This season's most surprising/disappointing NBA teams

Houston had a 14-win improvement over last season with James Harden becoming a top MVP candidate after averaging 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game. Inspired by Golden State, the Rockets attempted a staggering 40.3 three-pointers per game and finished second to the Warriors in points per game.

Most thought the Cavs would run away with the Eastern Conference, but a late-season swoon made them the No. 2 seed behind Boston. Whether the seeding will matter remains to be seen, but few expected the defending champs to finish as anything other than the top seed.

New Wizards head coach Scott Brooks earned accolades for Washington's improvement this season. After failing to making the playoffs last season at 41-41, the Wizards improved by eight wins and enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the East. The team was an excellent 30-11 at home and able to get star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal to play in harmony.

Heads rolled at the end of a disappointing season for the Magic, as GM Rob Hennigan was fired. The team went from 35 wins in 2015-16 to 29 wins this season and traded second-leading scorer Serge Ibaka as Orlando looks to rebuild.

The Celtics were the en vogue pick to make a leap this season, but few expected them to win the East. They improved by five wins, and guard Isaiah Thomas continued to establish himself as a true star in the league.

The drama continues. While improvement was expected, the Knicks finished with one less win than they did in 2015-16, and Carmelo Anthony might have played his last game as a Knick. The Phil Jackson era isn't going well.

The NBA's top defensive team with only 96.8 points allowed per game, the Jazz improved by 11 wins to make the playoffs. Star center Rudy Gobert continued to develop himself as a force to be reckoned with in the paint, while also developing his offensive game.

New head coach Tom Thibodeau was supposed to help this team progress significantly. Instead, the T-Wolves only improved by two wins and were well out of the playoff picture, losing their final six games. Karl-Anthony Towns showed improvement in his second season, but point guard Ricky Rubio seems to have stagnated.

With Kevin Durant going west, the thought was that the Thunder would struggle. Russell Westbrook took it upon himself to take over the team, winning 47 games. Westbrook is the likely MVP, remarkably averaging a triple-double for the season.

No one expected much from the Nets, but an already awful team had one more loss than in 2015-16. It was an ugly year, and the excitement of Jeremy Lin's homecoming was ruined by injuries.