It isn’t easy to match the expectations other people have for your team, nor is it easy to turn things around if the previous season wasn’t going your way. These teams prove that it is possible to defy the odds and improve as a team.

Memphis Grizzlies

In the case of the Grizzlies, there’s only a small chance that they’ll be able to keep this up for the entire season, but so far they’re doing a good job. Last season, they only managed to get 22 wins in the entire season, where they’ve already won 5 games so far. Kyle Anderson has been a decent addition for them in the off season, but he won’t be able to make a difference for the Grizzlies in important games.

As soon as they stop winning games, there’s a big chance they’ll do what the franchise needs: tank. That way, they have the chance to build on their future, instead of trusting on the ageing Marc Gasol.

Sacramento Kings

De’Aaron Fox is leading the Kings this year, and with his help, the Kings are currently 6th in the Western Conference. This is a great improvement after they finished on the 12th sport last year. Most of all, the Kings actually look and play like a decent NBA team, instead of having to undergo blowout after blowout.

It can only get better for them, as Bogdan Bogdanovic is still on the sidelines after his knee surgery, and he’s set to return to action soon. Hopefully, the Kings will able to keep up this form, and though they’ll probably not make the playoffs, they will get a lot closer than the previous years.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are definitely on a roll this season, as they’re currently in the 6th place. Tobias Harris has stepped up this season, and is providing some very important points for the Clippers. On top of that, Montrezl Harrell and Boban Marjanovic are doing a great job for taking over Marcin Gortat’s role in the team.

The Clippers traded for Gortat this summer, but he couldn’t really convince and has since then fallen out of the rotation. This wasn’t cause for panic, as the two other big men are very convincing. Furthermore, Danilo Gallinari isn’t injured and seems to be in good shape. If the Clippers can keep this up, a spot in the playoffs seems to be quite likely for them.

Denver Nuggets

Last season, the Nuggets ended up just missing the playoffs after they lost a direct match-up in the regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves ended up grabbing the last spot for the playoffs. This year, the Nuggets are not willing to let that happen, so they decided to start the season on the right note.

As of now, they’re second in the West, and have won 9 out of 11 games. Nikola Jokic has been in great shape, not waisting any time before getting his first triple double of the season. He’s been struggling the last few games, as he only managed to score 4 points yesterday, but if he manages to get back to the form he had in the first few games, they have a great season ahead of them.