This NBA season has been an odd one to say the least.
With Covid still playing a big factor on rosters and a short turnaround from the previous season to this one; it was predictable for some teams to disappoint coming out of the gate.
Now that the season is passed the halfway point; those teams should be close to where they were expected to be.
However, in the case for some teams, they still have an uphill battle to match their expectations.
I want to see who are the top two teams that are disappointments and why that is the case.
Honorable Mention: Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks had high hopes because of one man and that man is Luka Doncic.
Entering this season, he was looked at as an MVP frontrunner and someone that can lead his Mavericks to a high playoff seed after their playoff appearance last season as the 7th seed.
They started very slow as their second-best player, Kristaps Porzingis, was still recovering from knee surgery and missed the first month.
Then Covid dismantled the roster for a decent amount of time stopping any chemistry from forming.
The Dallas Mavericks had 4 players test positive for COVID-19. We assume this is the same 4 we already saw enter the protocol. Kleber, Richardson, Brunson, Finney-Smith. #DallasMavericks #NBA
— Sideline Study (@sideline_study) January 11, 2021
Luka even admitted to coming into the season out of shape as he was prepared for the season to start later than December.
The first two months of the season had the Mavericks posting a 8-12 record trying to stay afloat in the crowded Western Conference.
They are beginning to rebound from the very slow start fighting for one of the final spots in the playoff hunt.
Luka is playing at the MVP level we all expected and the team is trying their best to maintain a healthy roster, but it still might end up falling short of expectations.
They are a disappointing team this season, but not as much as the upcoming duo.
Toronto Raptors
Two years ago, the Toronto Raptors were on top of the mountain winning the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Now, this is a team on the precipice of a rebuild that nobody saw coming.
The notion was that the team might take a slight step back from making the second round in last year’s playoffs due to losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, but not quite like this.
The Raptors are currently 17-24 and not even in a spot to participate in the play-in tournament as they are the 11th seed.
Even with the loss of Kawhi, they still managed to take the 2nd seed in the East last season.
Unfortunately, this season has been a disaster.
They have been hit with Covid on two separate occasions, one of which decimated the entire coaching staff.
An injury to their leader, Kyle Lowry, also hurt their season.
The season has gotten to a point of possibly no return as they might be shopping Lowry and guard Norman Powell.
The Heat are interested in trading for Kyle Lowry, reports @MikeAScotto.
Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, and Kendrick Nunn have been discussed in a potential trade package.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 14, 2021
The rebuild seems like it is on the horizon, which is a far cry from what the expectations were for the Raptors.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are by far the most disappointing team of this season and it might not even be close.
A conference finalist the year before, but now are a below .500 team.
Their two all-stars, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are producing, but the team does not seem to be gelling throughout the season.
Kemba Walker missed a portion of the first half recovering from knee surgery and still hasn’t found his form that made him a star player last year.
Marcus Smart missed several weeks, which hurt this team beyond repair.
The Celtics seem lost and discombobulated in most games as of late.
They have been lurking for trades and buyout candidates, but nothing has come to fruition.
Leaving this link to Celtics trades here for no reason at all.https://t.co/7Faq3beXSm
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) March 20, 2021
The Celtics looked poised to take that final step on perhaps making the NBA finals for the first time since 2010.
That simply is not happening with how this team is constructed and how they are playing.
Their disappointment is astonishing.
They need a resurgence and they need it fast.
NEXT: Is Derrick Rose A Hall of Famer? (Full Argument)