In the NBA world, things don’t always pan out like you hope. Sometimes even after a summer of great choices and positive results, the team ends up as a failure. Yes, it is still early in the season, so there is still time for a turnaround. But for right now, these 5 teams have undoubtedly been huge disappointments right out of the gate.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Last season, we saw some flashes of what we thought this team was becoming. Karl-Anthony Towns was proving to be a star, in just his first year in the league. After signing new head coach Tom Thibodeau and acquiring rookie Khris Dunn in the draft, the TWolves were expected to take a huge step up this year. Well, quite the opposite happened. They have regressed, and their defense has not seen much improvement under Thibs.

Check this information: Karl-Anthony Towns has 21.1 points, Andrew Wiggins 23.5 and Zach LaVine 19.4 points per game. This is a good part, but they have only 5 wins so far.

The worst part? Nobody seems to know what’s wrong. Is it Thibs system? Is it just a bad mix of talent? Or did we just expect too much from this team too soon?

4. New York Knicks

The Knicks made some big time news over the summer by getting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Those two along with the development of Kristaps Porzingis was supposed to bring the Knicks into the playoffs and beyond. While many fans were NOT fooled by the Knicks new acquisitions, most everyone has to admit that they expected something more. At the rate they’re going at now, there’s a good chance they could miss the playoffs completely.

Their bench is missing, their defense is lacking, and Noah doesn’t provide enough stability in the middle to make a big enough difference. So despite all the money that New York threw at some past their prime stars, they still don’t seem to have the right pieces to make a true title run.

3. Boston Celtics

The Celtics were supposed to be one of the best in the East, remember? Just a couple months ago, it wouldn’t be too uncommon to find someone who would give Boston the edge over the Cavs in a seven game series. Now, that seems HIGHLY, HIGHLY, unlikely. Boston is 9-7 in the year so far, which is good enough for fourth in the East. So they have not been a BAD team. But their dominance has yet to truly be shown, and they’ve lost a lot of games they should have won.

Al Horford doesn’t seem to be adding too much and aside from Isaiah Thomas, nobody has stepped up. On the bright side, Jaylen Brown has been looking pretty well so far, and that’s something to look forward too.

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2. Dallas Mavericks

Okay, lets be honest. Not too many folks out there had Dallas at the top in the West. But most at least had them in the playoff picture. A team with a starting five of Seth Curry, Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki, and Andrew Bogut certainly seems like a sure fire playoff team with a lot of potentials. But 3-13? Nobody saw that coming.

This has been a pure disaster, and something needs to change. Fast. Maybe coach Carlisle needs to change the lineup, or maybe GM Donnie Nelson needs to make some trades? Either way, this is not the start that Mavs fans has in mind for a team that usually stays in the realm of respectability.

1. Indiana Pacers

Indiana is such a stacked team, that it’s been shocking to see them struggle so mightily to stay above .500. With the additions of Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young, the Pacers were supposed to challenge the Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy. Now, they sit at the bottom of the playoff bundle. Paul George has been good, but underwhelming. Jeff Teague has his numbers up all across the board this year, but still somehow seems irrelevant. Mont Ellis has been steady, yet inconsistent.

Underwhelming performances, irrelevancy, and inconsistency have so far been the theme of the Pacers season… and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. These teams were supposed to be swimming with the big boys this year. But instead, they seem to still be stuck in the kiddy pool. Only a miraculous turnaround or some kind of major change can save these teams from a season of disappointment.

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