There are always a few surprising teams in the NBA that go on runs throughout the season.
Some teams have surprised the league this season with how hot of starts they got off to.
But, a few of those teams have cooled off and are starting to play like many thought they would this year.
Here are two NBA teams that have cooled off since the year started.
Utah Jazz
The biggest surprise to begin the NBA season was the Utah Jazz.
After starting the season 12-6, and in first place in the Western Conference, Utah has dropped four straight.
Now they are eighth in the West and seem slowly leaking oil.
The Utah Jazz are 2-7 in their last 9 games pic.twitter.com/FnnOS5OObm
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) November 27, 2022
After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason the Jazz was expected to have one of the worst teams in the NBA.
Even though they are still in playoff position, Utah is not trending in the right direction.
Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the most highly anticipated debuts of this season was Donovan Mitchell with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs were hoping that Mitchell would be their top-scoring option and an immediate impact player.
While Mitchell has been very good, the Cavs have struggled of late.
Donovan Mitchell. 🥶
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 22, 2022
After starting the year 8-1, Cleveland has lost six of their last 10 games and is now slowly falling in the Eastern Conference standings.
You can see the Cavaliers’ defense is the main reason for their wins and losses.
In their seven losses, they are giving up an average of 117 points per game.
If they can continue to lock down on defense, they have a chance to make a run at one of the top seeds in the east.
But, if not, they could be headed on a downward spiral.
