Every year, all of the experts and analysts believe they have it all figured out heading into the NBA regular season. They make their predictions and decide who the top players and teams are. Most of those actually playing the game see that, and then put in extra work to prove everyone wrong. And here are a few teams not quite performing how we expected.
Phoenix Suns
With their win over Memphis on Saturday, the Suns improved to 4-2, despite not having DeAndre Ayton, last year’s No. 1 overall pick for the last five games. They have played without Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre already on the young season but look to be different than what we have gotten used to seeing.
Aron Baynes is setting his hard screens and shooting threes like one of the most impressive bigs in all of the game. He has helped shift the culture, as the Suns may finally be able to compete for a playoff spot, just what they have to do if they want to keep Devin Booker happy.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota has gotten off to a 4-1 start, stymieing the Wizards on Saturday despite being without the services of Karl-Anthony Towns. Treveon Graham hasn’t been doing much in the stat categories, but his defense at the shooting guard spot has not gone unnoticed and has been a big part of the culture shift.
Towns making five threes a game is almost unprecedented, while Andrew Wiggins is finally showing that he can be a consistent weapon. Let’s call all of this the Ryan Saunders effect. The man can coach; it’s in the family blood (RIP Flip).
Golden State Warriors
We also have the Warriors, as hapless as any team in the NBA already, with the news already getting worse. Stephen Curry will miss at least three months with a broken hand. Klay Thompson won’t play at all this season. D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green are both hurt, and the Warriors’ lineup Saturday featured a couple of guys fighting to keep their careers relevant and three rookies.
Things are not quite turning out how they expected, the only bright spot being how all of the rookies will learn to flourish with all the playing time they are currently receiving.
Sacramento Kings
How about those Sacramento Kings? They began the year 0-5 before squeaking past the Jazz by one Friday night. They paid several veteran free agents the big bucks to try and help them continue to change the culture for the better in the midst of a playoff drought that goes back to when general manager Vlade Divac was still playing.
Dewayne Dedmon didn’t last in the starting lineup, and they lost Marvin Bagley to injury after just two games. Paying Harrison Barnes this offseason is a move that is not proving to be helping them out.
Miami Heat
We’ll finish it off with a team from the East. How about those Miami Heat? Dion Waiters and James Johnson are not on great terms with the staff, and so rookie Kendrick Nunn, who was undrafted several years ago, is out breaking records for a guy in his position.
Rookie Tyler Herro is living up to the hype, and the Heat are playing as hard as any team in the game. Goran Dragic is thriving in his bench role, and as the season develops, they will only improve. The team’s surprising 4-1 start is very much sustainable.
