10 Pleasant Surprises from the 2024-25 NBA Season So Far
Roughly 20 games into the NBA's 2024-25 season, the Boston Celtics are still really, really good. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished atop the Western Conference last year, are still slotted No. 1.
But the season hasn't exactly gone as expected. The Celtics have competition atop the Eastern Conference standings. Some teams and players have stood out amongst their peers.
The following lists 10 pleasant surprises through roughly a quarter of the season:
Rookies: Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht
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Logic might suggest that the top overall picks from the 2024 NBA draft would immediately emerge as standouts. That was the case last year when Victor Wembanyama was the clear Rookie of the Year.
Wembanyama may be more of the exception than the rule, as the highest-tier prospects taken in the draft are often just barely 19 years old. Two (slightly) older rookies have been tremendous for their respective teams.
Jared McCain (No. 16) was an impressive scorer at Duke whose game has seamlessly translated to the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers, beset by injuries, turned to McCain (turning 21 in February) for offense, and he's given the franchise 16.0 points in 25.2 minutes per game while shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range.
Dalton Knecht (No. 17) shook off a slow start with the Los Angeles Lakers to literally catch fire (technically, that should read "figuratively," but he was that hot) for 37 against the Utah Jazz. The Lakers need floor spacing for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Knecht (23) is giving the franchise 12.2 points per game at 43.9 percent from behind the arc.
Both players need to improve significantly on defense, but they've already shown they have NBA-caliber offensive skills deserving of steady minutes.
Dyson Daniels' Defense
2 of 10
When Atlanta traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, the draw seemed to be draft compensation, but the Hawks got a steal in Dyson Daniels.
Daniels (No. 8 in 2022) was forgettable through two seasons with the Pelicans. If he could defend, his offensive shortcomings made it difficult for coach Willie Green to give him significant minutes. He still struggles to hit the three-point shot with the Hawks, but he's finding other ways to score, jumping from 5.8 points per game last year to 13.5.
But Daniels stands out on the defensive end, where he's a one-man terror to opposing wings. He's averaging 3.0 steals per game and is in the early running for one of the NBA's all-defense teams.
The Hawks (10-11) remain competitive in the East, and Daniels is an excellent complement to the team's smaller point guard (and offensive powerhouse), Trae Young.
Growth: Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs
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Two of last year's bottom five teams are currently in range of the play-in tournament. The Detroit Pistons won just 14 games a year ago, languishing season after season at the bottom of the standings. The San Antonio Spurs were immediately better with Victor Wembanyama, but 22 wins weren't especially impressive.
With JB Bickerstaff taking over as head coach, the Pistons (9-14) aren't great, but they're more than halfway to matching last year's win total. The players have grown together and are a tough out most nights (losing on average by just 1.9 points per game).
The Spurs (11-9) can boast a winning record and are pushing to make a big for No. 6 to outright avoid the play-in. They'll have to overtake several teams but are only one game behind the No. 6 Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas Mavericks Winning Without Luka Dončić
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The Dallas Mavericks started the season slowly. After their run to the NBA Finals, the team made several changes, including swapping out a defensive-minded starter (Derrick Jones Jr.) for a shooting veteran (Klay Thompson).
Some of the struggle was on All-Star Luka Dončić, who was nursing various injuries (calf, knee) before a wrist injury knocked him out for five games. Surprisingly, the Mavericks went on a roll without him.
Now he's back, and the team (13-8) has climbed to No. 5 in the West and seems to have a better feel on how to play together without its star. That experience should be valuable throughout the season and into the playoffs.
Grizzlies Finding Ways to Win
5 of 10
The Memphis Grizzlies were a mess last year. Felled by injuries, the franchise went from the playoffs in 2022-23 to 27 wins. This year, the season began with more of the same, including losing Ja Morant to a hip injury.
Instead of floundering, the Grizzlies have one of the league's hottest offenses. At No. 3 in the West, Memphis (14-7) has Morant back and is kindling a six-game win streak to stay within striking distance of the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder (15-5).
Another pleasant story is the rise of 5'8" Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura. The league's smallest player may not play much yet, but he's a fan favorite (even on the road), and his charming rapport with Morant is fun to watch.
Ty Lue Coaching Kawhi Leonard-less LA Clippers
6 of 10
It wasn't a shock that Kawhi Leonard wasn't healthy enough to start the season with the LA Clippers. The two-time NBA champion has struggled with knee injuries over recent seasons.
The Clippers, on paper, looked like they'd plummet in the Western Conference.
Initially, they did, but coach Tyronn Lue has gotten the most out of his franchise despite missing Leonard. The Clippers (13-9) scrap on defense and get enough scoring out of James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac to remain competitive.
If, and it's a big if, Leonard can return in the coming weeks and stay healthy, the Clippers will earn a playoff spot.
Formidable Houston Rockets
7 of 10
The Houston Rockets were horrible for a few years, recently winning just 22 games through the 2022-23 campaign. The franchise pivoted last summer to add veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to improve to .500 but fell short of the play-in by five games.
Now, the Rockets look like a playoff team outright. Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün are earning their recent extensions. Houston may finish this coming week in the first place, just a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coach Ime Udoka, hired last year, has instilled a defensive mindset in the Rockets that seems to permeate the roster.
Franz Wagner Filling the Banchero Void
8 of 10
The Orlando Magic returned to the playoffs last season after a relatively fast rebuild, but the team lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The combination of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero didn't seem ideal in the playoffs, but that may have been more to inexperience that fit.
The Magic, seemingly convinced, invested heavily into Wagner this summer (and is expected to max out Banchero next year). Unfortunately, Banchero got hurt (oblique muscle) after five games. Without him, Wagner has stepped into the leadership role. He hit a big game-winner on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers and has helped propel the Magic (15-7) to a six-game win streak and the No. 3 seed in the East.
Still The Golden State Warriors
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The demise of the Splash Brothers (so long, Klay Thompson) did not mean the end of the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is still one of the league's brightest stars. Draymond Green remains a defensive problem for many opponents. The Warriors aren't ready to fall off just yet.
At 12-7, the team has struggled recently (losing four straight), but Curry has missed time with an ankle injury. Assuming the team pulls up from their mini-slide and returns to stunning teams, Curry is always a threat to pull out any close game in the Warriors' favor.
First Place Cleveland Cavaliers
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The Cleveland Cavaliers finally won on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. After two losses, the Cavaliers have drawn a little blood on their most significant competition atop the Eastern standings. At 18-3, Cleveland has the best overall record in the NBA.
The team was solid last year at 48 wins but didn't make significant upgrades this offseason. Instead, the front office relied on continuity and belief that their pairing of two bigs (Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) and a couple of smaller guards (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) could work.
It remains to be seen whether it will work deep into the playoffs, but in the meantime, Cleveland has stood out as the season's most pleasant surprise.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X/Twitter @EricPincus.
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