This NBA season is off to a pleasant start, with young stars taking the league to new heights, and the older superstars playing like they never aged. So far, fans have seen the emergence of up-and-coming teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Orlando Magic, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

1. The Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder, who won 40 games last season without 2^nd overall pick Chet Holmgren, were one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA. After ending their season in the playoff play-in game, the Thunder were expected to make a leap… but nothing like this. As of December 11^th, the OKC Thunder are 14-7, and are the 2^nd seed in the Western Conference. Led by the Canadian emerging superstar Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who is averaging career high stats in points, assists, and rebounds, the Thunder have it all. Role-players Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, and head coach Mark Daigneault have also helped bring success to the organization. Alongside the distractions from the Josh Giddey situation, fans can be prepared for the Thunder to continue to make waves this season.

2. The Orlando Magic

Many didn’t expect the Magic to be doing this well. They were one of the worst teams last year, finishing with a record of 34-48. Fans thought that Orlando would need a few more years of rebuilding to have a competent roster to compete. The Magic had tons to look forward to last year, with their 1^st overall draft pick,Paolo Banchero, winning Rookie of the Year, and second-year player, Franz Wagner, making the leap to being a star in the NBA. This season, the Magic are turning heads and are proving why people should watch their games. Beating top teams such as the Celtics, Nuggets, and Bucks, the Magic are 2^nd in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 15-7. Led by head coach Jamahl Mosley, the Magic have found their identity with defensive-minded basketball. The Magic are the top-rated defense in the whole league, locking down every team they play. With many players outperforming expectations, the Magic are sure to look scary in coming seasons.

3. The Minnesota Timberwolves

For the first time in almost two decades, Minnesota is back as a competitive team. What originally might have been regarded as one of the worst trades of all time, the Rudy Gobert experiment in Minnesota is now surprisingly working. The other top-rated defense in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves are at the top of the Western Conference, with a shocking record of 17-4. Led by the superstar Anthony Edwards, and veteran leadership from Karl Anthony Towns and Mike Conley, Minnesota is a dark-horse contender for the Larry O’Brien trophy in the 2023-24 season. 

These three teams are setting what could be a very interesting playoff bracket when the regular season comes to close, with many of the top seeds in each Conference not who fans expected at season tip off.

That could be a very interesting playoff bracket when the regular season comes to close, with many of the top seeds in each Conference not who fans expected at season tip off.