Who was the suprise team of season. I don't think there is just one but there are a few. Milwaukee Bucks- projected to be last in the league and suprised all and without the slump at the end of the season finished 6th in the east Utah Jazz- just missing the playoffs without Karl and John, plus they played in the west Memphis Grizzlies- underated all year and go 5th in the west Denver Nuggets- not suppose to reach the playoffs for a couple more years and they make the playoffs the first year
Miami Heat-I expected this team to be like most teams after rebuilding the first frew years,but this team blossomed and matured quickly,Dwyane Wade and Lamar Odom are brilliant and this team has a very bright future if they played like the played this season.
Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic. They were being considered as playoff team that would go to a distance, before the season started. Not even close...
I would say miami, utah, memphis, and denver was the surprise teams. yes,toronto and orlando was an upset.
the bulls were also an upset... the way crawford and curry ended the year before, this team was supposed to be a playoff contender... instead they get a high lottery pick yet again
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jiggax23:</div><div class="quote_post">the bulls were also an upset... the way crawford and curry ended the year before, this team was supposed to be a playoff contender... instead they get a high lottery pick yet again</div> That's true. They added Scottie Pippen and the trade early in the season helped them too. The biggest surprises though, are the Grizzlies and Bucks. Nobody had them going into the playoffs, but they both did with a respectable record for their respective conferences.
I'll go with the Grizzlies in the West and the Heat in the East. I expected the Grizzlies to improve, but I didn't think they would end up being a 5th seed. They played great team basketball and took advantage of their depth throughout the season. They had a disappointing playoffs, being swept, but it was against the defending champs. The Heat and Wade came out of no where. Their staff deserves a lot of credit for getting Odom to stay focused and play All Star basketball. And to top it off they provided a lot of excitement in the playoffs. I look forward to watching them next season. Honorable mentions: Bucks, Jazz, Nuggets Disappointments has to be the Magic and Bulls. I expected both teams to reach the playoffs. I thought the Magic were a lock for a 4th seed and the Baby Bulls would finally play to their potential. Neither happened and these two teams ended up being two of the worst in the league.
<font size="4"><u>Surprises</u></font> Miami Heat - No one really expected them to be that good, and they also started off bad. Nuggets - People expected improvement, but not that much improvement. Memphis - Improvement was expected, but improvement in terms of something like 10th or 11th in the West, not making the playoffs in the 6th spot and winning 50 games. Milwaukee - New Inexperinced coach, "no star", "no depth", and not enough talent, all that was proved wrong, Michael Redd emerged, they had pretty good depth with Damon Jones-Desmond Mason-Dan Gadzuric-Kukoc, and they were a pretty talented team. Utah - Shows what team work and perseverance can do, people had them second last and just ahead of Milwaukee in their rankings, and they both surprised. <font size="4"><u>Dissapointments</u></font> Portland - They were also expected to rise in the West, with Randolph improving and Rasheed also being there, they were supposed to be 5th - 8th place also in the West. Golden State - They Were a dissapointment, due to injuries though, without injuries they could've have a starting lineup of: PG-Van Exel SG-Jason Richardson SF-Dunleavy PF-Cliff/Murphy C-Dampier <u>and a bench of:</u> Speedy Claxton Mickael Pietrus Brian Cardinal Troy Murphy (or Cliff) Adonal Foyle Calbert Cheaney Avery Johnson Their first 5 bench players are pretty good, I'd call that a top bench in the league if they were healthy. Orlando - Everyone expected them to tear it up, guess not. Chicago - They were a dissapointment, for some reason everyone always thinks they'll tear it up every season. Phoenix Suns - Don't believe every one forgot, they were supposed to be a top Western team, at least between 5 and 8 ish place in the West, and they didn't perform close to what was expected. Go Suns!! Philadelphia - No one expected them to crumble and fall like that, and they were expected to at least get a playoffs seed, maybe top 5 in the East. I don't think the Raptors were a disspaointment in terms of what people thought, people didn't have them making the playoffs before the season in their power rankings, and that's exactly what happened.
Knicks- I didn't think that they would make the playoffs with a roster of: C-Dikembe Mutombo F-Kurt Thomas F-Keith Van Horn G-Allan Houston G-Howard Eisley it was something like that in the beginning of the season, but when Isiah Thomas came in......well, yall know.
I''d have to say the Bucks, Heat, Hornets and Pistons. I would include the Timberwolves also regardless of their obviously impressive roster. Oh not forgetting the Jazz also. Good things are always expected of the Pacers nowadays. Oh and the Grizzlies! Bucks, they made the playoffs and finished off with a pretty good record. They're no longer considered one of the worst amongst say, the Sixers, Celtics, Magic and Hawks, who unluckily have no hel on their team. Heat, they went far in the playoffs and played well having a Rookie as a starter as well as people who are not the best of their position, these being Eddie Jones and Brian Grant. They relied on their workhorse and blue collar portions of their game with shares of their skills and succeeded. Not to mention the awesome Home record. Hornets, good things was to be expected of them as they have a pretty good roster. However they had many injury troubles in Mashburn and B Dizzle who're their key players, Magloire and PJ stepped up. They went to the playoffs, 'nuff said, props given. Pistons, they truly proved defense wins championships, teamwork is real important and that a star isn't needed to win. They probably wouldn't have gotten here had they picked 'Melo. Jazz, Sloan has done what the Pistons have, taken them to places, without an absolute Superstar. Kirilenko is great but he's virtually the only one who'll go far. Not taking anything away from the rest of the roster. His awesome coaching got them where they are, plus they're pretty young, much like the Grizzlies I see them becoming big contenders in the near future, as well as the Heat and Hornets. Grizzlies, coaching, coaching, coaching. The best damn coach this Season along with Sloan and Bzedelik. He got them where they were, he adapated a Pistons like approach, team, no star, though Gasol is their star. He plays so few minutes, plus they've played smart, good ball. Jay Williams has improved so much having been put under the "control" of Hubie Brown, he's in check and has really matured. Once the whole team gets more experience and strength, they're set.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting eginobili20:</div><div class="quote_post">Pacers</div> Why the Pacers? They did so well this Season like they always do, although they did have injuries I suppose....
Magic - this season showed McGradys character (or should i say lack of) when the going got tough. I definately did not expect to see a team with T-mac's caliber go on something like a 19 game losing streak, was it? so many losses i can't even remember exact number.. Heat! loved watching them post all star game, they did a tremendous job of making it to the playoffs and really playing with alot of passion especially with the adjustments to Odom coming in (he is an allstar in my eyes), and D-wade steppin in to shine thru the show (future all star no doubt). To tell u the truth, i actually enjoyed watchin Wade play more than any rookie this season. Hope to see heat make a big run next season if all roster stays healthy and doesn't alter too much in the off season.
Orlando not winning anything. Zen Master Jackson loosing it. Malone, not having 1 injury in his life, getting injured. <--Slam really jinxed him. Rasheed Wallace aka. Walking Technical behaving well. <-Big surprise
I would say the Memphis Grizzlies. Nobody thought that they would of gone so far and actually the 6th seed in the West. They have been terrible all these years and they seem to pop out of no where. Even though they got swept, they are still my suprise team of the season.
^noap. I like that team and picked them to go to the finals as soon as they aquired Rasheed. But I didn't want them to beat the Lakers. And the fact they dominated the Lakers was the biggest suprise. Dag syndicates, just kidding. :mrgreen:
I think the surprise of the year was Denver for me, because, at the beginning of the season I DID predict each the Bucks and Heat to make the playoffs, but, not at the middle range of the brackets, I expected somewhere between a 6 and 8 seed for them, but, they made it anyways. But, Denver came out of nowhere and played well pretty much all year, aside from some losing streaks. I don't believe anyone thought this team would do so well, especially in the West. They did it all year though. Played well and competed long enough to make the Playoffs. It was indefinitely a good season and a surprise season for them. My disappointment of the year has got to be the Chicago Bulls though. I had them making the Playoffs this year as a lower seed. And, for that prediction, which I didn't find bold at the time, they only garnered 21 wins. It was a terrible season, especially for a person who's been a Bulls fan (me) since I started watching basketball. I thought that they'd finally had a good team, which, I still believe they do, just an immature team who can't play together. I thought that, at the time, Rose, who is now gone, and Crawford would make to be a very good backcourt in the East and that Chandler and Curry would finally come into their own and become the players people thought they could be when the Bulls drafted them. Unfortunately, none of this happened, the Bulls never blossomed and could never win on a consistent basis to do anything spectacular, even in the so-called Leastern conference. But, I suppose there is always next year for them. Not so sure if I'll be taking them to make the playoffs though.
