Cleveland Cavaliers<\/p>\n
Meleek Thomas can play: There are plenty of concerns surrounding the Cavs, including James Harden\u2019s slow start, but Thomas has become one of the best stories in the league. He has a scorer\u2019s mentality and has quickly carved out a role on a veteran, contending team despite being a 20-year-old rookie taken 34th in the draft. The Cavs needed more athleticism and shot creation from their supporting cast, and Thomas is delivering, averaging 13.1 points in about 23 minutes a game and constantly looking to attack. \u2014 Jason Lloyd<\/p>\n
Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n
Cooper Flagg: I thought Flagg had a strong chance to become an All-Star this season. That\u2019s absolutely on the table, and based on how he\u2019s played, making an All-NBA team isn\u2019t out of the question. Flagg is hitting almost anything he puts up from 2-point range while flashing impressive passing chops. He\u2019s fourth in the NBA in \u201cclutch\u201d scoring and averaging three \u201cstocks\u201d (steals + blocks) per game. At 19 years old, he\u2019s performing like a top-10 NBA player. Scary stuff. \u2014 Christian Clark<\/p>\n
Cooper Flagg learning each game<\/p>\n
Dave DuFour and Esfandiar Baraheni<\/p>\n
Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n
Struggles with good competition: Through 10 games, the Nuggets have one win against a team currently with a winning record \u2014 Memphis. It\u2019s a small sample size, but one worth watching for a team where depth was a question, putting a lot on Nikola Joki\u0107 and Jamal Murray. \u2014 Jason Jones<\/p>\n
Detroit Pistons<\/p>\n
3-point shooting improvement: The Pistons\u2019 3-point shooting, or lack thereof, was one of their weakest points offensively last season. This season, Detroit is shooting 37 percent from long range, ninth in the NBA. Duncan Robinson is leading the charge, averaging 18.6 points on 45.7 percent from distance on 9.2 attempts per game. Each of those numbers would be a career best for the sharpshooting veteran. \u2014 Hunter Patterson<\/p>\n
Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n
YaxelMania: The Warriors were hoping that Yaxel Lendeborg could provide an immediate boost, but the 24-year-old rookie has given something even bigger a month into his first season. He has become the second-most-important player behind Stephen Curry, who will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks, and he\u2019s given the Warriors a bona fide scorer and defender they can count on every night. \u2014 Nick Friedell<\/p>\n
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\n Kevin Durant\u2019s points per game or down, but could that benefit Houston in the long run? (Troy Taormina \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Houston Rockets<\/p>\n
Kevin Durant\u2019s reduced role: It\u2019s still too early to tell if this is a sign that Durant may be showing some slippage at 38 years old, but it\u2019s evident that the Rockets don\u2019t want to depend on their superstar forward\u2019s offensive production as much as they did last season. Through 12 games, Durant is averaging 20.9 points per game, which would be his lowest since his rookie season. His usage rate is at 23.8 percent, which is by far the lowest of his career. Maybe Houston\u2019s best path to title contention is spreading out the scoring burden, but it\u2019s still strange watching one of the greatest scorers in history take such a significant step back. \u2014 William Guillory<\/p>\n
Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n
Braden Smith is important: With Indiana experiencing another season with significant injuries to their starting lineup, the Pacers\u2019 only rookie is seeing quite a bit of impactful playing time. The 5-foot-11 guard has started the past four games he\u2019s played as Indiana tries to stay afloat without star Tyrese Haliburton and backup point guard T.J. McConnell. \u2014 Shakeia Taylor<\/p>\n
LA Clippers<\/p>\n
Brutal interior defense: The Clippers started the season 2-8, their worst start in 16 years, but the bigger surprise is just how awful the defense has been. They\u2019re a bottom-five rim-protection team, and only the Pelicans and Bulls allow more paint points per game. No team allows a higher field goal percentage than the Clippers\u2019 defense (49.7 percent). Isaiah Jackson has been benched, Brook Lopez\u2019s age makes it prohibitive to play him starter minutes, and Yanic Konan Niederh\u00e4user is a developmental player in the latter stages of a long-term injury recovery. \u2014 Law Murray<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n
Their wings: Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle have been two of the highest impact minimum free-agent signings from the summer, both providing two-way impact. Williams is hitting 46.5 percent of his 3s, while Thybulle\u2019s 2.2 steals per game is tied for fourth in the league. \u2014 Dan Woike<\/p>\n
Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n
Cedric Coward: \u201cTy Jerome, superstar\u201d is the knee-jerk answer, but he at least provided an inkling in his 15 games with Memphis a season ago. Coward turning into a plus-minus god in his second pro season is arguably an even bigger surprise. Memphis is plus-17.4 per 100 possessions when he plays and minus-4.9 when he doesn\u2019t, leading the team in both categories and by far the biggest differential overall. It feels like Memphis can safely plug him in as its starting small forward for the next decade or so. \u2014 John Hollinger<\/p>\n
Miami Heat<\/p>\n
They can\u2019t defend: Heading into the season, the widely held assumption was that the Heat would be an elite defensive team. That has not been the case. Through 11 games, Miami has been in the bottom 10 of defensive rating the entire season. Things have gotten better in recent games, but it\u2019s still nowhere near the level expected from a team coached by Erik Spoelstra. \u2014 Eric Nehm<\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo addresses Doc Rivers’ comments<\/p>\n
Jason Jones and Eric Nehm<\/p>\n
Milwaukee Bucks<\/p>\n
Myles Turner looking lost: The Bucks are 1-11, and Turner\u2019s performance has played a major role in Milwaukee being unable to build winning habits. Turner is one of three players, along with Mikal Bridges and Sion James, to play at least 25 minutes per game and record a field goal percentage below 34 percent this season. Playing for a rebuilding team is not what Turner signed up for when he joined the Bucks, but his best way out of Milwaukee was playing well enough that another team would trade for him. That hasn\u2019t happened. \u2014 Eric Nehm<\/p>\n
Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n
LaMelo Ball is playing defense: Everyone knew about his offensive talent, but Ball has surprised everyone in Minnesota by quickly fitting into the team\u2019s defensive culture. His 2.2 steals per 36 minutes is his career high. He is leveraging his length and instincts to be additive on both sides of the ball, which has been a huge part of Minnesota\u2019s solid play since Anthony Edwards went down with knee surgery. \u2014 Jon Krawczynski<\/p>\n
New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n
Where\u2019s Herb Jones?: Through 12 games, Jones only has six starts under his belt, and he\u2019s played 30-plus minutes in just two games. He\u2019s played fewer than 20 minutes six times. Jones isn\u2019t the cure to all of the Pelicans\u2019 issues on the defensive end, but he\u2019s still one of the most impactful defenders in the league when he\u2019s healthy. However, it seems his role will remain somewhat reduced as long as New Orleans keeps starting Jeremiah Fears and Dejounte Murray in the backcourt. \u2014 William Guillory<\/p>\n
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\n Tyler Kolek is seeing real minutes for New York this season. (Brad Penner \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
New York Knicks<\/p>\n
Tyler Kolek rotation minutes: I didn\u2019t have Kolek playing more than Jose Alvarado on my bingo card to start the season, but here we are. The youngster took advantage of the time Alvarado missed due to injury by being an assist machine and taking care of the ball, and he hasn\u2019t lost his spot. Kolek is even knocking down jumpers here and there, a development that is needed for him to have real staying power in the league. \u2014 James L. Edwards III<\/p>\n
Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n
How cruel injury luck can be: No contender in recent memory has been struck with this level of injury misfortune. Three starters, two of them potentially out for the season, lost in a single night. The Thunder are handling it as well as possible, 5-4 in games since, but are still playing incredibly unrecognizable lineups and cycling through deep reserves. \u2014 Joel Lorenzi<\/p>\n
Orlando Magic<\/p>\n
How far the defense has fallen: The Magic\u2019s defense has declined relative to the rest of the league, ranking 21st in rating entering Thursday after it finished last season 13th, second in 2024-25 and third in 2023-24. True, the coach has changed from Jamahl Mosley to Sean Sweeney, but Sweeney had built a strong defensive reputation. Orlando\u2019s dealing with significant injuries \u2014 including to top perimeter defender Jalen Suggs \u2014 but the Magic\u2019s decline is worrisome. \u2014 Josh Robbins<\/p>\n
Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n
Their record: It\u2019s not that the Sixers weren\u2019t capable of winning these games. Obviously, the talent level is high. It\u2019s that they have won these games playing the Knicks, Cavaliers and Pistons twice and the Celtics once. That\u2019s a gauntlet to begin the season. The Sixers realistically probably should have had a few more struggles than this, but things have largely come together relatively early. \u2014 Tony Jones<\/p>\n
Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n
Poor defense: The Suns last season had a top-10 defense, and with many key parts returning, it was reasonable to assume they\u2019d be just as strong this season. Wrong. They rank 28th, better than only the Bucks and Bulls. No doubt, losing big man Mark Williams to a shoulder injury was a setback. But to contend in the Western Conference, the Suns will have to keep opponents from penetrating into the paint and seal them off the defensive boards. They\u2019ve improved lately. They have a long way to go. Tone-setter Jordan Goodwin, back from a calf injury, should help. \u2014 Doug Haller<\/p>\n
Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n
Scoot Henderson\u2019s struggles: Many inside the Blazers thought Henderson was primed for a breakout season after being arguably one of the Blazers\u2019 best players in the preseason, but he has been stunningly subpar, so much so that he lost his starting role filling in for the injured Ja Morant after five games. Henderson has 26 turnovers compared to 17 assists and is shooting 31.5 percent from the field while making only 10 of 44 from 3-point range (22.7 percent). The worst part: The Blazers need him more than ever with Morant sidelined. \u2014 Jason Quick<\/p>\n
Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n
Darius Acuff Jr: The rookie from Arkansas is better than expected. He\u2019s among the league leaders in scoring and assists, and his shooting efficiency continues to improve. The team isn\u2019t winning, but Acuff is making the Kings worth checking out. \u2014 Jason Jones<\/p>\n
San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n
Three-guard lineup has worked: When Mitch Johnson made it clear Dylan Harper would replace Julian Champagnie in the starting lineup, it was clear the Spurs needed time to figure it out. The first two games were tough losses to major rivals, but the team hasn\u2019t lost since. The starting lineup with Harper, De\u2019Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle had the fifth-best net rating in the league entering Wednesday, and San Antonio is figuring out how to shape its second units to remain consistent throughout the night. \u2014 Jared Weiss<\/p>\n
Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n
3-point shooting got worse: I know Kawhi Leonard has been mostly missing, and the team wasn\u2019t a good 3-point squad to begin with. However, the Raptors are barely making 32 percent of their 3-pointers. The offense is good because they don\u2019t turn it over and they hammer the offensive boards. But they can\u2019t stretch the floor. \u2014 Zach Harper<\/p>\n
Utah Jazz<\/p>\n
How bad they\u2019ve been: After four years of tanking, the flip was supposed to be switched to be competitive and make the playoffs again. But injuries and incompetence on offense have kept Utah from any kind of acceptable start. The Jazz are already looking at an awful season with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. out for extended time. And their first-round pick goes to Memphis next summer. \u2014 Zach Harper<\/p>\n
Washington Wizards<\/p>\n
Decline in 3-point percentage: The Wizards made 35.9 percent of their 3-point attempts last season. But the team has dipped to 29.8 percent through its first 12 games. A smallish sample size but painful nonetheless. Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and even Anthony Davis have shot well, but the rest of the team has declined significantly. The offense has been more efficient as a whole, and the gains would be better if the 3-point shooting were even close to league average. \u2014 Josh Robbins <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re nearing the one-month mark of the NBA season, and the small sample sizes are getting larger by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":962930,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[7218,64,63,1664,5997,5670,2066,17603,7235,1662,7214,5552,7220,7221,7236,7232,5851,7223,4620,5665,590,7210,1666,5548,12985,9688,7185,4621,5674,10549,85,17602,11898,7211],"class_list":["post-962929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-atlanta-hawks","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boston-celtics","tag-brooklyn-nets","tag-charlotte-hornets","tag-chicago-bulls","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-detroit-pistons","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-houston-rockets","tag-indiana-pacers","tag-los-angeles-clippers","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-miami-heat","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-nba","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-orlando-magic","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-portland-trail-blazers","tag-sacramento-kings","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sports","tag-toronto-raptors","tag-utah-jazz","tag-washington-wizards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/962930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=962929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=962929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}