NBA 2020-21: 5 Most disappointing teams so far this season

#3 Miami Heat

Gabe Vincent #2, Tyler Herro #14, Precious Achiuwa #5, and Duncan Robinson #55 of the Miami Heat react against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 2019-20 Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat have had a difficult start to the 2020-21 NBA season. Miami reached the NBA Finals last year, and while it was a good achievement for a team that were not the favorites in the East, the situation also did not give them enough time to prepare for the current campaign.

Still, the short turnaround between seasons is not a great excuse, as the reigning champions, LA Lakers had an even shorter time to rest yet have the best record in the NBA.

Injuries have hindered Miami and their best player, Jimmy Butler, has played just six games in the season. Miami are struggling on both sides of the floor, as they are ranked 21st in Offensive Rating and 24th in Defensive Rating among the 30 NBA teams.

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#2 Toronto Raptors

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JANUARY 06: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors moves the ball ahead of Cameron Johnson #23 of the Phoenix Suns.

While some of the teams on this list have had tough circumstances with injuries and the NBA health and safety protocol, the Toronto Raptors' issues have not been related to such things.

The Raptors' core is built by some of the most important players from their 2019 title run and their postseason team from 2020. However, the departures of big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are proving costly for them, as Aron Baynes and Alex Len have struggled to replace the duo.

Toronto started the year with a 1-6 record and despite a recent good run, they are still one of the worst teams in the entire NBA. The Raptors have been a Top 5 team defensively in the previous two seasons under Nick Nurse, but are 20th in Defensive Rating right now.

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#1 New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans is congratulated by teammates as he comes to the bench.

The New Orleans Pelicans have an interesting young core with Zion Williamson and NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram. With a new head coach (Stan Van Gundy) coming in and his defensive approach, a team with such weapons on offense was expected to make lots of noise in the stacked Western Conference. However, New Orleans have been highly inconsistent so far.

The Pelicans Defensive Rating has not improved much compared to last year, even though the team added a great inside presence in Steven Adams. Though the Pelicans started the NBA year with a 4-2 record, they have stalled and have five losses in their last six matches.

Even though their offensive issues can probably be solved by giving Zion Williamson more shots, their defense identity needs a total revamp. New Orleans have allowed at least 111 points in each of their last seven games, which drove them to a 2-5 record in that stretch.

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