NBA: 5 Biggest Surprises Of The 2012-13 Season

Tim Duncan turned back the clock in 2012-13. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com

There has never been an NBA season where there aren’t any surprises–surprising teams or players that stepped up make up this whole surprise concept.

The 2012-13 season no different. The stars still shined. The powerhouse teams still dominated. But there were five surprises that should stand out in your mind.

Golden State Warriors’ Success

In 2011-12, the Warriors finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 23-43 record. They had the talent and youth, specifically in the backcourt, but their defense was still poor and rebounding was still their biggest undoing.

What a difference a year can make.

Golden State claimed the No. 6 seed in the final few days of the 2012-13 campaign. It was only their second playoff berth in 20-plus years. And more importantly, the team’s shortcomings in the previous year were areas of strength this year. They were top 5 in the NBA in rebounding and while not elite yet, they were much more competent on defense.

Sure, it helps have a healthy Stephen Curry, who broke Ray Allen’s single-season 3-point record. It also helps to reap the benefits of David Lee, who was the Warriors’ first All-Star since 1997.

If you recall the preseason predictions, you can rest assured that very, very few chalked the Warriors up as contenders.

Anthony Davis Gets Topped For Rookie of the Year (Probably)

Nothing is official yet, but common sense dictates that Damian Lillard will win the Rookie of the Year award. Meaning Anthony Davis won’t, which is a bigger surprise than you might initially think.

For one, Davis was far from “bad” in this season. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game. Over a 36-minute basis, that would equate to 16.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. That’s not too shabby and frankly, it’s an extremely good start to what should be a promising NBA career. His production amidst Lillard’s stellar first year, though, lost him some attention.

Lillard averaged 19.0 points and 6.5 points in 38.8 minutes per game. Plus, he kept the Portland Trail Blazers within contention.

A little more than a year ago, Davis was surefire bet to win ROY. Heck, Lillard wasn’t even on the radar for the award. Davis’s biggest competitors for the honor were Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Harrison Barnes, not the Weber State product.

But predictions are called predictions for a reason.

James Harden’s Emergence As A Star

Perhaps we could’ve seen this one coming once James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets from the Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, going from a third scoring option to the main scoring option will surely boost a player’s stats. That’s precisely the transition Harden made.

It really wasn’t a hard transition for Harden either. He finished fifth in the NBA in scoring with a 25.9 points per game average. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists all while compiling the 15th-highest usage percentage in the NBA.

Let’s face it, though; playing alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook isn’t inauspicious. His trade to the Rockets was a boon to his personal stats and that was immediately obvious. But the timely matter in which he transitoned from sixth man to star is the real surprise.

Tim Duncan Turning Back the Clock

Just when you thought that Tim Duncan was done, he revives himself.

“Revive” might be understating Duncan’s performance this season. He averaged 17.8 points (most since 2009-10), 9.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks (most since 2003-04). What’s more, he played 30.1 minutes per game. For the 36-year-old Duncan, that’s an achievement.

I’ll admit, Duncan has lost a step or two, but his tank isn’t empty yet. I think he wholly proved that this year.

Boston Celtics Survive Without Rajon Rondo

When Rajon Rondo tore his ACL in late January, there were very few pundits that still gave the Celtics a chance to make the playoffs. And truth be told, it would be tough to disagree. At that point in time, the Celtics were barely hanging onto the No. 7 seed.

However, head coach Doc Rivers led Boston to a playoff berth. Increased production by Jeff Green was key. Paul Pierce was his usual 18-points-per-game self.

The East isn’t nearly as strong as the West in terms of its lower seedings, which allowed Boston to stay in the race. Still, it’s a surprise that the Celtics didn’t trade away Pierce or Kevin Garnett and completely overhaul the roster, let alone making the playoffs.