Gunma is a brand new team, so it has no history of failure or success. The other four were all playoff teams last season, and Kyoto reached the Final Four.
And the Hannaryz, for instance, opted not to bring back Rick Rickert, Lance Allred, Lee Cummard and Naoto Nakamura, all solid veterans. So, in a way, the team was rebuilding from scratch.
The other three teams all are in various ways getting accustomed to new players as well.
Sure, it's a long season -- 52 regular-season games for each team -- but having continuity is one hallmark of success from season to season. Very few general managers and front-office staffs in this league make a real commitment to continuity.
Four teams with one win apiece -- the Sendai 89ers (1-4), the Chiba Jets (1-2), the Saitama Broncos (1-2) and the Miyazaki Shining Suns (1-2) -- made major changes in the offseason.