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The NBA has seen many stars who have either exceeded expectations or failed to meet them. From NBA Draft busts to devastating injuries, the league has seen many players rise to the top only to slowly fade away at a certain point in their careers.
Here, we take a look at a list of five NBA stars who have underperformed during the 2020-21 season.
5 NBA stars who have underperformed this season
1. Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker has taken a big step back since coming off his knee injury.
The starting point guard just doesn't seem the same and is averaging just 15.0 points and 4.3 assists per game this NBA season. He sometimes goes for odd FG ratios during stretches of a game, and this has made fans question whether he's 100% healthy.
Here's what Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens had to say regarding Walker's play before the team's win against the Raptors on Thursday night:
2. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook seems to have regressed since joining the Washington Wizards.
When John Wall was traded for Russell Westbrook at the start of the NBA season, many believed that the Wizards got the better end of the deal.
However, the Washington Wizards still have one of the worst records in the league, and most of their wins came when Westbrook wasn't playing.
Westbrook's turnover issues have grown even more since joining Bradley Beal on the Wizards squad. The 32-year-old was shooting 38% from the field a couple of weeks ago. He is now averaging 41.6% from the field and 34.3% from three.
The former NBA MVP is not playing MVP basketball and doesn't look like the same impactful player that we're used to seeing.
3. Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin is no longer the high-flying dunker that fans were used to seeing. He has not dunked in an NBA game since December 6, 2019. Sadly, that fact is just an embodiment of his NBA career lately.
The galvanizing, versatile power forward who can handle the ball and create for himself so naturally seems to have disappeared.
Griffin is averaging just 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds on 36.4% percent shooting this season. He has been very inefficient, and players just don't respect his game as much as they used to.
4. Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray has been performing at a stagnant pace this NBA season. It's not so much these numbers that have vastly changed, because they haven't. He's still averaging around the same numbers as last year, with 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
Offensively, Murray just hasn't taken his game to the next level this NBA season. After making it to the NBA Western Conference finals last season, Murray was expected to continue his rich vein of form in the current campaign. However, he has largely failed to live up to the potential that he showed in last season's playoff run.
5. D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell is neither helping the Minnesota Timberwolves progress nor is he elevating his game as a player.
After his dominant 2019 NBA All-Star season, the Timberwolves made him their go-to guy and the focal point for their offense. However, much like Jamal Murray, he is just not meeting expectations this season. Offensively, he is still playing well, but his defense remains an issue.
It appears that the 24-year-old is just not at a point in his game to be able to carry one of the weakest teams in the NBA.
Guess the Lakers players!
