5 biggest surprises midway through 2019-20 NBA season
The battle of L.A. and the Russell Westbrook-James Harden reunion were a couple of obvious storylines heading into the 2019-20 NBA season, but there have been plenty of unexpected developments as the midway point of the campaign nears.
Some players have seemingly come out of nowhere, capitalizing on their team's circumstances to become vital rotation pieces. Meanwhile, clubs that were supposed to struggle - on paper - have found a way to make things work.
With most teams approximately halfway through their respective schedules, here are some of the Association's biggest surprises thus far.
Warriors' nosedive
The Golden State Warriors weren't supposed to own one of the NBA's worst records. Despite Kevin Durant's departure in free agency, the club still had two-time MVP Stephen Curry and former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green in the fold.
However, injuries struck both core members early in the 2019-20 campaign. Curry has missed all but four games with a broken left hand while Green was in-and-out of the lineup with various ailments. The Warriors' major free-agent splash, D'Angelo Russell, has also dealt with his share of injuries.
With the aforementioned trio and All-NBA guard Klay Thompson simultaneously on the mend, Golden State was forced to field a relatively inexperienced roster for large parts of the season. As a result, the Warriors have struggled on both ends of the floor, especially offensively.
Golden State ranks 27th in points scored per game (104.8) and dead last in offensive rating (103.0 points per 100 possessions) and 3-pointers made per game (9.6). It's been a disastrous start in San Francisco, but the Warriors are likely to land a top-five draft pick for their troubles and could very well be terrorizing the NBA once again next season.
Surging Thunder
On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder are making an unexpected playoff push after dealing franchise cornerstones Russell Westbrook and Paul George during the offseason. Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - the centerpiece in the George blockbuster deal - has taken a huge leap from his rookie season, nearly doubling his scoring average (19.8) from a year ago.
Fifteen-year NBA vet Chris Paul, who was acquired in exchange for Westbrook, has been instrumental in the Thunder's early success with his strong play and leadership. Head coach Billy Donovan often deploys the pair alongside Dennis Schroder in a funky, yet highly successful, three-point guard lineup to close games.
In 236 total minutes with the trio on the floor together, Oklahoma City is outscoring opponents by 28.3 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. The unit's offensive and defensive efficiency of 125.3 and 97.0, respectively, would top all teams in both departments.
Luka's MVP ascension
Luka Doncic appeared destined for great things after a historic rookie campaign, but very few foresaw his ascent into the MVP conversation partway through his second year in the Association. The Dallas Mavericks' wunderkind seems to be rewriting the NBA record books on a nightly basis and has his club firmly entrenched in the Western Conference playoff race.
Doncic has already posted the most triple-doubles before the age of 21 in history and is the only player to ever record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in 30 minutes or less of playing time. The Slovenian superstar also registered 32.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game in November to join Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only NBA players to average a 30-point triple-double over a calendar month.
With Doncic running the show, the Mavericks' offense is on a record-setting pace. Dallas owns the Association's top offensive rating and is ahead of the all-time single-season mark set by the Warriors during the 2018-19 season, according to Basketball Reference.
Conley's early woes
Mike Conley's move to the Utah Jazz hasn't exactly gone as planned. The longtime Memphis Grizzlies guard scored a career-high 21.1 points per game in 2018-19, but he's dealt with injuries and has struggled on the court during the early stages of his Jazz tenure.
Conley is averaging just 13.6 points and is recording career lows in multiple categories, including field-goal percentage (36.5%), true-shooting percentage (49.1%), and fast-break points per game (1.3), per NBA.com. The Jazz have looked great without the veteran floor general, posting a 13-3 record in Conley's absence. Utah has scored 2.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with the 32-year-old on the court.
Utah's offense is flourishing with Donovan Mitchell spending more time on the ball. The third-year guard has created more of his own offense this season rather than relying on his teammates. Joe Ingles has helped Mitchell with playmaking duties since regaining his starting role.
But as good as the club has been without Conley, Utah isn't better with him on the sidelines. The Ohio State product's impressive track history suggests that his early shooting struggles won't last. Yet, he might need to adopt an off-ball role to help the Jazz reach their potential.
Graham takes torch from Kemba
The Charlotte Hornets are in the playoff mix due in large part to Devonte' Graham. The second-year point guard has stepped into the void left by former franchise player Kemba Walker and taken the reins of a young Hornets squad that seemed destined for the East's cellar.
Graham has taken a huge leap from his rookie season, leading the team in scoring (18.5) and assists (7.7) per game. The former Big 12 Player of the Year is shooting nearly 40% on 9.2 attempts from beyond the arc and his 35.4 assist percentage ranks in the 95th percentile among combo guards, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Like his predecessor, Graham is a lethal scoring threat when handling the ball in the pick-and-roll. He's got the range to pull up from anywhere, often burning defenders when they go under high screens. Graham's 8.8 points per game in such situations ranks 10th in the Association, per NBA.com.
His improved shot-creating abilities have also unleashed his playmaking prowess. Graham can create out of the pick-and-roll, frequently delivering pinpoint pocket passes in stride with his teammates.