8. New York Knicks
The two teams that "won" the offseason may be two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA. You may see the New York Knicks with a No. 8 ranking and be happy but with the expectations that this team entered the league with, it's difficult for the franchise to be satisfied with how they've played recently. It's the inconsistency that has been the biggest issue for the Knicks and something that needs to be solved before the push toward the playoffs comes around. At its core, you'd hope that this team's struggles are because of all the new faces.
But there's at least a small chance that it's not. The Knicks are clearly still trying to find a comfort level with each other but there are some concerns that this team may not be where it needs to be if they want to compete for a championship this season. With the way the team has played so far this season, you can't help but wonder where they would be if it wasn't for the last-minute move for Karl-Anthony Towns. As the most polarizing move of the Knicks' offseason, KAT has pretty much saved this team from being an even bigger disaster.
7. Denver Nuggets
There are certain teams that many consider to be contenders that are in grave danger of their championship windows closing. In the Western Conference, I do believe that the Denver Nuggets might be at that spot. Even though they haven't completely fallen off a cliff this season, there is reason for concern in Denver. They're no longer the team that every team feared. Aside from Nikola Jokic, there's little certainty of what the team is going to get from the rest of the supporting cast.
That has to be a grind and has to be taking a toll on Jokic. Unlike the previous two seasons, this team is really good when Jokic plays at a high level and just average when he doesn't. To put this entire season in context for the Nuggets, Jokic is having the best statistical season in modern NBA history and the Nuggets are barely playing above .500 basketball. This team is in trouble and I'm sure there are many inside the organization that could sense it. The problem is that there may not be much to do to salvage Denver right now.