NBA: Biggest Overachievers of 2015-16

The 2015-16 NBA regular season hasn’t gone as most expected it to. That’s what has made it great. The question is, which teams have been the biggest overachievers?

The 2015-16 NBA season has been one of extraordinary measures. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have pursued history in a variety of ways, and countless other teams and players have entered the record books in their own unique manner.

The question is, which teams have been the true overachievers in 2015-16?

Many contenders have won more games than they were expected to, but still had high expectations entering the season. Thus, the defending champions making history, the Toronto Raptors finally exceeding 50 wins, and the San Antonio Spurs dominating their home court have been excluded from this list.

All three feats are beyond our wildest of dreams and expectations, but, to a clearly lesser extent, they were relatively close to what many projected them to do.

The five teams on this list are squads that may have far exceeded the generally low expectations set for them. Some have battled injuries and free agency losses, while others made the jump from the draft lottery to being firmly in the postseason discussion in no time at all.

Outside of the most passionate of fans, no one saw these teams coming.

Next: Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have one of the most respected head coaches in the NBA in Steve Clifford. Thus, Charlotte wasn’t entirely ruled out on the postseason front, especially after landing Nicolas Batum via a relatively low-cost trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Even those who projected Charlotte to be a playoff team couldn’t have seen a season this prosperous coming.

Kemba Walker, now endearingly known as Cardiac Kemba, has stepped up to lead Charlotte back to the postseason. He’s been a killer in the clutch, has greatly improved his production and efficiency, and has truly embraced the task of being a team leader.

Batum has been just as valuable on both ends, fueling Charlotte’s offense and stabilizing the defensive perimeter in defensive ace Michael Kidd-Gilchrist‘s absence.

Other key players are worth mentioning, including a resurgent and underrated Jeremy Lin. The beauty of the Hornets, however, is that someone new seems to step up with every passing game—a sign of how true to the word, “Team,” the Hornets are.

From 33-49 in 2014-15, to 47-34 in 2015-16, the Hornets have greatly overachieved the general population’s expectations.

Next: Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

In the eyes of the masses, the DeAndre Jordan debacle was something of a death sentence for the Dallas Mavericks. Wesley Matthews was a nice consolation signing, but he’s been expectedly inconsistent coming off of a torn achilles tendon.

Working with what could be described as a makeshift roster, head coach Rick Carlisle has turned out yet another season of .500 basketball.

With its 41st victory, Dallas ensured that it would finish the 2015-16 season at .500 or better. That’s a remarkable feat when one considers that the last time the Mavericks finished a season below .500 was 1999-2000, when it went 40-42.

More impressively, Dallas made it back to the playoffs—again.

Despite that incredible track record, not many expected the Mavericks to be relevant in the postseason discussion.

Jordan agreed to a massive contract with the Mavericks, which is a telling sign that he was a major part of the team’s long-term plans. His spurning Dallas to return to the Los Angeles Clippers resulted in the Mavericks signing Zaza Pachulia, who’s averaging a career-best 9.4 rebounds per game at 32 years old.

The improbably successful roster continues with a 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki, an overlooked Chandler Parsons, Brooklyn Nets castaway Deron Williams, and a forgotten Raymond Felton.

Simply put, Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

Next: Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

The Stan Van Gundy effect is being felt by every member of the Detroit Pistons. His brash and intense approach to coaching isn’t for everyone, but the group in Detroit is clearly responding well to the man who has led an almost immediate turnaround.

Just two years into Van Gundy’s tenure, the Pistons will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

That’s quite the achievement.

Detroit has been floundering since breaking up a roster that led it to overwhelming success during the mid-to-late 2000s. Behind the efforts of Andre Drummond, who leads the league in rebounding, and Reggie Jackson, who’s played at a star-caliber level, Detroit has returned to relevancy.

Brilliant roster decisions made by Van Gundy, the head coach and president of basketball operations, have rounded the Pistons out as a postseason team.

Acquiring Tobias Harris at the NBA Trade Deadline was brilliant, as a 16-10 record since said date establishes. The moved followed Van Gundy trading for Marcus Morris—a key contributor—this past summer, and Jackson, the starting point guard, at the 2014 NBA Trade Deadline.

As both a coach and an executive, Van Gundy has done a masterful job of revitalizing the Pistons.

Next: Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies were expected to be this good before the 2015-16 NBA regular season began. Memphis has become something of a stalwart as far as the Top 5 teams in the Western Conference goes, no matter how starless their roster is inaccurately perceived to be.

What no one expected is Memphis surviving the losses of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to season-ending injuries.

Gasol hasn’t played a game since February 8, which has resulted in the Grizzlies going an underwhelming 12-16. What must be noted, however, is that Memphis was able to go 11-8 during its first 19 games without Gasol, thus clinching a record above .500—something that’s proven to be enough to make the playoffs.

It wasn’t until Conley went down, which was after Memphis traded Jeff Green, that the Grizzlies fell apart.

This may not be the most ideal of selections due to the Grizzlies’ recent collapse, but they won enough to make the playoffs. That’s an impressive feat considering Memphis has been rotating point guards in an unfathomably erratic manner.

Throw in the fact that Mario Chalmers, who would’ve replaced Conley in the starting lineup, suffered a season-ending injury, and it’s clear that Memphis had no business making the final push for the postseason that it did.

Next: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

Four of the Portland Trail Blazers’ starters from 2014-15—LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez, and Wesley Matthews—are playing for other teams in 2015-16. Arron Afflalo, who replaced Matthews in the starting lineup after his season-ending achilles injury, also departed.

Despite losing five starters from the previous season, and replacing them with career role players, Portland has completed a historically improbable return to the playoffs.

The numbers don’t lie; this is pure overachievement.

Damian Lillard has put forth one of the greatest seasons in franchise history, averaging 25.1 points and 6.9 assists for the overachieving Trail Blazers. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Lillard joins Clyde Drexler in 1991-92 as the only players in franchise history to average at least 25.0 points and 6.5 assists.

Joining Lillard with prolific production is shooting guard C.J. McCollum, who’s averaging a career-best 20.9 points per game.

The rest of Portland’s roster consists of under-the-radar players who provide solid and steady contributions. The likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Allen Crabbe, Ed Davis, Maurice Harkless, Gerald Henderson, Meyers Leonard, and Mason Plumlee have all played vital roles in the Trail Blazers’ shocking success.

More hoops habit: Is the next Damian Lillard waiting in the wings of the 2016 NBA Draft?

Previously believed to be a contender for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, Portland is right back where it was a year ago, when it had significantly more star power: in the playoffs.