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The 2020-21 NBA season is about to close out the first month of competition. Despite the struggle with the current COVID-19 situation, the campaign has been fun. Some of the top contenders have fulfilled expectations and are positioned to make deep playoff runs during the year. However, some other teams have struggled. On that note, we give you the five most disappointing teams so far in the NBA.
NBA 2020-21: 5 Most disappointing teams of the first month of action
Teams such as the reigning champions LA Lakers and the LA Clippers have kept maintained last season's high level in the Western Conference. In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers have been great under new coach Doc Rivers, and the Brad Stevens-led Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks remain competitive.
On the other side of the coin, some teams expected to be in the playoff picture have fallen behind with losing records early in the season and have struggled with consistency so far.
Here are the five most disappointing teams after the first month of the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks were the standout team of the 2020 NBA Free Agency. Atlanta made all kinds of noise after getting Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, and some other key players during free agency.
Alongside Trae Young and John Collins, the new players formed a team with NBA Playoffs aspirations in the Eastern Conference. At the start of the year, the Hawks look precisely like the team many were hoping to see.
The Hawks got off to a 4-1 start, which included a great away win over the Brooklyn Nets, but they have been struggling massively since then.
The Hawks can turn it around in the long run, as most of their new assets have been sidelined. Bogdanovic, Gallinari, Rondo, and defensive specialist Kris Dunn have not been available every night for the Hawks, and the team have struggled without them.
Even though they have been disappointing, some circumstances have not been ideal for them. The first couple of weeks suggest this is a team that can make it into the NBA Playoffs if they can play at full strength.
#4 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets were one of the biggest stories of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and they have been a solid team in a stacked Western Conference in recent years. Nikola Jokic might be the best candidate for the 2020-21 NBA MVP. However, the Nuggets have struggled so far.
Denver's situation can be compared to the one in Atlanta, as one of their main players, Michael Porter Jr., has played only four games due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. The young scorer was gaining in confidence after earning a starting role.
Even though Jokic and Jamal Murray have been available for the entire NBA season, Denver is just 6-7 and positioned at 11th place in the West.
Denver's offense has been terrific so far (third-best in the NBA), and Jokic is the main reason for that. However, they are ranked 26th in Defensive Rating and that's the area coach Michael Malone needs to address.
Denver are also suffering from Jerami Grant's departure to the Detroit Pistons, but they still should do a better job than that on defense.
#3 Miami Heat
The 2019-20 Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat have had a difficult start to the 2020-21 NBA season. Miami reached the NBA Finals last year, and while it was a good achievement for a team that were not the favorites in the East, the situation also did not give them enough time to prepare for the current campaign.
Still, the short turnaround between seasons is not a great excuse, as the reigning champions, LA Lakers had an even shorter time to rest yet have the best record in the NBA.
Injuries have hindered Miami and their best player, Jimmy Butler, has played just six games in the season. Miami are struggling on both sides of the floor, as they are ranked 21st in Offensive Rating and 24th in Defensive Rating among the 30 NBA teams.
#2 Toronto Raptors
While some of the teams on this list have had tough circumstances with injuries and the NBA health and safety protocol, the Toronto Raptors' issues have not been related to such things.
The Raptors' core is built by some of the most important players from their 2019 title run and their postseason team from 2020. However, the departures of big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are proving costly for them, as Aron Baynes and Alex Len have struggled to replace the duo.
Toronto started the year with a 1-6 record and despite a recent good run, they are still one of the worst teams in the entire NBA. The Raptors have been a Top 5 team defensively in the previous two seasons under Nick Nurse, but are 20th in Defensive Rating right now.
#1 New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have an interesting young core with Zion Williamson and NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram. With a new head coach (Stan Van Gundy) coming in and his defensive approach, a team with such weapons on offense was expected to make lots of noise in the stacked Western Conference. However, New Orleans have been highly inconsistent so far.
The Pelicans Defensive Rating has not improved much compared to last year, even though the team added a great inside presence in Steven Adams. Though the Pelicans started the NBA year with a 4-2 record, they have stalled and have five losses in their last six matches.
Even though their offensive issues can probably be solved by giving Zion Williamson more shots, their defense identity needs a total revamp. New Orleans have allowed at least 111 points in each of their last seven games, which drove them to a 2-5 record in that stretch.
