The Bucks, Rockets and Nuggets have maintained their status quo. We've seen the Lakers and Jazz make good on their expected ascendancies, not forgetting about the Clippers, who've held ground whilst they get their full roster together. We've also had a couple of teams expected to fall away in the Raptors and Celtics manage to stay in contention.

All in all, it's tight at the top of the NBA world right now.

That being said, it's not all sunshine and lollipops for some NBA franchises. Today, we're going to have a look at some of the teams that haven't lived up to expectation, or have managed to find a way to dig through rock bottom.

New Orleans Pelicans

When superstar Anthony Davis essentially quit on the team at last seasons trade deadline it looked like New Orleans was in for a long, painful rebuild. Years of 'win now' moves left the team bereft of assets and eventually cost longtime GM Dell Demps his job.

Sometimes, luck smiles upon you – the NBA Draft Lottery smiled upon the Pelicans.

In moving up to the #1 slot – and the rights to heralded rookie Zion Williamson - the Pels got a massive break, but the Lakers moving up to the #4 pick also gave LA the extra asset needed to swing the Davis deal. New Orleans was suddenly rebuilding with Zion, fellow 1st rounders Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, most of the young ex-Lakers core, and two-way star Jrue Holiday. Throw in veteran additions in Derrick Favors and JJ Redick, and the young but deep Pelicans were an outside chance of sneaking into the loaded Western Conference playoff picture.

So far, that hasn't really played out. Sitting at 3-9, the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the NBA. Defensively they're getting steamrolled, giving up a league worst 121.7 points per game.

Of course, missing the gravity defying Williamson hurts. He tore up the NBA pre-season, before tearing up his meniscus the day before the season proper got underway.

The veterans haven't performed, either. Holiday is shooting under 40% from the floor for his 17 points per night and has clearly struggled with the responsibility of being the #1 option on offence. Favors has rebounded well, but is averaging only 9.1 points and half a block per contest. He's struggling with injury himself and it shows in his lack of lift. The veteran Redick is still an assassin from behind the arc, but is averaging his lowest totals since his Orlando days almost a decade ago. At age 35, he's clearly a rotation player at best.

Brandon Ingram has flourished, however. The former Great White Hope of the Lakers wilted in LeBron James' spotlight, but has stepped up to the tune of 25.9 points and 7.3 boards on career best percentages in the Big Easy.

But Despite Ingram's hot start, the team just isn't getting it done.

Adjustments at the defensive end and a belated Zion debut might steady the ship. It can't come soon enough.

Watch all the NBA action on Kayo - grab a two week free trial here!

Orlando Magic

Many – this writer included – thought the Magic were good for an mid-seed Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The season has started poorly, though. Back-to-back wins against the Sixers and Spurs have the team sitting 5-7, tied with Brooklyn for the last playoff spot.

The reason for the tepid early season form is pretty clear: the Magic can't score. Currently, Orlando score 100.3 points per game, one tenth of a point ahead of the moribund Knicks (more on them later). That's actually a steep improvement on where there were even a week ago, averaging a tick over 93 ppg.

Practically all of their main contributors have dropped away on both scoring averages and efficiency. Nik Vucevic's stretch game, a revelation in recent seasons, has abandoned him. DJ Augustin is shooting 25% from deep, falling off a cliff from last years 41% mark. Markelle Fultz, his replacement in the starting five, isn't exactly a sniper from deep. It's a similar story for Terrence Ross (down 13%) and Aaron Gordon (down 6%). Evan Fournier continues to be his steady self, but too many of Orlando's players appear to have set high water marks in 2018/19 and can't match, let alone exceed those standards this season.

The defense, led by Jonathon Isaac, is league leading. Without some major improvements at the other end of the floor, that won't matter. Is there a trade coming from Orlando?

Sacramento Kings

This was supposed to be the season that the Kings finally returned to the NBA playoffs.

An exciting young core, led by road-runner De'Aaron Fox, complemented by shooters such as Buddy Hield and athletic bigs like Marvin Bagley, the Kings finished one spot outside the playoffs last season.

They brought in highly regarded you coach Luke Walton to replace the successful, but abrasive Dave Joeger, and hoped that Walton's up-tempo leanings would unlock a new level in this group.

An 0-5 start was not what the Kings hierarchy was anticipating.

As expected the Kings have been average on defence, but last seasons exciting run and gun offence has been replaced by a plodding attack. Injuries to Bagley in the season opener and Fox last week haven't helped matters, but Walton has inexplicably put the hand break on his team of greyhounds, the Kings currently a lowly 28th in pace.

Buddy Hield signed a big contract in the off-season, but he's having perhaps his worst season to date. Bogdan Bogdanovic is reportedly not happy with his place in the rotation. The Kings let Willie Cauley-Stein walk to keep Harry Giles, then declined Giles rookie extension option.

Walton needs to find a way to keep the Kings in touch until Fox and Bagley return, otherwise he could pay with his job.

Golden State Warriors

This might be a case of shooting Bambi, but no matter which way you slice it, Golden State's season has been incredibly disappointing.

Unlike the other teams on this list, most factors in the Warriors slide are out of their direct control: namely, injuries.

Last season's final game saw Klay Thompson go down with an ACL. Kevin Durant defected East. Despite that, the Dubs came into the season with legitimate playoff aspirations.

We all know what's transpired so far, though. Aussie Aron Baynes inadvertently broke Steph Curry's hand. Draymond Green has been out with a torn ligament in his finger. To top it all off, D'Angelo Russell had been balling before spraining his thumb this week, knocking him out for about a fortnight.

Coach Steve Kerr has been left with a team of untried youngsters and veteran retreads. It's gone about as well as you might expect: Golden State are a league worst 2-11.

All is not lost, though. 

The Warriors haven't had a lottery pick since Harrison Barnes in 2012 and a fresh injection of blue chip talent is more than welcome in the Bay.

Those sounds you hear coming from San Francisco are the tanks rolling in. 

New York Knicks

No, the Knicks didn't have hopes of a playoff birth this season. They really didn't have hopes of respectability this season, if we're being honest.

The Knicks being on this list isn't so much about failing to meet expectations realistic or otherwise, as much as it's about a franchise that just can't seem to stop smacking itself in the face. 

New York are coming off a 65 loss season and have somehow managed to get worse. Sitting at the bottom of the East with a 3-10 record (inflated by two revenge wins over Kristaps Porzingis' Mavs), the Knicks are absolutely rudderless.

The front office pair of Steve Mills and Scott Perry have constructed a lopsided, over priced and under talented group and asked coach David Fizdale to 'MacGyver' them into a 35+ win outfit.

After a horrendous start, Mills and Perry have reportedly been laying the groundwork with (the fans wish he were an absentee) owner James Dolan for Fizdale to take the blame if things don't improve.

Let's not mince words here, folks: the Knicks are the worst team in basketball.

From the owner, to an inept front office dating back to the Phil Jackson and Isiah Thomas eras, to some awful coaches (FYI - I don't put Fizdale in that group) and talent that has never – even in the good times – been elite, this franchise has been in the dumps for close to 20 years.

So this isn't a assessment based on some unrealistic expectation for this years group. It's a salute to the New York Knicks unparalleled ability plumb new depths, year after year after year.

Watch all the NBA action on Kayo - grab a two week free trial here!