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Jonathan Chen
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An NBA season is a grueling journey that is filled with many ups and downs. Throughout a season, all players will experience hot streaks and slumps. However, there have been a few NBA players who entered this year with high expectations and have so far failed to meet these lofty projections.
Isaiah Thomas (Point Guard, Los Angeles Lakers)
When the Cavs traded superstar Kyrie Irving this past summer, one of the biggest pieces in the trade was Isaiah Thomas, the dynamic 5'9 point guard who was an MVP candidate the previous year and had led the Boston Celtics to the best record in the East. However, his hip injury that he sustained from the offseason appeared to be more serious than anyone expected and its led to a bad season on the court for Thomas. At the beginning of this season Thomas missed the first 36 games before suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he started to play, it was clear that he had lost a step. His explosiveness and quickness were not the same, but that is understandable with his hip injury. Coincidentally, when he played, the Cavs started to struggle. Add in all the locker room turmoil that he has been connected with, Thomas clearly was a minus for the Cavs, which is why they dealt him to the Lakers on trade deadline day. With the Lakers, the former all-star has been relegated to a 6th man role, playing behind rookie Lonzo Ball. This season, Thomas is averaging a decent 15.6 points per game on an abysmal 37.7% shooting from the field. Although Isaiah Thomas was not expected to play at the same MVP level he played at last season with his hip injury, his sudden and dramatic downfall makes him one of the most disappointing players this year.
Andrew Wiggins (Small Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves)
Hear me out. I know Wiggins has seen his usage rate decline and is still trying to find out how to play along side Jimmy Butler. I know that Wiggins is not having a horrible season for a regular NBA role player. However, Wiggins not taking a major leap forward has come as a disappointment this year. His fourth NBA season was supposed to be the year he elevated his game. Timberwolves fans hoped that he would just begin to scratch the surface of his vast superstar potential. And while on some nights Wiggins does look like a future superstar, dominating on the offensive end and playing great defense, he's disappeared too often. This season, Wiggins is averaging 18.0 points per game, the lowest since his rookie year. Even though he is scoring 18.0 points per game, he has not been doing it efficiently. He's shooting a lowly 64% from the free throw line, 44.4% from the field and 32.9% from 3. Wiggins is also only averaging 1.8 assists per game, the lowest in his career. His PER is a mere 13.2, nearly two points lower than his career average of 15. However, there has been some positives. Wiggins has emerged as one of the clutchest players in the NBA, scoring many key baskets for the Timberwolves late in games. Also, Wiggins has improved on the defensive end. And while he isn't a horrible defender any longer, he still is not close to average. Wiggins has a -1.47 DRPM (Defensive Real Plus-Minus), which puts him at 442 when ranked amongst all NBA players. No matter how disappointing Wiggins has been this season, his endless potential still makes him an intriguing player for the future.
Norman Powell (Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors)
Entering this season, Norman Powell was slotted as the starting small forward for a playoff team. In his first two seasons, Powell had already saved the Raptors twice in the playoffs and it was known that Powell was one of the Raptors bright young players. With consistent minutes for the first time in his career, it was expected that Norm would take a leap forward as a player. However, this year, he has struggled immensely and now finds himself outside of the rotation. This season Powell is averaging just 5.9 points per game and shooting a horrible 29.8% from 3. He often forces things on offense, which leads to bad, contested shots and turnovers. In addition, his defense has slipped as well. He is letting opposing players drive by him with ease and just does not have the same impact as years past on the defensive end. If you are a Raptors fan, you can still have hope for a breakthrough from Powell in the future as he has been playing out of position (when he does play) at the small forward position and has dealt with multiple injuries this season. Nonetheless, Powell has been a letdown for the Raptors this year, and they are going to need Powell to break out of his mental slump for the playoffs.
Isaiah Thomas (Point Guard, Los Angeles Lakers)
When the Cavs traded superstar Kyrie Irving this past summer, one of the biggest pieces in the trade was Isaiah Thomas, the dynamic 5'9 point guard who was an MVP candidate the previous year and had led the Boston Celtics to the best record in the East. However, his hip injury that he sustained from the offseason appeared to be more serious than anyone expected and its led to a bad season on the court for Thomas. At the beginning of this season Thomas missed the first 36 games before suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he started to play, it was clear that he had lost a step. His explosiveness and quickness were not the same, but that is understandable with his hip injury. Coincidentally, when he played, the Cavs started to struggle. Add in all the locker room turmoil that he has been connected with, Thomas clearly was a minus for the Cavs, which is why they dealt him to the Lakers on trade deadline day. With the Lakers, the former all-star has been relegated to a 6th man role, playing behind rookie Lonzo Ball. This season, Thomas is averaging a decent 15.6 points per game on an abysmal 37.7% shooting from the field. Although Isaiah Thomas was not expected to play at the same MVP level he played at last season with his hip injury, his sudden and dramatic downfall makes him one of the most disappointing players this year.Andrew Wiggins (Small Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves)
Norman Powell (Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors)
Entering this season, Norman Powell was slotted as the starting small forward for a playoff team. In his first two seasons, Powell had already saved the Raptors twice in the playoffs and it was known that Powell was one of the Raptors bright young players. With consistent minutes for the first time in his career, it was expected that Norm would take a leap forward as a player. However, this year, he has struggled immensely and now finds himself outside of the rotation. This season Powell is averaging just 5.9 points per game and shooting a horrible 29.8% from 3. He often forces things on offense, which leads to bad, contested shots and turnovers. In addition, his defense has slipped as well. He is letting opposing players drive by him with ease and just does not have the same impact as years past on the defensive end. If you are a Raptors fan, you can still have hope for a breakthrough from Powell in the future as he has been playing out of position (when he does play) at the small forward position and has dealt with multiple injuries this season. Nonetheless, Powell has been a letdown for the Raptors this year, and they are going to need Powell to break out of his mental slump for the playoffs.
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