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Ranking The 5 Most Disappointing Teams In The NBA

By Gerald Bourguet

November 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) moves the ball against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
November 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) moves the ball against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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November 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) speaks with guard Chris Paul (3) during a stoppage in play against Toronto Raptors during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Los Angeles Clippers

If it weren’t for the next team on our list, the Los Angeles Clippers‘ imploding act would be the No. 1 story line in the NBA right now. From injuries to the bench still being terrible to cries that Doc Rivers needs to be fired, the Clippers’ 7-8 start has turned a group once considered to be title contenders into a fringe playoff team that’s gone 3-8 since starting 4-0.

There are plenty of reasons for the Clippers’ poor start to the season, including the fact that playing the Golden State Warriors twice — and surrendering a 23-point lead in the second meeting — usually doesn’t help a team’s confidence.

But even with Blake Griffin posting a monstrous stat line of 25.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, Lob City is still reeling from some bad defeats, including a loss to the Toronto Raptors that saw the Clips trail by 29 at the half and another double-digit rout at the hands of the Utah Jazz.

Simply put, this team is mentally weak. You can see it on their faces when they fall behind, you can feel it every time they complain about a bad call and you heard about it with Josh Smith‘s post-game tirade on a Clippers coach. The cracks in the foundation that we saw over the summer when DeAndre Jordan almost left are starting to show once again.

The Clippers are currently a bottom-10 defense and their offense is scoring five fewer points per 100 possessions than it did last season. They don’t have a quality starting small forward, the defensive effort has been awful and this team that was once one game away from the Western Conference Finals has fallen off a cliff.

They may figure things out and shake this off. With Griffin, Chris Paul, DJ, Paul Pierce and a theoretically improved bench, the Clippers have more than enough talent to contend for a championship. They just don’t seem to have the necessary heart or mental toughness.

Next: No. 1