Written by: Jovan Popovic
Edited by: Lauren Iafrate
There are many NBA teams that have dug themselves into a hole that is difficult to escape. Although many get out eventually (i.e., the Lakers in the last 5-6 years), many struggle for years to come. Some think of the worst in the league, such as the Cavs and Suns. Perhaps the teams coming to mind are those whose issues start at the top, like the Bulls, or the Knicks, or the Hornets. Teams will be organized by tiers of disaster, tier one being “Good Shape”, spanning to tier three, “Biggest Mess Candidate”.
Tier 1
Chicago Bulls
As big a mess as the Bulls front office is, their young talent can’t be ignored. Between LaVine, Markkanen, White, and others, the deficit is balanced out which is the reason that they are here. They have the talent to be a playoff team, and the potential to be great, they just haven’t figured out how to string wins together yet. With their two main issues being their coaching and their front office, some changes could bring real success to the team. The Bulls are currently looking into bringing in a new GM, so this could be the first step in the direction of winning, which is why they sit atop Tier 1.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are a messed up team, however, they have lots of really good young talent, including De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley. The potential here is sky high, but like the Bulls, they have a weak front office along with coaching struggles. Ultimately, the issues from the team have long stemmed from their overly involved owner, Vivek Ranadivé. Known as a controlling owner, he frequently makes decisions and restricts the front office. An example is the DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Pelicans. After many questioned why the Kings couldn’t do better, GM Vlade Divac mentioned that the deal was the choice of Ranadivé. Divac said he actually had a better deal on the table days before. Perhaps with a little more freedom for the front office, the Kings could make some significant progress. This might start with a new head coach who is a better fit, and more established than the struggling Luke Walton.
Tier 2
Phoenix Suns
The Suns haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2010, but it’s not because they don’t have the talent. The roster includes some of the league’s best young players, such as all-star Devin Booker and former first overall pick DeAndre Ayton, which puts them in Tier 2 rather than in Tier 3. Unfortunately, Phoenix has always been unable to accomplish much, and this falls on their front office being one of the worst in the league (preventing them from being in tier 1). Many transactions simply don’t make sense, and nobody knows what they’re aiming for. They seem like they’re providing Booker help by acquiring vets like Ricky Rubio, Dario Saric, and others, but in reality, it doesn’t appear that they’re fully committed to winning. The past trade deadline, the team attempted to trade Kelly Oubre for young pieces and draft picks, which doesn’t make sense. Oubre is a young, quality asset for Phoenix. The other significant issue is that Booker might be pushed away. Despite Booker’s loyalty, every player has their breaking point, and it seems his is drawing closer and closer. With two of his former teammates and friends joining forces on the Timberwolves (Russell and Towns), Booker might have his sights set on a Minnesota move if the Suns can’t turn things around quickly.
New York Knicks
It might come as a surprise the Knicks are a tier 2 team, considering that they’re arguably the joke of the NBA. The way that Phil Jackson messed up the team hasn’t happened in a long time, and they have yet to start digging themselves out of that hole. This might indicate that the whole organization is in a state of distress and frankly, they are. However, they have more opportunities than other franchises to get out of this, which is why they’re not a tier 3 disaster. The organization is a disaster from top to bottom, from the owner being hated, to the front office making questionable moves with unrealistic expectations (expected playoffs this season, currently with a 17-40 record), and a suffering roster. However, there are three reasons why they aren’t hopeless. First, RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox. The two young Knicks show a potentially bright future for the organization if they develop properly. Knox had a strong 2019 season, and Barrett is performing strong thus far in 2020. They have high potential, and are crucial to the Knicks becoming a power house again. The second plus is the fact that they are in New York. Many of the games top stars prefer playing for large market teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, and others. No matter how big the mess, players will always be interested in playing there. For example, when Anthony Davis requested a trade, the Knicks were a team he was interested in despite their lack of success. The last major point is their financial flexibility. Teams like Utah and Portland frequently hesitate to hand out large contracts, which is something New York is fine with. No matter how bad the Knicks are, they have the ability to turn things around quickly.
Washington Wizards
Why are the Wizards here with John Wall and Bradley Beal? Well, they’re not in as good a position as they appear. Sure, Wall was an all-star caliber player, but with an injury as significant as his, it is unlikely he will ever truly return to his previous form. In February 2019, Wall ruptured his achilles, one of the worst injuries an NBA player could have, almost always leaving players in a shadow of their former self. Examples include DeMarcus Cousins, Wesley Matthews, and Isiah Thomas. At this point, it is likely that Wall is more of a bloated contract than anything else, collecting over $42 million on average annually. Although Beal is still a great player, the team can’t win with one star, little young talent, and a maxed out payroll. Despite having a strong coach (Scott Brooks), and a solid front office, the team simply doesn’t have the talent, or the youngsters for a bright future, putting them in a hole. Beal can be a great trade piece to move past the “Wall-Beal era”, but for some reason the front office doesn’t seem inclined to trade him. Perhaps without some trades for younger pieces, this team will eventually become a tier 3 team, but for now they remain tier 2.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have been a mess since LeBron left (again), but this was expected. They built around LeBron, trading for/signing older veteran players. Fortunately, the front office had the right idea to launch a rebuild immediately after, bringing in many youngsters like Colin Sexton, Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr., and others. Although the rebuild isn’t going phenomenally, they are headed in the right direction, separating them from tier 3 teams. They've had many issues along the way, preventing them from being a tier 1 team, but most could be fixed. The main issues here are the difficulties in trading Kevin Love (huge contract), and disrespect from the players. Love is undeniably a great player, but after signing a huge extension, the team is having a hard time trading him. Now, they are stuck with his large contract for the foreseeable future. Regarding the lack of respect from players, one simply has to look at the treatment towards former head coach John Beilein, who recently stepped down. Although Beilein made a couple mistakes he shouldn’t have, the team completely lacked respect for him, and didn’t give him the respect due to a coach. Unless this changes, the team won’t go anywhere, so it will be incredibly important for the organization to find a powerful, respectable figure to take the reins this off-season.
Tier 3
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is likely a team that anyone could have predicted to be in the third tier. The Hornets have been in a hole for years, and won’t be getting out of it anytime soon. Despite young talent like Devonte' Graham, Miles Bridges, and Malik Monk, the team doesn’t have a very bright future. This is because they are located in Charlotte, a city that isn’t very big about their basketball team. The Hornets are in a trap where they’re unable to rebuild, and also unable to contend. They don’t have a solid base, financial flexibility, or free agent desirability (even Kemba left) to become contenders, meaning they should be rebuilding. However, the team struggles to attract fans, and despite how miserable Charlotte basketball might have been the past few years, becoming the league’s absolute worst might push them out of Charlotte. They cannot afford to be at the very bottom of the league, and are therefore permanently stuck in 8th to 13th place finishes within the conference. Despite young talent, a good coach, and a good GM, they’re stuck in a loop that they cannot get out of.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons seemed like a great team, but the significant injury to Blake Griffin this season broke them. With Griffin unable to play, they’re not a playoff team, and the significance of the injury being what it is, could affect Griffin long term. With such uncertainty, the Pistons decided to rebuild, moving their star, Andre Drummond, to Cleveland for two older players on bloated contracts (Knight, Hanson), which didn’t make much sense. The Pistons had another significant trade piece however: Derrick Rose. Rose is enjoying a great season thus far in Detroit, and drew interest from many contenders, such as the Lakers, who reportedly offered Kyle Kuzma in a potential deal. The Pistons surprisingly retained Rose; a bad move for a team in need of young assets. The team currently begins their rebuild having only one young player with potential, Luke Kennard. They’re at the start of an incredibly weak rebuild, and aren’t making great decisions to improve, leading them to their tier 3 finish. Right now they stand with mostly veterans, a huge contract to a seriously injured all-star, a bad scouting department, and little-to-no young assets.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs being in Tier 3 is likely a surprise, as they’ve been a powerhouse team for years. Having not missed the playoffs since the 1996-1997 season, the team is struggling mightily to maintain the streak, and it looks likely it will come to an end this season. The struggles of the team stem from three primary issues: aging players, an outdated playstyle, and Gregg Popovich. Their three main stars; DeRozan, Gay and Aldridge are 30, 33, and 34 respectively. They have many young players, but none are high potential players, and are rather just bench pieces. The core is aging and struggling to produce like they once did. They also carry very large contracts, preventing trades/signings of other high-calibre players. The secondary issue is their playstyle. DeRozan and Aldridge have little to no shooting ability. Modern styles require fast pace, and strong long range shooting, which is something the team struggles with. Essentially, they lack the modern day playstyle required to contend. The team should be rebuilding, as they absolutely are not contenders, and should instead be trading for young assets. This is where Popovich becomes a problem. With Popovich having the incredible streak that he does, there’s pressure on the front office to keep it alive, despite rebuilding being a better option long term. They continue applying temporary solutions, refusing to look long term, making them a 3rd tier team. Despite having the best coach in the league's history, they don’t have a bright future whatsoever.
It is hard to determine the biggest mess in the NBA, but based on how their futures look, it seems to project like this (best to worst): Hornets → Spurs → Pistons. After moving Drummond, the Pistons seem to be the biggest mess in the NBA. It would take a lot to right the course of this ship, and they are unlikely to be a significant team for years to come.
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