Given the expectations surrounding both the Rockets and Wizards heading into the season, it’s safe to say that the two teams have been the most disappointing so far. With the Wizards currently sitting at 3-9 and the Rockets at 5-7, both teams have dealt with cold shooting, injuries, and inconsistent effort on defense as they look up to their conference counterparts in the standings.
The Wizards had a fairly eventful offseason, adding Dwight Howard, Jeff Green and Austin Rivers. The team banked on a healthy John Wall leading a talented and deep roster to a bounce-back season, which hasn’t happened as a result of the team’s poor defense and rebounding. The Wizards currently rank 28th defensively and 29th in both offensive and defensive rebounding, highlighting their inability to get stops.
Meanwhile, the Rockets brought in James Ennis and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason and have struggled with cold shooting and injuries to start the season. James Harden, Ennis, Eric Gordon and Chris Paul have missed several games each due to injuries and suspension. The Rockets currently sit at 28th offensively as a result of their inability to hit shots (they are 26th in effective field goal percentage as a team).
There is certainly still time for both teams to bounce back and recover, but to what extent? Many expected the Rockets to be a top-two team in the Western Conference, while many had the Wizards pegged as a top-six seed out East. While both of these teams may be able to recover enough to make the playoffs, both will likely fall very short of preseason expectations.
With that being said, which team has been more disappointing to start the season? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments section!
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404 on the poll
Should have added Celtics to this poll.
Seriously, you need do a poll on this? What’s the point?
Wizards. Rockets have new things to sort out.
John Wall is thinking, I should have been nicer to Gortat. Now we’re too nice.
82M these two clowns will make next year, double that with off court endorsements
Really? One was the #1 seed in the West and 1 win from the finals that retained their core while the other was the #8 seed in the East with known dysfunction adding Dwight Howard.
Tough one tho
I expected WAS to implode.
They are playing to expectations.
I expected HOU to have some tricks up their sleeves to replace Ariza, Anderson, LRMAM. They don’t seem to and might be struggling to get up for games. They are a bigger worry vs. expectations.
Good pt on the Rocket’s sleeves, but the trick was Melo it seems, and he turned out to be an old horse learning new tricks. How’s that for pushing a metaphor!
CP is trying to sound more like a friend than an endorser I think.
The guards need the forwards to play D
Definitely Houston.
I thought Washington was a fringe playoff team with the possibility that the team might implode given the personalities in the room.
Houston is starting to turn it around, but they don’t look like a serious contender to the Warriors this year like they did last.
Rockets. (With Carmelo in Parenthesis)
Rockets will rebound. Ennis is playing better defense, and Gary Clark is starting to fit in well with the rotation. Watch this Clark kid. He is going to become a factor.