This NBA Seasons Most Surprising Teams
More often than not, it is easy to believe that some NBA teams have been exceeding expectations.
On the other hand, it’s hard to admit that your favorite squad isn’t doing as well as they could be. But let’s try to take a risk and look objectively at which ones are surprisingly good.
Indiana Pacers
We bet not many people would’ve thought the Indiana Pacers would be a team to watch this season. But Tyrese Haliburton has been on fire lately and definitely exceeded all expectations. Even though oddsmakers put low win totals on the board for them, these guys did not take that as offense. Nevertheless, this is precisely why decentralized platforms like https://thunderpick.io/en/casino/slots are so valuable – they offer a level of transparency and fairness that cannot be either compromised or based on someone else’s opinion.
With Halliburton leading the charge, their offense is operating like never before. He almost managed to end up being the first-ever player in league history with an average of 20 points and 10 assists per game while nailing over 40 percent from downtown. That’s some serious skills right there.
But let’s also give credit to Myles Turner as he is crushing this season as well. He’s having his best performance yet and has been instrumental in their success so far. Also, it is worth mentioning players like Benedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, or Aaron Nesmith who’ve contributed too.
Even though things haven’t been perfect lately, no one can deny that from a long-term perspective, these blokes are doing much better than anticipated at the start of the season. As a result, the Eastern Conference is now becoming more competitive thanks to teams like this stepping up their game.
Sacramento Kings
If the Sacramento Kings keep climbing up the standings and end up finishing second in the Western Conference, it will be a real injustice not to give them some props for being one of this season’s biggest surprises.
These guys haven’t just been stomping on easy opponents either. They’re poised to put an end to their emotionally-taxing 16-season-long playoff drought, and they’ve got what it takes to make some noise beyond the first round too.
What’s really got people talking is their top-notch offense. And that’s all thanks to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis who are killing it at creating chances both for themselves and for their squad. Plus, they’ve got sharpshooters sprinkled all over the perimeter helping them clear paths towards Championship victory.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is another team that has been crushing it this season, showing off its talented squad with star players Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac back in the mix. Despite a rocky start of 5-20, they’ve made some serious moves going 21-17 since early December
And let’s not forget huge wins on the road against big names like the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers. Sure, they may still be lacking a strong guard presence but Banchero and Franz Wagner are certainly holding down the fort. That said, once they get some better shooting guards behind them, chances are these guys could be one of the top scoring teams out there.
Overall, the Magic team is looking super promising for next year thanks to their impressive rebuilding efforts. Plus two more lottery picks coming up in this year’s draft. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what magic happens with those guys.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers haven’t just hit the ground running this season, they’ve worked real hard to hustle up an incredible record of 18-6, including knocking down some other big hitters like the Grizzlies, Heat, and Bulls on their path.
Jamal Crawford has been a straight fire coming off the sidelines and is making moves for that Sixth Man of the Year Award. Along with him, Lamar Odom came back strong and Blake Griffin lifted his game, adding to the overall team performance. When adding in DeAndre Jordan’s improvements on both ends of the court, we can talk about some serious points being scored by this team.
Utah Jazz
It’s so unexpected to see the Utah Jazz in this list, especially after their recent trades and modifications. But despite trading away some key players, the organization still managed to score 24 wins by Jan. 18th, which is not bad at all. And of course, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are still standing strong as those cornerstone pieces for them moving forward.
While other teams got an earlier head start on their rebuilding process, including Pacers or Magic, Utah, on the other hand, still has a chance at reaching near 40 wins this year. So, the outlook is bright for the team in general. But only time will tell what the overall picture will look like in reality.
