The NBA is and will always be full of surprises. It was surprising that 2014 NBA champs San Antonio Spurs fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs and failed to advance to the Finals when everybody was expecting them to win it again.
As the NBA 2015-2016 season tips off today, several basketball experts have gathered to discuss which teams are likely to give the basketball world its greatest shock. Topping the list for the Eastern Conference is the Orlando Magic.
Jared Dubin and Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated are convinced that the Magic flaunts a roster filled with young but very talented core. Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris are now entering their third year together, and their chemistry would have gelled this season.
Add Elfrid Payton, who delivered a strong rookie performance last season, and Aaron Gordon to the mix and the NBA season has a very potent team that can take the Magic to the playoffs, or at least win more than just 25 games.
The Phoenix Suns will also likely go up in a conference locked with many of the league's best teams. Crossover Chronicles' Jared Mintz and Bryan Gibberman believe that the Suns can move to a playoff spot this season even if there is too much competition in the Western Conference. Both guys are looking at the Suns' deep lineup of strong offensive pieces and role players.
Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, T.J. Warren, and rookie shooter Devin Booker will provide the offense, but the real critical player is center Tyson Chandler.
"He is the big man the Suns have desperately missed for years," Mintz said.
"Phoenix might not have a 'superstar,'" Gibberman said. "But the Suns have a lot of talent with pieces that fit well together."
There's no surprise that LeBron James' return to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season would lead to positive results. That said, James turning the Cavs into an instant NBA Finals contender after a lackluster season was very impressive.
Perhaps the biggest surprise last season was when the Atlanta Hawks barged and blitzed through the ranks and managed to secure its first NBA Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Although the Hawks lost to the Cavs, nobody saw the team's rise to the top and their season-long dominance in the Eastern Conference.