The NBA is about to reach the halfway point of its season, and some teams have been very underwhelming.
One of these teams is the Indiana Pacers. After reaching the NBA finals last season, they have started this season at 13-40.
One of the main reasons for this collapse stems from the team’s latest Finals appearance. During Game 7 of the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, star guard Tyrese Haliburton fell and ruptured his right achilles tendon. This injury took him out for the rest of that game, leading to the Pacers’ playoff loss. It also forced him to sit out this entire season.
While their injury issues have been tough, the team’s future is not as dark as it may seem. In a recent trade, the Pacers received star center Ivacia Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. He is set to return at the end of the all-star break.
Another team that is underperforming is the Dallas Mavericks, posting a 19-34 record after making the finals two years ago.
The team has found much success in rookie forward Cooper Flagg, who is the rookie of the year frontrunner. While Flagg is playing great, injuries have hit the Mavericks this year. Veteran guard Kyrie Irving has been experiencing many injury problems, and so has their star forward, Anthony Davis.
Due to this injury to Davis, the Mavericks decided to trade him to the Washington Wizards. In return, they received forwards Khris Middleton and Marvin Badgley III, along with guard AJ Johnson.
A team that has exceeded expectations this season is the Charlotte Hornets. After finishing with 19 wins last year, Charlotte has started this year with a 26-29 record.
The Hornets added players, like guard Tre Mann and center Mason Plumlee, but none have thrived like rookie guard Kon Knueppel. He is also in contention for the rookie of the year award.
Charlotte has many star forwards, including Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, and Moussa Diabate. They also have many star guards, including LaMelo Ball, Coby White, and Malaki Branham.
While all this success is great for Charlotte, the prosperity may end abruptly. Diabate and Bridges are currently suspended for four games, following the brawl against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The team will have to rally to avoid falling into a slump.
