10 NBA Players Guaranteed to Disappoint During 2013-14 Season
Disappointment is never fun.
And yet, there's a handful of NBA players who can't help but let down their fans each and every year. The expectations are just unrealistically high going into a new season, especially since all teams begin the year with an undefeated, unblemished record, and the result is inevitably disappointing.
Roles have changed. Skills have changed, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. New acquisitions have taken on prominent parts in the rotation.
It all leads to a select group of players not being able to live up to those expectations. And that's not always a bad thing.
There are a few featured players here who are only going to be disappointing because their teams just got that much better. Four of them, in fact. While they'll still be letdowns from an individual standpoint, their fans shouldn't get too worked up quite yet.
So, who makes your All-Disappointment Team?
Arron Afflalo, Orlando Magic
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Kendrick Lamar may be jealous of Arron Afflalo, but the rest of us just have to feel bad for the Orlando Magic shooting guard at this point.
Not only was he shipped off from a promising situation with the Denver Nuggets so that he could join one of the worst teams in the Association, but he has yet to find a good role with his new team.
At first, Afflalo was tasked with being the clear-cut No. 1 option on offense, and it was a role that he was in no way ready for. Not only did he struggle to maintain his efficiency while carrying the scoring load, but the increased responsibility also caused his defense to dip rather dramatically.
So that didn't work. Now he's in the opposite situation.
Afflalo appears to be the odd man out in Orlando.
With Tobias Harris becoming the go-to offensive player, Nikola Vucevic blossoming into a high-quality center, Glen Davis returning from his injury, Maurice Harkless beginning to show off his skills and Victor Oladipo joining the mix, there isn't room for Afflalo.
He's going to fade into the background as Oladipo carves out a larger role, and the trend will continue until he's inevitably traded for pennies on the dollar.
So much for the promising shooting guard that we'd come to know and love while he was in the Mile High City.
Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls
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Carlos Boozer's value to the Chicago Bulls has always come solely on the offensive end of the court.
Ever since he came to the Windy City, he's been massively detrimental on the less glamorous side, and 2012-13 told that story once more. According to Basketball-Reference, Chicago allowed 4.2 more points per 100 possessions when Boozer played, and while 4.2 is greater than zero, it's hardly a positive.
If Boozer can't make an impact on offense, he in no way belongs in the starting lineup at the expense of Taj Gibson.
In the past, that wasn't a problem. But in 2013-14, the Bulls don't figure to struggle on offense.
Joakim Noah has continued to progress as a competent scorer and elite facilitator from the center spot. How many big men have you seen actually lead the charge in transition?
And between the sizable improvement from Jimmy Butler and the return of some point guard named Derrick Rose, the Bulls aren't exactly going to be lacking offensive options this year. They might have too many of them, and that diminishes the value of Boozer's mid-range jumper.
It shouldn't take more than half the season before Tom Thibodeau gets so frustrated with the bald-headed big man that he takes minutes away from him and hands them to the backup power forward, who just so happens to boast a shiny dome as well.
Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers
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I hate to label a rookie as a guaranteed disappointment, but Philadelphia 76ers fans can actually think of this as a positive. They'll be one step closer to Andrew Wiggins!
Michael Carter-Williams is no ordinary rookie. Not only does he have a hyphen in his name, but he's expected to start from day one. And there's inevitably a higher level of expectations in that situation.
Unfortunately, it's a set of expectations that the Syracuse product can't hope to meet. Even given such a large opportunity, MCW isn't going to emerge as a Rookie of the Year contender.
He's just too raw.
The turnovers will pile up, and his shooting stroke is too inconsistent for him to become much of an offensive threat. Even while playing under Jim Boeheim, Carter-Williams struggled to produce offense in the half-court set, relying on his transition speed and knack for getting to the rim in order to rack up points and assists.
Philly's offense will stagnate when it can't sprint up and down the court at breakneck speeds, and the dearth of talent on the roster is only going to make the rookie floor general's job tougher.
MCW still has plenty of long-term potential, but you'll be disappointed if you expect anything more than the very occasional flash of brilliance during his first season at the professional level.
Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans
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Tyreke Evans' injured left ankle sure makes for an ominous start to his tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. Either that or Patrick Beverley is just incredibly good at—unintentionally—injuring top-tier guards.
The talented acquisition left the preseason opener with a sprained ankle, but according to the Times-Picayune's Jimmy Smith, it's not broken.
Still, not a good start.
Preseason is a time to build chemistry with new teammates, and Evans is now starting out his first season in the bayou behind the eight ball. NOLA's backcourt was already deep and talented, and now the healthy members have the advantage of gaining experience alongside each other.
Due to the presence of both Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon, Evans is going to be forced into one of two roles. He could either come off the bench as a sixth man (which would already make him disappointing), or he could fill in the hole at small forward.
It's a role that he's played before, but it didn't go so well with the Sacramento Kings.
According to 82games.com, Evans played 38 percent of the available minutes at shooting guard and 11 percent at the 3. He posted respective PERs of 18.8 and 16.6, clearly in favor of shooting guard.
Unless the Memphis product shows off a vastly improved jumper, he's going to struggle to provide the floor spacing necessary for his team to thrive when he's on the court next to the other potential All-Stars.
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
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You better get used to seeing that disappointed look on Manu Ginobili's face.
The NBA Finals were a sneak preview of what we'll be dealing with throughout the 2013-14 campaign.
Ginobili still has the ability to make an impact in limited doses, but his days of being a crucial cog for the machine that is the San Antonio Spurs are now behind him. He'll be viewed solely as the backup to Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, not as a sixth man who can spark things off the bench when the opportunity arises.
The Argentine 2-guard still has one of the best Eurosteps in the league (Dwyane Wade and Tyreke Evans have both surpassed him now in that regard), but the years are starting to pile up. Maybe he and Tim Duncan made an under-the-table agreement where they decided that Father Time would affect Ginobili twice as much and leave the big man alone.
Fortunately, this won't diminish San Antonio's title chances.
Gregg Popovich simply won't let that happen, and Leonard is ready to pick up any slack that the former member of the Big Three leaves behind.
But for those of you expecting Ginobili to regain that vintage look and remain a part of the Big Three, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Duncan and Tony Parker will still be there, but the shooting guard is now lagging behind.
Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets
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What exactly is Joe Johnson's job with the Brooklyn Nets?
Is he going to be a primary ball-handler?
Nope, that's unquestionably the role that Deron Williams will be filling, especially if he continues to look as sharp as he did after last year's All-Star break.
Is he going to be the defensive stopper out on the wings?
Nope, that's Paul Pierce's job. The newly acquired small forward is one of the more underrated perimeter defenders in the NBA, and he'll have even more energy to exert on that end of the court than ever before.
Is he going to be the primary isolation scorer?
Possibly, but the Nets have so many options that it would be foolish for them to hone in on one player in every crucial situation.
Is he going to be the spot-up shooter supreme?
Nope, we're looking at The Truth again.
In a lot of ways, it's a good thing that Johnson is shaping up to be a disappointment. That's not an indictment of his skill set but rather a sign that the Brooklyn roster is just that stacked and filled with players who are even better at these roles.
Johnson will be able to step up in the wake of any injuries, but he's going to begin the season by fading away into the background.
David Lee, Golden State Warriors
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David Lee's situation is pretty similar to Carlos Boozer's, even if the Golden State Warriors power forward is significantly better than his positional counterpart in Chicago.
He's an offensive dynamo who doesn't play any defense. And that means his value is limited to situations in which the Dubs can't produce points without him.
But following the acquisition of Andre Iguodala, how often is that going to happen?
Golden State now boasts quite a few elite options at the smaller spots in the lineup. Stephen Curry is one of the best scorers in the NBA, Klay Thompson is a rising offensive star, Iggy is obviously a great, versatile contributor and Harrison Barnes is only getting better.
In fact, you're going to see Mark Jackson using a small-ball lineup with Andrew Bogut more often than ever before. The four aforementioned guards and wing players will all find themselves playing together, and that time will come at the expense of Lee's minutes.
When he's on the court, the power forward will continue to be a scoring machine, but don't expect another All-Star season. He's not going to play enough for that, and the ball has to be spread around to even more options in 2013-14.
Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies
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I know it's hard to believe, but Zach Randolph is 32 years old now.
And this has gone virtually unnoticed, but he's been declining. Take a look at these per-36-minute numbers, courtesy of Basketball-Reference:
| 2010-11 | 19.9 | 12.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 50.3 | 22.6 |
| 2011-12 | 15.9 | 11.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 46.3 | 17.9 |
| 2012-13 | 16.1 | 11.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 46.0 | 17.9 |
Z-Bo is clearly taking steps backward in terms of efficiency, although he's maintaining his mastery on the boards. And the problem is that the Memphis Grizzlies aren't doing anything to give him more help on offense, instead relying on internal development for improved potency on that end of the court.
Mike Miller and Jamaal Franklin were the big additions this offseason, and neither one can draw enough defensive attention that Randolph will be able to go to work in the post as frequently as he'd like.
Plus, his postseason performance against the San Antonio Spurs didn't exactly inspire confidence either.
Randolph is still a high-quality player who should threaten a double-double each and every night, but the combination of advancing age and a lack of help in the lineup is worrisome.
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
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Dirk Nowitzki's 2013-14 campaign will be viewed as disappointing for two reasons, though neither of them will be his own fault.
First, the Dallas Mavericks aren't going to make the playoffs.
There isn't much established chemistry, and the backcourt defense is far too porous to find much success in the brutally difficult Western Conference. It's by no means Dirk's fault, but the team just isn't strong enough.
They'll be right in the race for the final spot, especially now that C.J. McCollum's foot isn't helping out the Portland Trail Blazers, but the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves are both better fringe teams.
Secondly, Dirk's offensive numbers will make it appear as though he's declining. He won't actually be experiencing a legitimate decline, but perception is often different than reality.
The aforementioned porosity of the backcourt means that the German 7-footer will have to expend more energy than ever before on defense, and that just doesn't bode well for his offensive output.
And because points per game and field-goal percentage are obviously the most important stats...
Josh Smith, Detroit Pistons
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Here's how Rotoworld currently lists the Detroit Pistons depth chart:
- Point guard: Brandon Jennings, Will Bynum, Chauncey Billups, Peyton Siva
- Shooting guard: Rodney Stuckey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Small forward: Josh Smith, Kyle Singler, Luigi Datome
- Power forward: Greg Monroe, Jonas Jerebko, Charlie Villanueva, Tony Mitchell
- Center: Andre Drummond, Josh Harrellson
Can I just go ahead and start shaking my head now? Will that suffice?
Josh Smith is not a small forward. He never has been, and he never will be. In fact, it'll be disastrous and disappointing if the Pistons insist on letting Smoove line up at the 3 so that both Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe can remain on the court.
Either one of the three needs to become a sixth man, or Monroe has to be traded. Those are the only solutions that will allow Detroit to maximize its massive amounts of talent, and it's also the reason that I'm anticipating much bigger and better things once the 2014-15 season rolls around.
Smith is at his best when he can fly around the court wreaking havoc on defense. He thrives attacking the rim and posting up, not letting shots go from the perimeter. Neither of those traits make him sound like a small forward.
In fact, 82games.com shows that Smith posted a 16.1 PER while at the 3, far lower than what he threw up at either power forward (18.5) or center (18.1).
That depth chart is just a recipe for disaster.
