With the NBA season approaching the one-month mark, our writers weigh in on the biggest surprises and disappointments so far, plus rank the top title contenders in the early going.
1. Most pleasant surprise of the season so far?
Ben Rohrbach: The Cleveland Cavaliers. I figured last season, when they lost to the Boston Celtics in a five-game, second-round playoff series, there were too many redundancies on the roster. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland could not share a backcourt; nor could Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen share a frontcourt. Turns out, all they needed was Kenny Atkinson, a head coach who has reconfigured the offense in ways that maximize everyone — and form a true contender.