Top 5 NBA disappointments
By DAVE CAREY
An ugly blind date. The broken milkshake machine at a fast food restaurant. The final episode of Sopranos. All are disappointments, but none on the same level as these underachieving NBA teams. Some names might surprise you but what each team has in common is inconsistency.
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis (11-35 SU, 15-30-1 ATS) wasn’t going to contend for a title this season but it was at least supposed to be competitive every night. The roster touts eight players who are 24 or younger, led by rookie guard O.J. Mayo. The former Southern Cal star is averaging a team-high 19 points per game but is shooting just 44 percent from the floor.
The Grizzlies need every point they can get as they allow opponents to make more than 48 percent of their shots (second worst in the league) and score nearly 100 points a night. The youth especially is exposed on the road, where Memphis is a terrible 5-15 ATS.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix (25-20 SU, 15-29-1 ATS) figured to rely on an experienced roster but its veterans are struggling to show up in games they should win easily. The Suns are just 6-16 ATS at home and 12-22-1 ATS as a favorite. The team also gets old in the fourth quarter, as it’s 2-16 SU when trailing after three quarters and 0-7 at home in such games.
Toronto Raptors
Don’t be fooled by the Raptors (19-30, 19-28-2 ATS) and their fast starts. The first quarter is the only one Toronto is outscoring its opponents in this season. Even when it holds a lead after the first 12 minutes, it usually doesn't mean much as the team is just 15-17 SU when leading after the first frame. And don’t expect teams to be jet-lagged from a flight to Canada, as Toronto is 7-15-1 ATS at home and just 9-13 SU. The key for the Raptors to regain their bite is playing better against inferior teams, as they are 6-12 ATS as a favorite.
Detroit Pistons
Trading guard Chauncey Billups for mercurial scorer and perennial malcontent Allen Iverson has been anything but The Answer for Detroit (25-21 SU, 19-27 ATS). Detroit has beaten all the division winners but Boston. The Pistons, however, are just 7-17 ATS at home, where it tends to mail in its performances. And don’t even think of a comeback in their own gym, as the Pistons are 2-7 SU when trailing at the half at the Palace at Auburn Hills.
Washington Wizards
The day Washington (10-37, 18-28-1 ATS) became irrelevant: Sept. 17, 2008. The same day guard Gilbert Arenas announced he would be out until at least mid-January following an operation to repair his left knee. But an injury to the team’s leading scorer doesn't explain a team that falls behind early and never recovers. The Wizards are 2-31 SU when trailing after the third quarter, 3-28 SU when trailing after the first quarter and a staggering 1-25 SU when trailing at halftime.