NBA: Top 5 most surprising teams of the season before hiatus

Several unexpected teams came out and shocked the NBA this season with their play, but which five were the most surprising before the hiatus?

When two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant departed from the Golden State Warriors this past offseason, the NBA balanced out and transitioned from a league of superteams to a league of duos. Russell Westbrook and James Harden reunited on the Houston Rockets, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joined forces on the LA Clippers, and so many others stars teamed up in what was shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory.

Everyone rightfully suspected that the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers were the clear favorites in either conference from the beginning, but a few unexpected teams surprised the association. Depending on which team, some of them exceeded projections, while others took a significant step back from where many believed they would be at this season.

While the season was still over a dozen games away from officially concluding before the NBA playoffs were scheduled to start, many team’s seasons halted in intriguing positions. If the league resumes play and go straight to the postseason, some of these teams that got written off could make some noise, while the supposed contenders could be going home early.

Although the remainder of this season remains in jeopardy, it is still fascinating to see how these teams either outplayed their early expectations or spiraled out of control lower than anyone could have imagined. Here are the top 5 most surprising teams from the 2019-20 season before the NBA’s hiatus.