Some teams have been procrastinating to solve problems within their roster, and fully blowing off clear problems regarding their team, and it is starting to cost them.
Los Angeles Lakers
What most of the NBA world thought to be a dominant super team incoming when Westbrook was traded to them, has turned out to be just a slightly below-average team. In the 9th seed, the Lakers have had a rough season, especially with spacing, which was predictable at the start of the season. With a little over 34 three-pointers attempted, the Lakers currently shoot 35% from the three-point line. An improvement since the start of the year. Aside from LeBron James averaging 29 points, and scoring with ridiculous efficiency, the team has not performed well. With Anthony Davis back in business, maybe we will see this team turn itself around.
Brooklyn Nets
Although the Nets have been consistently switching between the first and third place seed throughout the entire season, they have fallen to the 6th seed thanks to their streak of four losses in the Eastern Conference. This team has struggled against teams over .500. Even with that problem, it’s not the most main and recent one. There have been many rumors about James Harden not being happy living in Brooklyn and being unhappy with Kyrie’s vaccination status, which makes Irving a part-time player. And while there is a big chance most of this is not true, there will be problems with the Nets that occur soon if nothing is fixed. Just to add to the worries of the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant sustained an MCL sprain during last Saturday’s game against the Pelicans and is said to be out for 4-6 weeks. Now the NBA world is getting the news he will be sitting out another All-Star Game. With how the Nets manage injuries, it is possible that we won’t see him until playoff time.
Grayson Allen
Before we jump back into the teams, Grayson Allen must be discussed. Grayson Allen is much known for his aggressive, savage type of play, but Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls went too far. A 3 on 2 fast break included both Alex Caruso and Grayson Allen, and when Caruso went for a dunk, Allen came running and threw him to the ground, which resulted in Caruso having a broken right wrist. Grayson Allen obtained a Flagrant 2 foul, causing him to be rightfully ejected. But there have been many fans that are angered over the small suspension of Grayson Allen. After the game, Allen was suspended for just one game. One game will hopefully be enough to humble him, and calm him down, at least for a little while.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have been a steady 6-8 seed for the past three years, but now, the team is falling apart. The team simply does not work well together. Everyone wants to see the Blazers star point guard, Damian Lillard, traded to a new team, and that has been something NBA fans want for a while. Not just has Dame received no help, but Dame hasn’t been a great player this season, especially these last 10 games. In the last 10 games, he has been averaging 12.5% from the three-point line. the Blazers are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with not many picks in the upcoming drafts, and no one currently performing extremely well. The Blazers are in a deep hole, and it is going to be tough to get out of.
Los Angeles Clippers
With another team in LA, the Clippers are in some very deep trouble. The Clippers have lost both of their superstars, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, both of who are some of the top two-way players in the league. Not to mention they traded their ex-point guard, Patrick Beverly, who was truly the only above-average defender left on their team. Without the two stars, the team is below average, and they are slowly but surely falling down the standings, currently in the 8th seed. It will be hard to fall over 2 seeds more before one of the stars comes back because of just how bad the bottom of the Western Conference is. the teams below them are the Lakers, who are pretty much the only ones within a game or two, the Blazers, and the Rockets, Thunder, Kings, Spurs, and Pelicans.
