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15 NBA Players Who Are Suffering Serious Slumps In 2015

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Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

15 NBA Players Who Are Suffering Serious Slumps In 2015

Goran Dragic Luol Deng Heat — So far this NBA season, there are a lot of players who are struggling to find their groove. Whether it's coming back from a serious injury or just flat out playing terrible basketball, the following 15 NBA stars are finding themselves in a huge slump to start the 2015-16 season.

So far this NBA season, there are a lot of players who are struggling to find their groove. Whether it's coming back from a serious injury or just flat out playing terrible basketball, the following 15 NBA stars are finding themselves in a huge slump to start the 2015-16 season.

15. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

15. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are struggling to find wins in the beginning of the season and it's largely because of the decreased level of Marc Gasol's game. He has been extremely inconsistent so far this season, with both his rebounding and defensive skills dramatically declined from last year. Look for the All-Star center to start bouncing back though, and lead his city of Memphis towards the playoffs.

14. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

14. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

It's pretty difficult to notice the decreasing play of Thompson this year with Steph Curry doing the things he's doing, but the numbers show that the shooting guard isn't playing up to his standard. He's averaging a quiet 15 points per game and his three-point shooting has been abysmal in the first handful of games. Look for that to change somewhere down the line, but so far, the sharpshooter is struggling to find his rhythm.

13. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

13. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Obviously all NBA fans are going to criticize Rose for not being the MVP caliber player he once was. With all the injuries he's suffered, his ability to drive into the lane and finish is no longer a factor that other teams need to worry about. This may be a harsh thing to say, but with his recent track record, we shouldn't be surprised if the former MVP finds himself in a wheelchair within the next few years.

12. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers

12. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers

In his first nine games of the season, Crawford's game was completely terrible and he made it seem like the word "consistent" wasn't in his vocabulary. In order for the Clippers to make a huge run when playoff time comes around, they will need Crawford to lead the bench all the way through. With Chris Paul already missing a few games this year, L.A. will need their playmaker to start being more consistent with his shooting.

11. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans

11. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans

Holiday had a stress fracture in his right leg that ended his season last year and turned out to be a huge blow for the Pelicans. Since his return this year, the point guard has struggled to increase his minutes on the court, and New Orleans fans aren't used to seeing his numbers significantly lower than usual. Hopefully Holiday can rejuvenate his play and raise it to the level as one of the breakout stars in the league again.

10. Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks

10. Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks

Coming off a horrific torn Achilles injury, Matthews left the city of Portland to make his way over to Mark Cuban and the Mavericks. However, the spark that he played with on the Blazers just hasn't made the trip with him yet, along with his shooting percentage. Look for the young guard to turn it around at some point this season, but right now Matthews is struggling to return to form.

9. D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers

9. D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers

As the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in last year's draft are dominating the NBA right now, one has no choice but to think about how the No. 2 pick is doing. However, that No. 2 pick is Russell, and he's not bringing it like he should be so far this season for the Lakers. He has made amateurish plays in nearly every game to this point, and it looks like trouble is on the horizon for the 19-year-old rookie.

8. Monta Ellis, Indiana Pacers

8. Monta Ellis, Indiana Pacers

Moving to a new team is always a tough transition to make for any NBA player. However, that shouldn't be an excuse for Ellis, who is a pure scorer and a smart enough player to not let himself be a victim of a slump. Although his shooting percentage can be sporadic, Ellis usually finds a way to score the ball and accumulate points for his team. It may be too early in the season to tell, but so far it just hasn't panned out for him in Indiana.

7. Luol Deng, Miami Heat

7. Luol Deng, Miami Heat

The Miami Heat forward looks like he's drifting off on auto-pilot right now. The former Chicago Bull cannot seem to get it going in South Beach and it's a rare sight to see. Deng is averaging 10 points and four rebounds per game this year, which is certainly unusual for the former All-Star, and he doesn't look as comfortable as he should be. He could be sent packing if his game isn't raised to its usual level.

6. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat

6. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat

Dragic hasn't looked like he fits into the Miami Heat system thus far for some reason and nobody can figure out why. Averaging only 11 points and 4.5 assists per game, it looks like the former Phoenix Suns point guard now wishes he could have stayed on his old team. He needs to pick up his game before Miami decides to give him and his $ 90 million contract the boot.

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Laker fans aren't used to the sight of Bryant sitting out the second game of a back-to-back, as he continues to struggle with the reality of father time. His shooting has been atrocious and his ability to sprint down the court has decelerated to the point that he's hurting the team. Hopefully he can stay somewhat healthy and give fans more memories before he retires.

4. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

4. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

The emergence of Nikola Mirotic into the starting rotation has left Noah on the outside looking in. With the deterioration of his minutes, it doesn't look like the once Florida Gator will make an impact for Chicago at all this year. The former All-Star will look to find a way to contribute to his team that's destined for the playoffs in April, but right now it doesn't look too promising for the scrappy center.

3. Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets

3. Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets center is averaging only 13.5 points with just over six rebounds a game so far this year. The big man isn't playing up to his expectations which isn't exactly what a top player like Jefferson should be doing during his contract year. If he wants to have a lucrative deal intact by this time next season, Jefferson's going to have to pick his game up tremendously or find himself as a backup center somewhere.

2. Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

2. Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

One of the biggest downward spirals in recent NBA history, the second-highest paid player in the league has dwindled down to a level fans never thought they'd see. Although so far he's making plays on the offensive end for his teammates, Johnson's scoring is the reason why the former All-Star is getting paid so much. Nowadays, it seems like all Brooklyn should do is try to dump his salary to another team willing to take a chance on him.

1. Ty Lawson, Houston Rockets

1. Ty Lawson, Houston Rockets

When the Rockets signed Lawson before the season, NBA fans thought that he would make an immediate impact playing alongside one of the best scorers in the league in James Harden. Unfortunately, the complete opposite has transpired, and the point guard looks like he's in his own world at the moment. He desperately needs to find his way back to reality before Patrick Beverley starts knocking at the door for his starting job back.

Steve Smith is a writer for RantSports.

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