In the fast-paced world of basketball, the upcoming season brings new challenges for some star players. Let’s take a look at six NBA players who might see a decline in their stats.
New season, new situations, new expectations. Much of the excitement surrounding summer discourse is trying to project who will pop off (and we’ll be doing that in this space next week), but Serious Basketball People know that understanding who might decline is at least as necessary to prognosticating how the year will unfold. We’re not in the icky business of injury prediction, but there are plenty of reasons that healthy players could have a (relatively) down year. Statistical regression, a changing role or new team, fresh teammates, or the natural encroachment of age-related diminishment are all reasons why certain players may take a step back. Inclusion on this list does not mean I hate a player or that I expect a player to be bad. Most of the players below are, and should remain, quite good! But changing circumstances could result in lower-than-expected production (which, in some cases, might actually benefit the team).
Without further ado, here are six players who could take a statistical step back this year. Cam Johnson (Denver) Johnson is a good player who has become both overrated defensively and underrated offensively. But will he put up 19 points per game on 63 percent t