Three Biggest Suprises and Disappointments in the NBA So Far

Believe it or not, most teams in the NBA have completed ten games in the 2024-25 season, which equates to 12% of the schedule. Ideally, it usually takes 15-20 games to determine whether a team is a contender or a pretender. However, ten games can be considered an early check mark or pit stop on the way to the destination, which is the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien trophy. One trend in the Eastern Conference entering Wednesday is the early struggles of teams because only three games separate the third-best from the 13th place in the Conference. On the other hand, the race in the Western Conference will be fierce, with 11 teams having a .500 record or better. In this article, we discuss the biggest surprises and disappointments so far in the season.

Biggest Surprises

1. The undefeated Cavaliers- the Boston Celtics should be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference, but the Cavaliers have positioned themselves as the early challengers to dethrone the reigning champions. The two teams faced off in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Celtics prevailed 4-1 despite injuries to Donovan Mitchell and Jared Allen in the series. The Cavaliers have brought intensity and focus this season, with Kenny Atkinson providing valuable coaching and insight. The most intriguing thing about this team is the balanced scoring, with six players averaging double-digit points. Therefore, it is hard for teams to say just shut Mitchell, and they will make life difficult for the Cavaliers. The 12-0 start includes back-to-back wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and a thumping of the red-hot Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers are the first team since the 2015-16 Warriors to win their first 12 games. Five of the last seven teams to achieve the feat made it to the Finals. They will hope this stat comes to fruition in early June.

2. Warriors return to form- the off-season controversy in San Francisco was Klay Thompson leaving the franchise after feeling underappreciated in his contract negotiations. The expectation would be that the franchise would take a step back and fail to contend for a playoff spot. Instead, the team made shrewd moves in acquiring Buddy Hield, now averaging 18.0 points per game and 48.8% from three-pointers in the sixth-man role. The team acquired a veteran presence in Kyle Anderson in the offseason, and young players like Johnathan Kuminga have stepped up. Entering Tuesday, the Warriors have a 9-2 record including impressive wins against the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder on the road. Steve Kerr has adopted his Olympic-style coaching to this team by playing with heavy rotations in utilizing their depth and urging his team to expend themselves on defense. The team is ranked 4th on the defensive end after being ranked 15th last season. It will be interesting to see whether this team can keep this pace and remain a high seed in the conference.

3. The suns are scorching. Phoenix underachieved last season after being swept in the first round of the playoffs. The expectation was that the team had to be dismantled and rebuilt. Instead, Owner Matt Ishbia doubled down on the future of his team by keeping his core players of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Also, he shrewdly signed former Bucks championship Head Coach Mike Budenholzer to bring expertise to the bench and brought in Tyus Jones as the starting Point Guard to execute the game plan. It has paid off because the Suns are 9-2 and tied atop the conference. Kevin Durant has played like the leader of the team by averaging 27.6 points per game and delivering in the clutch when the team needs his scoring. Durant will be out the next two weeks with a calf strain, and it will be interesting to see whether Booker and Beal can steady the ship in his absence.

Biggest Disappointments

1. Bucks slumping early-Milwaukee was one of the biggest disappointments last season after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the first round. The expectation was that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard would develop better synergy in the off-season while they would be able to get greater production from the role players. The Bucks have been a disaster so far this season with a 2-8 record, and Khris Middleton has still not made his season debut for the team due to injury. The role players are not delivering the production needed to support their best players. Also, teams are attacking Damian Lillard on the defensive end, which they see as a weak spot. The team is restricted by the second apron due to their luxury tax bill, and they will find it difficult to make roster adjustments. I think this team will improve from this slump, but they need to start the turnaround quickly.

2. Sixers start the season limping- like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia entered the season with expectations to compete for a championship. In the offseason, the Sixers remodeled their team by signing Paul George and remodeling their bench unit to challenge for the title. Surprisingly, Joel Embiid played in the Olympics despite an injury in their first-round loss to the Knicks. However, at the start of the season, Embiid appears to have suffered a setback and only made his debut last night in a loss to the Knicks. Paul George recently made his return to the starting lineup and was placed on a minutes restriction. It forced Tyrese Maxey to carry the load early in the season leading him to suffer a hamstring injury that will sideline him for multiple weeks. The Sixers are now 2-8 and like the Bucks are too talented in not finding their way out of the abyss, but the question is whether this team will be healthy when the playoffs begin in April.

3. Mavericks face an uphill challenge to return to the Finals- Dallas made a surprising run last season to make the NBA Finals. Despite losing to the Celtics, the team appeared to need a few key additions to challenge in the Western Conference. The team persuaded Klay Thompson to leave Golden State and head to the lone Star State to get them over the hill. However, the Mavericks are now 5-6 after a loss in his return to San Francisco and are 11th in the standings. There is time to turn it around, but the team could be suffering a hangover from the Finals loss.