The 3 most disappointing players of the NBA season 2025/26

The weight of expectations can ruin an NBA player's season, as sometimes they fail to live up to the hype. At other times, players have thrilled us with fantastic performances, only to end up having a lesser impact in the following season.

Today we are going to talk about the most disappointing players of the 2025-26 NBA season, a list that includes a former number 1 draft pick (who, to be fair, has been playing much better lately) and several former All-Stars and All-NBA team members.

It is important to mention that players like Trae Young, Ja Morant, or Anthony Davis are not included in this analysis, as although their performance has been disappointing in 2025-26, they have the excuse of injuries. The following players, on the other hand, mostly lack that justification.

Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)

Paolo Banchero's main issue is that he plays as if he were Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant, despite having excellent size, strength, and athleticism, but lacking Durant and Anthony's scoring ability from the outside. Imagine Anthony and Durant playing as they do but without the consistent ability to make three-pointers or mid-range shots. That's basically how Banchero plays.

The Seattle native averages just 13.1 drives per game this season, a figure lower than Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Maxey, and only 0.1 more than 35-year-old Jrue Holiday. Surprisingly, despite his size, Banchero also struggles to finish on drives, scoring only 44.9% of his attempts, while Holiday shoots 53% and Coby White 51.8%. Even Dyson Daniels, considered offensively limited, shoots 45.2% on his drives, suggesting that perhaps an injury has affected Banchero.

In his last four games, Banchero had shown improvements considering the criticism of his passive style, but he had a poor performance last Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, shooting 7 for 17 from the field and 1 for 6 from three-point range, totaling 16 points.

Throughout the season, Banchero hasn't lived up to expectations, missing out on the All-Star game for the second consecutive year and failing to make the All-NBA team in 2025-26. His advanced statistics place him at 63rd in VORP, 73rd in BPM, and 101st in Win Shares, figures not in line with his expected level. The Magic, on the other hand, have a record of 34-28, where team injuries have also played a significant role.

Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Evan Mobley might be a victim of his own success, at least in terms of why he is on this list, as the former USC Trojan had a spectacular 2024-25 season that he hasn't been able to replicate in 2025-26.

Last year, Mobley was named Defensive Player of the Year, made the All-NBA 2nd team, was an All-Star, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting, averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks, with 55.7% field goal accuracy and 37% three-point shooting. He also helped the Cavaliers achieve their best regular season since the LeBron era, with a record of 64-18.

This year, his performance has been good but not comparable to the previous one: 17.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks, with 51.7% field goal accuracy and just 31.5% from three-point range. Mobley still excels as a finisher near the rim, with a 79.7% success rate within three feet, but his mid-range shooting has also dropped to 39.6%.

Like Banchero, Mobley has shown recent improvement, averaging 19.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in his last three games, with Cleveland winning 7 of their last 10 games. Nevertheless, for now, Mobley deserves to be among the most disappointing of 2025-26.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (Utah Jazz)

After an All-Star season with 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks, and being recognized on the All-Defense 2nd team, Jaren Jackson Jr. entered 2025-26 with high expectations, especially with Ja Morant's return.

Now with the Utah Jazz, while the Memphis Grizzlies have a 23-37 record and rank 11th in the West, Jackson Jr. has seen his impact diminished: he averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds before the trade, with 47.5% field goal accuracy and 35.9% from three, making the team 2.7 points per 100 possessions worse when he's on the court.

His advanced statistics are also poor: 152nd in VORP, 117th in BPM, and 194th in Win Shares. Perhaps Morant's difficulties or Desmond Bane's absence have affected his performance. The truth is that Jackson Jr. failed to lead the expected rebound for the 2025-26 season.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los 3 jugadores más decepcionantes de la temporada NBA 2025/26