NBA Players: 5 Superstars who could underperform next season

Every season brings with it an intertwined mesh of variegated storylines, some depicting resurgence while the other showcasing sheer disappointment. One of the more involving narratives during this past season came in the form of Derrick Rose, whose memorable 50-point game for the Timberwolves appeared as a glaring exclamation mark to his long-trodden trail since 2010.

The league remembers champions as vividly as those who grinded their way up to the top. Because after all, at the end of the day, it's way more than just basketball.

On the contrary, we are often faced with performances from stars that stand nowhere close their pre-determined stature, and predicting the same isn't an exact science. Let's talk about about a bunch of prominent NBA names that may not step up to the pedestal as expected of them in the upcoming season.

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#1 Paul George

George is slated to miss the start of training camp citing his recent shoulder surgery.

One of the debatable reasons that makes Paul George a projected underperformer for the 2019-20 campaign is the very belief that PG13 might not be able to repeat the same offensive-defensive combo explosion for the second year in a row.

The arguments to the aforementioned prophecy are two-fold. Firstly, Kawhi Leonard is no Russell Westbrook. While it might seem outrageous, Leonard might not be able to facilitate George to another 28 points per game season(ppg). The 2-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 26.6 ppg himself through the regular season and despite him being the recent champion on a team he spent just a year with, the chances of him giving way to the MVP finalist in crunch situations are still questionable.

Secondly, George's shoulder bugged him throughout this past year and into the postseason as well, and he recently had a surgery to fix any possible glitches. Although it is being deemed as a 'bad break with no permanent damage', the chances of these issues resurfacing during the season cannot be ruled out.

George and Leonard might be the best 2-way duo ever put together, but in all probability, one of them will carry a heavier burden than the other.

#2 Chris Paul

Paul is one of the greatest mid-range shooters the game has ever seen.

Coming off a career-low season with the Rockets and a clash of ideals with James Harden that eventually resulted in him being traded to OKC, this might be the beginning of the end for the 'Point God' Chris Paul.

CP3 finds himelf back to square one at an age when most players look forward to being surefire title contenders. Although there is no doubt that he'll be back to dictating terms on offense, but the noticeable decline in quickness on both ends of the court along with the inability to carry a consistent isolation burden did not show promise for the 33-year-old.

Paul is still one of the best floor generals across the league but his ability to lead from the front on a nightly basis is still devoid of firm proof. After averaging at least 18 ppg for five straight years, Paul's production dropped to 15.6 ppg in his last season at Houston.

#3 D'Angelo Russell

The 22-year-old is already a promising All-Star.

While D'Angelo Russell's recent surge to glory via a 21.1 ppg season, an All-Star berth and playoff appearance has made an immediate impression on the observers, many have been skeptical of his fit with the ailing Warriors squad.

"It’s a situation where I can go in and not worry about being on-the-ball or off-ball or coming off the bench or whatever. I am just being a basketball player." Russell said when asked of his role with Golden State.

The Warriors have been to five straight Finals and even though they lost Durant and Iggy to free agency, the front office managed to keep the core intact. A reinforcement in the form of D'Angelo is most welcomed in an organisation that's craving to rewrite their dominance all over the game.

However, it still remains uncertain whether his style of play and his production will hold up initially when meshed with the 2-time MVP and a former DPOY. He might be returning to more of an off-guard role with the Warriors making his outside shot (shot 36% from deep this past season) even more pivotal in the longrun.

#4 Russell Westbrook

Brodie continues to fortify his triple-double dynasty.

Although Russell Westbrook has turned into a bonafide facilitator during the years following his MVP season, his long-range shooting has been a consistent disastor. The 30-year-old has been shooting just 30.9 percent from downtown over the last five years and shot just under 30 percent in four of those five seasons.

Ironically, he has been shipped to a team that lives and thrives on shots from deep. There is no denying the fact that the Rockets are a high-volume three-point shooting team and that Westbrook cannot make even a third of his 3-point attempts.

With the veteran entering into his 12th season, a substantial jump in his perimeter conversion rates is highly unlikely and it considerably increases the probability of him not fitting well in Mike D'Antoni's system.

Nevertheless, the pairing of Westbrook and Harden incorporates MVP’s, scoring titles and more All-Star appearances than you can count, it's the Larry O'Brien hardware that evades both the megastars.

#5 Kyrie Irving

Kyrie's made an unforgivable mess of his years since the 2016 title.

Winning an NBA title at just 23 years of age promises Hall of Fame caliber talent and that is exactly what Kyrie Irving possesses. The only anomaly being the negative returns his decisions have brought in the past two years precisely.

His stint with the Celtics turned out to be one of the most forgettable runs by a first-class player in any franchise. His return saw a declined level of energy and heightened tension in the Celtics locker room which eventually resulted in the team underperforming than what achieved without him as their leader.

Now that he finds himself amidst yet another high-powered and talented young core in Brooklyn, there is reason to believe that history could repeat itself, especially because Durant is slated to miss considerable time in the upcoming season for his Achilles injury rehab.