The NBA has been both surprising and shocking recently with teams having unexpected starts to the 2021-2022 season.

The Los Angeles Lakers led by superstars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook,
are off to a horrible start despite having veterans and Hall of Famers starting and coming off the bench.

The Lakers are having defensive struggles this season which has been their Achilles heel early into the season.

Building up leads of more than 17 points, the Lakers have blown their leads late in the third quarter and fourth quarter. The Lakers have lost to the young Oklahoma City Thunder twice despite having large leads like 26 points and 17 points. Russell Westbrook who has been having inconsistent games is having trouble closing games on both offense and defense.

Air balling and turnovers have hurt Westbrook and the Lakers, injuries have also been a blow to the Lakers. LeBron James having early injuries and role players like Kendrick Nunn and Trevor Ariza also missing time have affected the Lakers on both sides of the floor. The Lakers have been a bit disappointing to start the season due to the experience they have and the amount of great players they have. It will not take for the Lakers to find their winning ways.

The Golden State Warriors are on top of the western conference and have been shocking the league despite not having one of the greatest three point shooters in Klay Thompson. The Warriors have been great on defense early into this season thanks to the efforts of Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr.

Defense was a side that the Warriors struggled on last season. With signings of veterans, they have been able to build chemistry and have fun on the court and have been surprised by the effects that Jordan Poole has had on the team, a third year player from the University of Michigan, Jordan Poole has made an Early case for Most Improved Player. The Warriors have been on fire recently and have not shown any signs of cooling down.

The New Orleans Pelicans seem to be one of the worst teams in the league recently. Part of the reason is due to rising superstar Zion Williamson missing games due to a foot injury which has cost him to miss a month of action. The Pelicans have had rough losses that have mostly been blowouts and a small portion of close games. The Pelicans have one of the worst front offices in the league by not bringing in the right supporting cast to help Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. A player showing out on the team is center Jonas Valančiūnas, is currently averaging over 18 points and 14 rebounds and has been a bit of help to this struggling Pelicans team.

Showtime is back in Chicago with the Chicago Bulls having their best start to the season since the 1996-1997 season. The big three of Chicago which consists of rising superstar Zach Lavine, Demar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic have been living up to expectations, the Bulls have won games that resulted in blowouts despite being down more than 10 points.

Zach Lavine has been turning up in the second half in most games while Demar DeRozan who was acquired by a sign and trade with the spurs, is leading the team in scoring with over 26 points per game. The Bulls front office executed in the off season by providing a great supporting cast for Zach Lavine, the Bulls signed Guard Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso. The Bulls are currently on a roll in the eastern conference and are proving that they can be a dangerous team and be a contender in the east.

D.C. is having fun with their depth after trading Russell Westbrook in the summer for forwards Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and center Montrezl Harrell. The Washington Wizards have finally found their winning ways and are having their best start of the season since the 2014-2015 season.

With the addition of a new head coach in Wes Unseld Jr. the Wizards have improved their style of play on both ends of the court. Their depth is one of the best in the league especially after the acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie who is coming off an ACL tear, the Wizards are currently top 4 in the eastern conference and are still missing their young Japanese star Rui Hachimura and also center Thomas Bryant who is an offensive threat. Bradley Beal is playing at a great level, improvement in defense and playmaking might be what he was missing last season.

The Wizards are one of the most surprising teams this season and seem to have one of the best teams in the league despite the lack of star power, their role players are playing beyond expectations and have been the right supporting cast so far for Bradley Beal. With wins over the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, they have been able to match up and create upsets. Do not sleep on the Wizards team, they are getting hot and can make noise throughout the season and have a good chance at making the playoffs the style they are playing.

Early injuries to forward Khris Middleton and guard Jrue Holiday have heavily affected the Milwaukee Bucks. The defending champs are having a tough time trying to win games with two of their stars missing games and causing Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to carry a big task of winning games. The Bucks are struggling to score early this season ranking 17th in scoring and shooting 43.5 percent on the court.

Lack of defense and ability to close games have been part of the issue for the Bucks, their issues showed up when they Played the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards, unable to defend Pick and Rolls and playing small ball has been a factor in their losses. The Bucks should be able to find their momentum sooner rather than later if they can fix their issues on the court and find the right lineup to play when Giannis needs a rest.