We're already over a quarter of the way through the NBA season, and while there's still plenty of time for players to turn around their seasons, a few have played more poorly than we've expected. Here are the three NBA players that have been the most disappointing so far this season:
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Harden's numbers haven't dipped at all this year - he's still averaging 29.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game - but it's his defense and lack of effort that has been very disappointing. To give you some idea of how bad he's been, the Rockets held a players-only meeting just so everyone on the team could air out their grievances with Harden, mostly centered around his lack of leadership and terrible effort on defense. Unfortunately, he was the biggest reason why the Rockets started so poorly this year.
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Rose is having the worst statistical season of his career, averaging just 13.2 points and 5.6 assists per game. It's become abundantly clear that the Bulls are no longer his team (rather Jimmy Butler's), and his regression has kept the Bulls from reaching their full offensive potential under new head coach Fred Hoiberg. The broken orbital bone he suffered in training camp could still be effecting him, but Rose is nowhere near the player we're used to seeing - even the version we saw last year.
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Bryant seems to be much more relaxed since he announced that he would be retiring after this season, and while there weren't the highest of expectations for Kobe this year, its been painful watching him play on most nights. His 16.2 points per game average is - not surprisingly - the lowest of his career since his second year in the league, but it's his dreadul shooting percentage that has been the most alarming and disappointing.
Bryant is shooting a dreadful 32.4 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three-point range, both easily being the lowest of his career. It's clear that Bryant just doesn't have the legs to consistently play at a good level anymore.
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