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NBA: 10 Players Failing To Live Up To Expectations In 2015-16

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 20, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) talks with Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable Mentions:

Roy Hibbert: Most reasonable folk knew the Los Angeles Lakers would be a bottom-feeder again in 2015-16, but Hibbert (7.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game) hasn’t bolstered the defense in any discernible fashion. The Lakers’ defensive rating is an atrocious 112.9 with him on the floor…and 104.2 with him on the bench.

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Greg Monroe: On the one hand, Monroe is averaging a healthy 15.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on 51.2 percent shooting, but can we ignore his impact on the defensive end? This isn’t ALL on Monroe, but Milwaukee’s D-rating has gone from 99.3 last year (second) to 106.5 this year (28th), while the Pistons’ D-rating has improved from 104.2 (21st) to 100.7 (12th).

Nikola Mirotic: Mirotic’s 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game are better than his rookie numbers last year, but he struggled so heavily in the starting rotation — after a promising start — that Fred Hoiberg relegated him to bench duty. His 38.1 percent shooting from the floor is even worse than the 40.5 percent he shot last year, even if his three-point touch has marginally improved.

Danilo Gallinari: After such a scorching hot finish to the 2014-15 season and sizzling EuroBasket performance, expectations were high for Gallo in 2015-16. Though he’s putting up 17.3 points and 5.9 boards per game this season, he’s only knocking down 38.9 percent of his field goal attempts.

Injury/Age-Related Honorable Mentions:

Chandler Parsons: Parsons’ minute restriction has finally been lifted, but Rick Carlisle still has him coming off the bench. The fifth year wing is only averaging 9.3 points in 23.6 minutes per game on the season, shooting 34.3 percent from three-point range. Is the real Chandler Parsons ready to stand up?

Kobe Bryant: Kobe hasn’t really been injured too much this season (*continues knocking on wood*), but his numbers have been far from All-Star worthy. Most (reasonable) people weren’t expecting another vintage Mamba season, but averaging 17.3 points on 17.2 shots per game isn’t particularly great, especially with his .343/.256/.785 shooting splits in mind. Enjoy the throwback moments when they appear!

Joe Johnson: Another victim of Father Time, the 34-year-old Joe Johnson has less of an excuse than Kobe, who has about 13,000 more minutes on his NBA odometer. Still, that hasn’t stopped this seven-time All-Star from averaging 10.6 points on 11.2 shots per game, shooting a dismal 35 percent from the floor and 30.6 percent from downtown.

Jrue Holiday: It’s not really Jrue Holiday’s fault that he’s only healthy enough to play around 25.3 minutes a night, but he hasn’t had the impact the New Orleans Pelicans were hoping for when they made that ill-fated trade back in 2013. Holiday’s 12.7 points and 4.4 assists per game also haven’t stemmed the tide for a team that’s limped to a 10-21 start.

Brandan Wright: Poor Brandan Wright. A few weeks ago the Memphis Grizzlies just thought he was soft, until it was revealed he needed knee surgery that would sideline him for 6-8 weeks. He’s on a bargain of a contract, but he hasn’t played since Nov. 7 and his 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in seven appearances didn’t exactly make a great impression.

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