We entered the 2024-25 season with two clear-cut contenders for the NBA title: the defending champion Boston Celtics and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. By means of the early a part of the season, each groups have lived as much as the hype.
The Celtics are 10-3, have a plus-10.8 net rating per 100 possessions and lead the NBA in three-point makes an attempt and three-point makes. The Thunder are 10-2, have a plus-12.5 net rating and the best defensive rating within the NBA by far.
However three different groups have joined the Celtics and Thunder as bonafide contenders — and it’s not essentially the groups most anticipated when the season began. Let’s welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers (13-0!), Phoenix Suns (9-3) and Golden State Warriors (9-2) to the contenders’ get together.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers, one in every of six NBA groups to start out a season 13-0, are amid one of many biggest begins in league historical past. Cleveland is annihilating opponents with a plus-11.7 net rating and what can be the second-best offensive rating in NBA history in the event that they continued scoring at this price (121.7 factors per 100 possessions).
New head coach Kenny Atkinson has figured a option to distribute touches among the many Cavs’ 4 greatest gamers (Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen).
Mitchell is placing up an environment friendly 23.6 factors per sport with 47-41-85 capturing splits and dispensing 4.1 assists per sport. Mobley is enjoying extra just like the elite two-way pressure he projected to be in his first two seasons, averaging 17.8 factors, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Garland appears far more like the purpose guard we thought he’d grow to be earlier than the Mitchell commerce. He is averaging 20.5 factors and 6.5 assists with 53-45-89 capturing splits. In the meantime, Allen is doing his greatest Tyson Chandler impression, averaging 13.3 factors, 10.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks and capturing 63.9 % from the ground.
This staff is for actual.
Phoenix Suns
This one seemed a heck of so much higher earlier than Kevin Durant’s most up-to-date calf damage (he’ll be reevaluated later this month).
By means of 9 video games, the 36-year-old was enjoying MVP-level basketball, averaging 27.6 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks with hyper-efficient 55-43-84 capturing splits. He has additionally hit loads of big pictures and is the primary purpose the Suns are 7-0 in Clutch games through which he has performed. Assuming Durant can keep some semblance of excellent well being, there’s no purpose to imagine he’ll be slowing anytime quickly.
Whereas the Suns are overleveraged greater than any staff within the league, the byproduct of that’s that their roster is fairly loaded with expertise. Devin Booker is likely one of the extra well-rounded famous person guards within the NBA and is placing up 23.3 factors and 6.8 assists per sport — these numbers ought to improve throughout Durant’s absence.
Whereas not the All Star-level participant he was in Washington, Bradley Beal continues to be a succesful generator of offense who can decide up the slack if one in every of his famous person teammates is out or struggling. And Mike Budenholzer, who has received 60.6 % of his video games as a head coach, has the remainder of the staff enjoying exhausting and sensible.
Golden State Warriors
It’s beginning to really feel so much like 2021-2022 for the Warriors.
In that season, which culminated within the fourth title of the Stephen Curry period, Golden State stormed to an 18-2 report. They completed 2021-22 with the top-rated defense and the fifth-best internet score per 100 possessions. This season, the Warriors have the fifth-best defensive score, second-best offensive score and third-best internet score, outscoring opponents by plus-11 per 100 possessions via 11 video games.
Curry is enjoying his customary top-notch basketball, routinely giving opponents his “night time, night time” ending celebration in large moments and averaging 23.9 factors, 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds and placing up a 48-42-94 capturing break up.
In the meantime, Draymond Inexperienced is anchoring the protection and dispensing 5.2 assists per sport. Plus, Buddy Hield is doing his greatest prime Klay Thompson impersonation, averaging 17.6 factors with 50-47-86 capturing splits, and Jonathan Kuminga (14.7 PPG) and Andrew Wiggins (14.7 PPG) have figured a option to be efficient two-way forwards.
Look out, NBA. The Cavaliers, Suns and Warriors are within the race for the title, too.