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With the trade deadline and 2020 All-Star Weekend now in the books, the 2019-20 NBA season is heading towards an exciting conclusion. While the Milwaukee Bucks have dominated the Western Conference since the opening weekend of the season, the likes of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat continue to fight for homecourt advantage. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies are gearing up for an intense battle to secure the final playoff spot in the West.
Elsewhere, plenty of out of contention teams are already gearing up for next season following disappointing campaigns, and now is the perfect time to reflect on what went wrong over the past four months. Needless to say, individual player performances have played a role, and here we will take a look at five players who fizzled out after having a great start to the 2019-20 season.
#5 Ricky Rubio
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The Utah Jazz chose against pursuing an extension for Ricky Rubio last summer in favor of trading for Mike Conley, although the Phoenix Suns were confident enough in the Spaniard's ability to sign him to a three-year, $51 million contract.
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While an excellent playmaker, Rubio had long-been labeled as a bad shooter, although the 29-year-old averaged 14.8 points on 42.5 percent shooting throughout November and December. Rubio also averaged 10.6 assists during the final month of 2019, and the veteran has lauded as one of the best signings of the 2019 offseason.
However, Rubio's shooting struggles returned in January as the guard averaged just 9.9 points on 36.3 percent shooting. Rubio's form has been up and down so far this month, although it is extremely doubtful that the former Utah man will be able to steer the Suns back into playoff contention.
#4 Devonte' Graham
Following a tough rookie year, Devonte' Graham wasn't expected to play a substantial role for the Charlotte Hornets. However, a series of excellent performances during the first month of the season resulted in the 24-year-old being promoted to the starting lineup alongside Terry Rozier - and Graham was a borderline All-Star throughout November and December.
After breaking into the starting five in November, Graham averaged 18.8 points and 7.4 assists on 40.9 percent shooting, and he was even better the following month, averaging 19.8 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. However, the guard has shot just 36.6 percent from the field since the turn of the year, and after averaging 16.1 points in January, Graham has managed just six points over his last two games while shooting 1-17 from the field.
#3 Aron Baynes
Aron Baynes was traded to the Phoenix Suns last summer following two-years with the Boston Celtics. Throughout his first seven seasons in the league, Baynes had averaged just 5.4 points and 4.4 rebounds while playing primarily from the bench, although the Australian grew into a key player for the Suns following Deandre Ayton's 25-game suspension.
In five games in October, Baynes contributed 14.0 points and 6.4 rebounds - as he notably dropped 24 points on the Golden State Warriors. The following month, the 33-year-old featured eight times, averaging 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists - while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. However, Baynes has averaged just 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds this month, and his minutes have been drastically reduced following Ayton's return.
#2 Andre Drummond
Throughout October, Andre Drummond averaged 21 points and 17.4 rebounds, while also shooting 61.3 percent from the field. The center also posted a double-double in each of his first 11 appearances of the campaign, and his effort on both the ends of the court was applauded. Drummond appeared set for an All-Star return, although the Pistons' season quickly unraveled, and the 26-year-old's performances also dipped.
Throughout January, Drummond averaged just 15.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting - and the Pistons opted to move on from the big ahead of the trade deadline as they sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Drummond's minutes will be significantly lower following his move to a rebuilding Cavs team, and the veteran faces a huge summer as he plots his next career move.
#1 Andrew Wiggins
Following two years of decline, Andrew Wiggins was resurgent over the opening 10 weeks of the season, and November was the best month of his career. Over 11 games, Wiggins averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest on 48.3 percent shooting from the field, and it appeared that the Timberwolves would compete for one of the final playoff spots in the West.
However, Minnesota soon fell apart, and Wiggins' excellent start cooled as familiar weaknesses in his game reappeared. The 24-year-old's shooting percentage fell due to poor shot selection, and questions were raised over his effort on defense and his ability to contribute to a contending team. We could get answers following his trade to the Golden State Warriors, although Wiggins is running out of time to live up to his All-Star potential.
