Every season has its fill of surprises.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pushing for the best record in the NBA is something that very few people could have predicted. The Philadelphia 76ers struggling to qualify for the play-in tournament may have been equally as shocking.

The fun of watching a season unfold are those surprises, even if they aren’t as enjoyable for every fan in the league. The break for the All-Star festivities is a natural stopping point for taking a closer look under the hood at some of the oddities that have occurred this season. We’ll dive into the Eastern Conference before eventually taking a look at the Western Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Stat: The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have a 123.9 offensive rating, which would be the highest in NBA history

This may not be entirely surprising considering that each season a new team holds the trophy for the “best offense in NBA history”. Even if this is a symptom of the new NBA environment it still is shocking to see the Cavaliers reigning supreme. They were a team built around a defensive identity last season with an offensive rating nearly 10 points below this year’s iteration. The Kenny Atkinson impact has done wonders for a team that is looking to make a run to the NBA Finals.

Boston Celtics

Stat: The Boston Celtics have a top-five rated offense and defense, which would be the third season in a row in which they accomplished the feat.

Some of the best teams we’ve seen in the NBA have been unable to sustain that level of success over a three year span. The league hasn’t seen this level of consistence performance on both ends of the floor since the Golden State Warriors from 2014-2017.

New York Knicks

Stat: Josh Hart is currently averaging over 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists per game, which would make him the 7th guard in NBA history to average that stat line over an entire season.

Hart is easily enjoying his best offensive season of his career. The space that Karl-Anthony Towns creates by spacing out to the 3-point line has created openings for him to take advantage of at the rim. Last year he was only able to take 50 percent of his shots at the basket while this season he’s at 61.1 percent.

Indiana Pacers

Stat: Pascal Siakam is on pace to shoot over 40 percent from 3-point range for the first time in his career.

Siakam’s 2018-19 season seemed to portend great things for his shooting from deep, but his inconsistency has been the bigger story for the 30-year-old. Part of this has to do with Tyrese Haliburton helping generate wide open looks for Siakam.

Milwaukee Bucks

Stat: The team has the 2nd best 3-point percentage in the NBA, but only ranks 13th in offensive rating.

The script of surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooting over the years has worked well for Milwaukee. The shooting has been elite with five different rotation players shooting above 38 percent from deep. They are bound to creep up the rankings if the shooting persists.

Detroit Pistons

Stat: Malik Beasley has attempted the third most attempts from 3-point range this season with 517.

Beasley has bounced around the league a bit over the past few years but he seems to have found a home in Detroit. He’s always been lethal from deep, but drilling 41.8 percent of his looks on that volume has made him an indispensable weapon for a team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Orlando Magic

Stat: The Orlando Magic currently have the 29th ranked offense in the league, which would be the 13th season in a row in which they failed to finish inside the top-20.

Jamahl Mosley has done an incredible job of creating a defensive identity for the team, but the offense continues to be a slog for the franchise. The two young stars for the team have had flashes, but there has not been enough consistency to push them into offensive relevancy.

Atlanta Hawks

Stat: Trae Young currently holds the title for the highest turnover total per 100 possessions in NBA history.

This is a career accomplishment but his numbers this year are certainly aiding him in his effort. He continues to do amazing work as a passer, but his decision making should come in to question with this on his ledger.

Miami Heat

Stat: The Miami Heat are on pace to have the 2nd best season ever in terms of fouls committed per game with 15.8.

This has not been an incredibly successful season in Miami, but the defense is still formidable. They’ve been disciplined on that end of the court and the emergence of Tyler Herro may be enough to sneak them into the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls

Stat: Matas Buzelis is on pace to become the third small forward in NBA history to have a block percentage of 4.9 or higher during his rookie season.

He’s coming on strong this month by averaging nearly 15 points per game on high efficiency. The explosive finishes at the basket, scoring ability and defensive promise makes the 20-year-old an interesting prospect to watch moving forward.

Philadelphia 76ers

Stat: Tyrese Maxey can become the 2nd player in NBA history to have more than two seasons of averaging 26 points, 6 assists and 1 steal before turning 25.

Maxey continues to be a revelation for Philadelphia, even while the season around him burns to a crisp. The last ditch effort of crashing the playoffs will be put on the capable shoulders of Maxey.

Brooklyn Nets

Stat: Cameron Johnson has a chance to become the 10th player in NBA history to enter the 50/40/90 club.

This one is a slight stretch since he is just below a couple of these thresholds. He currently has a 48.8 field goal percentage and is shooting 89.4 percent from the free throw line. Slight upticks in efficiency will put him in the record books.

Toronto Raptors

Stat: Jakob Poeltl has a chance to finally eclipse 60 percent from the free throw line.

This is absolutely a low bar to clear, but an accomplishment is an accomplishment. The 29-year-old has flirted with the number for a couple of seasons but just felt short. This feels like the season where he can finally cross it off of his list.

Charlotte Hornets

Stat: LaMelo Ball is leading the NBA with a 38.2 percent usage rating.

You could technically view this as a bad thing, but it’s also a testament to the lack of offensive talent that still remains on the roster. Ultimately the best path forward for the organization will probably come at the cost of the ball being in the hands of Ball so often.

Washington Wizards

Stat: The Wizards may go down as one of the worst teams in NBA history.

They probably won’t lose every single game the rest of the season, but they do have a squad that is meandering at the bottom of the standings. Only four teams have won less than 13 games over the past 25 years and the Wizards are on pace to join that group.