Expect the Unexpected: Wade and Iverson Among NBA's Biggest Surprises

The Re-emergence of Dwyane Wade

While many believed prior to the Olympics that Dwyane Wade would never be the same again after two straight injury-plagued seasons, he has proved many doubters wrong. Wade not only has returned to his NBA Finals form, but appears to be stronger, faster, and better than he was and is in the thick of the MVP race.

Wade currently leads the scoring with nearly 30 points per game and averaging nearly eight assists a game as well. He is filling up stat sheets and becoming a fantasy lover's dream, all while leading his Miami Heat team to a 34-29 record and a fifth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Allen Iverson to The Detroit Pistons

After a number of unsuccessful years playing along side Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby as a member of the Denver Nuggets and experiencing drop-offs in points and assists, the 14-year veteran was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons traded away their beloved point guard Chauncey Billups in the deal. While Billups has brought the Nuggets to a current seventh seed (one game out of the lead for the Northwest Division), Iverson has struggled to adjust with his new team.

AI and the Pistons half-court style of offense haven't exactly blended so well as the team has gone 4-12 with AI in the starting lineup. With AI in the starting lineup, longtime starting shooting guard Richard Hamilton was benched much to his dismay.

Iverson has been injured for the past two weeks, forcing Hamilton back into the starting lineup, and the Pistons couldn't be happier with wins over Orlando, Boston, and Denver since his departure.

New York Knicks Finally Part with Stephon Marbury and the Rest of Their Team

The big surprise concerning Starbury is how long it actually took for the Knicks to rid their franchise of the team cancer. Marbury didn't play a single minute this season for the Knicks after being benched and then refusing to play.

The one part that has caught me off guard is how certain the Knicks are of winning the LeBron James sweepstakes in 2010. Even though, there is a season and a half to go, the Knicks have already cleared enough cap space to make a run for the all-star. Leading scorers Jamal Crawford and Zack Randolph were both let go a few weeks into the season to clear cap space for 2010

Despite the loss of their best scoring options, the Knicks still find themselves in the thick of the Eastern playoff race...along with nearly every other team in the conference.

Two Revamped Point Guards and a Newbie, Three Even Scarier Teams

The Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are all at the top of the Eastern Conference for two reasons.

Reason No. 1: It's the East.

Reason No. 2: Their point guards have been playing berserk.

Rajon Rondo is not particularly new with the Celtics, but this season he's been playing like a completely different person. Rondo currently has career highs in points, field goal and three-point percentage, rebounds, and assists all while serving as one of the main components of another Boston Celtics championship run. Not to mention, he has also tallied two triple-doubles.

Jameer Nelson has been a part of the Orlando Magic organization for five years now, but it wasn't until this year that he seemed revitalized. Nelson experienced career highs and fit perfectly into the Magic's high-octane offense.

He has complemented the three-point-shooting tandem of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu very well, contributing nearly two three-pointers per game and being a huge help to Dwight Howard in the post.

However, in a major disappointment for the Magic, the amped young point guard was lost for the season to a torn right labrum he suffered in February.

No team has been impacted more by their point guard than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mo Williams was a good player during his years in Milwaukee, but no one expected the impact that Williams would have on LeBron James and the Cavs.

If LeBron's shot isn't on for the night, you can guarantee Williams is picking up the slack. This 50-13 Cavs team would not be this good if not for their new point guard.

The Wizards Are Really Bad

This might not be a surprise for some, but honestly 15-49 is not what I expected at all from the Wizards. A team with Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler would appear to be a lot better even with the loss of their star point guard and center.

The Wizards made the playoffs last year pretty much with a core consisting of Jamison and Butler, before a gimpy Gilbert Arenas returned in the postseason to fall to the Cavaliers. Besides the two all-stars though, there really is nothing at all besides rookies and underperformers.

DeShawn Stevenson is a prime example. Stevenson, who is most remembered for running his mouth against the Cavs in last year's postseason, was shooting 31 percent before undergoing season-ending back surgery.

The Wizards need Arenas and Brandon Haywood, and they need them bad.

Devin Harris Keeping the Nets in the Playoff Picture

After parting with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, the Nets appeared to be heading to the Eastern Conference basement until a newcomer came that would help the team night in and night out.

Devin Harris, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in the trade that sent Kidd away, has been putting up career numbers and is a leader for the Comeback Player of the Year Award. His 22 points and seven assists per game are keeping the Nets out of the bottom of the NBA.

Harris has become the new leader for this team and might lead the team for years to come.

There is still a few more weeks of NBA season to go and there is still much to be discovered and much to be found out. Anything can happen in this league, so for every NBA fan always expect the unexpected.