The Glaring Weakness Haunting Every NBA Team Down the Stretch
The 2025-26 season is roughly 80 percent of the way complete, meaning we've got a pretty good pulse on the strengths and weaknesses of every team by this point.
The trade deadline and injuries have made an impact, and there's about nine teams in full tank mode right now who aren't exactly playing their best every night.
Playoff teams are running out of time to fix their faults. Even lottery-bound franchises need to identify which areas they need to address in the draft.
These are the glaring weaknesses haunting all 30 NBA teams right now.
Atlanta Hawks: Reliable Bench
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The Atlanta Hawks have quietly put together one of the best starting fives in all of basketball following the Trae Young deal.
The five-man unit of Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu has a net rating of plus-28.6 together, ranking in the 96th percentile per Cleaning the Glass.
The bench, however, contains a lot of questions.
Jonathan Kuminga's knee injury has limited him to just three games thus far. Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick of 2024, is averaging just 7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists off the bench and Buddy Hield continues to rack up DNP-Coach's Decisions.
Atlanta needs to find some better balance to make any sort of playoff run.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum's Effectiveness
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Jayson Tatum even playing at all this season is a massive win for the Boston Celtics, who now look like legit title contenders once again following a summer of salary slashing.
This doesn't mean the next few weeks will be pretty, however, as return to play is vastly different from return to performance.
Tatum's shot is going to be understandably rusty for a while, as evidenced by his 39.3 percent mark from the field and 29.0 percent efficiency from three.
If Boston can weather this early storm while Tatum gets back up to game speed, they'll be rewarded mighty in the playoffs. For now, his high-volume, low-efficiency shooting will hurt.
Brooklyn Nets: Lack of a Franchise Star
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Despite making five first-round selections in 2025, the Brooklyn Nets are still looking for a face of the franchise.
Cam Thomas went from averaging 24.0 points per game last season to being waived by the franchise after Brooklyn couldn't find a trade partner. No. 8 overall pick Egor Dёmin looked good as a tall playmaker at times, yet has now been ruled out for the year due to increased plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He averaged a modest 10.3 points and 3.3 assists on just 39.9 percent shooting overall.
At 17-48 overall, the Nets have a 48.1 percent chance at a top-4 pick in the draft and a true star who the franchise can build around.
The 2025 class could all serve complementary roles, although this fan base desperately needs a reason to get excited once again.
Charlotte Hornets: Playoff Experience
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To say the Charlotte Hornets lack playoff experience is an understatement.
It's been 10 years since this franchise tasted the postseason and 28 years since the Hornets reached 50 wins. No member of the starting five was even alive then.
A 33-33 record now has Charlotte as a near lock to make the play-in tournament in the East. This is where their inexperience in big games could show, however.
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté have a combined zero games of playoff experience in their careers. Coby White came off the bench for a series with the Chicago Bulls in 2022. The rest of the roster carries very little playoff success and only has one player (Pat Connaughton) older than 27.
The Hornets haven't played in many meaningful games over the past 10 years. That will change over the next month.
Chicago Bulls: Roster Construction
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The trade deadline left the Chicago Bulls with a lot of guards, nine total if counting those on two-way contracts.
Josh Giddey has already established himself as a focal point moving forward, leaving Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons and Rob Dillingham to all compete for the backcourt spot alongside him.
There's no franchise center on the roster right now, a major area of need for a Bulls team that's fallen to 27-38 and essentially out of the East play-in picture. Wings are hard to come by as well, considering Patrick Williams can officially be considered a bust.
Chicago better hope they land a top pick in 2026, using it on anyone but a guard.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Struggles Against League's Best Teams
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It's been a mostly successful season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as a 40-25 record currently has them in fourth place in the East. They've done their job by beating up on the bad teams in the NBA, with a perfect 12-0 record against the bottom-feeding Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.
When it comes to measuring up against potential Conference Finals or NBA Finals opponents, however, the Cavs continue to come up short.
A recent 109-98 home loss to the Boston Celtics (with Jayson Tatum making just his second appearance since returning from a torn Achilles) dropped the Cavs' record to 3-9 overall against Boston, the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Trading Darius Garland for James Harden was a big bet on this season, especially since the latter will turn 37 in August. The Cavs need to make a deep playoff run, although they've struggled against the league's elite.
Dallas Mavericks: Point Guard
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Finding someone who can dribble and pass has been a real issue all season for the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving is officially set to miss the entire year with a torn ACL, meaning the next month will continue to be a struggle to create offense.
Dallas only generates 63.5 points off passes per game, good for 28th overall in the NBA. Undrafted free agent rookie Ryan Nembhard leads the Mavs with just 4.6 assists per game and Dallas ranks dead last in passes made and received.
Cooper Flagg is a good ball-hander for his position, but he's not a point guard. Irving is nearing his 34th birthday and coming off a major injury. There's no guarantee he'll want to be in a rebuild in Dallas next season, either.
The Mavs need to go point guard hunting this summer and will have a good lottery pick to use.
Denver Nuggets: Forcing Turnovers
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The Denver Nuggets are the best offensive team in the NBA. When it comes to the other side of the ball, however, there's some work to be done.
One of the problems with the Nuggets' 22nd-ranked defense is a lack of turnover creation. Opponents are turning the ball over just 12.0 times a game against Denver, and the Nuggets are scoring 13.9 points per game off of those miscues. Both figures rank dead last in the NBA.
A healthy Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson will help with their defensive strength and length, although there's simply not a lot of high-caliber defenders on this roster overall.
Denver's offense is championship-worthy. Improving the defense starts with forcing more opponent turnovers.
Detroit Pistons: Secondary Offensive Creation
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Standing pat at the trade deadline is going to come back to haunt the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs.
While the Pistons are going to ride a strong defense and the play of Cade Cunningham to the No. 1 seed in the East, there's some real cracks starting to show in this team's armor.
Playoff teams are going to consistently double Cunningham and force someone else to do something with the ball. The Pistons' second-leading scorer, Jalen Duren, is being assisted on 64.1 percent of his shots while only Tobias Harris and Daniss Jenkins are making over half of their own shots without the help of Cunningham or another teammate.
Detroit needed another big-time offensive threat to be a true title contender.
Golden State Warriors: Father Time
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A decade ago the Golden State Warriors were unstoppable.
A young core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were just forming the NBA's next dynasty, one we thought would never end given their ages, contracts and chemistry together.
Fast forward to 2026 and it's been a painful reminder of what time can do.
The Warriors are now the oldest team in the NBA (29.0). Stephen Curry is days away from turning 38, hasn't played since January and is projected to miss at least another 10 days with a knee issue. Draymond Green, 36, has a minus-5.2 swing rating and Jimmy Butler, 36, is out for the year with a torn ACL.
Trading away 23-year-old Jonathan Kuminga for 30-year-old Kristaps Porziņģis only made this team older and more injury prone.
We're nearing the final act of Old Yeller, Bay Area edition.
Houston Rockets: Guard Play
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Losing starting point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL right before the season wasn't the Houston Rockets fault. Failing to make any move whatsoever at the trade deadline to address his absence was, however.
Houston's plan to stitch together mega lineups this season has hit some bumps, especially when it comes to point guard play.
The Rockets rank 29th overall in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58) and are dead last in assist percentage (58.0 percent). Houston's 63.5 points created off assists are tied for 28th in the NBA.
Kevin Durant is a great bail out option for when the offense gets sticky and Alperen Şengün is one of the best big-men passers in the league. This team should have gone after a veteran point guard to add to the rotation at the deadline, however, helping this offense run more smoothly.
Indiana Pacers: Patience
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The Indiana Pacers are officially the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention this season, just nine months removed from falling one game short of an NBA title.
It's been a forgettable year for Pacers fans, although one more month of patience will be rewarded.
Tyrese Haliburton should be back at full strength for the start of the 2026-27 season. The Pacers will have a rested Ivica Zubac ready to step into the starting center role. If Indiana's first-round pick falls in the top-4 overall (currently a 52.1 percent chance), they'll keep the selection and get to add a potential star at the top of the draft.
If Rick Carlisle had any hair left, he'd have pulled it all out by now. Patience isn't easy after tasting such sweet success last season, although Indiana has a lot to look forward to this fall.
Los Angeles Clippers: Center Position
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The Los Angeles Clippers' center position has been solidified by DeAndre Jordan and Ivica Zubac for the past 18 years. Now, there's a noticeable hole at the five for the first time since 2008.
The Clippers have done an admirable job of building up their young talent with Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin and got terrific value for Ivica Zubac with multiple first-round picks. The cost of doing business was relying on Brook Lopez to be an everyday starting center once again, even as he gets ready to turn 38 in a few weeks.
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, the Clippers' first-round pick last summer, was just settling into a bigger role but unfortunately suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
Lopez is a backup at this stage of his career. Los Angeles' playoff chances will be hurt by their lack of quality center options down the stretch.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron-Luka Dynamic
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It very much appears that the LeBron James-Los Angeles Lakers era will be coming to an end soon. The on-court success with James and Luka Dončić just hasn't developed, as evidenced by their net rating together and the Lakers' record without the four-time MVP.
Los Angeles has a net rating of plus-7.8 with Dončić on the court and James off, compared to a mark of minus-1.8 when both share the floor.
Obviously, head coach JJ Redick isn't going to bench James anytime soon. The Lakers will need to find a way to maximize the NBA's all-time leading scorer while he's still there.
Memphis Grizzlies: Size and Rebounding
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Trading Jaren Jackson Jr. and losing Zach Edey for the season due to another ankle surgery has left the Memphis Grizzlies a tad thin up front. The team's rebounding has suffered as a result.
Since the Feb. 5 trade deadline, the Grizzlies rank dead last both in defensive (63.2 percent) and overall rebound percentage (55 percent). Memphis is playing more wings and forwards rather than traditional bigs, with the results showing up on the glass.
Edey was having a nice season before going down in December (13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 63.3 percent shooting), although the Grizzlies likely have major concerns about the health of his ankles moving forward.
Currently projected to land the Nos. 8 and 17 overall picks in the 2026 draft, size and rebounding should be at the top of Memphis' wish list.
Miami Heat: Road Play
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The Miami Heat are playing their best basketball of the season, winners of six straight and going 8-2 overall since the All-Star break. An 83-piece McNugget from Bam Adebayo didn't hurt, either.
Miami has been especially good at home this season, going 22-11 overall at the Kaseya Center. Their 15-18 road record is concerning, however, and is the only losing mark of any of the top-10 teams in the Eastern Conference.
This matters since the Heat are still 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 4 seed in the East and the right to host a playoff series. If Miami stays out of the top-4 spots, they'll need to open up the postseason on the road.
Milwaukee Bucks: The Inevitable Offseason
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All of the social media activity coming from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks following the trade deadline has the potential to age extremely poorly this summer.
Both sides seemed to celebrate the two-time MVP not being traded, although it was clearly the best option for all involved. Even now the Bucks are a lifeless 27-37 overall and five games out from even reaching the play-in tournament in the East.
This feels like a slow march to the inevitable trade chatter that will pop up once again this summer, especially if the Bucks don't land a top pick in the 2026 draft.
Milwaukee fans should enjoy watching arguably the best player in franchise history still playing at an extremely high level, although is doing so nearly as much fun if there's no playoff trip attached?
The cloud hanging over this organization won't clear up anytime soon.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Free Throw Shooting
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are a tricky team to get a feel for, although it's easy to see that this team struggles at the line.
The Wolves rank 28th overall in free throw shooting this season (74.6 percent), something that could haunt them down the stretch of close games.
Anthony Edwards (79.4 percent) and Julius Randle (81.8 percent) have been solid, although Rudy Gobert (50.0 percent) is posting the worst mark since his rookie season. We could see opponents trying to put him on the free throw line at the end of games, forcing the Wolves to make lineup changes.
In the time of year where every weakness is preyed upon, Minnesota needs to improve its overall free throw shooting.
New Orleans Pelicans: A Lack Of Hope
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This time of season, NBA fans are either looking forward to a playoff run or a lottery pick. Unfortunately, New Orleans Pelicans fans have neither.
At 21-45, the Pels have been one of the worst teams all season. Now 10 games removed from the West play-in tournament, all playoff hopes have been lost for months now.
New Orleans also owes its pick to the Atlanta Hawks from the Derik Queen trade, a selection currently projected to fall at No. 6 overall.
At this point, the Pelicans organization just needs some hope. Hope that Queen continues to become one of the most uniquely talented young big men in the game. Hope that Jeremiah Fears can be the point guard of the future. Hope that Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones can all finish the season on a high note.
Continued signs of improvement are all New Orleans has right now.
New York Knicks: Getting to the Charity Stripe
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The New York Knicks' offense is one of the top units in the NBA, although this team could be even better if they were even OK at generating trips to the free throw line.
The Knicks rank just 25th overall in free throw attempts per game (21.6), getting as many whistles as the Washington Wizards. Given the talent difference between the two organizations, this gap should be far wider.
Even Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson rank just 30th and 32nd overall in free throw attempts per game. No other Knick even ranks in the top 90 (OG Anunoby, 92nd overall).
Great playoff teams almost always have players who can get the opposing team in foul trouble and earn some easy points from the line. The Knicks need to make this more of a priority.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Health/Play of Jalen Williams
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The Oklahoma City Thunder haven't needed a healthy Jalen Williams to climb to a 51-15 record and first place in the West, although his presence will be far more important come playoff time.
The 24-year-old was an All-Star and All-NBA team member last season, yet recovering from offseason wrist surgery and now dealing with a hamstring injury have limited him to just 26 total games. His production is down as a result, with averages of 17.5 points on 31.3 percent shooting from three.
Williams signed a five-year max contract last summer that could rise to $287 million if he hit certain incentives this year. The silver lining for OKC is this deal will only reach $240 million now, although we're sure the Thunder would prefer to pay top dollar for a healthy, All-NBA version of Williams instead.
Orlando Magic: Lingering Offensive Concerns
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A woeful offensive team for the past few years, the Orlando Magic went all-in on a Desmond Bane trade to help fix their shooting and playmaking issues.
The result? Better, but still not great.
The Magic rank 17th overall in offense (114.0 rating) yet still can't shoot from the outside (34.5 percent from three, 11.7 makes per game, both 24th overall). Bane is having a good year (20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists), yet Franz Wagner has missed over half the season and Paolo Banchero's production has flatlined.
This roster is still screaming for a true point guard, even if it means moving a core piece to get one this summer. For now, Orlando is going to try and scratch and claw its way out of the play-in tournament with whatever offense it can muster.
Philadelphia 76ers: Health
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Good health and the Philadelphia 76ers have long been enemies, and this season is unfortunately no different.
Joel Embiid has looked dominant at times this year, yet has played in just 33 of the team's 64 games and is currently out with a right oblique strain. Star rookie VJ Edgecombe has missed time recently with a lumbar contusion and now Tyrese Maxey has a tendon injury in his right pinkie finger and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Philly has made a mini tumble down the standings into the East play-in tournament where they'll be fighting the suddenly hot Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets for seeding.
Sixers fans have been through this before. Here's hoping all can make a quick recovery.
Portland Trail Blazers: 3-Point Shooting
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The Portland Trail Blazers are a lock to make the West play-in tournament given the unwillingness of the five teams below them to try and win basketball games. They won't sniff the playoffs unless this team becomes better from beyond the arc, however.
Portland ranks next-to-last in three-point accuracy this season (33.7 percent), barely besting the Sacramento Kings. Of the Blazers top 12 players in three-point attempts, none are shooting better than 38.9 percent while three are 28.8 percent or worse.
The return of Scoot Henderson (25.4 percent from three) has only caused the team's success rate to tumble even more.
Phoenix Suns: Frontcourt Depth
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Guard play has been an issue for the Phoenix Suns ever since Chris Paul was running the show, although a collection that includes Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie has now become a strength of the team.
The rest of the Suns' roster is a little thin, especially with recent injuries cutting into Phoenix's frontcourt.
Forward Dillon Brooks is potentially out until April with a broken hand. Center Mark Williams is also sidelined for a few weeks due to a stress reaction in his left foot.
Rookie center Khaman Maluach has spent most of his time in the G League this season despite being selected No. 10 overall and Nick Richards was traded away at the deadline. Second-year big man Oso Ighodaro will be getting plenty of opportunities moving forward, ready or not.
Sacramento Kings: Everything?
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The negatives are everywhere for the Sacramento Kings, but if you squint hard enough, you'll find even more reasons to be disappointed with this team. Despite fielding a veteran roster actually trying to compete for the playoffs, here's where the Kings currently rank in some key categories:
There's not just one glaring weakness haunting this team, but a CVS receipt worth of issues to overcome. The only silver lining is a potential No. 1 overall pick, something the franchise hasn't had since 1989.
San Antonio Spurs: Peaking Too Early?
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The San Antonio Spurs have been the hottest NBA team over the past month-and-a-half, going 16-1 since the end of January. There aren't many weaknesses here to diagnose, but rather a cautious warning about peaking too early.
The NBA runs on hot and cold streaks. It's a long season that stretches from fall all the way into the following summer for those who reach the mountain top. Peak too early and risk sloppy play when the games matter the most.
A little controversy can be a good thing, especially in the regular season to prepare teams for postseason battles. These Spurs are concerningly thin on playoff experience, as Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have yet to taste the postseason. Even De'Aaron Fox has played in just one postseason series in his nine NBA seasons.
Chasing the No. 1 seed is an admirable goal, although it's more important that the Spurs experience getting kicked in the teeth now rather than in late April and May.
Toronto Raptors: Shooting
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The Toronto Raptors have taken a mighty step forward towards contention this season and currently sit at No. 5 in the East.
Brandon Ingram has juiced up this offense, although a lack of shooting overall from this roster is holding the Raptors back.
Out of Toronto's top-11 players in minutes played this season, not a single person is shooting over 37.5 percent from three. Jakob Poeltl hasn't even attempted a three-pointer in almost a year (March 16, 2025).
Floor-spacing is going to become even more of an issue down the stretch as defenses begin to tighten up. Toronto simply needs to shoot the ball better, especially from deep.
Utah Jazz: Interior Defense
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The Utah Jazz could have the best rim protection in the NBA next season if Walker Kessler is re-signed to play alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. For now, opponents are scoring at will against Utah in the paint .
Jazz opponents are making 68.7 percent of their shots from within six feet, the worst mark in the NBA. Utah's 120.5 defensive rating ranks 29th overall in the league.
With both Kessler and Jusuf Nurkić lost for the year due to injury, Utah will throw any warm body over 6'8" at the center position and hope for the best as they chase a top pick in the 2026 draft.
Washington Wizards: Overall Defense
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There's "rebuilding-team-defense" bad and then there's "give-up-83-points-to-Bam-Adebayo" bad. The Washington Wizards are officially in uncharted territory.
The Wizards not only gave up the second most points ever in an NBA game to a player who was averaging under 19 a game but also allowed a Miami Heat team missing Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Kel'el Ware and others to put up 150 against them.
Washington has a chance at posting the worst defensive rating in NBA history this season, which is a painful record to set even for a rebuilding team. Adding Trae Young on a full-time basis may actually see the Wizards break their own record next year.
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