A commanding start
Coming off a dominant 68-win 2024-25 season (out of 84 games), the Oklahoma City Thunder’s young core won’t be slowing down soon. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last season’s lead scorer (average 32.7 points) now carries a new resume of accolades: regular-season and finals MVP, National Basketball Association (NBA) champion and scoring champion. He had much to uphold coming off that historic season, and these first two weeks have further solidified his worth and leadership. He dropped 120 points in the first three games alone, including a 55-point game during a double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers, a testy rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals.
The Thunder relied on his command, especially in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander notably had a career high of 26 free throw attempts, calmly sinking 23 of them. As of Oct. 29, the Thunder lead the Western Conference with a convincing 5-0 clean sweep. It will be interesting to see how the team’s cap space and salary restrictions play out, considering the depth of players and potential in developing several all-star caliber players. Two questions rock the minds of countless fans: how far can the Thunder go this season, and is this the beginning of a dynasty?
Flashes of rookie potential
With all eyes on Cooper Flagg and his start as point guard — an entirely new position for him — the Dallas Mavericks appear to be in a bit of a setback. The Mavs lacked offensive efficiency, ranked second to last in the 2025-26 NBA Offensive Rating with 102.1 points per 100 possessions (as of Oct. 29). Still, the 18-year-old, the youngest Number One pick since Lebron James’ 2003 draft, has been handling the high expectations despite critiques. Flagg will have a lot to learn and contribute this coming season, especially with the return of Kyrie Irving expected early 2026. A starting five including D’Angelo Russell via free agency, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson proves to be a talent-stacked lineup worth keeping an eye out for.
Other surprising flashes from the 2025 draft class have come from number two pick, Dylan Harper, who was an instrumental contributor to the San Antonio Spurs’ 4-0 season kickoff. His versatility and high basketball IQ in his collegiate career at Rutgers remain significant at the professional level.
The Philadelphia 76ers take pride in VJ Edgecombe who has displayed refreshing maturity as both a playmaker and passer. He not only exceeded the rookie board on assists for the first three games but also acquired a 34-point debut, which was recorded as the highest scoring debut for any player in NBA history since Wilt Chamberlain.
On the note of making history, Charlotte Hornets’ guard Kon Knueppel has made the accomplishment of having the most three-pointers in the first five games by any NBA player. His high shooting efficiency, especially beyond the arc, has sparked the team’s offense. Interestingly, Hornets rookies Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sion James have also shown flashes of high-efficiency scoring. Seeing their development into role players would provide greater team depth.
The Reaves show
Austin Reaves of the LA Lakers went off for 50 points against the Sacramento Kings. Starting as an undrafted 2021 prospect, this made history with the second-best scoring game put up by an undrafted player (three points shy of the title). This was followed by another strong performance (41 points, 12/14 free throws).
He also joined a limited cohort of Hall of Famers who dropped 40+ on back-to-back nights during the first four games, and is the only Laker since 2000 to make 50+ points. Reaves continued to make a difference with 16 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and shocked fans with a buzzer-beater for a tight win by one. This potential, combined with the strong force of Lebron James and Luka Doncic, could be an exciting trio. This dominance may land him a max deal for 2026 when his contract with the Lakers expires.
Injury hurdles
Notably, the Pacers lack star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the year due to a devastating achilles injury. Most of the starting five from last year’s final season are also out. The NBA permits players to sign hardship exception deals to join on a 10-day contract to help fill rosters, which the Pacers used to sign guard Mac McClung.
The Boston Celtics, burdened without their superstar Jayson Tatum, now rely on Jaylen Brown as their primary scoring option. With Brown’s recent hamstring scare, there are questions on whether Tatum will be rushed back from his recovery process or if the team will make changes for a higher lottery pick. Considering their 0-3 start, many decisions will need to be made down the road.
Other shoutouts
Kicking off as the Western Conference Player of the Week, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs has already brought on the heat, leading the first week on a 3-0 run. With this, he became the first NBA player to record 100+ points, 40+ rebounds and 15+ blocks in the first three games. A dual threat on both ends of the floor, especially on the defensive end, has shone as he carries the title for the highest block percentage of any player in NBA history.
This season has had a surprising uptick in high-scoring (40+ point) performances. Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon took matters into his own hands with a 50-point night, including 10 for 11 beyond the arc. However, this was subdued by Steph Curry’s 42-point explosion during the Golden State Warriors’ home opener. Gordon’s stat line impressed none other than the three-point revolutionizer himself. “Ridiculous. Whatever he did this summer worked,” Curry remarked. Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz added a perfect 17/17 from the free throw line, where he became the first Jazz player to score 50+ since Hall of Famer Karl Malone.
Exciting things to come
This early-season snippet proves the league’s thrilling journey is still ahead. Among breakout candidates, team rebuildings, rising talents, player narratives, new coaching styles and adjustments, familiar rivalries, tense showdowns and more, the NBA fandom is brought to the edge of its seats. Up next? The October to November in-season NBA cup!
