The NBA fantasy playoffs are well underway and while some teams are gearing up for their league finals, there are already a number of managers sitting at home thinking about why their team didn’t have what it took to win it all.
A variety of factors could have factored in to poor results this season, including plenty of disappointments this year among players that were expected to perform at a high level. There is a good chance at least one or more of the following players were on a team that didn’t make their NBA fantasy playoffs this season. Here is a look at the five biggest NBA fantasy disappointments for this season.
Josh Smith – Houston Rockets
Many understood that the Pistons seemed committed to helping build around Smith as one of their key players that would always get his touches and opportunities to lead their offense. However, after a terrible start, they actually opted to buy him out. Smith ended up signing on with Houston where he has been a decent contributor with his averages up to 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, but those numbers are nowhere close to reasonable compared to where he was drafted in leagues. For that reason, he has been a major disappointment for both basketball fans in Detroit and fantasy owners that drafted him.
Lance Stephenson – Charlotte Hornets
It wouldn’t be a major surprise if there was a manager in your league that bought in to the hype and spent a ton of money or a high pick on Stephenson, thinking that he would be the man in Charlotte. After all, he was a crucial asset in Indiana, a near All-Star and built up a credible reputation over the past couple of years. Stephenson has averaged just 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in a season that – at its lowest point – had multiple reports claiming the Hornets were desperately trying to unload him. It’s clear at this point that he was easily among the most over-hyped players in fantasy drafts.
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Deron Williams – Brooklyn Nets
Williams was once a worthy high pick but Father Time has taken its toll on the Nets point guard. He’s fallen so far that when they attempted to move him to get below the luxury tax throughout the year, they were unable to find any takes. Williams still averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds but if you spent a high pick on him or bid substantial money on him in a cap system, you’re regretting that decision nowadays.
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
By this year, if you drafted Rose early on and got burned, there was no getting away from friends and fellow managers calling you out for being dumb enough to take another chance on Rose. Obviously, you didn’t have to spend a first-round pick as you would have had to in previous years but even in later rounds, he’s still been a massive bust. He’s barely played and even when he has been on the floor, his numbers have been way down from his MVP-caliber seasons. There are better, safer, more consistent options and right now, Rose owners are wishing they would have opted for that rather than the tantalizing upside potential.
Rajon Rondo – Dallas Mavericks
After leading the Celtics to an NBA championship, Rondo was considered among the league’s elite point guards but things have changed dramatically over the past couple of years. While the numbers were still good in Boston, he was traded to Dallas as he’s a pending free agent. While fantasy owners figured that would provide a boost to his production, it actually has been the opposite. A move to Dallas hasn’t helped Rondo find his old ways as he has averaged just 8.8 points, 8.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. Those are decent numbers for a depth guard but not for somebody selected early on in fantasy drafts under the assumption he would rediscover his previous form.
