Four NBA Heavyweights That Are in the Midst of a Dreadful Season

Jun 18, 2015 Sports

The NBA season is well underway, and there are some big names who are currently having a tough time of it. Even some of the most dominant and championship-caliber teams have found themselves struggling to keep up and stay in the playoff hunt.

In their place, however, other unheralded sides have stepped up. The Minnesota Timberwolves are without a postseason series victory in 18 years, and they have been eliminated in the playoffs in the first round in each of the last two seasons. However, they find themselves at the summit of the Western Conference, leaving some of the more illustrious names trailing in their wake. The Oklahoma City Thunder are immediately behind them in the standings, despite not reaching the postseason in any of the last three seasons.

However, despite the early season success of both teams, it’s the third-placed Denver Nuggets that remain the team to beat on the West Coast. Nikola Jokic led the team to a first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in franchise history last season, igniting fresh interest from the betting crowds, and attracting the attention of gamblers. That may be why this season’s NBA championship odds make them the +425 second favorites to successfully retain their crown. But while they are thriving, other perceived heavyweights are not.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors reached four NBA Finals in as many seasons between 2014 and 2018, thanks to the legendary trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, winning three of them. They then romped to glory again in 2020 with a 4-2 series victory against the Miami Heat, making it four championships in six years. But this season, they’ve been dealing with injuries and inconsistent performances from their supporting cast, as well as father time catching up with their beloved baby-faced assassin – despite what he may say.

They have had a tough start to the season, and their current win-loss record of 18-22 is a far cry from the team that dominated the league just a few years ago. They won’t be too concerned just yet as they had a similarly lackluster campaign last year, squeaking into the playoffs as the Western Conference’s sixth seed. That didn’t stop them from reaching the conference semifinals, however, and they will be hoping for a similar resurgence in the latter half of this season as well.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs were dominant in the NBA for two decades thanks to the leadership of head coach Gregg Popovich and the contributions of legendary players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. They lifted the Larry O’Brien three times in four years in the mid-2000s before reaching back-to-back finals series a decade later, losing the first against LeBron James’ Miami Heat before gaining redemption the following year. However, a decade on from that success, the franchise is currently facing a new challenge: rebuilding.

The Spurs had to say goodbye to some of their key players in recent years, and they’re now relying on a young and inexperienced roster. They are currently plumb last in the Western Conference and have picked up just seven wins all season, the second least of any team in the entire league. Even the first overall 2023 draft pick Victor Wembanyama hasn’t been able to revitalize their fortunes, and they look set for a second straight year of propping up their conference.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers came into this season as one of the favorites to win the championship, but that’s solely due to the fact that they have LeBron James front and center. Things haven’t quite gone to plan thus far though, and the team currently has a record of 20-21, good enough for tenth place in the conference. While this is still a solid start to the season, the SoCal side has struggled against some of the better teams in the league. But just like the aforementioned Warriors, they won’t be too concerned just yet.

King James and Co. were also performing well below average last season. However, they kicked things up a notch in the final month of the campaign, reeling off nine wins in their final 11 games to sneak into the playoffs. Then, they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors to secure their spot in the conference finals. There, however, they more than met their match and were swept by the eventual champion Nuggets.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors were the NBA champions in 2019 and had a solid roster this season with the likes of Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet. But they’ve struggled to live up to their potential, despite still having Kawhi Leonard on their roster. The Canadian outfit is currently way down in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-25, and to make matters worse, the top eight teams – and thus the teams that will make up the playoff contenders – are beginning to pull away. If that wasn’t bad enough, head coach Darko Rajakovic recently went on a rampage after a number of dubious calls cost his side victory against the Lakers.

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