The 2024-25 NBA season is only a few weeks old, but already teams are challenging preseason predictions.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, each with six wins, are currently outside of the Eastern Conference play-in race. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons are unexpectedly positioned in the middle of a wide-open standings race. The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, are off to the hottest start in the NBA since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors.
In contrast, the Western Conference is thriving, with 10 teams at .500 or better. The Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Golden State Warriors have all had impressive starts, although injuries loom as a potential setback. Suns star Kevin Durant is sidelined with a calf strain for several weeks, while Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren is out for 8-10 weeks with a pelvic fracture.
With these unexpected developments and mounting injuries, it’s time to assess which teams have exceeded expectations and which have fallen short. Our experts dive into the most pressing questions surrounding slow starts, surprising successes, and the challenges ahead for teams looking to recover from early-season struggles.
Most surprising team exceeding expectations?
Tim MacMahon: **Who could have predicted the Cleveland Cavaliers claiming the longest undefeated streak to start a season since the 73-win Warriors?** Sure, we knew they were a solid team after last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals appearance, but new head coach Kenny Atkinson inherited a roster with questions about how well the Cavs’ key players actually fit together.
Yet, the “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen has been outstanding. By Monday night, the Cavs had a +7.9 net rating when these four shared the floor. Atkinson has maximized their strengths by pairing Mitchell with Mobley and Garland with Allen in his rotations. The Mitchell-Mobley duo has posted an impressive +13.9 net rating, while Garland-Allen isn’t far behind at +8.4.
It’s still early, but their dominant win over the Warriors last week sent a clear message: Cleveland should be taken seriously as a contender in the East.
**Tim Bontemps:** I expected the Golden State Warriors to be a strong team this season, but I didn’t foresee them being tied for the best record in the West after 11 games while boasting a top-three defense. After their win over the Celtics on Nov. 6, Stephen Curry repeatedly mentioned how much he’s enjoying this group, especially because of the return to the “strength in numbers” approach that was so successful in Steve Kerr’s first season in 2014-15, which ended in a championship. A decade later, as long as Curry stays healthy and the team continues defending like this, the Warriors are a serious threat.
**Kevin Pelton:** While their early-season performance might not hold up long-term, the Brooklyn Nets deserve some recognition. After trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks and aiming for the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the Nets have managed to stay competitive, even briefly reaching as high as fourth in the East with a 4-6 record. Even in their losses, they’ve been competitive, including close overtime games against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, as well as a narrow loss in Cleveland. Much of Brooklyn’s success has come from veterans like Dennis Schroder, who’s averaging 19.3 points on 46.2% shooting from 3-point range. The Nets’ strong start could help them trade these contributors for future assets ahead of the deadline, keeping them on track for the high-level draft picks they need for the long term.
**Dave McMenamin:** After losing Paul George in free agency, dealing with Kawhi Leonard’s ongoing right knee issues, and struggling to win at home in their new arena, the LA Clippers have rallied with four straight victories to climb into the play-in picture. Norman Powell has been a big part of that, averaging a career-high 24.9 points on stellar shooting splits of 50.5/49.5/83.3. James Harden, while struggling with his efficiency—shooting just 36.2%, including 31.3% from 3—has still contributed significantly, nearly averaging a triple-double with 20.7 points, 8.8 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per game. The addition of Derrick Jones Jr. has also helped the Clippers rank 11th in defense, allowing just 108.6 points per 100 possessions.
**Jamal Collier:** I agree with MacMahon that the Cavs have firmly established themselves as contenders in the East, but I’m most surprised by the Detroit Pistons starting 5-8. Last season, they didn’t get their fourth win until January 15. While the Pistons aren’t a top-tier team yet, they’re no longer pushovers. With the state of the Eastern Conference, Detroit has a legitimate shot at making a push for a play-in spot, especially with Cade Cunningham playing at an All-Star level. He’s leading the team with 23.8 points per game, averaging a career-high 8.5 assists, and shooting 45.6% from the field.
Most surprising underperformer?
**MacMahon:** It’s truly shocking that the Milwaukee Bucks are struggling this much. Khris Middleton’s absence cannot fully explain why a team with championship aspirations has only four wins through the first 12 games of the season. This is especially concerning given that Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing at an MVP level, averaging 33.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game—near his career best. If the losses keep piling up, the pressure on the Bucks will only increase. One of the most frequent conversations around the league is how long it will be before Antetokounmpo demands a trade. While Milwaukee’s front office has quieted that talk in the past with major trades, such as the one that brought in Jrue Holiday and, more recently, Damian Lillard, the Lillard trade has yet to deliver the expected results. It’s tough to see how the Bucks can make substantial roster improvements, especially after committing so heavily to a roster that now looks flawed.
**Bontemps:** If you had predicted that the Bucks would be one of the worst teams in the NBA through the first 12 games of the season, the explanation would have been simple: injuries to key players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, or Brook Lopez. But instead, all three have been healthy for most of the season, missing only three games combined, and yet the Bucks remain near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This is cause for real concern. The next few weeks will be crucial for Milwaukee, as they have a nine-game stretch that includes six home games and seven matchups against teams that didn’t make the playoffs last season. If the Bucks can dominate that stretch and get close to .500, the panic will subside. But if they continue to struggle, they’ll be in serious trouble, with a roster that doesn’t have many trade assets to improve.
**Pelton:** The Bucks’ struggles are clearly the biggest surprise, but in a different vein, I’ve been surprised by how uncompetitive Philadelphia was before Joel Embiid’s return. Yes, the 76ers’ roster is built to complement Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, but the fact that those three have played together only three times this season is a concern. Even with that, the Sixers weren’t at a talent disadvantage against teams like the Toronto Raptors, and yet they still lost to them early on. With Embiid likely to sit out some back-to-backs for the rest of the season, Philadelphia might regret not winning more early games, especially if they end up needing to fight through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
**McMenamin:** The New York Knicks have been one of the most disappointing teams, despite mostly staying healthy so far. Coming off their first 50-win season in over a decade and adding high-profile players like Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, expectations were high for this season. While the East has been underwhelming overall, the Knicks’ 5-6 start leaves them seven games behind the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers and four behind the defending champion Boston Celtics. Their strong starting lineup—ranked fourth in the NBA in offense—is keeping them afloat, but their lack of depth and poor defensive performance (ranked in the bottom half of the league) are major red flags for their championship aspirations.
**Collier:** While we’ve already discussed the mess in Milwaukee, the Philadelphia 76ers’ struggles are equally disappointing. After all the excitement surrounding their successful offseason, it’s frustrating to see them underperform. With Joel Embiid still searching for his first truly dominant playoff run, it seemed like this season would finally be the one where everything clicked for Philly. They’ve got the right co-stars, solid supporting players, and an innovative coach. While they could still turn things around and make a deep playoff run, their slow start has been a major letdown.