Before every season NBA teams have certain expectations for the coming season. Some are higher than others. Teams like the Heat, Pacers, Spurs and Thunder should expect deep playoff runs and dominance in the regular season. Other teams like the Bobcats, Kings, Magic, and Suns have much more modest expectations going into the season. Just like every year there are teams that live up to these expectations and even exceed them. But there are also teams that fall well short of how they were expected to perform. While the season is still young, these teams are on a crash course for disappointment.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

After finishing fifth in the West with a 56-26 record, Memphis was expected to be just as competitive this season. The only major turnover for the franchise was a change in head coaches. Rookie head coach Dave Joerger had some big shoes to fill after replacing Lionel Hollins. So far the season has been very up and down. The Grizzlies were led by a ferocious defense and were expected to be one of the better teams in the West this year. It took seven games for the Grizzlies to win back to back games. Once the Grizzlies finally got on a roll and won four games in a row, they followed it up by losing three of the next four games. To make matters worse, star center Marc Gasol went down with a sprained MCL.

The biggest issue facing the Grizzlies moving forward is their lack of offense, currently ranked 23rd in scoring offense with only 93 points per game. The West is extremely competitive this year and the Grizzlies are currently 12th in the West with an eight and eight record. While the Grizzlies certainly have what it takes to make the playoffs, it will be a tight battle and they might find themselves with a lesser seed than expected.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last year the Cavs finished the season with a 24-58 record, but their future was bright. They had an explosive backcourt duo of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. They also had an impressive, but injury-prone tandem of centers in Andrew Bynum and Anderson Varejao. So far the season is off to a very bad start as the Cavs are 5-12 and are currently 12th in the East. To make matters worse second year shooting guard Dion Waiters has shown no improvement and is now seeking a trade and Bynum and Varejao have yet to put together any consistent production. The Cavs were expected to compete for a seventh or eighth seed in a relatively weak strong Eastern Conference. However, the doors are currently wide open in the East, with only two teams with winning records. The Cavs should be in the perfect position to clinch a very solid playoff seed, but instead they are looking like one of the worst teams in the NBA.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Much like the Cavaliers, the Bucks were expected to fight for a playoff spot. Instead they find themselves with the worst record in the NBA. The Bucks have a great young core of Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders. To be fair to the Bucks nearly all of these players have been hurt for some part of the season. What’s so frustrating about the Bucks and most of the other teams in the East are that all they have to do is finish with a winning record and they are nearly guaranteed to get a midrange playoff seed. The Bucks were expected to be a playoff contender but they are now looking forward to earning a lottery pick. While there’s still plenty of season left and the East is certainly wide open, it will be a tough climb if the Bucks hope to fulfill expectations.

2. Brooklyn Nets

It was a very tough choice between which New York team deserves the biggest disappointment award. The Nets had huge expectations coming into the season after trading for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. Many people proclaimed the Nets on of the favorites in the East, and with the talent they possess it was certainly a valid claim. So far, the Nets have not even scratched the surface of reaching their expectations. The Nets are currently 13th in the East with a 5-12 record. With the amount of talent and experience the Nets have there is no way this team should be playing so poorly. Rookie head coach Jason Kidd seems to be in way over his head and this is a team that should be in full panic mode. The Nets have two impressive wins over the Heat and Grizzlies, but that is about the only positive thing they have going for them. The Nets have the talent to turn things around but I question if they will be able to figure things out. If they have one thing going for them it’s the fact that the East is also terrible. The Nets have gone from top contenders to bottom feeders in a matter of 17 games. Only time will tell if they can turn things around but until then they are certainly major disappointments.

1.  New York Knicks

The Knicks were one of the best teams in the East last year, finishing with a record of 54-28. Led by Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks managed to win their first playoff series in 11 years. The Knicks managed to keep their roster mostly intact and were expected to compete in the East once again. However things have not worked out that way so far as they are currently 3-13 and are riding a nine game losing streak. The Knicks have had their fair shares of injuries with Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler both going down with injuries. However, these injuries are no excuses for the Knicks being as bad as they are. The normally potent Knicks offense is only averaging 92 points per games, which ranks them 25th in the NBA. Once the Knicks can return to full health they should be able to be more competitive but the Knicks are lacking something and until they find that spark they will continue to struggle.