With the 2023-24 regular season closing in on its finish, there is no better time than now to look at who were the most disappointing NBA players this season. While other lists might cover the breakout stars or MVP candidates, we are going in the other direction and looking at the — for lack of a better word — the breakdown players who did not live up to their expectations this year.
10. Amen Thompson
Houston Rockets first-round pick Amen Thompson is the first of the two Thompson brothers to land in our top 10. Never before has a pair of Bros. been drafted in the top 10 in one year, but the duo made history last June. However, it seems like they both peaked during that historic moment.
For a decent Rockets team this season, Thompson has been a good bench player at best. While his 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game are solid, it is not what one would want from the fourth overall pick in the draft. One can only hope he grows under the guidance of Ime Udoka.
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9. Ja Morant
One would not expect Ja Morant to land on a list like this but he has had a disastrous last year. After being suspended twice in that time and getting banned for the first 25 games of this season, he gave Memphis Grizzlies fans hope when he was at the center of a major hot streak upon his return. Then he suffered a season-ending injury and their hopes to reach the NBA Finals went down the toilet.
When he played he was great, but in the end, he was at the heart of a lost season for the Grizzlies and it’s why he is one of the most disappointing NBA players of 2023-24.
8. Ausar Thompson
Ahead of Amen on this list is his brother Ausar Thompson — the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. In his debut season with the Detroit Pistons, Ausar has similar stats to his brother and that is a big problem. He was supposed to be part of a movement to get Detroit back to being competitive, however, he is among the reasons why the Pistons have maintained one of the worst records in the league this season and were part of a historic losing streak.
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7. Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks is the second Rockets player on our list because the organization surprised many when they gave the Grizzlies veteran a whopping four-year, $86 million deal this past summer. Unfortunately, his addition has not worked out as Houston had hoped.
While he is shooting better than in previous years his points and assists numbers are down and the Rockets being on the outside of the 10-team playoff picture shows he has not made the impact the front office expected.
6. Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been in trade rumors for months and did little to help move along talks as he battled injuries and underperformed this season. The $215 million man has his lowest points per game numbers since 2017-18, his shooting percentages are down and he will play the least amount of games in a season of his career. He has done everything he can to make himself an untradable player this summer.
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5. Klay Thompson
Golden State Warriors great Klay Thompson should be in the Hall-of-Fame one day, but this season was the year that confirmed his best days were well behind him. After posting career lows in many stats through the first half of the season, Steve Kerr made the difficult decision of benching him. Turning the five-time All-Star into a super sub at just 34 years old. It is the main reason why he is among the 10 most disappointing NBA players this year.
4. Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves played his way into a massive four-year, $53 million contract this past summer. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Lakers, he has regressed this season. While his numbers are up in certain categories, that is likely due to getting more minutes than in 2022-23, because his shooting numbers are well below what he posted last year. Furthermore, he has had far less of an impact on a Lakers team fighting for an NBA Play-In spot.
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3. LaMelo Ball
Three seasons ago Charlotte Hornets guard Lamelo Ball looked like he was on the verge of becoming the next star guard in the league. That now seems like a very long time ago. Similar to his brother Lonzo, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft has been unable to stay on the court and has played no more than 36 games in the last two seasons. It has set Charlotte back and there are now major doubts about him being a long-term building block.
2. Bradley Beal
There was a great deal of hope the Phoenix Suns could be a title contender with the three-headed scoring monster of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Well, the former two have held up their end of the bargain but Beal has easily been one of the most disappointing NBA players this season.
The three-time All-Star’s injury demons have followed him from Washington and he has missed half of the season. Giving up all of their depth to trade for the former Wizards star is part of why the team is fighting to avoid a Play-In game this season.
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1. Jordan Poole
No player has been more disappointing this season than Wizards guard Jordan Poole. Two years ago he seemed like a star on the rise and the heir apparent to Thompson on the Warriors. However, the $128 million man has been so bad this season that he was benched on a Washington team that has the worst record in the league. If you can’t keep a starting role on this squad then you are definitely the most disappointing player in the 2023-24 NBA season.