NBA “mid-majors” not ready to concede divisions so easily

The consensus favorites to take the divisions and conference titles are not finding path back to finals so easy as some sleepers have come out with vigor and have sent a message that they were not just there to tune up the Lakers and Celtics for a Finals finale. Starting in the East the Hawks have not only surprised the defending Eastern Conference Champs from the Southwest but possess the best record in the NBA at 11-2. Undefeated at home at 7-0 the Hawks don’t have the mega-star but a lot of good players that play hard and prevent all kinds of matchup problems for most teams with their top to bottom speed. Now, can they keep this momentum going for an 82-game season? Well, don’t discount the fact that they pushed the Celtics to a 7th game the year Boston took the crown and made the playoffs again last year. This was year the dividends were supposed to be paid, let’s wait until June to see what kind of IRR they got. Looking at the Central division, once the Diesel teamed up with the King most had made reservations for the Cavs in the finals but the an 0-2 start and tough games that have gone down to the wire have left the Cavs with a 9-4 record, a point differential of only 3.9, and many questions about their ability to survive 82 games and have enough left to deal with the East come playoff time. Until then the Bucks haven’t conceded anything as they have won 2 straight and are just ½ game back despite some injuries. Now the test for Milwaukee comes when they have to go on the road (7 of their first 10 have been at home) to see if they will be a topic of discussion past the Christmas holiday. In the West the Phoenix Suns were left for dead in the desert with the departure of Shaq but Nash seems to have made a deal with the devil and has found the fountain of youth as he looks more like he did in his 20’s, Stoudemire is staying healthy, and Channing Frye has come out of no where to become an inside/outside threat. Unfortunately despite their first place standing they failed their fist litmus test as the Lakers smoked them by 19 earlier this month which could mean they’ve got a ways to go to step up to the upper echelon. Lastly, how happy is Mark Cuban right now? The Mavs didn’t seem to make any major additions as they have in previous years so not a whole lot was expected of them. But out to a 10-3 start including a victory over the Lakers at Staples has them tied with the Suns for the best record in the West. They have the best point differential as well and have played just as many on the road and at home. Can’t knock what they’ve done on the defensive end or that they’ve won 5 straight so perhaps staying put and allowing the team time to gel was the right formula. Who do you think is the biggest surprise and disappointment of the early NBA season?