The 2023-24 NBA season is just 23-25 games old for most teams and has already given us some exciting storylines to follow for the next several months. Several top-tier players are playing at an MVP level, and the new In-Season Tournament just concluded with the Los Angeles Lakers claiming the first NBA Cup.
On top of those early-season narratives, several NBA teams are performing at levels worthy of recognition, both good and bad. Below, we will cover 10 categories in which certain NBA teams fall under the umbrella for the first portion of the year. Most of these categories are on the positive side of things while we also pay homage, if you want to call it that, to the teams that are falling far below expectations.
These are the 2023-24 NBA teams by category.
The Best – Boston Celtics
Current Record: 18-5
Last 10 Games: 7-3
After a collapse in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023, the Boston Celtics were busy this offseason in improving an already stacked roster heading into 2023-24. The Celtics started their offseason with the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis to shore up their frontcourt, giving them an offensive presence there that they haven’t had in quite some time. They also went out and grabbed Jrue Holiday in the trade market, improving their perimeter defense and adding championship experience to their team.
The results of these moves have paid off tremendously as the Celtics are 17-5 with a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the East and tied atop the overall league standings. They currently hold the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA at 110.0 and the seventh-best offensive rating at 118.5.
The team is being led once again by their MVP candidate Jayson Tatum who is averaging 27.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 49.1% shooting. Jaylen Brown is once again backing him up with over 22.0 points per game after signing an NBA-record contract extension this offseason. Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White are also averaging double-digits while also contributing greatly on the defensive end. If things continue on this path, there is no reason the Celtics should not be competing for their 18th championship this summer.
The Hottest – Los Angeles Lakers
Current Record: 15-10
Last 10 Games: 6-4
If there is any team that can lay claim to being on the biggest roll in the NBA right now, it is the Los Angeles Lakers. After being swept out of the playoffs last season, the Lakers needed to give their fans a good start to the season to keep the hope and faith alive that they could be legitimate contenders in 2023-24. That is exactly what they have done through 25 games so far.
With the introduction of the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Lakers exploded for seven straight wins and eventually became the first-ever winners of the NBA Cup. While many have criticized the way they have celebrated the win, the Lakers continue to prove the critics and doubters wrong.
Leading the way for the Lakers are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At almost 39 years old, James continues to defy the odds with 25.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game this season. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis has avoided major injury with 24 of 25 games played and is currently on track to become the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Through 24 games, he is averaging 23.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game on 54.4% shooting. As much as the doubters want them to fail, it seems the Lakers are not going anywhere at this point in time.
The Biggest Surprise – Orlando Magic
Current Record: 16-7
Last 10 Games: 8-2
Over the last few seasons, the Orlando Magic cannot be considered anything more than a laughingstock in the NBA. Silently, they have been putting together a roster that was going to be ready to compete sooner rather than later but nobody expected them to be this good this fast.
The Magic have completely exceeded expectations through 23 games this season, going 16-7 during that time, and sit third in the Eastern Conference right now. The Magic have been led by their duo of young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, leading Orlando with the third-ranked defense while operating with the 17th-ranked offense.
The Magic appear to be for real with major early-season victories over top Eastern Conference contenders. They are a few years ahead of schedule, making them easily the biggest surprise of the 2023-24 season so far.
Overachieving – Houston Rockets
Current Record: 12-9
Last 10 Games: 6-4
By the end of the 2022-23 season, the Houston Rockets needed some drastic changes to their franchise. They had just finished 22-60 on the season but headed into the offseason as one of the teams with the most money to spend in free agency. First, they hired controversial coach Ime Udoka to take the reins from Stephen Silas, a move that many questioned due to Udoka’s past. In free agency, the Rockets threw hefty contracts out to many top names but wound up landing only Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, two players thought to be trending downward.
Expectations were low for a Rockets team heading into 2023-24 with a mix-and-match roster filled with veterans as well as one of the youngest cores in the entire NBA. Houston did not get the memo. They have started the year 12-9 through 21 games and are currently in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Leading the way is young Swiss Army knife Alperen Sengun who has earned the nickname “Baby Jokic” for his all-around offensive play. He is currently averaging 20.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Jalen Green has shown tremendous growth and maturity on the court as well, thanks in part to the presence of VanVleet as a mentor. The Rockets may not be NBA champions in 2023-24 but they are certainly laying the foundation for a successful future.
The Coldest – Detroit Pistons
Current Record: 2-22
Last 10 Games: 0-10
As far as the NBA goes, it does not get any colder than what the Detroit Pistons have done so far in 2023-24. The Pistons are currently in the midst of a 21-game losing streak which is just the 14th time in NBA history a team has lost 20 or more games in a row in NBA history. It is also just five games away from tying the worst single-season losing streak in NBA history set by the Cavaliers in 2011 with 26 straight losses.
Expectations were certainly higher than this for the Pistons heading into 2023-24 with the hire of Monty Williams as head coach and the return of Cade Cunningham who missed most of last season due to injury. Instead, the Pistons have won just two of 24 games this season with the 25th-best defense and 27th-best offense in the NBA right now.
While the Pistons are certain to win more than two games the rest of the way, their shortcomings will be talked about for quite some time with calls to blow up the roster already being screamed from the rooftops.
The Most Disappointing – Golden State Warriors
Current Record: 10-14
Last 10 Games: 4-6
The Golden State Warriors have laid the blueprint for success in the NBA over the last decade. With four NBA championships since 2015, any time the Warriors struggle, those struggles are put under a microscope in front of the entire world. Something feels different about this season though as the Warriors sit at 10-13 through 23 games with no end to their slide down the standings in sight.
Despite an MVP-like season from superstar Stephen Curry, other members of the Warriors’ championship core are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Klay Thompson is struggling mightily with 15.4 points per game on 39.7% shooting from the field. Andrew Wiggins has been inconsistent as well with 12.1 points per game on 41.3% shooting.
To make matters worse, team leader and enforcer Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely this week by the NBA after his second physical altercation involving a punch to Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic resulted in Green’s removal from the team. Warriors fans are now left wondering when or if things can turn around for their team or if, indeed this is the end of the dynasty for good.
Underachieving – Phoenix Suns
Current Record: 13-11
Last 10 Games: 5-5
After a disappointing end to their 2023 season in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Phoenix Suns were tabbed as one of the favorites in the Western Conference heading into 2023-24. This summer, the Suns made one of the biggest offseason splashes by trading for Wizards guard Bradley Beal to form a Big 3 along with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. As things have unfolded in 2023-24, the Suns have looked average at best.
Thanks to injuries, the Suns’ newly-formed Big 3 has played just one game with all three players on the court. That came in a loss Wednesday night to the Brooklyn Nets. At 13-11, the Suns should be extremely disappointed in how their season has started with the 18th-ranked defense and 11th-ranked offense in the NBA.
While any team with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant as their main two options is undoubtedly going to figure it out, lack of depth and continuity can be their downfall as the season unfolds. Beal’s back issue is clearly a bigger problem than many were led to believe while Booker and Durant have dealt with their fair share of setbacks as well. Coach Frank Vogel is now tasked with righting the ship of this highly underachieving squad so far in 2023-24.
The Worst – Detroit Pistons
Current Record: 2-22
Last 10 Games: 0-10
It is extremely difficult to be any worse than a team that is 2-22 on the year and has lost 21 games in a row. The San Antonio Spurs have rivaled the Pistons in their shortcomings this season, losing 18 in a row themselves and accumulating a 3-20 record through 23 games.
As it stands, I have much more faith in the Spurs moving forward than I do with Detroit considering Victor Wembanyama has begun his NBA career with a myriad of impressive performances and the tutelage of Gregg Popovich at the helm. Detroit has no player I can turn to and say, “That player is the future of this franchise and will get them out of this rut they’re in”. No, not even Cade Cunningham or impressive rookie Ausar Thompson.
