With the Conference Semifinals almost settled, the 22-23 NBA Playoffs have been a complete rollercoaster of emotions, with countless surprises throughout all series. What were the most surprising teams thus far? Here are the top 4.
4. Sacramento Kings
Despite losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round, the Kings’ excellent performance is a good omen for the future. Not only did their starting five work like clockwork throughout the series, but their bench depth and coaching staff were also phenomenal. Even the fanbase was one of the best in the league! Nevertheless, one of their few flaws was inexperience in those Playoff stages, which cost them the season against the reigning champion. However, we expect nothing but organizational improvements for the next seasons, as they still have a young core of players that now knows what to expect.
3. New York Knicks
Another team that is unfortunately disqualified from this postseason, New York was an astounding team despite that. Their performance during the first round was unbelievable, defying all odds when beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in only five games, which resulted in their first first-round win in TEN YEARS. Their future-proof roster delivered solid numbers in the series, especially Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson. However, their inexperience in these stances was visible in the second round, when they lost against the Miami Heat, which was a better team all around. Similar to the Kings, the New York Knicks are finding their new identity as a team, which brings hope for the near future.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Two months before the playoffs started, no one believed the Lakers would even qualify for the play-in tournament, and rightfully so, since their situation was disastrous at that point. In spite of their poor performance throughout the regular season, the Lakers are a completely different team in these playoffs, defeating the Grizzlies and Warriors to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Every single player is nailing their role within the team, adapting their playstyle to what the group needs, but more importantly, maintaining consistency across the board. Now, they are only one step away from the NBA Finals.
1. Miami Heat
The Heat became the second eight-seed in NBA HISTORY that advanced to the Conference Semifinals. Even more surprisingly, they achieved this milestone by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks with relative ease. Miami is tied with the Denver Nuggets, holding an 8-3 postseason record. It is safe to say the Heat is a strong candidate to win the NBA title due to their spectacular basketball level shown so far.
These four are, without a doubt, the most surprising teams of these playoffs, which ultimately shows how competitive the NBA is. What are your predictions for the Conference Finals?
Text Sources: nba.com, basketball-reference.com, statmuse.com
