NBA Teams Whose Playoff Hopes Are Already on the Ropes
Making the playoffs in the NBA is easier than any other major American sport.
Seriously, teams can lose more games than they win and still get in.
To dismiss any NBA team's playoff chances roughly a month into the season would be unfair, although it's safe to say some teams should be starting to panic.
Despite numerous expert preseason predictions, the following five teams are struggling to live up to expectations. All desperately need to turn things around quickly if they want to continue playing into the summer.
All stats accurate as of December 8 and are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1 of 5
Record: 7-13
Struggling Stat: 92.4 points per game, 27th in NBA
When Cleveland hired Mike Brown, again, they did so knowing he would improve their 25th-ranked defense from last season.
The Cavs have been slightly better on the defensive end this season (16th overall), but any signs of an offense have been few and far between.
Brown always loved to run the "give the ball to LeBron and let him create" offense from 2005-2010, and we're seeing more of the same now with Kyrie Irving.
Cleveland has just three players (Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson) scoring in double figures, and just one rotation player (Anderson Varejao) shooting over 45 percent from the field.
The Cavs were thought to be a playoff lock in a weak Eastern Conference with the additions of Andrew Bynum, Jarrett Jack and Earl Clark, but are still struggling to find their offensive chemistry early in the season.
Brooklyn Nets
2 of 5
Record: 6-14
Struggling Stat: 102.3 points allowed per game, 27th in NBA
Recently, the Nets did something that was previously thought of as impossible.
They made the New York Knicks look good.
The struggling Knicks throttled the Nets in Brooklyn, 113-83, on December 5 in what was supposed to be a battle of two powerhouses heading into the season.
Instead, the Nets look old and slow and are spilling drinks on the court only to end up losing anyways.
With the offseason additions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko and head coach Jason Kidd, the organization didn't seem to mind spending over $100 million on the roster alone.
They might be rethinking things now.
The silver lining for Brooklyn is that, despite a 6-14 start, they sit just three games out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Maybe Kidd can turn things around and actually get some defense out of his team, but there's probably just as good of a chance of him stripping off the suit and putting himself in a game.
Don't count on either happening this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 5
Record: 9-11
Struggling Stat: 42.3 field-goal percentage, 27th in NBA
Here's a weird stat for you.
Minnesota is third in scoring this season at 104.7 points per game, yet only three NBA teams have shot the ball worse than the Wolves.
It's a good thing no one is shooting more per game than Kevin Love and crew (89.2 field-goal attempts), because they convert at such a low percentage. One even might call them the Kobe Bryant of NBA teams.
Flip Saunders did an excellent job of upgrading the roster with Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer this offseason, but hovering around a .500 record won't cut it in the Western Conference.
The Wolves could use some defensive help as well, as they rank 24th in opponent points per game. Neither Love nor Martin are strong defenders, so they'll have to shoot their way to a lot of wins this season.
With their current shooting rates, however, that may not be possible.
Memphis Grizzlies
4 of 5
Record: 9-10
Struggling Stat: 4.3 three-pointers per game, 30th in NBA
The infamous Grindhouse from last season has now become the "groan" house for the Grizzlies in Memphis.
After going 32-9 at home in 2012-13, the Grizz are off to just a 4-7 start at FedExForum. The gritty, defensive efforts they were known for are now being overshadowed by awful offensive efforts.
Memphis may actually be missing Rudy Gay.
The Grizzlies are dead last in the NBA in three-pointers per game with their 4.3. By comparison, Ryan Anderson of the New Orleans Hornets is making 3.7 treys a game by himself. This inability to stretch the defense is hurting Memphis offensively, where they average just 93.2 points, 26th in the league.
While a lot of teams would love to be 9-10, this is a disappointing start for a squad that made it to the Western Conference Finals last season.
Getting Marc Gasol back will be huge, but a trade for an outside shooter would certainly help as well.
New York Knicks
5 of 5
Record: 5-14
Struggling Stat: 40.2 rebounds per game, 28th in NBA
The Knicks have suddenly won two of their past three games after losing an embarrassing nine in a row.
New York fans can point to Tyson Chandler's absence as the reason for this slide, but the truth is the Knicks were just 1-3 in Chandler's four games.
Suddenly, the roster is looking very similar to the Isiah Thomas years, with a bunch of overpriced vets not carrying their weight. The Knicks insist they won't trade Carmelo Anthony, but there's a good chance he'll leave them high and dry in free agency this summer.
Anthony has been criticized for his focus on individual success, but all of that could change if he leads the Knicks to a turnaround this season.
Raymond Felton has been terribly inefficient, J.R. Smith lost his shot when he got his money, and Amar'e Stoudemire continues to murder New York's cap space.
Mike Woodson is a good coach, and a healthy Chandler gives them the rebounding and defensive presence they desperately need, so there are signs of hope in the Big Apple.
