10 Superstar-Packed Teams That Might Be in Big Trouble
Are Real Madrid's injury struggles going to keep the club from getting back to the top of La Liga? Is Tony Romo's return going to cause damaging controversy for the Dallas Cowboys?
Some sports teams are looking golden at the moment. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Vikings look like nothing can stop their momentum.
Some talented teams, however, are facing a bit more uncertainty.
Things are not all bad for the following 10 teams. For one thing, they all have superstar talent on their rosters. And because of that, they have either performed well in the not-too-distant past or, at minimum, given their fanbases reason to hope.
But for each team, there are clear and present dangers. They could be injuries, albatross contracts or that pesky little nuisance called drama.
Whatever the hiccup might be, could it derail these talented teams?
Carolina Panthers
1 of 10
With superstars such as MVP quarterback Cam Newton, All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly and Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen in tow, the Carolina Panthers should be cruising, right?
Not exactly.
The Panthers dropped to 1-4 on the NFL season with a 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The dismal start for the reigning NFC champions prompted Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports to ponder the question, "What on earth happened to the Carolina Panthers?"
Sure, Newton didn't play against the Bucs (and neither did left tackle Michael Oher or running back Jonathan Stewart), so injuries could be a factor.
Then again, Kurtenbach cited the departure of cornerback Josh Norman and overall corrosion of the defense as reasons for the Panthers' rough start. Max Meyer of NFL.com noted turnovers and penalties.
The fact is that, at 1-4, the Panthers aren't "maybe" in trouble; they are full-on struggling and in real danger of missing the playoffs just one season removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
Per Meyer, head coach Ron Rivera said, "Again, it's still early in the season, it's the start of the second quarter. The truth of the matter is we got to start getting things rolling."
Chicago Bulls
2 of 10
The Chicago Bulls got rid of some stars—Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, for example—in the offseason, but they gained some, too. Most notably, Dwyane Wade returned to his hometown of Chicago after 13 years with the Miami Heat. The Bulls kept Jimmy Butler and also added Rajon Rondo to the fold.
While Wade's return is a big-time story, it won't necessarily translate into wins. And as Forbes' Brian Mazique wrote, "It also doesn't match general manager Gar Forman's initiative to make the team 'younger and more athletic.'"
Wade himself said, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, a goal of winning a championship is "unrealistic."
In addition, Bleacher Report's Timothy Rapp pointed out that the Bulls fall short of the top-tier teams in the NBA, writing, "And there are questions in Chicago. How will Butler adjust to playing small forward? Will he and Wade mesh well on the court together? Will Rondo play up to his potential or sulk and struggle like he did during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks?"
Wade and Butler are bona fide league stars, but ahead of the season, there appear to be more questions than answers in Chicago.
Manchester United
3 of 10
Manchester United was aggressive on the heels of a 2015-16 campaign that saw it finish fifth in the Premier League table.
The club sacked manager Louis van Gaal and brought in the controversial Jose Mourinho. It got a couple of huge name players in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.
In July, goalkeeper David de Gea said, "I feel for the fans, for the club and the players (that something exciting is coming)—you feel like (it is) a new era. I think the club is really strong now," per Simon Peach of the Press Association (h/t Mail Online).
And yet, things have not started out entirely swimmingly. In early October, Arindam Rej of ESPN FC pointed out that Mourinho has posted one of his lowest point totals ever in club play through seven games (13).
Club staple Wayne Rooney has also struggled and was dropped to the bench.
Rej wrote, "But, whichever way you look at it, history shows Mourinho should have been expected to collect more than 13 with the most expensive squad of footballers ever assembled."
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New York Giants
4 of 10
The New York Giants have not made the playoffs since 2011, but superstars such as quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. should be helping to change that.
But Ed Valentine of Big Blue View suggested the team's use of its offensive weapons might be too predictable. He wrote, "With Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz the Giants have an outstanding trio of wide receivers and, justifiably, want them all on the field as much as possible. ... Perhaps the Giants are making it too easy for opposing defenses to figure out how to defend them."
The Giants are also working under a first-year head coach in Ben McAdoo and dealing with several disciplinary issues.
Beckham, who has been one of the Giants' most exciting young stars, has been a part of several on-field confrontations and even said, "I'm not having fun anymore," per ESPN.com's Anita Marks. There were also reports of left tackle Ereck Flowers shoving a reporter after a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News wrote, "And five weeks in, with a 2-3 record and three-game losing streak, this is starting to look like an intimidating number of fires for a rookie, 39-year-old head coach to put out."
Los Angeles Clippers
5 of 10
The Los Angeles Clippers have had stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as their core since 2011 but have failed to make it out of the postseason's second round. So their stars aren't new—and neither is their trouble.
In May, head coach Doc Rivers told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe he wanted to try to keep that Big Three together and added, "... I feel like the best thing for the team right now is to keep them together. Can that change? Of course it can change. But I don't think it will."
In September, Rivers told ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne he's confident the Clips can hang with the juggernaut Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference, saying, "I think we can play with anybody, and we don't feel like there's a gap."
So they have the star power, and they have confidence. Then again, no one on the team is getting any younger—including longtime league veteran Paul Pierce, who is retiring after the season.
Thomas Jenkins of Sir Charles in Charge wrote, "Now, with the team's core aging, and on the verge of hitting free agency, it seems quite possible that fans have already seen the Clippers' peak."
Florida Panthers
6 of 10
After a first-round postseason exit, the Florida Panthers made some big offseason moves, elevating the expectations for 2016-17.
In addition to superstar veterans Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo, "[Panthers general manager Dale Tallon] traded for the rights to Keith Yandle, signed free agents Jason Demers and James Reimer, and doled out $120.4 million worth of extensions to his young core," per Omnisport (h/t Yahoo Sports).
Cam Tucker of NBC Sports wrote, "When it comes to the Panthers, I'm guilty of thinking they're a Stanley Cup contender this year. Plenty to get excited about with this team."
But will Florida suffer from too much hype?
Jason Brough of NBC Sports suggested the team might be overhyped and wrote, "I still like what they're doing, but they haven't won a playoff round yet. Let's just hold our horses on these guys."
Additionally, injuries are already an issue. Center Nick Bjugstad has a broken hand, and Jonathan Huberdeau is expected to miss 3-4 months with a leg injury.
New York Knicks
7 of 10
Despite the questionable nature of Derrick Rose's claim that the New York Knicks constitute a "superteam," the fact remains that there are several big-name players on that squad—Rose, Carmelo Anthony and the young Kristaps Porzingis (not to mention their legendary team president, Phil Jackson).
Fans in New York have a lot to be excited and hopeful about after an eventful offseason. Anthony said, "We have a very special group. Pieces are there," per Marc Berman of the New York Post.
But after a 32-50 2015-16 campaign, a playoff appearance is far from a foregone conclusion. Anthony is 32 years old, and Rose has a history of injury problems. The team is also working under a new coach in Jeff Hornacek.
Besides all that, Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari added, "The main concern for New York aside from staying healthy may be depth. Courtney Lee is the fifth starter at shooting guard and Brandon Jennings could be a quality sixth man, but there aren't many proven commodities beyond that."
Boston Red Sox
8 of 10
The MLB playoffs are ongoing, but the Boston Red Sox made an early exit, getting swept by the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series.
With the end of Boston's season comes the end of David Ortiz's career, but make no mistake—the Red Sox will have star power in 2017.
Outfielder Mookie Betts had MVP-like numbers (31 homers and 113 RBI) in 2016 and tied teammate Dustin Pedroia for second in the race for the AL batting title (.318). All-Stars Hanley Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts and David Price are also set to be back in 2017.
NESN.com's Sam Galanis wrote, "The Red Sox's offense was legitimately dominant, and there's no reason to believe they can't come back and do it again next year."
But the Red Sox are still saddled with some big contracts (i.e. Pablo Sandoval).
Josh Benjamin of Forbes wrote, "Granted, the Red Sox do have their strong points, but there's a long road ahead if true title contention is to be a reality as star designated hitter and future Hall of Famer David Ortiz rides off into the sunset. The truth is that once the budget is cleaned up, the possibilities could be endless for Boston."
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 10
Things are going well for the Dallas Cowboys, even after the preseason loss of their starting quarterback, Tony Romo.
The team is 4-1 due in part to the considerable contributions of two offensive rookies—QB Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott has thrown for 1,239 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in five games. Meanwhile, Elliott has rushed for 100-plus yards in three consecutive games.
But Romo should be back at practice ahead of Week 6. Could the impending return of the 36-year-old franchise quarterback disrupt the team's flow?
Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post called the situation "awkward" and wrote, "... It is clear the Cowboys are best served by moving on from Romo and embracing Prescott as their starting quarterback."
Meanwhile, Romo hasn't been the team's only injured star. Wide receiver Dez Bryant has been sidelined with a knee injury, and the timetable for his return is uncertain.
Real Madrid
10 of 10
Over in La Liga, Real Madrid packs the superstars. Cristiano Ronaldo is the big name, of course, but midfielders Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez are no slouches, either.
But injuries are becoming a major issue for Zinedine Zidane's club. As of early October, midfielders Casemiro and Luka Modric are sidelined, along with defender Sergio Ramos.
The club is expected to face six matches without some of its key players.
After a streak of 16 consecutive wins, Real Madrid put together a stretch of four straight draws. As of Oct. 11, the club is second in the league table behind Atletico Madrid.
Ryan Rosenblatt of Fox Sports wrote that, even before the Ramos injury (which is expected to take him out for a month), "Zidane was already being asked questions about the direction of the team and whether he could pull them out of a four-match winless streak."
He added, "Now Real Madrid will have the problem of teams running at their back line, but their back line will be missing their best central defender."
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