Surprises
I recognize there are teams that have surprised in terms of under-performing, but I’m reserving this category for teams that have surprised in terms of overachieving. The aforementioned Denver Nuggets could have been in this category as well, I suppose, but these two teams have truly been the surprises thus far.
Memphis Grizzlies
NBA fans who thought that the Memphis Grizzlies would simply be a lackluster foe as they were a year ago definitely forgot how special of a player Mike Conley is. He’s been sensational in his return to action, and I still don’t think he’s 100 percent back to the player he can be.
That said, the Grizzlies have still been much more effective than I thought they’d be. Their 6-4 start that has them at sixth in the West is pretty surprising to me. I knew they’d be much better than last year thanks to Conley, but still not in the playoff pack.
They may very well fall out of the playoffs when all is said and done, after all, for as many good wins as they’ve had they’ve also suffered some ugly losses to poor teams, but they’ll definitely be a competitor night in and night out. Just ask the Utah Jazz who have already suffered two losses to them.
Garrett Temple has been a sensational role player for them. Jaren Jackson Jr. has looked phenomenal in his young rookie season. And, much to the chagrin of some Jazz fans, Shelvin Mack has been solid as a reserve. Factor in the fact that they currently have one of the stingiest defenses in the league, and it’s not unrealistic to project that the Grizzlies will continue to be a tough foe in the West.
Their offensive struggles are troubling, though, so to be frank, I expect that Memphis will ultimately come back down to earth somewhat and ultimately slide out of the West’s top 8. Still, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been a surprise thus far and that they won’t be a consistent threat to any team that sleeps on them.
Sacramento Kings
If you thought the Memphis Grizzlies were a surprise, how about the Sacramento Kings? I honestly had the Kings pinned as the worst team in the West, but to their credit, they’ve looked solid thus far, sitting at 7-5 after throttling the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday to sit at seventh in the West.
I’m actually happy to see the Kings out-perform expectations thus far, but unfortunately I have to say that I don’t think this is going to last. The Kings only have two wins over teams that currently have a winning record – the Oklahoma City Thunder (back when they were slumping) and the Memphis Grizzlies (who likely aren’t as good as their record currently indicates). Not only that, but several of their losses to solid opponents have been really ugly.
In other words, once the Kings’ schedule toughens up, I expect them to falter in a big way. The young Sacramento squad has been entertaining up to this point, but I have a feeling their turn for the worst will come sooner than later and in a big way. Despite the surprising start, don’t expect them to be anywhere near a playoff spot when all is said and done.