NBA 2018-19 season: 5 teams that could surprise people

With the NBA season less than 2 weeks away now, we at Sportskeeda sat down to discuss teams which have the potential to outperform their Vegas over/under projections. At the end of the discussion, while there were torn hairs and understandable disagreements over certain teams, we narrowed the list down to 5 specific teams that are showing signs of life and have the players to pull off a memorable regular season campaign.

These teams have front offices which have declared their intent to compete at a high level this season, and their moves in the offseason signal as much. The following 5 teams stand the best chances of surprising NBA fans this season:

#5 Phoenix Suns

The Suns seem to be done with tanking for now, judging by their moves in the offseason. They added a veteran presence in Trevor Ariza as a free agent, traded for Ryan Anderson and have trimmed some of the fat on their roster while adding bargain pieces like Richaun Holmes and DeAnthony Melton.

Devin Booker has already taken off as an offensive juggernaut based on his performances from last season, and he now has a devastating pick-and-roll partner in DeAndre Ayton, the #1 overall pick in the 2018 draft class. Josh Jackson and TJ Warren will compete for a wing spot, while the likes of Dragan Bender, Troy Daniels and Tyson Chandler complete their roster.

Although they look unlikely to make the playoffs at the moment, they could be a potential banana skin for several teams if everything falls into place.

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers

For all the flak that much of the roster has received from several quarters for underperforming alongside LeBron James last season in the playoffs, the Cavs still have a wealth of untapped potential on their roster.

Kevin Love is their new franchise superstar with James' departure, and he will line up alongside George Hill at point guard and Tristan Thompson at the center position. Larry Nance Jr will be returning to the Cavs once more, as will Rodney Hood (Hood signed a qualifying offer to cash in on unrestricted free agency next summer). If Kyle Korver continues to be an elite 3-point shooter, they have the elements necessary to think of making a playoff push.

Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman have flashed much potential in whatever action we've witnessed so far. The rest of their roster contains replacement level players like Jordan Clarkson, JR Smith, Channing Frye and David Nwaba, who possess the potential to be better than they have shown in the season past.

#3 Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are a team that have escaped the attentions of a lot of onlookers this offseason, but as they are constructed right now, they possess the potential to bring back the Grit n Grind style back for one final time with their core of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr projects as an NBA-ready stretch 4 who could walk straight into the starting lineup at tip-off for the Grizzlies' season opener. Chandler Parsons seems to be healthy as of the moment, though it is unclear what kind of shape he is in and whether he will be a starter or not.

If Parsons is unfit, the Grizzlies have replacements for him on their roster in free agent signings Kyle Anderson and Omri Casspi, who are proven role players for Western Conference playoff teams. The rest of their roster comprises of replacement level players, but their two stars hold the key to their season given they don't have their own pick next year.

#2 Washington Wizards

There's a lot of people who are of the belief that adding Dwight Howard to an already unpredictable mix of players in Washington could be subtraction by addition, but I have high hopes for the franchise this season. While they were the #8 seed last season, much of that can be attributed to their lack of roster depth and John Wall's recurring injury troubles through the course of the season.

Their core of Wall, Beal and Porter are headed into the prime of their NBA careers now, and are their most consistent players. Markieff Morris and Howard round out their starting five, which was already one of the best in the league before the Gortat-for-Rivers trade engineered by the front office.

Replacing Mike Scott with Jeff Green might affect their bench offense, but is a definite upgrade on the other end of the floor. Kelly Oubre Jr, Tomas Satoransky and Jodie Meeks round out a reasonably strong bench lineup that has the ability to hang with the best second units in the league on paper.

If everything clicks, the Wizards have the potential to be a top 4, maybe top 3 seed in the East.

#1 Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks v Boston Celtics - Game One

As spooky as the 4 teams mentioned thus far are, the Bucks quietly enjoyed their best offseason in recent memory. They replaced probably the worst coach in the league with a proven head coach in Mike Budenholzer, who is much more likely to harness the potential of the roster on both ends of the floor in a manner that adds to wins rather than open corner 3s to the other team.

Giannis has added a 3-point shot to his repertoire this offseason and flashed it in their preseason game today, though it is unclear how and when he will deploy this newfound weapon. Bledsoe, Middleton, Snell and Brook Lopez round out a starting five that has great potential on both ends of the floor.

Their bench comprises of some real depth this time around, as they can call upon the likes of Brogdon, Pat Connaughton and Ersan Ilyasova, who are all good floor spacers. Rookie Donte DiVincenzo looks likely to be an athletic spark off the bench, while Thon Maker, Tyler Zeller and John Henson look set to compete for the backup center spot.

An MVP campaign by Giannis combined with improved defensive and offensive efficiency leading to a 55-win campaign is a very real possibility this season.

Edited by Rohit Nath