We’re only a month into the NBA season and it has already been filled with surprises. Some teams are performing above and beyond expectations ‘ can’t you feel the ‘Magic’ in the air? Other teams, however, look destined to match the preseason hype; that burning sensation you feel is from Scott Skiles’ hot seat. But oftentimes in the NBA, the season doesn’t finish the way it started. Here’s what to expect in the future from some of the NBA’s surprise (yes, good and bad) teams.

The quick starters: Boston, Orlando and New Orleans.

All three of these teams have one thing in common. Their auspicious starts should not be overlooked, but still should be taken with a grain of salt. The Celtics’ 8-0 start, at an average victory margin of 15 ppg, looks daunting until you consider that this Celtic team’s fourth best player is an unproven point guard who can’t shoot (Rajon Rondo) and still has no playoff experience as a unit. Expect great things from this team, but don’t hand them the East just yet.

The Magic and Hornets are both young teams that are beginning to blossom. The Magic are better than I thought, mostly due to Dwight Howard’s continued improvement. The Hornets’ young leader, Chris Paul, has looked amazing in the early-going; he looks determined to one-up Deron Williams after last season. Both teams look like playoff teams, for sure. But to declare either as an elite squad with the likes of San Antonio and Detroit is taking their quick starts a bit too far.

The underachievers: Bulls, Heat and Knicks

The Bulls and Heat are not as bad as their early records may indicate. The Bulls, as I stated in my NBA preview, are not an elite team and their start to the season confirms that, but they are not going to the draft lottery either. The Heat will also improve on their awful start with Dwyane Wade’s return, but a weak supporting cast coupled with Shaq’s steep decline won’t allow him to take this team very deep into the postseason.

Sorry, Knick fans, but New York’s poor start seems the most genuine of this bunch. Forget about the turmoil, this team just is not good. Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph both do not defend the paint; couple that with their suspect perimeter defense and you are looking at a squad that is painfully easy to score on. And they do not have enough weaponry to win shootouts.

Notes: The fact that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have their teams treading water despite key injuries and general lacks of talent speaks to just how amazing these two players are.

The Nets are surely anything but net, averaging 77 points since Vince Carter sprained his ankle on Nov. 10. This team is only a contender with its entire big four healthy and playing well, but that never seems to happen. The Nets need to decide if they want to start over and rebuild, or mortgage Jefferson and Krstic as the elusive piece to the championship puzzle. And they better do that before the trading deadline.