lowry has gotten better recently – which is a huge plus for the team and hopefully a sign that things will improve. But a lack of drive has seen Miami stagnate in the lower playoff spots. With defenses tough in the East, the Heat needs to be turned up soon if there is to be a repeat – if not even better – of last year.