As we approach the halfway point of the 2024-25 season, it’s a good time to take stock of where things stand across the NBA.

A sample size of half the season allows us to explore which players have surprised and disappointed, relative to expectations. When we asked coaches, scouts and executives from across the league for their selections, they had no trouble dredging up a whole bunch of players for both categories.

So here’s our rundown of which players made the lists and why, a breakdown of what the surprising Detroit Pistons could do at the trade deadline, an update on the status of a promising rookie in Philadelphia, and what could come next for Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns in our weekly trip around the NBA.

Jump to league intel:
First-half surprises | Disappointments
Detroit changing its trade deadline plans?
Latest on Bradley Beal’s future in Phoenix
Two reasons Cavs-Thunder was a classic

Eight surprise players of the first half

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

After coming home to New York in a blockbuster trade on the eve of training camp, Towns has been better than anyone could’ve expected. He’s averaging more than 25 points on a career-high 55% shooting, while leading the league in rebounding and helping drive New York to the league’s No. 3-ranked offense. And while it’s not exactly applicable to how he’s playing in New York, his loss in Minnesota has also been palpably felt.

“He’s been everything the Knicks were hoping for and more, and his absence has left a larger hole than the Wolves would’ve ever thought,” one scout said. “That’s how to win a trade.”

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Entering his fourth NBA season, Cunningham had a lot of questions to answer about his ultimate ceiling — even after Detroit had bestowed upon him a full max rookie extension this offseason.

He has answered nearly all of them, setting career highs in virtually every category for the Pistons, who are now over .500 and a half-game out of sixth in the East after beating the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

“When the Pistons gave him the max, there were quite a few people who thought it was a risk,” one general manager said, “and he’s been very strong.”

“He hasn’t made the biggest jump but maybe one of the most consequential,” an executive said.

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

It’s scary to consider that even with his sky-high potential, and all the attention placed upon him as a result, Wembanyama still finds himself on this list.

And yet, it’s hard to argue with his place on it, considering he is once again leading the league in blocks and has the Spurs firmly in the conversation for a play-in spot in the loaded Western Conference.

“What he’s doing is just ridiculous,” another executive said. “Say whatever you want about him meeting expectations; if he gets that roster to the playoffs, he should get MVP votes. And he might.”

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

Daniels is playing a career-high 33 minutes per game for the Hawks after being stuck mostly on the bench the past two seasons in New Orleans, and with more shooting around him and a bigger role, his confidence on offense has grown dramatically, even as his shooting remains a work in progress.

At the same time, he’s also leading the league in steals with 3.1 per game. And in one of the most remarkable defensive stats across the league, Daniels has 90 more deflections than De’Aaron Fox, who is second.

“So much of him, for me, is he’s in a way better fit than he was in New Orleans,” a scout said. “He never really got the opportunity to play there, and the fit was always bad. Now, he’s playing with way more confidence in a way better environment.”

Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls

Frankly, it’s a surprise Ball is even on the court at all after missing the last 2½ years with knee problems. But what’s more remarkable is that, now that he has returned, Ball has immediately begun making the kinds of contributions to winning that he did before injuries derailed his career.

While his numbers aren’t eye-popping, this stat is: Chicago is a full 10 points per 100 possessions better with Ball on the court this year than when he’s off, making him an intriguing possibility for teams as a free agent this summer.

“When he plays, he’s very impactful,” an executive said.

“Someone is going to get him next year and look smart,” another exec said.

James Harden and Norman Powell, LA Clippers

After losing Paul George in free agency and seeing Kawhi Leonard miss virtually the entire season thus far with injuries, the Clippers sitting at 20-17 is a surprise. Their solid performance can be attributed to the play of their starting backcourt: Harden and Powell.

Harden is averaging 21.4 points and 7.9 assists, and despite his shooting percentages being down, he has earned praise for keeping the Clippers afloat.

“They’re pretty good, and he’s the reason,” a scout said. “I know he’s a household name. But he was trending to a pretty bad place, and that’s not true anymore.”

Powell, meanwhile, is a strong contender for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award this season as he’s averaging what would easily be a career-best 23.4 points on 48.7% shooting from the field.

“He’s gotten more minutes and shots,” an executive said, “but no one would’ve believed he’d take this leap at this stage of his career.”

Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

While Brooklyn is beginning its rebuild, Johnson is establishing himself as one of the key players to watch in this year’s trade market. His contract, at $22.5 million this season, just over $20 million next year and $22.5 million in 2026-27, is attractive, particularly within the CBA constraints teams are working under this year.

More important, though, is that he’s averaging career highs across the stat sheet, including points (19.6), 3-point shooting (44%) and assists (3.0). A big wing with these skills garners considerable interest around the league.

“He has good synergy with [coach Jordi Fernandez] and he’s really turned him loose,” a scout said.

“He’s playing with no pressure on a bad team,” an executive said. “But he’s not young, and I wasn’t sure he’d be able to fully take advantage of this opportunity.”

Seven disappointing players of the first half

Paul George and Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Everything about their season has been disappointing. Embiid’s preseason injuries carried over into the regular season, limiting him to 13 games thus far. George hyperextended his left knee twice and is having perhaps his worst season in a decade. Under increased pressure, Tyrese Maxey‘s play has dipped, too.

All of that drove Philadelphia’s horrific 3-14 start, but thanks to the weakness of the Eastern Conference, such a start wasn’t a death knell. The Sixers, now 15-20, are just two games out of the play-in.

But while several players on the team received votes for disappointment, most of the discussion centered around George and Embiid. Of George, one executive said, “Philly probably knew there was a chance they’d have a rough PG year on this contract but they probably thought it would be year four — not year one.”

Meanwhile, another executive said about Embiid: “Embiid has a lot of bad injury luck and plays through pain so you feel sympathy for him for that. But sometimes he acts so entitled that it goes away.”

Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards

A year ago, the rebuilding Wizards could have moved Kuzma at the trade deadline, but after the team consulted with him, the deal wasn’t consummated. Now, it could be very difficult for the Wizards to find another chance to do so.

Kuzma, who will turn 30 this summer, is averaging just 15.6 points and shooting a dismal 26.6% from 3-point range while playing on one of the league’s worst teams, one that is clearly focused on the future.

“I know he’s dealt with an injury,” a scout said, “but I think this has been the most disappointing season of his career.

Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Beyond the ongoing drama surrounding Jimmy Butler, a large part of the reason the Heat have muddled their way through this season is the poor performances from Rozier and Jaquez.

Rozier was acquired a year ago, at the cost of a first-round pick and Kyle Lowry in a deal that saved Miami money and, the Heat thought, got them a multiyear difference-maker at a guard spot. This year, though, Rozier has lost his starting spot and is shooting his lowest percentages since his early days in Boston.

“He’s nowhere near the player the Heat thought they traded for,” an executive said. “His poor play has [played] a bigger role than gets noticed for their season.”

Jaquez, meanwhile, has looked nothing like the player he was last year, when he was a first-team All-Rookie selection.

“Maybe a sophomore slump, maybe he played a bit over his head as a rookie,” a scout said. “He’s backslid compared to where he was last year.”

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

The third pick in last year’s draft, Henderson was expected to make a significant jump as a sophomore — as many young guards do after adjusting to the NBA.

Instead, his minutes have dipped and his numbers have either stayed flat or have fallen — a problematic development for a rebuilding franchise in need of some cornerstones.

“I thought it was a guarantee he’d play much better this year than last and show some things,” an executive said. “I’ve been wrong. His numbers are down, and the eye [test] confirms it.”

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

The Jazz are doing their best to ensure they have a top pick in this year’s draft. But they’ve been unexpectedly helped by some slippage from their best player.

Markkanen’s points, rebounds and shooting percentages are down this season after the 2023 All-Star played the best basketball of his career over the past two seasons, after coming to the Jazz in the Donovan Mitchell deal.

“He’s probably not super motivated because the team is tanking,” an executive said, “but his numbers and his overall level is down across the board.”

What’s next for Bradley Beal and the Suns?

Bontemps: There were two very important details in Windhorst’s story Thursday updating the Beal situation. The first is that there have been no talks between Beal and agent Mark Bartelstein about him waiving the no-trade clause.

The other, though, was Bartelstein’s firm statement that Beal will never give up that no-trade clause and it will stay in place until his contract is up. Bartelstein didn’t rule out Beal allowing a trade with his approval, but the clause would then stay in place and go with him.

For all the issues with Phoenix’s current situation, Beal’s no-trade clause is near the top of the list. It’s bad enough he’s owed $110 million over the next two seasons. However, one executive said this week that if Beal’s no-trade clause didn’t exist, his deal would look far different as a trade piece.

“He’s a bad contract,” the executive said, “but not immovable, if the team that’s getting him knows they could also trade him later.”

That, though, would require Beal — who is one of two players, along with LeBron James, to hold a no-trade clause in the league at the moment — to give his up, when he has no incentive to do so.

And that is just one of many reasons why the Suns’ position is so precarious, and why the ongoing belief is not only that they won’t find a way to get Butler, but that it’s difficult to see a deal for Beal to go anywhere that makes sense.

Windhorst: Beal stayed in Washington and made it a home through some lean years. Then he had extensive talks with teams — it was almost like a mini-free agency — when he was in the process of allowing a trade to Phoenix. Beal’s time with the Suns hasn’t gone well, but he is not one who looks to move around.

Even if there was significant demand for Beal on the market, which league executives believe there isn’t (mostly because of his contract) Beal would want to have a comfort about where he was going and it would be a process. And it’s the middle of a season. The more you know about Beal the person and understand the situation, the more you understand why the concept of a trade is complicated.

What are the surging Pistons up to?

Windhorst: The Pistons moved over .500, at 19-18, with a win in Brooklyn Wednesday night. It was already their 10th road win of the season, something they’ve accomplished just once in the past six years.

Across the league, teams have been considering the Pistons’ current $14 million in salary cap space and whopping $44 million cushion below the luxury tax as “for rent” at the trade deadline. With trades in the apron era more complex, the Pistons had indeed left that space open to use to possibly acquire draft assets in return for taking on unwanted salary to facilitate bigger deals elsewhere.

But with their team achieving a significant turnaround under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff — Detroit went 14-68 last season, including a record-tying 28 straight losses — the Pistons may not be so loose with that space after all. After winning eight of their past nine games, team sources say the Pistons are adjusting their thinking and may be more judicious with their valuable cap space as they consider their own roster upgrades and flexibility for next season.

Two more reasons why Cavs-Thunder was the game of the year

Bontemps: The biggest and best game of the regular season so far, the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night, more than lived up to the hype.

But a significant factor, in talking with players, coaches and executives on both sides leading up to the game and after, was the fact that both teams had two entire days to prepare for the clash. Both the Cavaliers and Thunder had last played on Sunday, meaning both teams had a chance to practice, prepare and focus on the game in a way teams typically can’t during the churn of an 82-game season.

The result? A fun, frenetic affair that highlighted the best things about NBA basketball.

“It was great,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said after Cleveland’s 129-122 win. “Great for the league.

“We all enjoy competition. But to see the talent out there tonight, these were the heavy hitters of our league. The quality of the basketball was super high.”