There are some awards and distinctions that a team would rather not receive. On my part, the performance of the Pacific Division teams in the NBA has left me disappointed with my evaluation skills. The lesson learned here is that there is probably more to the regular season than what experts see. Even for superstars, they found out that coasting through the regular season can backfire heavily in the playoffs.

During the height of the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant feud, one of their big issues was their attitude towards the regular season, corollary to the general disagreement on discipline and determination. Shaq wanted to coast, and even called the playoffs as "the real start of the season." He was always easy going, and his dominance seemed to justify his free-wheeling attitude.

Kobe Bryant was the consummate professional, obsessive about winning, always first on the court. There was bound to be a clash somewhere. Bryant cared about every little detail. He was against the early iterations of load management, noting how it shortchanges the fans.

Some of the teams eliminated were the Pacific Division giants that I predicted to dominate this year. The two Los Angeles teams are there. Both the Clippers and Lakers. Even the Golden State Warriors, who always believed that they will "get their act together" come playoff time. They kept on downplaying the red flags noted by critics, and refused to make necessary changes. Now, they are on the outside looking in.

Among the first round exits, Which team is the biggest disappointment? And which team has the bleakest future? For the unexpected success stories, we had the "O" teams (Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic). And for the questions above, the answer is the "P" teams: Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.

Wasted MVP season

It would be funny if teams and players blamed the NBA for their failures, because they implemented the 65-game minimum on individual awards. No one has come out, because they knew there would be backlash. The rule somehow brought out the longest stretch of games for stars like Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard, the usual load management suspects.

Is it fair to say they "stole" the MVP from Joel Embiid? His win last year was often dismissed as voter fatigue from Nikola Jokic. Jokic continued to play a masterful game, even better last season. But you can't win three straight MVPs. The last one to do it was Larry Bird. Michael Jordan and LeBron James, in all their dominance, did not win three straight. That's why we had the Derrick Rose MVP, one of the questionable ones.

Jokic won MVP this year, when Embiid seemed to prove himself at the start. He was the MVP, unquestionably, then he got injured, and was disqualified for awards since he did not play 65 games for the season.

As for the Philadelphia 76ers, they had an MVP-level Embiid, the Most Improved Player in Tyrese Maxey (an award that came one season too late), and they upgraded their coach from a doctor, as in Doc Rivers, to a nurse, as in Nick Nurse. This was supposed to be their year, but they got booted out by the New York Knicks in the first round, a classic East rival. Other than the undermanned Milwaukee Bucks and Clippers, the 76ers were the biggest disappointment.

Eclipsed

However, the Phoenix Suns have the bleakest future because of their salary situation. They are already over the cap with just their three superstars. The cap is around $141 million when the combined salaries of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal reach over $150 million.

With the recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA) becoming more restrictive towards teams over the luxury tax line, the Suns would be unable to surround this team with quality players unless they get lucky on undrafted players. They traded draft assets to acquire superstars, which was often justified in the past.

The problem is that their superstars are not playing as expected. Bradley Beal looked pedestrian in his games, seemingly replaceable by even rookies. They said his value would show in the playoffs, but that was not the case. It's unlikely they can trade Beal now, as he is overpriced. The Suns are stuck.

Will they break up the team or give it one more shot next season?

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