NBA Report Cards: Memphis Grizzlies and 6 Teams with a Failing Grade

Through the first week of the season, it's time to hand out some deficiency reports for six teams showing early signs of failing.

Now you might ask, how do I come to six teams? I'm grading on a curve. That means that six teams are going to flunk.

This is not graded against expectations either. Report cards don't work on expectations. You don't give extra credit to the worst student in the class for not being as miserable as you thought he would, and you don't take off more from a good student because he's a good student.

These are the six early-season failing grades.  

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are the highest "F." They've been outscored by 7.2 points per game, but they have won two, and one of those came against the Bulls, the other against the Knicks. They've also been at full strength only two games. 

Stephen Curry missed a game with a sprained ankle. Monta Ellis missed a game for his grandmother's funeral. David Lee missed a game because of illness. 

Still they are minus-7.2 in margin of victory, so they're getting the early-season warning.

There's still a great chance this team pulls things out and ends up somewhere in the "B" range once they get everyone together and play the way they can play. 

Memphis Grizzlies

Lofty expectations were placed on this team after their late season progress and playoff performance last year. To say they've come short of those would be to give them too much credit.

Things have been downright grizzly for the Grizzlies. 

What happened to them against the Chicago Bulls was NC17-rated for violence. It was horrific. There was metaphorical bloodshed, limbs amputated and heads decapitated. Yes, they were missing Conley and they had Randolph injured late in the first quarter. 

On the other hand, it was so bad you have to spell it out: forty points. 

They've played potential playoff teams in every one of their games, so part of their minus-9.0 scoring margin can be explained by that, but playoff teams are supposed to be able to compete with playoff teams, not cut the lead down to 40 late in the fourth. 

Utah Jazz

The Jazz might have a 2-3 record, but it's a bit deceptive. They have narrowly won their games by a combined total of seven points. In their losses, they've been outscored by 57 points, which is why their Pythagorean record is 1-4. 

The Jazz aren't getting it done on defense, giving up the second-worst 101.2 points per game and the 27th-ranked defensive rating of 109. In spite of being loaded with bigs, they are only 22nd in rebound rate.

When you combine that with the fact they are the NBA's sixth-worst shooting team with a meager 48.8 true shooting percentage, you have to conclude that all those bigs aren't getting the job done. 

Washington Wizards

When you look at the talent on this team offensively and see JaVale McGee, Andre Blatche, Nick Young and, most importantly, John Wall, you would expect to see them one of the better offensive teams in the league right?

Buzz! Wrong answer. The Wizards are dead last in points per game, offensive rating and offensive efficiency. No matter how you look at it, this is a team that is miserable on offense. 

A big part of the blame here has to fall on John Wall, who is shooting .317 for his effective field-goal percentage. Let me repeat, that's not his field-goal percentage, it's not his three-point percentage, it's his effective field-goal percentage. 

No player who meets the minimum to qualify for the scoring title and has attempted 12 shots per game has shot worse. 

In addition, the Wizards aren't sharing the ball. Wall is averaging just 6.8 dimes a game and overall the Wizards' assist rate is third-worst in the league at just 11.5. 

When your superstar point guard isn't scoring the ball and isn't passing the ball, the team's offense is going to sputter. 

New Jersey Nets

The New York area was full of optimism a week and a day ago. Now the two metro area teams are a combined 3-8. The Nets make the Knicks look like world-beaters, though. This is no way to keep Deron Williams. This team is not looking good. 

The Nets are dead last in defensive rating and 27th in offensive rating. This comes against the eighth-easiest schedule in the NBA. New Jersey is bad. 

After opening up the season with a six-point win over the lowly Wizards, they've sunk to depths of suckitude rarely seen in the annals of sports history. They've lost their last five games by 89 points. Shudder. 

If the Nets don't make a trade, Deron Williams will be on his way out. It looks like he's already letting his mind drift to Dallas. 

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats, based on early season returns, are the worst team in the NBA, in spite of the fact they came 1.2 seconds away from beating the Miami Heat. That followed up a one-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks. 

It was enough to have me rethinking my projection of the Bobcats as the worst team in the NBA. 

Then they came through for me. Charlotte has lost their last two games by a combined 60 points. This is a starting five that simply does not have the talent on it to compete consistently with other NBA teams. 

They have neither offense nor defense, ranking 28th in the NBA in both offensive and defensive rating. They've been outscored by a league-worst 15 points per game. 

They flunk.