By Kelvin Butler
As we’re nearing the halfway point of the 2019-2020 NBA season, there are some surprising teams, for good and bad reasons.
I’d like to focus on the good teams: the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors.
- Miami Heat
The Miami Heat has made the most underrated off-season moves: getting the alpha dog Jimmy Butler, signing undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn and drafting Tyler Herro. These players gave the Heat a good shot to compete for the eastern conference in the playoffs—Nunn’s and Herro’s balling performances got them name recognition in Miami, then with a former all-star Gordon Dragic coming off the bench, they have a semi-deep team. They’re sitting in the second place spot in the eastern conference.
- Dallas Mavericks
In wake of Luka Donic’s rookie of the year campaign last year, the Dallas Mavericks are making a lot of noise in the western conference. With Donic playing like an MVP candidate and with the return of the “Unicorn” Kristaps Porzingis, there’s no telling what they might do. Furthermore, the rest of the team is full of productive players who know their roles. Donic’s and Prozingis’s pairing has the potential to be a Penny and Shaq type of duo in the NBA, which has led them to the sixth seed in a tough western conference.
- Toronto Raptors
After Kawhi Leonard left, everyone thought the Raptors would settle and come down to earth. But with Leonard gone, it gave players like Pascal Siakam, Fred Vanfleet and others a lot more touches and shots. Many players on this team are growing their skills and having career seasons—especially Siakam, who is in the Most Improved Player race again and might be the first to win the award consecutively. The Raptors have the fourth seed in the eastern conference, better than the Philadelphia 76ers who are many people’s picks to win the eastern conference title.
Bonus: Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC Thunder’s surprising plays this season got them in the seventh seed in the west, with a comfortable lead over the teams fighting for the eighth seed. However, OKC Thunder might trade Chris Paul along with Dennis Schroder, so that might negatively affect them.
