A week and a half has passed since the opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, and there are already profound overreactions and storylines surrounding early teams' and players' success. 

Many teams have started the season hot and are already getting overreactions from fanbases and TV analysts. There are always overreactions early in the NBA season because people are excited for the season to begin. 

But there are still 70-plus games remaining in the NBA season for teams to turn their season around, rise from their struggles, and solidify themselves as contenders. In recent years, many teams have gotten hot early and cooled down in the second half of the season, and vice versa. 

The Phoenix Suns are off to a hot start, 4-1, led by their big three: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. After a disappointing end to their season last year, when they were swept in the first round of the playoffs, the Suns look like a team that is finals-bound. 

With the pickups of Tyus Jones, one of the best backup guards in the league, and center Mason Plumlee, the Valley has added versatility and reliability off the bench to strengthen their depth and compete with the top teams in the Western Conference. 

It all comes down to Phoenix's health. Last season, Beal, Durant, and Booker played just 41 games together, which didn’t give them enough time to build team chemistry and play the best version together. Now, with a healthy team with just enough chemistry underway, Phoenix will be a tough out for any team in the West. 

While the Lakers have lost two straight games, they look significantly better and more dangerous. Former NBA player JJ Redick has been hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Reddick’s system seems to be working, especially for the players. 

Anthony Davis looks like the favorite to win MVP to start the season after scoring 30 plus points in three consecutive games, leading the Lakers to a 3-0 start before losing the last two games on the road. 

The team's ball movement and set plays are already looking fresh and firm compared to last year. Lebron James hasn’t even gotten going yet, and the Lakers look good to start the season. 

The only thing the Lakers need is bench production and contributions from Austin Reeves and D’Angelo Russell. Both struggled last year in the playoffs, letting Lebron and Davis down. If someone other than Lebron and Davis can step it up, the Lakers will be a problem come playoffs and for the rest of the season. 

Another team in California just outside the Bay Area is also looking better. The Golden State Warriors look like the ones we saw who won the championship in 2022, led by Steph Curry and their depth. 

Even though the Warriors have had an easy schedule thus far, they still lead the NBA with the most points scored in five games. Klay Thompson's loss to Dallas was heartbreaking due to his relationship and the memories he shared with the team, but his departure doesn’t look like a big deal for now.

With the Warriors parting ways with Thompson, they signed a perfect player who fits in their system. Buddy Hield leads the NBA with the most 3-pointers made, and the player with the highest percentage from deep is now helping the Warriors get back to their old selves. 

Hield is averaging 21 points per game on 50 percent shooting from three-point land off the bench. He’s been a great addition to the Warriors and should continue to help the team with shooting and defense.  

The Cleveland Cavaliers, undefeated with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2016, look like a formidable threat to the defending champion Boston Celtics. The chemistry is thriving with their backcourt stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, along with their twin tower frontcourt Jarret Allen and Evan Mobley. 

Cleveland has the star power and depth but has been disappointing in the playoffs the last few years due to injuries. Last season, Donovan Mitchell got injured in the second round of the playoffs, and Cleveland was left dead in the water. 

The Cavs have an elite offense and defense to be a top-three team in the Eastern Conference. They look much better this season with their new coach, Kenny Atkinson, leading the offensive unit and playing all-around balanced basketball on both ends of the floor. 

The Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of hitting the panic button. They look like a team that doesn’t have an identity or clue about how to play together when they get on the floor. 

Milwaukee’s situation is so bad that they should consider trading their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo if they continue to struggle down the stretch. After winning the title in 2021, the Bucks have only advanced past the first round once. In the last two years, they have not won a playoff series, ending their season early in a disappointing fashion. 

Since hiring Doc Rivers, the Bucks have gone 19-24 after firing Adrian Griffin, who led the Bucks to a 31-13 record before getting fired. Many question marks surround this Bucks team, including Doc Rivers’ job in jeopardy with a poor start to the season and Damian Lillard looking older than his age. 

The Denver Nuggets are another team off to a slow start. The Nuggets may turn their season around with a record of 2-2, but it’s up to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to help Nikola Jokic. 

Murray and Porter Jr. are struggling to start the season, leaving everything on Jokic’s shoulders. These struggles have left Porter Jr. making an alarming statement on the team's future. 

After making this statement, it should be interesting to see if Porter Jr. will improve his game. After blowing a 20-point lead at home last year in the playoffs, the Nuggets went home in disappointing fashion, and fans were left wondering where Denver would go from here with a thin bench and young players who still need to be ready for the big moment. 

It’s still early in the NBA season, but question marks and storylines surround several teams and players. One is whether the defending champion Boston Celtics will win back-to-back championships after returning everyone from last year and have no slip-off to start the season with a 4-1 start. 

No team has won back-to-back since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant. Not only that, but a returning champion still needs to get past the second round since 2019, when the Warriors made their fifth straight NBA finals. 

The Celtics are everyone’s favorites to repeat as NBA champions because of their depth, chemistry, two-way superstars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and perimeter defenders Jrue Holiday and Payton Prichard. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Celtics win again because of the all-around talent they possess. 

A big storyline is who will get out of the Western Conference gauntlet. This question is very intriguing because of how many good teams are in the West, including the Thunder, Mavericks, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets, etc. 

It’s a deep conference that features superstars looking for redemption by capturing one more NBA title before they retire. Old guys like Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Russell Westbrook are all in their mid-to-late 30s and looking for another shot at the title. 

Then there are the young guys like Ja Morant, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, De’Aaron Fox, Anthony Edwards, and Luka Doncic, who are looking to win their first NBA title. The West is bunched with all these players competing against one another every night for a chance at bringing the Larry O’Brien trophy home. 

It’s been an exciting week of basketball and will only improve. Seasoned veterans and ambitious young stars have their sights on championship glory. As the league’s iconic players like Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant add to their legacies, they’re met by a new wave of contenders.

Rising stars like Anthony Edwards, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Devin Booker are eager to make their mark this season. This season embodies a generational clash where youth-driven speed, skill, and fresh legs face off against the experience, resilience, and craft of the league’s most decorated veterans.