While many of the NBA’s teams are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, others have gone down in flames. Whether injuries hold them back or a bad offseason depleted their chances at success, these are the NBA’s worst teams when considering their records and situations entering the final quarter of the season. 

5. Atlanta Hawks

What sets the Hawks apart from the other teams is some promise on the other end of the mediocre season. Although the team looked good in its first stretch of games, John Collins’ early suspension derailed it before it had the chance to gain momentum. The Hawks have a lot of young talent looking for their place in the NBA, but none shine brighter than Trae Young.

Young has kept the Hawks afloat this season. While the win column doesn’t necessarily show his value to the team, his season gives Hawks fans reason to hope for the future. If the rest of the young core can come together, this fortune should change soon. 

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves have had a rough go since their playoff run two years ago. The team was expected to be on the rise as one of the promising young teams in the NBA but has taken multiple steps back. Now, looking at a young core of D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, the team could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

3. Golden State Warriors 

The Warriors’ season might have ended when Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant went down in last year’s finals. While Durant might’ve been gone without the injury, Thompson was always going to sting. Despite this, the team expected to have its leader, Steph Curry, as a means to stay afloat while they got healthy. 

Curry got hurt early, however. While he is on the verge of returning, he’s doing so on a roster filled with players who even the most passionate NBA fan don’t know about. This might be a one-and-done bout of mediocrity, but the Warriors’ season proves to be a disaster. Golden State currently holds the worst record in the NBA

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers’ success with LeBron James covered up many issues within the organization. Owner Dan Gilbert had a reputation as a hard-nosed owner before James left, but his weaknesses came out afterward.

Gilbert was, after all, the owner who let both the coach and general manager of the Cavs’ Championship team go. The Cavaliers are in a rebuild mode. Even with that in mind, the future could not look bleaker. 

1. New York Knicks

One can’t talk about bad NBA teams without discussing the New York Knicks. While other teams like the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings avoided this list with just enough success to rise above the bottom-dwellers, the Knicks have consistently been among the worst NBA teams over the past few years.

To add insult to injury, the Knicks believed they had a chance not only at Zion Williamson, but Kyrie Irving and Durant in the offseason. Instead, they drafted RJ Barrett. And the free-agent signings showed an aimless team that was content with their mediocrity.

James Dolan owns the most valuable franchise in the NBA, but he does nothing to increase that value and let it show on the court. The team has even lost Spike Lee. There might be a lot of bad teams in the NBA, but none reign quite as supreme as the Knicks do year after year. 

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