NBA Underachievers: The Philadelphia 76ers and 5 Teams Better Than Their Record
The National Basketball Association is filled with many great basketball teams and many not-so-good basketball teams.
Now, one may look at a team's record and see that it is not pretty, and that person may instantly say that the team is extremely bad in every way. That person is probably not very well educated in the ways of the NBA and probably hasn't done their research or watched many games.
Granted, that there are certain teams in the NBA who are actually THAT bad, but there are also those teams who have terrible or mediocre records but are much better than what the numbers might reflect.
These are the teams who have a great team on paper but don't work for one reason or another on the court. These are the teams that could be a good team but have been unfortunate to receive absolutely horrific schedules. These are the teams that have been devastated by injuries or have had the misfortune of playing in an extremely tough division.
These teams...are the NBA's underachievers.
These teams...are the focus of my slide show.
Golden State Warriors
1 of 5
The Golden State Warriors have ridiculous amounts of talent on their team.
Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, David Lee and Andris Biedrins. Enough said?
I questioned my math when my math hypothesis wasn't accurate. My prediction or hypothesis before the season was:
Curry + Ellis + Lee + Biedrins + Wright - Don Nelson = Many Victories.
But math has failed me, so my world has been blown apart. I truly believed that under new head coach Keith Smart the Golden State Warriors would be fantastic this year and for many years to come. The GSW didn't have a bad start to the season but have really sucked of late. It still baffles me to believe that a team that has an All-Star caliber point guard who can only get better, a shooting guard who can drop 40 at anytime, an above-average small forward, a 20-10 power forward and a double-double center, cannot win games on a regular basis.
But, it may not all be the GSW fault, because they seem to be a team that has a lot of bad luck. To start, the GSW play in the toughest conference in the NBA, the Western Conference. They have an incredibly tough schedule and play with the elite every night. They have also been unlucky with injuries, most notably, Curry with his ankle problems and Lee with many issues.
I believe that if the GSW were in the East, they would at least be in the eighth seed, without any doubt. Trust me when I tell you that the GSW are just unfortunate and are much better than their current record of 12-18.
Los Angeles Clippers
2 of 5
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the worst teams in the National Basketball Association and have been for sometime now, it seems. But there is hope in L.A., as they have two young superstars and have a nice crop of other young talent.
The Clippers are in an odd spot, as they have those young players but at the same time have aging players with fat contracts and interesting personalities like Baron Davis and Chris Kaman.
On paper, one might think that something like a Davis-Gordon-Gomes-Griffin-Kaman lineup is one that should be doing great or at least putting up respectable numbers, but they are not.
The Clips have the potential to be awesome, as Davis could be healthy and could be an All-Star caliber player once more. Gomes has yet to live up his potential, and Kaman has been oft injured. With the fat-contract guys who could be leaders gone, it has been left up to all the young ones. The inexperience has shown, as they have not delivered, with the exception of Blake and Eric. The Clips are much better than their record and also have the misfortune of playing in the West.
If they were healthy, they would be a really good team because they have so much talent.
Memphis Grizzlies
3 of 5
The Memphis Grizzlies are probably the most different of the five teams on the list. The Grizzlies lineup, unlike the GSW and the Clips, is filled with talented veterans and young studs. They seem to—at least on paper—have a deep team with a nice balance of youth and experience.
If you look at their lineup: Conley-Mayo-Gay-Randolph-Gasol. I would immediately say playoffs.
But it has not worked out in Memphis, and it is strange. Once in a while the Grizzlies really work well together and show you the true dominant force they COULD be. They have three All-Star caliber players in their lineup, one sharpshooter who has struggled and a phenomenal young point guard.
Their bench isn't too bad, either, which makes one wonder why they are so bad. Well, they aren't THAT terrible, as they have a record of 14-17, which I think is decent for playing in the West. But I believe that with their team, they should be at least a six seed, even taking into account which conference they play in.
Toronto Raptors
4 of 5
The Toronto Raptors don't have much talent on their team. It is obvious, as it has been said by the coaches, the GM, the fans and even the broadcasters. It is a fact, and it cannot be helped, for now.
The Raptors, however, make up for this lack of talent by playing with a lot of heart. They play good old-fashioned, hard-nosed basketball, which everyone loves.
As everyone knows, the Raps are missing their superstar, their star player, Chris Bosh, a big loss that caused most NBA fans to believe that the Raps didn't have a chance. The Raps, though, are a really good team—they just miss the guy who knocks down clutch shots late in the game.
They seem to play great to begin, but the inexperience shows, as they often blow the lead. You see how dominant they can be when they play early, but when it comes to the pressure, they lack the player who will take the shot and make it. They are only missing one piece in that regard and are much better than their records.
Philadelphia 76ers
5 of 5
The Philadelphia 76ers have boatloads of talent. Boatloads, I tell you!
However bad the 76ers have been, it has not been because they lack potential. Nobody truly knows why they have been so awful. Because they have perennial All-Star Andre Iguodala, whose name appears frequently in trade rumors. They have budding young stars in Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner. And of course, the talented-but-older Elton Brand.
On the once in a blue moon day that Philly is healthy and have their heads in the game, they show just how much they can do. Even Brand has been great this season and has shown he is ready to compete. The 76ers recently proved how good they were, as they 8-3 in their last 11 games, showing what the future may hold. I am not saying that they will got 24-9 or something crazy like that, but I am saying that they can do it.
They have a very nice roster that is filled with able players who all contribute. The 76ers are much, much better than their record reflects.
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