With most teams having played roughly 20% of their games, let’s take a look at some of the teams that have exceeded expectations thus far.
Suprising NBA Teams Early in the Year
Milwaukee Bucks: Last season, under head coach Larry Drew, the Bucks recorded just 15 wins. In just 17 games, new coach Jason Kidd already has already led his young team to double-digit victories. The factor that may be the most surprising is that the Bucks have been so successful without receiving the production that many anticipated from Duke standout and number 2 overall pick, Jabari Parker. Coach Kidd has his young team moving the ball extremely well and playing at a very high level. One standout has been Brandon Knight, who is averaging 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds per game. He certainly is benefitting from Jason Kidd’s point guard expertise better than Deron Williams did last year with Brooklyn. If Jabari and the Greek Freak can improve as the season progresses, I see no reason as to why this team can’t make the playoffs; as it is, they currently sit in the 4th seed.
Memphis Grizzlies: Coming into the 2014-15 season, most pundits had the Grizzlies in the playoffs, but by no means did the Grizzlies have a solidified spot, especially with the wide open, wild Western Conference. It’s safe to say that this Memphis team strongly resembles the one that went to the Conference Finals two seasons ago, as proven by their 14-2 start. Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and even Courtney Lee are playing exceptionally well. The Grizz have played superb defense, as they almost always do, and have proven they can beat the premier teams in the West; the Grizzlies are 3-0 against the Rockets, Clippers, and Blazers and each victory came by at least 13 points. Dave Joerger has this Memphis team well-disciplined and ready to make a run in the West.
Sacramento Kings: In the past ten years or so, the Sacramento Kings have been absolutely dreadful. They haven’t cracked 30 wins since the 2007-08 season and haven’t had a winning record since 2005-06 when they went 44-38. Is this the year the Kings finally put it together? Well, they are certainly off to an auspicious start, with a 9-7 record through 16 games. The point guard transition from Isaiah Thomas to Darren Collison was highly questioned in the offseason, but Collison has been very effective so far in the young season, with averages of 15.8 points and 6.6 assists per game through the first 16 games. Most importantly, DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins appears to have taken the next step with his leadership and maturity. The talent was always there for the former Kentucky Wildcat, but it appears as if Cousins has finally put all of the pieces together and is prospering into one of the NBA’s best big men. The Kings have been a pleasant surprise so far this season.
Toronto Raptors: Last season the Raptors made tremendous strides following the shipment of Rudy Gay to Sacramento; they finished 41-22 after the trade, whereas they started the season just 7-12 prior to the trade. The Raps finished as the Atlantic Division Champions and earned the third seed in the East, but they lost in seven games in the first round to a Brooklyn Nets team that had much more experience. Coming into this season, the Raptors knew they would either take the next step or prove they were just a fluke. So far, they appear poised to take the next step. The Raptors have started the season with 13 wins and just 3 losses. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan form a formidable backcourt, and they have fantastic depth at every position. These Toronto Raptors are legit contenders in the Eastern Conference.
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