The NBA season is now about two weeks in. We are now starting to get a clearer picture on how teams and players will be preforming this season. As with every season, there are always some surprises. Even the most knowledgeable individual can’t predict everything that is going to happen in an NBA season. This is what we love about the NBA; you never know what is going to happen. Here are some of the biggest surprises so far.

Philadelphia 76ers and Michael Carter-Williams

Going into the season many people were predicting the 76ers to be one of the worst teams in the NBA and possibly one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA. This is usually what happens when trade away your best player and draft two very raw players. One of these raw players was Michael Carter-Williams. Williams is a talented young point guard out of Syracuse. Williams was regarded as one of the better point guards in the draft; however no one expected him to be this good.  The biggest knock on Williams was his lack of a jump shot and his tendency to make poor decisions. So far these issues haven’t stopped him from being the most impressive rookie through eight games. So far he is averaging 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals. These numbers would be very solid for a veteran player, but for a rookie they are outstanding. Thanks to Williams excellent play and breakout seasons from Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes the 76ers are currently 4-4. The most surprising part is that they started the season 3-0 with wins against Chicago and Miami. The 76ers have started to come down a bit winning only once in the last four games. No matter how the 76ers finish the season, you can take nothing away from their strong start and the amazing play of their rookie.

New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets

It has been a rough year for New York sports teams. The Yankees failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years, the Giants started 0-6 but are now 3-6, and the Knicks and Nets are a combined 4-8. After making a blockbuster trade this offseason, which netted them Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry; many people considered the Nets one of the top teams in the East. A 2-4 start is not what anyone expected from this team. The Knicks are another team that had very high expectations coming into the season. Last year Knicks were able to win their first playoff series since 2000. After keeping their roster mostly intact, many people expected the Knicks to be one of the better teams in the East. The Knicks have been anything but that, starting 2-4. Both Brooklyn and New York are tied for last in the East. And while expectations might have been a little high for these teams, especially the Nets, no one expected them to be this far down the standings.

Phoenix Suns

Like the 76ers, the Suns were regarded as one of the worse teams in the NBA. Also like the 76ers, the Suns have surprised everyone and started hot. The Suns are currently 5-2 and tied for third in the West. The Suns have been led by Eric Bledsoe, Markieff Morris, and Miles Plumlee, who are all having breakout seasons. The most impressive of the group is probably Bledsoe, who is averaging 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in his first year as a starter. While the Suns haven’t had any real impressive wins, besides a 104-91 victory over Portland, the Suns have been very competitive in their two losses to the Thunder and Spurs. The Suns were predicted to be one of the worst teams in the NBA although apparently they didn’t get the memo. Only time will tell if the Suns can maintain this success, but to say their hot start is a surprise is an understatement.

Anthony Davis

Davis was selected first in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was predicted to be a dominant defensive presence and efficient rebounder. In his first season in the NBA, Davis struggled with injuries and failed to make as big of an impact as suspected. However, this season Davis has been extremely impressive. Davis currently ranks 13th in scoring with 21 points, fifth in rebounding with 11, and second in blocks with three. Davis’ progression has been phenomenal, and he will certainly be in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year. Davis is currently exceeding all expectations and is emerging as one of the better big men in the NBA.

Derrick Rose

Rose made his long awaited return on October 29 against the Miami Heat. Rose played quite poorly, scoring only 12 points on 30 percent shooting along with five turnovers. Unfortunately for Rose things haven’t really improved since that game. Through six games he is averaging 14 points, four assists and four turnovers. He is also shooting an abysmal 33 percent from the field. These numbers are all career lows for Rose. While no one was sure what to expect from Rose when he returned, no one could’ve expected this kind of performance. To make matters worse Rose had been experiencing some soreness in his knees, and just recently tweaked his hamstring. Rose has obviously not yet returned to his previous level of play. The Bulls are also off to a slow start and this is largely in part to the poor play of Rose. Fortunately for the Bulls and Derrick Rose, the season is only beginning and they will have plenty of time to improve. While Rose will almost certainly return to his pre-injury form, it is quite surprising at just how bad he has played.