Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

1. Oklahoma City Thunder 

They’ve opened the season by making a statement with wins over the Spurs and Nuggets. The 2025 champions are showing they’re serious about reaching the mountaintop again after getting eliminated by the Spurs in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. 

2. Philadelphia 76ers

LeBron James and company look like the real deal after beating the defending champion Knicks as well as the Celtics. James, who’s turning 42 years old this season, could actually win his fifth championship if the 76ers keep this up. 

3. New York Knicks

Their 0-2 start isn’t great. But they’re the defending champions and deserve to be near the top of these rankings until proven otherwise. 

4. San Antonio Spurs

There will be some growing pains integrating a three-guard rotation. But it won’t be long until they figure it out. Wemby carried this team to the Finals last year and he’s expected to carry them far again.

5. Houston Rockets

This team might’ve been slept on entering the season. Fred VanVleet is back and Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. are looking dangerous. The Rockets could be a dark horse in the West.

6. Los Angeles Lakers

This team’s success is going to hinge on Walker Kessler. And Kessler is looking good. 

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards is so much fun. He opened this season with a 45-point performance against the Heat. When he and LaMelo Ball figure things out, the Timberwolves could make some real noise.

8. Toronto Raptors

Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard and Immanuel Quickley can’t be slept on this season. The Raptors’ starters combined for 92 points to beat the Bulls by 43 points in their opening game. 

9. Detroit PIstons

They’re looking good but were dealt a blow when Jalen Duren suffered a right hamstring strain. He’s going to be reevaluated in two weeks, which means the team is going to face a very tough stretch without him, including playing the 76ers twice and the Knicks.

10. Boston Celtics

Paul George had a 38-point performance in the Celtics’ loss to the Pistons in their season-opener, followed by Jayson Tatum scoring 36 points in a win over the Knicks. The Celtics’ stars are looking ready to go.  

11. Denver Nuggets

This team has a great starting lineup. But not much depth. 

12. Portland Trail Blazers

Welcome back, Dame. We missed you. Lillard has seemingly found his rhythm after missing last season because of a torn left Achilles’ tendon. Lillard, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara are going to be a lot of fun this season. 

13. Memphis Grizzlies

The 19-year-old Cam Boozer already looks like an All-Star. In his second NBA game, he finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals in a win over the Warriors. 

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers will need more scoring from James Harden, who’s averaging 14 points over two games, if they’re going to make any noise in the East. 

15. Dallas Mavericks

Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg could be dangerous when they find a rhythm alongside one another. They’ve had a tough opening schedule, with losses to the Spurs and Rockets. But this team has a lot of promise. 

16. Indiana Pacers

We’ve learned not to underestimate Tyrese Haliburton after he led the Pacers to the Finals in 2025. This team will always be dangerous with him on it. 

17. Miami Heat

The Heat are off to a rough start at 0-3. But Bam Adebayo hasn’t looked like himself. We’re still optimistic that he and Giannis Antetokounmpo will figure things out, though. 

18. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks beat the Magic and Hornets and a lot of guys are making contributions. They have a lot of promise on both sides of the court. 

19. Charlotte Hornets. 

Love seeing Naz Reid balling out for the Hornets. He’s averaging career-highs in points (20), rebounds (8.7) and assists (three) in his team’s three games, including wins over the Heat and Nets and a loss against the Hawks. 

20. Orlando Magic

An 0-2 start isn’t what Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs had in mind. This team better get things together or it’s going to be a long season. 

21. Utah Jazz 

A 20-point loss to the Grizzlies in their season-opener wasn’t on their bingo card. But it’s early and I expect Lauri Markkanen to get his act together soon. 

22.  Phoenix Suns 

They lost to the Trail Blazers by 41 points in their season-opener. Still stunned by that. But Devin Booker redeemed himself with a 43-point performance against the Warriors on Saturday.

23. Washington Wizards

Trae Young and Anthony Davis both have a lot to prove. This team is a wildcard. They could exceed expectations…or flounder. They’ve only really been tested by the Raptors so far in a 112-102 loss. This is a team to keep your eye on.  

24. Chicago Bulls

Caleb Wilson has lived up to expectations, averaging 22.3 points and eight rebounds in three games. His Rookie of the Year campaign has officially begun. 

25. Los Angeles Clippers 

They’re missing so many guys, but Darius Garland looks like he’s back in All-Star mode, which is nice to see after he was hampered by injuries last season. 

26.  Golden State Warriors

Things aren’t looking great for this injury-riddled team that’s without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody moody for the first few months of the season and Kristaps Porzingis indefinitely. But they still have Steph Curry and Draymond Green. And Yaxel Lendeborg is a ton of fun on and off the court, including recently making waves for saying he lost all respect for Luka Doncic. 

27. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans are off to an 0-3 start, though they did take the Nuggets to overtime in a game on Saturday. It appears to be the same old sad story for this team. 

28.  Sacramento Kings

It’s going to be a long season for the Kings, who currently have the second-worst offensive rating in the NBA (102.4). 

29. Brooklyn Nets

They’re in rebuild mode, but Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. are still fun to watch. 

30. Milwaukee Bucks

Goodbye Giannis. Hello dark days. 

The Washington Wizards announced that forward AJ Dybantsa is out for tomorrow’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets, which was reported by our own Greg Finberg.

NEWS: AJ Dybantsa (ankle) is OUT for Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, per the Wizards' injury report.https://t.co/ENgG3TnGM4

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) October 25, 2026

It’s frustrating that Dybantsa has yet to play a game this season. But the Wizards are appearing to take a conservative approach and they are 2-1 this season. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Brooklyn Nets are still searching for their first win of the 2026-27 season, and they’ll have to find it on tired legs.

Brooklyn nearly erased a 22-point deficit in Cleveland on Saturday, outscoring the Cavaliers 41-29 in the fourth quarter before falling 125-121. The Nets return to Barclays Center on Sunday to face the Indiana Pacers in the second game of a back-to-back.

Meanwhile, sixth-overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. won’t be active for this one. He’s already on a minutes restriction and it looks like the Nets will keep him out of second night of back-to-backs for the foreseeable future. He rolled his ankle in the preseason.

Indiana arrives in Brooklyn coming off their own 16-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

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Game Info & How to Watch

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets (0-2) vs. Indiana Pacers (1-1)
• Time: 6:00 PM ET
• Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
• TV/Streaming: YES Network and DAZN

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Nets-Pacers Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• Mikel Brown Jr. — OUT

Indiana Pacers

• T.J. McConnell – OUT
• Johnny Furphy – OUT
• Ben Sheppard – OUT
• Braden Smith – DOUBTFUL

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💬 Discussion

Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.

Two years ago, no one could have fathomed the idea of Luka Dončić retiring anywhere but Dallas. The Mavericks had built a team capable of making the Finals around him and his fierce loyalty all made it seem like a done deal that he’d be the Dirk Nowitzki successor and play his whole career in Texas.

Everyone knows what transpired next with Luka shockingly being shipped to Los Angeles. The Lakers have worked to build a team around their new superstar, who still remains as loyal as ever. And given how the Lakers have treated him, it’s not surprising that Luka now feels the same about his new franchise as he did about his last.

In a recent interview with Melissa Rohlin of the California Post, he said he feels comfortable in Los Angeles and wants to finish his career in purple and gold (emphasis added).

“After that, at training camp last year, I felt I was where I belonged,” Dončić told the California Post. “I feel very good in LA. I’m very excited. Very happy. Obviously it’s a beautiful place to live. But just being with the Lakers organization, being a part of it, it’s such an honor. It’s amazing to be here.”

Dončić has embraced the whiplash-inducing change he never envisioned.

When asked if he wants to retire as a Laker, he didn’t hesitate.

“Hopefully, yeah,” Dončić told the California Post. “But as you know in this NBA business, you never know what’s going to happen. But I feel like I’ve found something here that’s very comfortable for me. And hopefully [that happens].”

While this is the first time Luka has said he wants to retire with the franchise, the overall sentiment of wanting to remain with the franchise has been consistent pretty much since he landed in Los Angeles.

The ball, then, is in the Lakers’ court. If Luka wants to be with the franchise for the rest of his career, it’s on them to put a team around him to remain competitive.

It is encouraging, though, that Luka wants to be here long-term. The challenge now is to make sure he keeps that mindset.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a frustrating start to the season. They’ve shown how good they could be with impressive stretches throughout their first two games, but poor closes to both contests have made it clear that they’re far from a finished product.

The Cavs will welcome a good Minnesota Timberwolves team to town on Monday. Minnesota made a big move this summer by trading for LaMelo Ball, and so far, things have paid off. The Timberwolves have beaten the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic by a combined 47 points in their first two contests. They’ll be hosting the Toronto Raptors on Sunday evening.

This will be a good test for the Cavs.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 PM

TV: DAZN, WUAB (Channel 43), RESN, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Not yet set

Cavs injury report: Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (left knee), Ernest Udeh Jr. – OUT (G League)

Timberwolves injury report for Sunday’s game vs. Toronto: Donte DiVincenzo – OUT (right Achilles)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Timberwolves expected starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert

Cavs jersey:Black Statement Edition uniform

Previous matchup: Both teams split the season series last year. The Cavs won their last contest on January 10, 146-134.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats from last season via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	118.9 (8th)	115 (15th)	+3.9 (9th)
Timberwolves	116.8 (14th)	113.2 (6th)	+3.6 (10th)

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While the Golden State Warriors are still looking for their first win of the season, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is leaving a strong impression on the organization.

After the Warriors fell to 0-3, following a 131-122 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, Kerr wasn’t shy to point out some areas the rookie will need to grow in his development.

Steve Kerr on Yaxel's game and his efforts defensively:

"Yeah, he's fearless, he's huge and he's got a great skill set. He can dribble pass and shoot. The biggest thing is just continuing to learn the NBA and he's feel that, he's gonna do that. Play in the first half where he… pic.twitter.com/s7PjW16dWs

— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) October 25, 2026

One moment in particular that Kerr reflected on was when Lendeborg launched himself into Khaman Maluach.

“In college he could do that, but this is a different league,” Kerr said. “He’ll learn. He’s playing a ton, and he’s gonna get all these reps, and we’re gonna keep showing him film, and he’s gonna get all these reps, and we’re gonna keep showing him film, and he’ll get better and better.”

As Kerr knows Lendeborg will continue to grow, he also praised him for not being scared of the moment.

“He’s fearless, he’s huge, and he’s got a great skill set,” Kerr said. “He can dribble, pass, and shoot. The biggest thing is continuing to learn the NBA, and he’s gonna feel that; he’s gonna do that.”

As Kerr said, Lendeborg has been playing fearlessly.

On Wednesday, Lendeborg played in his first career NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers and was seen trash-talking Luka Doncic.

After the game was over, Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Doncic because he was “whining and complaining.”

Lendeborg’s exchange with Doncic has been considered controversial by some, but his teammate Draymond Green loved it.

After the game ended, Green told Evan Webeck of The California Post that regardless of the result, he was happy to see the rookie not back down against one of the best guards in the league.

Lendeborg admitted after the battle was over that he went “overboard” with comments against Doncic but said, “it is what it is.”

Over the summer, Lendeborg helped lead the Warriors to an NBA Summer League title and was crowned the league’s MVP.

So far this season, he’s averaged 34.3 minutes on the court, with 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

It will be a battle of early-season undefeated teams as the 2-0 Detroit Pistons will visit the 3-0 Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday evening at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Both teams hope to contend for the Eastern Conference title, and both teams went about it in very different ways. The Pistons kept a young core intact, and their biggest move of the offseason was adding journeymen John Collins and Isaiah Joe. The Sixers, meanwhile, swung a huge trade of Paul George for Jaylen Brown and then convinced a little-known player named LeBron James of winding down his career in Philly.

Game Vitals

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN-Detroit
Odds: Pistons +1.5

Analysis

While this stands as a great test for the Pistons, they will not have their full complement of players. Jalen Duren has already been ruled out for tonight and the next two weeks with a hamstring injury suffered against the Miami Heat. The Pistons might also be without star defensive forward Ausar Thompson, who sustained an ankle injury against the Heat.

Duren left that game early in the second quarter and Thompson exited early in the third, and the Pistons were still able to cruise to victory over the Heat. But the Sixers should be a different story.

The good news with Duren out is that the Sixers are also expected to rest Joel Embiid after the big man notched a triple-double against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. LeBron, who sat out that game Saturday, is expected to suit up.

The Pistons know that Paul Reed is more than capable of making winning basketball plays whether in a starter or reserve role. More interesting, and potentially worrying, is what the Pistons will do with their backup center minutes. I imagine it will be an opportunity for the organization to look at John Collins as a backup five. It also is another opportunity for the Pistons to become the prolific 3-point shooting team nobody thinks they are.

Without Duren and Thompson, two non-shooters, potentially replaced in the starting lineup by Reed and Isaiah Joe (or maybe Javonte Green), and having Collins play minutes at the five, expect a lot of five-out action. Last season, the Pistons attempted just 30.9 threes per game (29th in the NBA). It’s early, but through two games, they are hoisting 39 per game. After tonight, they could rank in the top five in 3-point shooting volume in the NBA. Weird.

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (2-0)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe, John Collins, Paul Reed

Philadelphia 76ers (3-0)

Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Adem Bona

Question of the Game

How many 3-point attempts for the Detroit Pistons tonight?

Being a young-player fan in the Bay has been a creative writing exercise for a while now. How many times has Dub Nation squinted at a flash in the third quarter of a blowout and built a whole career out of it? I’m thinking of Anthony Randolph truthers. We argue about the thin line between bad player fits and organizational rigidity . I’ve written plenty of those columns myself. The future was always the thing we got to talk about while the present belonged to Steph.

That’s why the first week of this season has felt strange. Generally most (good) teams let their rookies learn on company time, getting their feet wet without absorbing massive responsibility. The Warriors’ rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is already punching time on the clock with the season on the line.

Through three games, Big Yax is averaging 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in about 34 minutes a night, and he’s hitting 44.4% from three. He opened with a steady 12 in Los Angeles. Against Memphis, he put up 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Then in Phoenix, he hit six threes on his way to 26.

yaxel lendeborg stuffed the stat sheet tonight with his first 20 point game 👀 pic.twitter.com/Lw7wDajGn9

— the aesthetic (@theaestheticnba) October 25, 2026

Now, let’s just take a step back and activate gold blooded homerism. Hey Stathead, how many players in Warriors history have averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for a season?

• Wilt Chamberlain (1963–64, age 27): 36.9 points, 22.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists
• Kevin Durant (2016–17, age 28): 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists
• Rick Barry (1972–73, age 28): 22.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists
• Nate Thurmond (1967–68, age 26): 20.5 points, 22.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists

That’s four Hall of Famers, with none none of them rookies. Three games doesn’t put Yaxel in that room, buuuut it’s a funny room to have him standing outside of, don’t cha think?

And for the blistering fireball of skepticism I’m sure awaits for me for daring to dream, let’s clarify that none of this is garbage-time production. Coach Steve Kerr is giving him starter minutes in close games because the team needs what he does right now. With Yaxel, I keep catching myself skipping the projection step entirely, because he’s already answering the questions I’d normally spend three years asking when checking out a prospect.

Yaxel could win ROY and it would be a pretty terrible turn of events for Golden State

— Brian (@BrianJNBA) October 25, 2026

And it made me think of when James Wiseman was drafted and thrown into the fire on a depleted team. In December 2020, Klay was out with the Achilles, and the Warriors handed a 19-year-old the starting center job on opening night. Remember how Coach Kerr praised Wiseman at that time?

The Warriors are just three games into the season, but rookie James Wiseman has been the obvious choice when it comes to exciting storylines. “Now imagine doing that while playing three college games, then not playing at all for over a year, and then not having training camp. It’s insane. What we’re asking James to do is insane. He’s handling it beautifully.”

James Wiseman (2020–21, first 3 games, age 19): 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steal in 24.0 minutes, shooting 46.9% from the field (15-of-32), 83.3% from three (5-of-6) and 64.3% from the line (9-of-14)

Wiseman scored 19 in Brooklyn, then had 18 points and three blocks on Christmas in Milwaukee. I remember how that felt. The Warriors were getting blown out, but a 7-footer galloping to the rim gave us something to believe in. Every good night was a promise, and we were all collecting promises.

Yaxel arrived with the job already posted, and there’s a reason the Warriors felt comfortable posting it. He’s 24. He went from a warehouse job to junior college, then to UAB and Michigan, before the Warriors took him 11th. He’s had five years of college basketball to figure out who he is. Wiseman had three college games.

So these NBA three games don’t prove Yaxel was the better prospect as they show two very different starting points. Wiseman was a raw idea the Warriors hoped would turn into a player. Yaxel already arrived as a player, and nobody knows yet how much bigger his game can get. With Wiseman, you fell in love with the ceiling and with Yaxel, you’re watching the floor and noticing it’s already pretty high.

Wiseman’s story went sideways for reasons no three-game sample could have predicted. He tore his right meniscus at the end of his rookie year and then missed the entire next season. The early flashes were real but they just never got the runway.

Here’s the part that keeps nagging at me. The Warriors are 0-3. For years, the problem with Warriors rookies was timing. The kids weren’t ready yet, and the Steph clock doesn’t wait. The whole plan was to keep winning with the vets while the young guys caught up. Now the Warriors finally have a rookie who doesn’t need to catch up, and they’re still losing because of injuries and age. In Phoenix he was plus-5 in a nine-point loss. The rookie has held up his end of the deal more or less for three straight games, and the deal still isn’t closing. He’s still got a ways to go, duh. He’s shooting 66.7% at the line, and he turned it over six times against Memphis. His helpside defense has been trash according to his coach.

Steve Kerr on Yaxel Lendeborg's defense:

"His weak-side awareness right now is very poor. And with his size, he should be one of our best defenders at the rim. And right now, he's unaware on the weak-side" pic.twitter.com/g5cGzAqdqS

— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 25, 2026

But still, as far as a rookies go, there’s a lot to like so far with Big Yax. For years, the question was whether the Warriors’ young players could help Steph win now. Three games into Yaxel’s career, the question is whether the Warriors can win while he’s helping them.

The Detroit Pistons will be without their All-Star center for at least two weeks as the big man sits with a right hamstring strain.

Duren had started the season hot, lighting up the preseason and scoring 22 points and securing nine rebounds in Detroit’s opening-day win against the Boston Celtics. He played just 10 minutes against the Miami Heat before suffering the hamstring strain early in the second quarter.

The injury is a blow to a young big man who was eager to prove he was worth the $200 million deal he signed this offseason with Detroit, and will test Detroit’s big man depth. The Pistons traded away backup center Isaiah Stewart this offseason. That left Paul Reed to go from fan favorite third-string center to fan-favorite backup center, and now he gets a chance to be a fan-favorite starter.

Technically behind him will be Tolu Smith, who is in Detroit on a standard deal after showing promise as a two-way player the past few seasons. However, it is more likely that the Pistons will move to shift starting power forward John Collins into more small-ball five minutes while Reed rests.

Collins has had an up-and-down start to his Pistons tenure, and I guess this will be a great extended opportunity to see just how well Collins can hold up (or not) as a five in Detroit’s defensive system.

Pistons forward Ausar Thompson also suffered an ankle injury against the Heat, and he is listed as questionable against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? It appears that Devin Booker is the primary point guard on this team rather than Jalen Green. It’s Point Book SZN once again, isn’t it?

“Settle down, Voita! We’re two games in!” I know, I know. But I am here to observe and report, and therefore I am reporting what I have observed through the first two games of the 2026-27 season. Ultimately, the fact that the sample size is so small has merit. We don’t know what this team is yet. Nor do they. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to sit on my couch until game 20 on December 20 to note what is occurring.

This past offseason, there were rumors floating around that the Phoenix Suns wanted to see more facilitation out of Jalen Green. And that would be the ideal scenario for the organization because, after all, they have Devin Booker. He’s a shooting guard, and if you can put him alongside somebody capable of taking the reins and running the offense, Booker becomes an even more potent player. He can navigate off-ball screens, find himself open for catch-and-shoot opportunities, and operate within the spaces a shooting guard typically occupies.

But wanting something to happen doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to occur. And through the first two games of the season, it appears that Point Book remains.

Again, I recognize that it’s a small sample size. Perhaps it’s a matter of survival, with the Suns prioritizing getting a win on the board before fully integrating Jalen Green into the point guard role. And you’ll have people tell you that in the modern NBA, there really isn’t such a thing as a true point guard, to which I agree. But if the goal is to have Jalen Green become more of a facilitator, the early returns aren’t particularly encouraging.

Because it’s Devin Booker who possesses a 27.3% assist percentage, while Jalen Green sits at 11.4%. It’s Booker with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio, compared to Green’s 0.8. Booker has generated 22 points off assists, while Green has generated 9. And when it comes to potential assists, Booker has 7 compared to Green’s 8.

The funny thing is, when you look at Collin Gillespie, who’s coming off the bench with the second unit, his numbers are better than both of them. Gillespie currently possesses a 28.2% assist percentage and a 1.83 assist-to-turnover ratio. His 28 points generated off assists lead the team, while his 11 potential assists rank second, one behind Miles Bridges.

2 games into the season, and Point Book is alive & well. Wasn’t the plan for Green to take on more facilitating duties?

The early numbers suggest Book is still carrying that burden, while CG12 might be the best distributor on the roster.

Unbelievably small sample size, but… pic.twitter.com/f2Wfh5bYpj

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) October 25, 2026

Note the graphic above represents 3 minutes on the Gillespie/Booker/Brooks/Bridges/Maluach combo. And a glorious 3 minutes it was.

It’s too early to start banging the drum for Collin Gillespie to be in the starting lineup alongside Devin Booker to alleviate some of the responsibility on Booker’s shoulders. But as we saw Saturday night against the Warriors, that’s going to be a significant burden if Booker has to score 43 points every night to help this team win while also serving as its primary facilitator and distributor.

As the season progresses, we’ll have more opportunities to see what it looks like when Jalen Green assumes more of those facilitation and distribution responsibilities. From there, decisions can be made. Because remember, this is a year of evaluation for Jalen Green. How does he respond to the role being asked of him? And how does he handle the adversity that comes with it when success in that role doesn’t immediately follow?

It’s going to take time and repetition for the organization to fully understand his skill set and how it complements the players around him. The fan base? We’re not nearly as patient. We see something that isn’t working, pound our fists on the table, and demand that it be changed. If there’s anything we’ve learned over the years, it’s that things don’t necessarily work that way. This isn’t a video game where you can simply swap players in and out. It takes time, the management of personalities, and a willingness to provide players with opportunities rather than making decisions based on knee-jerk reactions.

But this is another footnote in the collection of things we’re observing throughout the season. And through two games, this is where we stand.

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The Brooklyn Nets are still searching for their first win of the 2026-27 season, and they’ll have to find it on tired legs.

Brooklyn nearly erased a 22-point deficit in Cleveland on Saturday, outscoring the Cavaliers 41-29 in the fourth quarter before falling 125-121. The Nets return to Barclays Center on Sunday to face the Indiana Pacers in the second game of a back-to-back.

Meanwhile, sixth-overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. won’t be active for this one. He’s already on a minutes restriction and it looks like the Nets will keep him out of second night of back-to-backs for the foreseeable future. He rolled his ankle in the preseason.

But is there something else we should be keeping an eye on? In today’s injury report, the Nets listed Mikel Brown Jr. out with “Back, Injury Management.” He missed time during training camp due to a rolled ankle, but this is the first we’ve heard anything related to his back. Brown Jr. missed 12 games including the NCAA tournament last season in Louisville. Should we be worried?

Indiana arrives in Brooklyn coming off their own 16-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

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Game Info & How to Watch

• Matchup: Brooklyn Nets (0-2) vs. Indiana Pacers (1-1)
• Time: 6:00 PM ET
• Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
• TV/Streaming: YES Network and DAZN

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Nets-Pacers Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• Mikel Brown Jr. — OUT
• Tyler Bilodeau — OUT

Indiana Pacers

• T.J. McConnell – OUT
• Johnny Furphy – OUT
• Ben Sheppard – OUT
• Braden Smith – DOUBTFUL

Check the official injury report closer to tip-off for any updates.

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The Game

The Nets showed fight in Cleveland with the comeback. We can’t call it a win, but we can call it encouraging.

Julius Randle is averaging 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists through two games, while Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 27 points and seven rebounds. Brooklyn trailed by double digits most of the game, but these two kept Brooklyn afloat. That’s also when Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. joined in on the fun.

Day’Ron Sharpe fell into foul trouble for a second consecutive game. He picked up a sixth foul – a flagrant – with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Nets aren’t built with much size at the five after Sharpe. In the season opener, the Charlotte Hornets shot 17-of-22 at the rim. Brooklyn followed with a good effort on the boards on Saturday, but they still lost the paint battle 46-30 and came up with one blocked shot compared to Cleveland’s 10.

The Indiana Pacers feature a star-studded frontcourt with Pascal Siakam at the four and Ivica Zubac at the five. It’s certainly something to watch out for as the Nets try defending the paint — with a ton of weight on Sharpe.

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Player to Watch: Ivica Zubac

First and foremost, it’s good to see Tyrese Haliburton back on the court and playing well. He’s always a player to watch and we all know that. For this particular match, keeping Zubac off the glass is a task that’s about 7-feet too tall. Brooklyn has struggled to contain bigs in recent years.

Zubac’s size and rebounding make him a difficult matchup for Brooklyn, particularly with the Nets struggling to protect the rim and contain opposing centers. Indiana can stretch the floor and put pressure on Brooklyn’s interior defense, forcing the Nets to account for both perimeter movement and Zubac’s presence around the basket.

If Day’Ron Sharpe gets into foul trouble again, Brooklyn could struggle to defend Zubac inside and limit Indiana’s second-chance opportunities.

Hornets center Moussa Diabate finished with 17 points, eight rebounds (five offensive), and five steals against the Nets. Cavs center Jarrett Allen logged 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks on 7-of-8 shooting in yesterday’s game.

Zubac is star and he’s shown it thus far, averaging 12.5 points, 13 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. Brooklyn struggles here most — it only feels inevitable Zubac gives them trouble.

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Will Mikel Brown Jr. & Egor Dëmin play more together?

Jordi Fernández was asked whether he had seen enough from Brown and Dëmin together to want to use that pairing more often when Brown’s minutes restriction allows it.

His answer offered a glimpse into how he approaches lineup decisions (H/T Brian Lewis):

“Yeah. The way I would explain this is when you’re coaching the game, if you’re coaching thinking you want to play certain guys together, it’s when usually you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. And a lot of times you have to coach the game feeling the game,” Fernández said. “Obviously you have a preparation, you look at their matchups, their sub patterns, yours, your lineups, and you have an ideal way of how you want the game to go. But then when the game goes, there’s fouls, there’s guys that play better, worse. Then you have to start coaching the game and see who can guard this guy or all these things. And I think then the game flows.”

Then…

“Then that’s when I felt like it was a good moment to play together. Did I plan it? No. But a lot of times it’s how basketball is. We have all this preparation, the coaches do a great job putting all these pages and film and so forth. But then at the end of the day, you have to react to a lot of things that are not controllable in the game. And that’s why I know that I’ve gotten this question before, would I like to play them together? Yes. But if I’m just thinking about playing them together, I may not do what’s best for the group at the moment. So that’s the way I feel.”

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From The Vault

On this date in 1964, The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

The Stones opened with Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around” and fans screamed so loudly that Sullivan struggled to speak over them, repeatedly asking that the crowd quiet down. CBS received complaints after the broadcast and Ed Sullivan reportedly said: “I promise you they’ll never be back on our show. It took me 17 years to build this show and I’m not going to have it destroyed in a matter of weeks” and wrote to them, “I would like to learn from you, whether your young men have reformed in the matter of dress and shampoo.”

So much for that. The Rolling Stones went on to make five more appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show through 1969… and they’re still making music.

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Read More: Fear the Sword, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, SNY, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter.

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Indiana Pacers Game Notes – Indiana Pacers

Updates, 5:15 p.m.: VJ Edgecombe is the latest to pop up on the injury report with an abdominal contusion.

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Update, 1:09 p.m:Embiid has been officially ruled, the reason given is right plantar fasciitis management. Jabari Walker is also out with left knee soreness. It’s good to see that it’s just soreness as the official designation after Walker left the game in the second half against the Bucks.

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The Sixers are right back in action Sunday night hosting the Detroit Pistons with an opportunity to go 4-0 to start the young season.

Philadelphia is coming into this one on zero days rest after taking down the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night in what was a more competitive game than some may have expected going into it. Nevertheless, some impressive performances from Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey helped secure the win for the Sixers to keep them undefeated to start the 2026-27 regular season.

But no rest for the weary. Now, it’s on to the Pistons Sunday evening.

This being the second game of a back-to-back for Philadelphia means we won’t know exactly what lineup the Sixers will have available until this afternoon when the team’s injury report is due. We will bring you that info when it’s available, but we also have a few context clues from the start of this weekend. Embiid indeed played in Saturday’s contest, and the big fella has not played both ends of back-to-backs in years, but he did tell reporters postgame that he wanted to play Sunday, so you never really know. But one could reasonably expect him to possibly pop up on the report for this contest as out for rest/injury management. One can also expect LeBron James, who was out last night for sciatica management, to likely return for tonight.

Speaking of Embiid, it will be interesting to see what happens at the five if Embiid ends up not playing. Adem Bona has been… bad, to say the least. Dean Wade would be another option for starter at the five after making his season debut last night, but he is still playing with a bit of a tweaked ankle, so who knows. We will have to wait and see.

The Pistons have some injury news of their own for Sunday with Jalen Duren ruled out with a right hamstring strain. Duren had a great showing in the Pistons’ season opener, posting 22 points on 8-for-13 (61.5%) field goal shooting with nine rebounds, but only made it through part of the first half of their second outing before tweaking that hamstring and exiting the game. Former 76er Paul Reed will likely start at the five in his place after coming in off the bench for 26 minutes against the Miami Heat in Duren’s absence, posting one hell of a performance himself — 19 points on 8-for-10 field goal and 2-for-2 three-point shooting with 11 rebounds and three assists. Out the mud.

Also for Detroit, Ausar Thompson is questionable after exiting that same contest in the third quarter with an ankle sprain. It’s worth noting that Duren and Thompson are two of the top rebounders for Detroit, which I mention because the Sixers — despite being 3-0 — are still struggling with being outrebounded by their competition pretty consistently.

The Pistons are coming into Sunday on a day’s rest, so they will have that advantage over Philadelphia at least.

Detroit are led by two-time NBA All-Star Cade Cunningham who seems to already be in mid-season form on both ends of the floor, averaging 19.0 points (shooting 50.0% from the floor and 33.3% from long range) with 8.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.0 blocks per game over their first few contests. 32-year-old Duncan Robinson is up there with him leading the scoring, also posting 19.0 points per game so far, and the squad has a well-rounded supporting cast, with seven Pistons averaging double-digit points to start the season.

Not only that, but the Pistons have a bit of a tough few games ahead between facing the Sixers today and the New York Knicks on Tuesday, so they’ll be looking to hang tough and keep their heads above water while they await Duren’s return. Just like the Bucks, I wouldn’t expect them to shy away from the challenge Sunday evening.

The Sixers and Pistons tip off at 7:30 p.m. in South Philadelphia.

Game Details

When: Sunday, October 25, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow:@LibertyBallers

This is the fifth and final of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The final question: what is your regular season record prediction for the Hawks this season and where do they finish in the Eastern Conference?

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Wes: My prediction may seem a tad pessimistic, but I have misgivings about the top end offensive talent on this roster. If Jalen Johnson doesn’t take another step, to me this might just be an average offense that struggles against top end teams.

Having said that, there’s a great chance this is an elite defensive unit with perimeter defenders for days. I think the Hawks will be able to grind out a 43-39 record in super deep Eastern Conference and land the 7th overall seed, placing them in pole position to advance to the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament.

Garrett: I have the Hawks going 48–34 and finishing as a top-six seed. There will still be growing pains, particularly when the offense slows down, but I expect this group to win enough games to earn a playoff spot without going through the play-in.

Graham:  The Eastern Conference got better, there’s no question about it. Teams that finished below the Hawks last year include the Sixers, Heat, Magic, and Pacers; they all stand to be significantly better this season (other than, perhaps, Orlando). And when you look at the teams who finished above the Hawks – the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Raptors – the only teams you could say may drop below the Hawks are the Pistons, and the Raptors (if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play many games). In saying that, the Hawks also improved. I think the Hawks can win 46-50 games this season, so I’m going to predict a 47 win season and finish 6th in the Eastern Conference. 

I’m leaning towards 47-35 because I expect the bottom teams in the East will want/need to win more games to avoid the NBA Draft relegation zone, so those teams who the Hawks picked off at the back-end of last season may not come as easy this time around. Nevertheless, I think 46 wins and sixth in an improved East would be a very impressive season – this Eastern Conference is stacked, and the Hawks are one of those teams who will showcase that depth this season. 

Malik: Even though my bold was that the Hawks finish as a top-2 seed, realistically, I think they’ll finish 47-35. There’s no doubt that they got better this season, but the Eastern Conference got better as well. There’ll be no days off for any team, and they’re going to have to bring their best every night. The Hawks finished sixth last season, and the teams above them got better, as well as some of the teams that were below them. 

It’s hard to tell if 47 wins will actually be enough to get into the top-six, but it should be, and the Hawks should find themselves in the playoffs for the second straight season.

The Celtics have had some special defenders over the years, players like Marcus Smart, Jrue Holiday, and Kevin Garnett who can quarterback a defense and effectively set the identity of their unit. So far, Paul George fits that mold.

Through two games, George is tied for third with his former teammate Kawhi Leonard at 3.5 steals per game. That number is amazing, while simultaneously underselling just how good he’s been.

Against the Knicks, George quietly put together a masterpiece of defensive versatility, combined with game-changing on and off ball work.

George spent time guarding every single Knicks starter. He opened the game shadowing OG Anunoby, took the Jalen Brunson matchup on the perimeter, and battled with Karl-Anthony Towns in the post. In each scenario, it was as if he had the perfect set of skills to bother them all.

In this instance, George has both Brunson and Landry Shamet to himself in transition. He quickly makes the call to stick with Brunson, asking someone else to pick up Shamet.

He sits down, slides his feet, and beats Brunson to the spot. Accepting the bump and forcing the turnover. This was one of many moments like this where he’s directly responsible for a change of possession that he doesn’t necessarily get credit for in the box score.

It’s extremely impressive that he not only has the foot speed and lateral quickness to stay in front of Brunson, but the instincts to predict what his plans are as well. He’s a player that wins with deception and shiftiness, and George was step for step with him on most possessions they faced off.

This is a nice example of how dialed in George is. Run this clip and just watch him the whole time.

There’s the versatility of being asked to chase Anunoby around a screen, and then being prepared to switch onto the smaller Alvarado. But in the aftermath of a broken coverage, it’s how he’s constantly scanning, rotating and adjusting. He manages to find a man, and effortlessly plucks the ball away from Alvarado.

Watching him glide around, it almost felt inevitable that the play would end with the ball in his hands. He is always trying to plug up the holes even when the possession has morphed into chaos.

Here we see more of his utility. On a sideline out-of-bounds play, he gets the matchup against the larger Towns.

Even with his focus occupied by the Knicks center, he immediately snaps to action, cutting off Brunson’s drive and forcing an earlier dribble pickup than he planned. It results in a tough miss, but the pair of Anunoby and Towns are there to collect it.

Staying with the play, George pokes the ball free to prevent an easy put back. He somehow still has an understanding of the possession to recognize in a millisecond the pass to the corner was coming, managing to deflect it out of bounds.

He claps his hands after that play seemingly disappointed that he didn’t get a steal. That says a lot about his instincts and playmaking abilities.

This is another moment where it’s best to roll the tape and watch George go. It’s very difficult to miss him though, he is everywhere on this possession.

There’s the smaller initial detail where he’s mindful of the matchups, sending Queta to defend Hart so he can stick with Towns. But then it’s a switch onto Brunson. Drive stopped. A switch onto Hart, same story. Then there’s the unreal reaction time to spot Brunson breaking free to the rim, and very nearly shutting that down too.

George was asking for the challenge, and he probably had an argument on the foul call but this is one of those moments where the process is much more noteworthy than the result. We might have to call him spackle with the way he covers up holes.

This one had me sitting up from my couch.

This is a 36-year-old wing with a lot of mileage chasing Brunson around screens. Then he covers up the driving angles and forces a near turnover on the pass deflected by White.

You can trust him in elite matchups on-ball, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a real weakness in his skill set. He’s comfortable navigating screens, and can handle strong or shifty creators.

He sometimes resembles a cat stalking its prey, waiting until the perfect moment to pounce.

This play unfolds so quickly. Right after the Knicks cross half court, Towns and Brunson are already working a two-man game. White gets caught up on the screen and Brunson has daylight ahead of him. In a blink, George is there and ripping the ball free almost the same moment it arrives. Any later to the spot and Brunson gets time to adjust and spray a pass to the corner.

He showed the full package in this one.

The timing of the first rotation is perfect. I appreciate the small detail of coming to a jump stop to challenge McBride, while being careful not to overcommit. He does basically the same thing on Anunoby’s drive, making sure to clear the restricted area, and leaving him caught in the air without a plan.

This level of help defense allows the Celtics to be more aggressive. They can trap, scramble, and recover knowing that George will be exactly where he’s needed.

When Walsh had Brunson, George got to play free safety. He described that role after the game.

“For me on the back end, it was kind of cool to be a safety in that moment, roam around, see where I can be helpful at, and rebound,” George said.

That’s demonstrated perfectly on this possession.

With Towns driving, Walsh, Tatum, and Queta all swarm him. This leaves George to zone up between Hart and Shamet. He reads Towns initially looking to the corner, but doesn’t fully commit, and manages to lunge back into the other passing lane. Taking it all the way to the rack after the steal is vintage Paul George.

One layer of his defensive impact that isn’t getting enough love is his rebounding. He had seven against New York and five in Detroit.

He’s not alone, but getting involved on the glass here likely kept points off the board with Drummond getting good position. He had several contested rebounds, and makes a legitimate effort to find a man and box them out too. Being able to secure a stop with a rebound matters a lot, and George has really done his part there.

We’ve talked about his versatility, and being able to handle different types of matchups. Here he’s battling for position with Towns.

Towns really wanted this ball, and George wasn’t going to let him have it without working for it. What started as a true post up ended with Towns pushed all the way out to the perimeter. George fronted him, denying a touch until he was at the three point line. More on the rebounding front, George finds Towns and boxes him out, then cleans up the loose rebound.

He didn’t have a game saving defensive play, and it was Tatum that took them home, but a moment like this in crunch time matters.

The Knicks grab the rebound and get out running in transition 4-on-4. George should be matching up with Hart who has the ball here, but he’s able to make the instantaneous decision to go pick up Brunson instead. He meets him beyond the three point line so there’s no pull-up available. He sticks with him downhill and forces Brunson to reconsider a drive over him and Robinson. Brunson makes a seemingly open pass but George is all over it. He doesn’t quite get the steal, but he mucks up a whole possession and Towns settles for a deep three.

All it takes in a clutch game against the Knicks is one opening. If George doesn’t think to pick up Brunson in transition, he either has a shot or someone else gets freed up. Stopping these moments before they happen makes all the difference.

George is giving the Celtics everything they could’ve hoped for in his first few games. He’s been an easy fit in the system, and there’s still so much room for chemistry to grow with him on the team.

For him to still be able to handle this kind of workload is incredible. He was switching 1-5 for a full game against the reigning champions and consistently blowing up their actions. He looks like he was built in a lab for defense.

It’s early, but if he stays healthy, I’ll have no problem pushing the All-Defense agenda.