With a month gone in the 2025–26 NBA season, it’s time to see how each team is faring relative to expectations. Some squads are where we believed they would be through 15 games. The Thunder are chainsawing through every opponent. The Nuggets’ revitalized bench has proven to be the anticipated spark plug needed in order to have a real shot against OKC. Kevin Durant has proven as valuable an addition to the Rockets as we all thought. The East is much more chaotic given the lack of any heavy favorite, but expected contenders like the Knicks and Cavaliers are off to strong starts that suggest they’ll be just fine.
But there are a few teams that have truly stood out relative to preseason expectations. Let’s take a look at the five most surprising teams from the opening month of the NBA season.
