Most surprising and disappointing NBA players this season

As Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote after the Dallas Mavericks shipped Dennis Smith Jr. to the New York Knicks, the guard originally wanted to be drafted by the club that calls Madison Square Garden home back in 2017. The athletic 21-year-old capable of posterizing just about anybody on any given night was one of the bright spots in the New York offense over the final two months of the season, but he may not be part of the team's long-term future if the organization can lure Kyrie Irving to the Mecca of Basketball. 

Apparently, Kristaps Porzingis didn't get the memo that the Knicks weren't trying to win while he sat the entire season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in February 2018, as he forced his exit from the club ahead of this year's trade deadline, as explained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . In New York, a fully healthy Lordzingis could have been one of the faces of a rebuilding franchise looking to sign the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this coming summer. Instead, he'll be only a reminder of what could have been for members of the Knicks faithful who haven't had much to celebrate throughout the 2000s. 

Devin Booker is a proven star, and Deandre Ayton was the first pick of the draft. That leaves Kelly Oubre Jr., traded by the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns last December, as one of the only surprising individuals thriving with one of the worst franchises in all of North American professional sports. Oubre's season ended prematurely after he required surgery on his left thumb in March, but he was on the cusp of averaging career highs in PPG (16.9), APG (1.6) and RPG (4.9) before that setback. 

Josh Jackson may not deserve the "bust" label quite yet, but it's fair to say the Phoenix Suns probably feel some regret about drafting him fourth overall in 2017 after watching him regress during his sophomore season. Phoenix could've selected De'Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen or Donovan Mitchell instead of Jackson, who was named one of the league's most disappointing second-year players by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman in January. The 22-year-old's defensive highlights and effective scoring nights are, to be blunt, few and far between. There's little reason to believe he'll be part of Phoenix's long-term core as of the spring. 

Remember last November when The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported that veterans within the Cleveland Cavaliers believed rookie Collin Sexton didn't "know how to play" (h/t CBS Sports)? The first-year guard found his offensive groove in the second half of the campaign, becoming the first rookie since Tim Duncan to score at least 23 points in six consecutive games, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explained. Granted, Sexton undeniably must improve on the defensive end of the court, but his season offers a reminder that maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge a player who isn't yet legally allowed to consume an alcoholic beverage in the United States. 

It's tempting to pick Kevin Love since he was supposed to become the new face of the Cavs and help keep the club be competitive without LeBron James in the lineup. It's not Love's fault that a toe injury cost him over half the season. J.R. Smith, meanwhile, essentially disappeared in November after realizing how many games his team was destined to lose. His inevitable departure from the franchise is an unfortunate conclusion to the story for somebody who became a fan favorite in Northeast Ohio. 

Both Sam Smith of NBA.com and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune touched upon what Otto Porter Jr. has offered the Chicago Bulls since being traded by the Washington Wizards in February. Separated from John Wall and Bradley Beal, the 25-year-old provided boosts to new teammates Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, and it's a shame a shoulder injury halted his momentum during what could have been an entertaining stretch for a team with a lousy record. Now Chicago needs to find Porter a proven and dependable creator during the offseason. 

Kris Dunn became one of the many walking wounded Chicago players slowed by injuries, but the guard selected fifth by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2016 NBA Draft did little to secure a real future with the Bulls while on the court. Dunn's shooting and overall offensive production are down, as is his overall efficiency, and the evaluation process written about by Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago has passed. Dunn will have more value on the trade market than in the lineup for the Bulls moving forward. 

Trae Young suffering through a nightmare Summer League debut that included multiple air balls seems like it occurred years ago. Once seen as a regrettable decision that involved the Atlanta Hawks choosing him over Luka Doncic, Young evolved into an offensive weapon named by multiple people as the greatest rookie in franchise history and a 20-year-old capable of posting numbers that draw comparisons to MVPs like LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. In late March, Bleacher Report's Dan Favale explained how Young may have ripped the Rookie of the Year award from Doncic's clutches during the post-All-Star stretch of contests. 

No reasonable person should have expected to see anything resembling "Linsanity" from Jeremy Lin after he was traded to the lowly Atlanta Hawks last summer. Nevertheless, the veteran brought in to help mentor Trae Young made 51 rather forgettable appearances with the organization and, worst of all, netted the franchise nothing in return until a buyout was finalized. It remains difficult to believe the Hawks couldn't find a trade partner, considering Lin was averaging over 10 points per game with Atlanta and ultimately landed with the Toronto Raptors. 

SportsDay's Brad Townsend would like to have a word with those who would vote Trae Young to win Rookie of the Year over Luka Doncic, and Townsend certainly isn't alone. As ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry explained, the 20-year-old better than advertised who is exceeding expectations may legitimately be the league's best rookie since Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson before His Airness. In January, Jeffrey Shao of Per Sources offered some numbers to show Doncic, not James, Carmelo Anthony or anybody else, was the greatest teenager to ever play in the Association. 

At the risk of disrespecting a legend, the Dirk Nowitzki retirement tour cannot be extended beyond this spring for the good of anybody. His 21st season began in December due to the future Hall of Famer recovering from ankle surgery, and it wasn't until the middle of February before he began resembling even a shell of his former self. Knowing when to ride off into the sunset is sometimes as important as are the memories left by an icon of any sport. 

Until a shoulder injury turned him into a spectator after Jan. 30, Kyle Anderson was enjoying the best season of his pro career. The 25-year-old forward notched personal bests in PPG (8.0) and shooting from the field (54.3 percent) for a Memphis Grizzlies side desperate to escape the hamster wheel. The positive for the Grizzlies heading into the offseason is that Anderson is signed through the spring of 2022, per Spotrac. Shoulder injuries can be tricky to overcome, though, so neither team nor player can be overly cautious in this scenario. 

Existing in basketball purgatory is more hopeless than dropping to the basement of overall league standings, something the Memphis Grizzlies seemingly understood when the team jettisoned every veteran not nailed down ahead of the trade deadline except for guard Mike Conley. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Memphis views Conley as a mentor, but the 31-year-old will be part of the team's rebuild only if he's used to claim future assets. Don't be sentimental this summer, Memphis. 

Of all the things to happen with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018-19, guard Jrue Holiday posting career bests in points (21.2), rebounds (5.0) and assists (7.7) after his 28th birthday may have been the most surprising. Holiday's impressive form came to a crashing halt in early March, however, as he ultimately required an operation to fix a core muscle  injury. Nevertheless, his numbers should make him an enticing option for a team looking to improve via a trade during the offseason. 

Just as one can't blame Anthony Davis for requesting a trade, the New Orleans Pelicans shouldn't be crushed for refusing to accept 50 cents on the dollar for an MVP-caliber player or for wishing to deal him to an out-of-conference team if possible. Still, losing such a talent in his prime is a disappointing end for a franchise that has become more known for instability than for winning meaningful games. Get ready for the tank, New Orleans fans. 

The Washington Wizards acquiring Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis ahead of the trade deadline was largely about creating cap space. It still could be in the long run. Parker may, however, be doing enough coming off the bench to warrant a short-term deal with Washington. He averaged over 14 points per game his first 20 contests with the Wizards, and the 24-year-old who has suffered multiple torn ACL injuries during his career may actually prove to be too pricey for his current employer, considering his play throughout the final months of a lost campaign for the franchise. 

John Wall's Achilles injury was the final nail in the coffin for the 2019-20 Washington Wizards, as the upcoming season likely won't be too kind for the club. For this year, however, it's Dwight Howard who gets the nod as the team's most disappointing asset. Howard played in just nine games until a back injury sidelined him indefinitely and, as Ben Standig of NBC Sports explained, will probably saddle the club with the former Superman through the start of next season. It's bad times for members of the Washington faithful. 

In March, Cooper Langby of Dunking with Wolves argued Derrick Rose deserves to win Sixth Man of the Year. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard enjoyed a career resurgence, as the 30-year-old turned back the clock and averaged 18 points per game while shooting over 48 percent for the first time in a decade until surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow ended his campaign after 51 appearances. A Chicago Bulls homecoming this summer could be in his future. 

The Timberwolves cannot even rely on forward Andrew Wiggins scoring empty points on a consistent basis these days. Not only has Wiggins failed to improve after his 2016-17 season, but the numbers, such as those mentioned by Mason McFee of Per Sources, show he's shooting as poorly, if not worse, than over any prior period of his career. Wiggins criticizing the fans in late 2018 was a bad look, but it's his lackluster play that has some observers and fans calling for the team to trade him this summer even if doing so means giving him to an organization at a bargain because of his massive contract. 

Don't let that breathtaking game-winner lead you to believe Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb is a one-highlight wonder. The 26-year-old maintained a breakout season through the final weeks of the grueling and losing campaign, which is all the better for him and his bank account since he's set to hit free agency this summer. If the Hornets embrace a tank, Lamb could find himself joining a playoff team later this year. 

With the 11th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected Malik Monk when Donovan Mitchell was on the board. No aloe exists to soothe that burn. In short, Monk's future is underwhelming, at best, after two seasons, and the argument for Charlotte to play him more basically comes down to the idea that the team should tank and try to brighten what is currently a bleak future. Monk could be packaged in a trade during the summer regardless of where Kemba Walker calls home past June. 

Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic is another individual spotlighted here who's producing a career year ahead of entering free agency. The 28-year-old became an All-Star for the first time and posted personal bests in multiple categories. In June 2018, the Magic drafted a young player deemed, at the time, to be Vucevic's replacement, but the fact Orlando didn't deal the veteran ahead of the trade deadline leads one to believe the club wants to retain him. 

Mohamed Bamba, Orlando's chosen big man of the future last June, appeared in 47 games and made one start until a stress fracture in his left tibia sidelined him beginning in February. Bamba's ceiling remains high, but it was telling that the Magic didn't go all in on him while cashing in on a Vucevic trade rather than risk losing the veteran for nothing later this year. The Magic trading Bamba if the team gets Vucevic to commit his future to the club could be the wisest course of action. 

Probably the biggest thing working against Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox winning Most Improved Player is recent history telling us second-year pros don't earn that honor. The 21-year-old not only avoided any sophomore slump, but he's also performed like a budding superstar while becoming a vital mainstay for a team on the rise ahead of schedule. And he improved nearly every facet of his game. What's scary for Western Conference sides, as ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote, is opposing coaches already realize the speedster could take a second leap by playing a more unselfish style on offense.  

Had somebody told you in October the Kings would undeniably be better than the Los Angeles Lakers after Christmas in March, one might've assumed, among other things, that center Willie Cauley-Stein continued down the path toward the greatness he began last season. That hasn't been the case, as a hot start last fall was merely a tease instead of foreshadowing what was to come. His defensive deficiencies make him so replaceable that the Kings could let the to-be restricted free agent walk in the summer. 

In October, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald predicted Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson would enjoy a breakout campaign and make an All-Defensive Team. Richardson rose to the occasion at both ends of the court. The 25-year-old earned praise from coach Erik Spoelstra  in late March for the defensive ground he's covered throughout the season, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and Richardson also improved his scoring from the 2017-18 campaign by roughly four points per contest after 72 games this season. 

One can't help but wonder if the Heat relegating center Hassan Whiteside to a bench role and to somebody with fluctuating minutes may, intentionally or not, have something to do with the player option for next season attached to his contract, per Spotrac . While the 29-year-old averaged a double-double in each of the past five years, his continued nightly inconsistencies aren't magically disappearing overnight. Erik Spoelstra preferring Bam Adebayo over Whiteside during Miami's playoff push says plenty. 

The alleged demise of Blake Griffin's career after the Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Detroit Pistons in January 2018 was greatly exaggerated. The 30-year-old may not be able to leap out of every gym anymore, but adding a three-point shot to his repertoire helped him post the best scoring season, to date, of his nine-year career. His willingness to work and evolve earned him a first All-Star nod in four seasons. 

The Detroit Pistons unsurprisingly gave up on any hope Stanley Johnson would claim a meaningful and deserved role in the lineup when the franchise traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans in a three-team deal in February. Widely praised for his defensive abilities, the 22-year-old selected eighth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft was hardly noticeable during his final weeks with the Pistons. He and Detroit needed to go in different directions. 

Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell may be having the last laugh at the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that traded him east in 2017. The 23-year-old added his name to the list of Most Improved Player of the Year candidates by remaining healthy, improving his scoring from 15.5 PPG last season to over 20 PPG, and earning a first trip to an All-Star Game. On March 26, analyst Tommy Beer gave this stat: Russell and James Harden were, as of that day, the only two players to accumulate at least 1,500 points, 500 assists, and over 200 three-pointers. 

The Brooklyn Nets gave fans more thrills than expected, but the ugly and severe leg injury suffered by guard Caris LeVert in November remains a black cloud over the team's campaign. Per Bleacher Report's Tyler Conway, LeVert was averaging 18.4 PPG, a vast improvement over his previous career high (12.1), and he was also posting personal bests in rebounds (4.3) and assists (3.7) when he went down. It's admirable, not to mention shocking, he returned to the court in February, but he couldn't reclaim his prior form before the end of March. 

The San Antonio Spurs reaching a buyout agreement with Pau Gasol following the trade deadline gave Jakob Poeltl opportunities for additional playing time, and the 23-year-old earned his keep with his performances. Poeltl will likely never be an elite scorer, but his rebounding and shot-blocking made him a paramount rim protector. As Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio wrote, the Spurs won 11 of the first 13 games featuring Poeltl and LaMarcus Aldridge in the starting lineup.  

The final chapter of Pau Gasol's tenure with the Spurs was as disappointing as it was predictable. Gasol, who turned 38 years old last summer, averaged career lows in PPG (4.2), APG (1.9), RPG (4.7) and minutes (12.2) across 27 appearances. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic , Gasol gave the Spurs over $2 million in a buyout to join the Milwaukee Bucks in March. 

Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year who should have been an All-Star, both for his defensive prowess and breakout offensive season that could land him on an All-NBA team. Along with scoring at a higher rate than ever before over an entire campaign, the 26-year-old set a record for most dunks in a season since 2000, the first year that stat was officially recorded, according to the Jazz's official team site. Gobert is no longer merely the best rim protector in the league. 

There were signs in late March that Utah guard Ricky Rubio may have located a spark that, more often than not, was missing throughout the season. The 28-year-old's numbers are down across the board, and he's shooting worse from beyond the arc and from the field, in general, than at this point a year ago. The harsh truth is Rubio even returning to his prior production may not be enough for the Jazz to get out of the second round of the playoffs. 

Less than a month before the start of the postseason, Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe accurately described the Celtics as the league's most disappointing team. Kyrie Irving isn't winning MVP, and Gordon Hayward earns a mention in the next spot of the piece. The secret's out on Marcus Smart serving as an elite defender near the top of defensive real plus-minus among point guards, and Fansided's Daniel Poarch argued the 25-year-old should be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. 

In early March, ESPN's Jackie MacMullan reported Boston forward Gordon Hayward is working with a mental health counselor as he continues to recover from the horrific and career-threatening injury he suffered in October 2017. Your heart goes out to the 29-year-old, but it also cannot be ignored that, outside of occasional big outings vs. the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors in 2019, he's not the player Boston acquired months before that fateful night in Cleveland when he went down. Assuming Hayward will find his groove during the playoffs is wishful thinking ahead of Easter. 

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George surprised the basketball community multiple times over the past 12 months, first by remaining with the Thunder instead of following LeBron James west to the Los Angeles Lakers, and later by becoming the straw that stirs OKC's drink and an NBA MVP candidate during the best season of his career. If not for James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 28-year-old toppling personal highs in multiple categories could win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year while leading the league in steals. 

Unless you took a break from the Association after Christmas, you likely know all about the shooting woes Russell Westbrook suffered through during the winter. For a piece published on March 22, Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated wrote how Westbrook's jumper may make or break the Thunder's title hopes. Russell's hot streak from earlier that month was followed by yet another cold snap, which is concerning considering a rough week from the 2016-17 NBA MVP could bounce OKC right out of the playoffs in April or May. Also, Westbrook barely shooting 65 percent from the charity stripe isn't going to cut it. 

Imagine somebody told you in July 2018 that Tobias Harris would be the key piece in a trade that bolstered what might be the best team in a conference. You would have been surprised, and for good reason. Over 55 games, all starts, with the Los Angeles Clippers, Harris averaged over 20 PPG (20.9) and shot over 43 percent (43.9) from three-point range and over 49 percent (49.6) from the field for the first time of his career, and the Philadelphia 76ers brought him to the City of Brotherly Love in February to be the fifth man for what could be a championship lineup. 

As Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype and NBA Wire explained, Avery Bradley hit out at his role with the Los Angeles Clippers after they traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in February. It's on the 28-year-old to prove the Clippers wrong. Bradley started the year slowly, and he failed to find his three-point shot while taking minutes from younger players. Los Angeles probably doesn't mind Bradley has played better in Memphis since the transaction. That wasn't happening with the Clippers. 

The Portland Trail Blazers taking guard Rodney Hood off the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in February may mean more than originally thought. With Jusuf Nurkic  sidelined indefinitely following a ghastly and horrifying injury he suffered weeks ahead of the playoffs and C.J. McCollum dealing with a lingering knee problem, Portland needs all the depth it can get. Hood isn't a starter on a playoff team, but as  Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge wrote, the 26-year-old has been an efficient scorer capable of shooting over 45 percent from the field, coming off the bench, with his latest club. 

Obviously nothing is more disappointing for the Trail Blazers than Jusuf Nurkic being lost for all of 2019 and at least some of 2020. For the season, though, forward Maurice Harkless stands out. Harkless, like McCollum, has battled a lingering knee issue, and he shot only 25 percent from three-point range in January and February. Portland needs the 25-year-old's jumper in April more than ever. 

Victor Oladipo going down for the campaign in January (more on that later) could've completely sunk the Indiana Pacers, but multiple individuals worked tirelessly to keep the club in the upper portion of the standings' playoff positions longer than many would've expected. Domantas Sabonis immediately comes to mind. Per CBS Sports/RotoWire, the 22-year-old tallied 26 double-doubles, a career high, over 67 games, and he's a sleeper to win Sixth Man of the Year largely because the category is filled with multiple noteworthy stars and big names. In other springs, that honor could've been his. 

The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy writing that the Pacers were likely "hitting their post-Oladipo wall" in the final days of winter offered a reminder of how much Victor Oladipo suffering a ruptured quad in January absolutely sucks for Indiana fans and for casual viewers anticipating the Eastern Conference playoffs. Indiana making a noteworthy postseason run without the star shooting guard in the lineup would be one of the best NBA stories in recent memory. Realistically, the Pacers exiting the tournament early is the more likely scenario. 

ESPN's Mike Greenberg offered an interesting James Harden stat on March 26: The reigning league MVP would still be leading the league in scoring if his fourth-quarter points didn't count. Obviously, Harden's excellence is well-appreciated, but nobody foresaw or predicted his assault on the record books that included the 29-year-old compiling the second-longest streak of games with at least 30 points in league history. The argument of who should win MVP between Harden and the Greek Freak will not be settled by any single voting process in the eyes of observers and fans who feel passionately about the matter. 

Carmelo Anthony going from a preseason NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Award candidate to an unutilized member of the Houston Rockets after only 10 games was a bizarre finish to a stint that barely began in the first place. The 34-year-old has essentially been without a basketball home since, and there's no indication he's on any team's radar after months of rumors linking him with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers resulted in no agreement between the future Hall of Famer and the club. This can't be how Anthony's career ends, right? 

The Ringer's Justin Verrier labeled Jimmy Butler "cantankerous" after the Minnesota Timberwolves traded the outspoken star to the Philadelphia 76ers in November, and a report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski in early January claiming Butler challenged his new head coach about his role in Philly seemed to confirm that description. To his credit, the 29-year-old settled into the lineup and offered multiple reminders in March that he can be one of the top closers in the conference. The days of Butler deferring on offense may completely erode once the playoffs start. 

If Markelle Fultz is to make a full return from thoracic outlet syndrome and fix his broken shot, it will happen either with the Orlando Magic or some other organization. The 76ers sent Fultz south in February, ending his tenure with the organization after only 33 appearances. The Sixers sitting in a position to win a title without Fultz doesn't keep him from being an all-time draft whiff. 

After earning a single start across his first two seasons, Denver Nuggets guard Malik Beasley is averaging over 10 points per game and proving to be a solid contributor off the bench who can give his team valuable starts when asked. The 22-year-old likely won't win Most Improved Player, but he should be on the short list of candidates after going from averaging roughly 9.5 minutes per game in 2017-18 to playing over 23 minutes a night for a contender. Beasley's breakout year is just one reason you shouldn't sleep on Denver once the playoffs start. 

When healthy, Denver's Gary Harris possesses the goods to be listed among the top five shooting guards in the league. A laundry list of injuries left the Nuggets without the 24-year-old for 25 of the team's first 72 contests, and there are legitimate reasons to believe he may not hold up through the playoffs. The Nuggets won't overcome the Golden State Warriors or the best from the East without him. 

Surprise, surprise: The Golden State Warriors managed to improve the team's roster en route to a sixth consecutive 50-win season. DeMarcus Cousins has been a solid fit in an already stacked lineup since his return from a torn Achilles, and criticisms about his defense during the winter were merely wishful thinking for those hoping the club's dynastic run was coming to an end. In reality, the question remains the same regarding the Warriors: Is there anybody who honestly believes this team can't flip the figurative switch once the playoffs begin? 

Ignore conversations about Draymond Green potentially sparking drama with Kevin Durant in November or annoying head coach Steve Kerr in March, since, as stated earlier, Golden State's season essentially starts when Game 1 of the postseason tips off. Green is in the middle of his worst season since the 2013-14 campaign, averaging well under 10 points per game while shooting below 30 percent from beyond the arc. In the past, the 29-year-old has often played his best ball during the playoffs, but the Warriors may not even need him to do so with any consistency to win a fourth title in five years.  

Discussions about revoking certain voting privileges may be necessary if Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam doesn't win Most Improved Player. The 25-year-old became a revelation after making the transition from the bench to the starting lineup, eclipsing previous career highs in just about every noteworthy category. As Forbes' Curtis Rush wrote in early March, Siakam is a best-kept secret no more. He'll be the third piece for a conference champion if the Raptors complete the journey to the NBA Finals. 

Ahead of the new year, Raptors Rapture's Mike Bossetti and Doug Smith of The Star, among others, wrote about the struggles of Toronto's famed "bench mob." That unit remains worrisome and among the bottom half in the league ahead of the postseason. A healthy Fred VanVleet may be vital to Toronto's title hopes and, potentially, to the team's chances of keeping Kawhi Leonard past June. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo chasing an MVP award isn't surprising, but he continues to get better and show no signs of reaching any viewable ceiling. The 24-year-old may not just be the league's most valuable single asset heading into the playoffs, but he could also win Defensive Player of the Year. Call him unguardable, unstoppable or a superstar. The walking double-double may soon be known as a champion. 

A change of scenery may do Thon Maker good, as it was clear to all who watched he wasn't going to contribute for the Milwaukee Bucks as that team pursued a championship this spring. The Bucks traded the 10th selection of the 2016 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons as part of a three-team deal in February, in part so the 22-year-old would see additional playing time. Drafting Maker over Pascal Siakam appears to have been a massive and regrettable error. 

Gone are the days of JaVale McGee being known for his "Shaqtin' a Fool" appearances, and the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers, as a whole, are an enormous letdown missing the playoffs shouldn't overshadow his production throughout the campaign. The 31-year-old posted his best personal stats since the 2011-12 season, and he's been an underrated defender throughout his first year with the Lakers. Los Angeles, specifically LeBron James, must attract better players via free agency this summer. As Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen & Roll wrote, though, the Lakers bringing McGee back for another run should also be on the table. 

LeBron James had two specific basketball-related jobs after signing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018: attract at least one major star to play alongside him out west; and guide the franchise back to the playoffs. Thus far, the three-time champion is 0-2. James may be the greatest player of his generation, but the 34-year-old won't be able to escape Father Time. His window to return to the NBA Finals closes a little more each year.