5 teams that might fail to live up to expectations in the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic (#77) of Team Slovenia and the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks have a strong candidate for the NBA MVP award in Luka Doncic. But the Slovenian superstar alone might not be enough for the team to produce a deep run in the NBA Playoffs.

Doncic is in the conversation to be considered the best player in today's NBA. But the last two postseasons have proven that he can only take Dallas so far if his teammates do not perform well, or key players miss games due to injuries.

Kristaps Porzingis could be a key player in Jason Kidd's system, if he is able to perform at a high level. Last season, Porzingis did not have a great production in the postseason. His numbers from the regular season, 20 points and nine rebounds per game with a 47/37/85 split, went down to 13 points and five rebounds per game with a 47/29/84 shooting splits.

The team re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr., a key shooter on the roster, and also added Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown to their mix of solid three-point shooters. Will that be enough for them to improve their fifth-seed finish from last season and a first-round exit in the playoffs?

However, Doncic could take huge strides and throw all pre-season predictions about the Mavericks out the window. That could see the team emerge as a legitimate contender for the title from the Western Conference.

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#2 New York Knicks

Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts to a call.

The New York Knicks had a solid 2020-21 NBA season. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record and made it to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The Atlanta Hawks ended New York's campaign after a thrilling five-game series. But the Knicks must be elated with their exploits in the last campaign, which was beyond what many would have predicted. Now, it is likely the team could find in the reckoning for the playoffs again.

The Knicks might struggle with some teams that were behind them in last year's regular season, such as the Boston Celtics, AtlantaHawks and the Charlotte Hornets. All three teams could probably finish above the Knicks in the 2021-22 campaign, leaving the latter fighting for a play-in spot.

Last year, Julius Randle led the team's offense and earned the Most Improved Player award. But it was coach Tom Thibodeau's defense that was New York's strongest suit.

While the Knicks' offense was only 23rd in the NBA during the regular season, their defense ranked third in Defensive Rating. For the upcoming season, the team has brought in two players - Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier - who could improve their offense,

New York also kept Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel. So they'll fancy their chances of making the postseason again.

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#1 Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler (#22) of the Miami Heat dribbles up the court, defended by Jrue Holiday (#21) of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Miami Heat improved their roster handsomely heading into the 2021-22 NBA season. Interestingly, the Heat were ousted in the first round of the playoffs .and did not play like a well-oiled unit for large swathes of the campaign.

The Heat reached NBA Finals in 2020, but last year, they failed to win a game against the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Heat front office has revamped the roster with the addition of veterans Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris. Miami also kept Duncan Robinson, so their backcourt looks solid.

However, expectations of replicating their 2020 success in the NBA bubble seems far-fetched for the Heat next campaign. The team looked good when Jimmy Butler was healthy. But without him on the court, they looked underwhelming, to say the least.

That means Miami are unlikely to join the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA Eastern Conference favorites. However, with the Philadelphia 76ers struggling due to the uncertainty of the Ben Simmons' situation, Miami could be in a straight competition with the Atlanta Hawks to finish third in the East.

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