We’re a little more than a quarter into the 2015-16 NBA season, here are a list of the teams that have been surprising and disappointing thus far
Coming into the season, we all thought the Western Conference would be more competitive than the Eastern Conference, if nothing else simply better, but currently it’s the complete opposite.
The East is so close that one day the 8th seed can turn into the 3rd seed, crazy right? For the West, they’re just hoping they have eight teams that make it over .500 once the playoffs begin.
Let’s take a look at the most surprising and disappointing NBA teams thus far.
Surprise Teams
- Dallas Mavericks (14-11): After losing Tyson Chandler, Rajon Rondo, and Monta Ellis to free agency during the summer – De’Andre Jordan too – no one picked the Mavericks to be a factor this season, but currently, the Mavs are 3rd in the Western Conference. They’re 14-11 and would be a playoff team if the season ended today.
- Charlotte Hornets (14-9): Losing Michael Kidd-Gilchrist before the season even started wasn’t a great omen for them. However, they’re currently ranked 4th in the East and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. They rank 5th in offensive efficiency and 6th in defensive efficiency, which makes them one of the best teams on both ends of the floor so far this season.
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- Indiana Pacers (14-9): Paul George looked iffy last season coming back from injury, but this year he’s definitely back to the Paul George we know – and then some. Next to Stephen Curry, he’s probably next up in NBA MVP voting, and he’s single handedly keeping the Pacers alive in the Eastern Conference.
Disappointments
- New Orleans Pelicans (6-18): Anthony Davis had a pretty good season last year, so the Pelicans had high expectations this upcoming season. Also, with the new head coach Alvin Gentry, the plan was to push the tempo on offense, but that hasn’t been the case, and the Pelicans are hard to watch this season. They’re not a playoff team right now.
- Memphis Grizzlies (14-12): “Grit and grind” has been the motto for the Grizzlies, but with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen being benched, the identity of the Grizzlies that we once knew, may be long gone. The NBA has transitioned to a guard dominant league, quick and fast paced, and the Grizzlies need to make some adjustments to stay in touch.
- Houston Rockets (12-13): Last season, the Rockets were 2nd in the Western Conference but so far this season, the Rockets don’t look anything like the same team as last season. This team will go as far as James Harden and Dwight Howard carries them, firing Kevin McHale wasn’t the best decision in my opinion, but they are currently the 7th seed in the West and, over the weekend, they finally have reached the .500 mark. Then dropped back down below.
Next: NBA Power Rankings: Spurs gaining on the Warriors
- Washington Wizards (10-13): They’re currently 4th in offensive pace, but the Wizards are giving up 105.3 points per game to their opponents. For some reason early on, the Wizards have been on a roller-coaster ride, maybe they will get off soon.
- Los Angeles Clippers (15-10): Although they’re currently 4th in the Western Conference and have been playing slightly better as of late, when you watch them play, it seems like there is something going on with the team. They don’t seem right. Not sure if it’s too many egos, or they’re just mentally weak, but there’s something definitely going on with the Clippers.