[Saba Sports News] The new NBA season is more than three weeks old, and many teams have had some surprising performances, especially in the Eastern and Western Conference races. The Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that hadn’t made much offseason adjustment, surprised many by winning 14 straight. The Cavaliers, who are the only unbeaten team in the league, have been a different team since introducing new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, while playing well, are still considered a contender as long as they keep their lineup together. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, however, have been eye-catching. The Bucks, in particular, are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-8 record, while the 76ers are in a disappointing 14th place, despite both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard remaining healthy.
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By contrast, the Western Conference is more competitive, with some teams also exceeding expectations. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, in particular, struggled despite the offseason acquisition of Kyrie Irving, falling out of the conference’s top 10 at one point. While Luka Dončić is averaging 29.3 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game this season, he is shooting just 42.8 percent from the field and has been volatile.
Of those teams that have exceeded expectations, the biggest surprises have been the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. The offseason reinforcement of the two teams is not obvious, but their performance is surprising, showing strong competitiveness, especially the Lakers found a balance in the changing lineup, played a commendable performance.
Overall, the NBA has been extremely competitive this season, with both strong teams that have exceeded expectations and underperformed, and there will undoubtedly be more exciting games ahead.