NBA: 5 Players who disappointed in 2018

A New Year brings about a sense of rejuvenation and hope for everyone and especially for the guys who unfortunately end up on this list.

These guys were supposed to either take a leap in their development or in other cases prove their doubters wrong but just haven't gotten it done this year. With the year winding down, here are the top 5 disappointments in the NBA in 2018.

#5 Josh Jackson

Heading into the 2017 draft, Josh Jackson was supposed to be the safest pick among the elite prospects. The expectation was that even if he would never develop into a great scorer, he'd at least be able to compensate for it with his elite defense and playmaking ability, but sadly none of it has worked out.

Jackson has really struggled shooting the ball and is shooting below 40% this season. He shows flashes of his defensive capability, but his slender frame has meant he's struggled more often than not on that end as well. His playmaking has also been very suspect, averaging more turnovers than assists.

Worryingly for Jackson, Mikal Bridges seems to be playing better than him already at least on the defensive end, which was supposed to be his forte. What's made this so disappointing for Josh is that he actually seemed to have turned things around towards the end of last season, but that seems to be an aberration as things stand.

Jackson still has some time on his side, but if he doesn't improve soon, he'll risk going down the same path as former Suns teammate Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender. The Suns badly need a Point Guard right now and passing on De'Aaron Fox who has been amazing in his sophomore year is looking like a big mistake.

#4 Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins continues to trend downwards. The 1st overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft, Wiggins was averaging over 23 Points a game before Minnesota acquired Jimmy Butler last season and his play has dipped ever since.

Even with Butler being injured for chunks last season, Wiggins struggled to pick up his play. He's averaging 16.7 Points this season and you'd think that's because of Butler, but since Jimmy was traded away, Wiggins is averaging just 16.4 a game, so it's hardly made a difference.

His shooting has also plummeted and he's barely hitting 40% of his shots. It's not like he's doing much elsewhere either, as the other facets of his game haven't developed a bit since he came into the league. At this point, it looks like Wiggins is going to just another decent player in the NBA, who can score a bit but that's about it. It's certainly not what Minnesota is paying him $147million for.

#3 Brandon Ingram

Is there anyone who looked primed for a breakout more than Brandon Ingram, only to flame out? The crowned jewel for the Lakers, Magic Johnson was basically willing to trade anyone on the roster but Ingram at one point of time, but those days are probably gone for good.

Many in the Lakers front office predicted Ingram would make the jump and become an All-Star this season and he won't even come close to it. In fact, his numbers are actually slightly down from last season which is concerning for the Lakers. Ingram was thought as being the sidekick for LeBron and he seems to have lost that role to Kyle Kuzma who was shone this season.

The thing is Ingram needs the ball in his hands a lot to be great while Kuzma doesn't to that extent and if the LeBron-Ingram tandem doesn't work out this season, he might well be shipped out of LA.

#2 Markelle Fultz

I think it's safe to say we were all rooting for this guy. Markelle Fultz had a tumultuous start to his rookie campaign, with his shoulder injury (which led to that bizarre shot), but things seemed to potentially get back on track after he returned towards the end of the last regular season.

Then coming into this season, his shot was supposed to be on the mend and the injuries were seemingly past him, but that's not how its panned out. He hasn't made a whole lot of progress and was pretty average this season despite being handed the starting job.

To make matters worse, Fultz is now out indefinitely due to Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I don't believe in calling guys busts in just their 2nd season, but it, unfortunately, looks to be the way that Markelle is headed towards, which would be a real shame.

#1 Carmelo Anthony

A fall from grace unlike any I've seen in a long time. Carmelo Anthony has now been a free agent for over a month since being released by the Houston Rockets. Coming into 2018, there was hope that over time Melo would figure out how to play well with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but it never worked out.

People expected that maybe come playoffs, Melo would take over and deliver for OKC, but it didn't happen. Then in the offseason, he was traded to Atlanta who bought out his contract and that led to him being snapped up by Houston. The idea was that Chris Paul would definitely help Melo get going, but it ended up being a complete disaster as well.

I wouldn't blame Melo entirely for Houston's struggles, but he had a part to play in it. Melo's lack of athleticism means he gets repeatedly torched defensively and he's not exactly a great shooter from beyond the arc, which makes him somewhat of a relic in the modern NBA and nobody wants one of those.

There is still some hope for Melo to play this season, as LeBron reportedly wants him on the team and it's safe to say that if things don't work out with the King, it might well be the end for Melo in the NBA.