NBA: 3 teams that should be concerned at the first quarter mark of the season
The NBA season is almost finished up with its first quarter of games. These three teams should be concerned with their performance so far.
The barometer for how an NBA team will usually fair for the season is around the 20-to-25 game mark. We are approaching that point in the season as most teams are nearing 25 games played.
We should have a real feel for what all these teams are moving forward. The Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers are all teams that I believe should have some concern about how their team has performed so far this season.
NBA teams that should be concerned: Indiana Pacers
A team that seems like it’s still searching for identity and has playoff aspirations has had a roller coaster start to the season. The Pacers started the season yet again without some of their starters as Caris LeVert missed time with a small fracture in his back and TJ Warren has yet to step on the court.
As a result, the Pacers started the season with an abysmal record in October going a dreadful 1-6. November has been much better as they went .500 going 8-8, but the problems still remain.
The roster just doesn’t seem like it fits together. Caris LeVert has been up and down since injury where some nights he looks like his old Brooklyn Nets self and some nights where he struggles to find his way. The pairing of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have had their highs and lows as well but have yet to find a consistent balance together.
Individually the players have had some really good things go for them but it has yet to translate to wins. With the East becoming tougher and the Pacers still looking to find their identity, the level of concern should be rising in Indy.
NBA teams that should be concerned: Sacramento Kings
To say one is concerned about the Kings is an understatement. The Kings currently have the longest playoff drought in the NBA that sits at fifteen seasons (over half my lifetime) and were looking to snap that record this season. That dream is currently on life support (if not already deceased).
The Kings started off decently going 5-4 in their first nine games but since then it’s been a landslide to the bottom. Since then the Kings have gone 3-10 and have seen former head coach Luke Walton lose his job. Alvin Gentry has taken over that position and the Kings still look like the same team.
The biggest problems with Sacramento this season are their rebounding and defense, two statistics that win you basketball games. Rebounding is a major concern for the Kings as they rank 26th in defensive rebounding percentage (48.6), 29th in defensive rebounding percentage (69.2), and 17th in rebounds per game (45.1). The Kings don’t have the most size on their roster and it shows in the rebounding category.
The Kings’ defense this season has been lackluster. The Kings rank dead last in the league in second-chance points allowed giving up 16.2 second-chance points per game. The Kings also rank last in points in the paint giving up 52.4 points in the paint per game, which is two more points than the second-worst team the Lakers.
Giving up that many second-chance and points in the paint combined with the inability to attack the boards is a recipe to lose a lot of games. It also doesn’t help that star point guard De’Aaron Fox is posting career lows across the board this season. As it stands now, the Kings are in a pickle and are on track to continue their streak of seasons without a playoff berth.
NBA teams that should be concerned: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are the only team on this list with a winning record but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be cause for concern for a team with championship aspirations. The Lakers currently sit at 12-11 after their win against the above-mentioned Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers have been up and down so far this season. LeBron James has already missed some time due to some injuries and is now in health and safety protocol which could potentially sideline him for two weeks, Russell Westbrook is still trying to find his groove with this team and find his place within the offense, and age and durability are still major questions moving forward.
The biggest questions with the Lakers are their offense and interior defense. The Lakers are 29th in points in the paint allowed, 25th in second-chance points allowed, but are in the middle of the pack when it comes to defensive rating standing at 16th. The Lakers’ offensive rating is much worse as they are 22nd in the league (106.2). I believe the Lakers’ main concern on offense is lack of outside shooting mixed with the personnel of the roster. The Lakers really don’t have the knockdown shooters to spread the floor as they need especially with Russell Westbrook on the floor.
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Out of the three teams on this list, the Lakers have the least amount to be concerned about as they are the best team on this list. That shouldn’t take away from the concerns that show for a team that is looking to win it all in a loaded Western Conference this season.