Lakers hot start and Nuggets stumble: Best and worst of NBA week 1
The 2024-25 NBA season is in full swing.
We’re less than a week into the regular season and we’ve seen some dominant performances from the reigning champion Boston Celtics, as well as from LeBron James in his 22nd season in the league.
The injury bug has already plagued a few teams — most notably the LA Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely and the Philadelphia 76ers, with newly acquired superstar Paul George missing the start of the season.
A few teams have carried over their dominance from the previous season while others are showing signs of concern, already stumbling out of the gates.
Which superstar looks poised for an MVP campaign? Which early-season trend will continue to carry throughout the year? Our NBA Insiders break down the best and worst moments from the opening days of the regular season.
What has been the biggest surprise?
Michael Wright: The fast start by the Los Angeles Lakers. As the hub of the offense, Anthony Davis busted out of the gate to drop 35-plus points in each of his first two outings, and it’s not like the Lakers beat up on bad teams to start their 2024-25 campaign. Los Angeles captured three home victories against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings to start the season. Davis has been phenomenal, leading the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while LeBron has been typical LeBron, dropping 32 points against the Kings on Saturday and logging his first triple-double of the season. Rui Hachimura has been a pleasant surprise along with Austin Reaves, who appears to have improved. It’s still early, but a nice start for the Lakers.
Tim MacMahon: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is vowing to stick with a 12-man rotation. A roster with that kind of depth is a good problem to have, but it’s hard to imagine keeping a dozen players happy and in rhythm if the rotation continues to go that deep. It certainly worked well in the Warriors’ first two games, which they won by a combined margin of 77 points, but consider they were against two rebuilding teams — the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz. But now, with Stephen Curry dealing with a left ankle sprain, Kerr will have to reevaluate his lineups.
Dave McMenamin: It’s hard to believe the Lakers’ 3-0 start. After posting losing records to start the past few seasons, there was a layer of baked-in skepticism when projecting their season: could JJ Redick’s influence take hold immediately? Would they be ready for stiff competition like Minnesota, Phoenix and Sacramento? How healthy would they be? So far, they’ve posted the fifth-best offensive rating in the league (120.1 points per 100 possessions), and Anthony Davis looks as dominant as he was in his New Orleans Pelicans days.
Chris Herring: Victor Wembanyama is the player most expected to make the biggest jump this season. But Chet Holmgren, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last season, looks terrifying so far. With almost 24 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three assists per night, he has been more physically imposing and determined about getting to certain spots off the dribble. And while he drained three triples Sunday, at just 3-for-15 for the season, he hasn’t even gotten rolling from deep yet. It’s everything the Thunder could ask for as they await Isaiah Hartenstein‘s return from injury.
Jamal Collier: It has been a rough start for the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton. They both looked like a well-oiled machine last season but have started this season looking out of sorts. It’s too early to worry about them or put too much stock into what ultimately was one bad game for Haliburton — he did follow up his 0-for-8 performance against the New York Knicks with 22 points but only four assists against the 76ers — but this start is not encouraging for a young team looking to build off some surprising success last season.
What’s one question you want answered after the season’s first few days?
MacMahon: How many games will Joel Embiid and George play together through the course of the season? The Sixers have been upfront about their intention to use extreme caution with both stars, even before George suffered a bone bruise in his left knee. The priority is for Embiid and George to be healthy for the playoffs, but at what cost? Will the Sixers sacrifice home-court advantage, potentially in the first round? And how much time do Embiid and George need on the floor together to develop the chemistry necessary for a deep playoff run?
Wright: When does Kawhi Leonard return to action? Leonard sat out the entire Clippers preseason and has yet to play or practice. The team announced in mid-October that Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely as he continues the rehabilitation process for inflammation in his right knee. Then, we saw the report about a former Clippers strength and conditioning coach filing a lawsuit, alleging he was fired for raising concerns about the management of Leonard’s injuries. The situation around Leonard feels eerily similar to what transpired during his final season with the San Antonio Spurs, when we all learned the term “tendinopathy.”
McMenamin: How’s this all going to work for the 76ers? An 82-game season allows for early mistakes so long as you make a second-half surge, especially with the play-in avenue. But missing Embiid and George while dropping to 0-2 to start the season is not a good sign. Philly needs a bit more time before they are fully figured out.
Herring: How does New Orleans handle the loss of Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand in the season opener? Between Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans are used to injuries, but this one is particularly tough given that the team — which is also without Trey Murphy III (hamstring) to start the season — hasn’t gotten a chance to see how this group meshes. This always seems to be the case, but at least CJ McCollum has plenty of experience leading this group. It’s just less than ideal given that the addition of Murray was meant to push McCollum back to his natural shooting guard role.
Collier: Not seeing the Sixers’ fully realized team take the floor together was, perhaps, the most disappointing part of opening week. But my biggest lingering question is around the health and future of Leonard. He’s 33 years old and entering his 13th NBA season with an indefinite absence — not an encouraging sign for the team and for fans hoping to see one of the best two-way players of his generation. The Clippers are entering a new era with the opening of their new home, the Intuit Dome, and after moving on from Paul George. But the latest injury for Leonard opens up the question of how much time he’ll actually spend on the Clippers’ newest court.
Which contender/superstar has stood out the most?
Collier: The Oklahoma City Thunder were already one of the favorites in the West entering the season and have looked every bit the part so far, starting with how they dismantled the Denver Nuggets 102-87 on opening night. The Thunder have picked up where they left off last season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking even more un-guardable, Chet Holmgren ready to take a step forward as the No. 2 option and Alex Caruso sliding in as a perfect addition to the rotation, giving the Thunder a shot at finishing with the No. 1 defense in the league.
Wright: Jayson Tatum won an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal over the summer, but given all the chatter about his sporadic play in France, it didn’t seem like any of that mattered. Tatum mentioned that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was probably the “happiest person in the world” that he didn’t win Finals MVP and sat out two games in the Olympics. Regardless, Tatum tweaked his shot mechanics before Celtics training camp and started the season hot, connecting on 60% from the floor over his first two games and 50% from deep.
McMenamin: The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first three games by a combined 61 points. Yes, the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards don’t figure to be postseason contenders, but Cleveland’s offense, which is shooting 54.5%, suggest that the team has already grasped new coach Kenny Atkinson’s offense.
Herring: The Nuggets, NBA champions just two seasons ago, have so far stood out in a bad way. Christian Braun has been solid in replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as a starter, repeatedly bottling up James Harden on Saturday while logging an efficient 13.5 points per game through his first two contests. But the team overall has struggled from distance, hitting just 28.8% of its 3s for the NBA’s sixth-worst mark so far. No one, apart from stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, has shot well from there on true volume at this point. Russell Westbrook, the team’s biggest offseason addition, has shot just 2-for-18, and the Nuggets have been outscored by 37 points in his 40 minutes off the bench.
MacMahon: Oklahoma City was widely considered the West’s favorite entering the season and looked the part in their two opening games with double-digit wins over the Nuggets and Chicago Bulls. It will be a month or so before the Thunder can work free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein into the mix, and it will be interesting to see how often reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault plays the former Knicks center alongside fellow 7-footer Holmgren. The Thunder targeted Hartenstein in part to address their rebounding problems, but Holmgren appears primed to make drastic improvement in that category. He averaged 15 rebounds in OKC’s first two games while matching up against Jokic and Nikola Vucevic.
My bold prediction after one week is___?
Wright: The Nuggets will underachieve this season. Murray clearly isn’t 100% healthy, and we’re about to see just how big of an impact Caldwell-Pope’s absence will have on both ends of the floor for Denver. Jokic & Co. faced a buzzsaw to start the season against the Thunder, but coach Michael Malone was correct in mentioning that “Christian Braun is not going to be KCB” as the starter opposite Murray in the backcourt. Maybe Malone was also correct when saying, “I don’t think there’s any need for panic.” We’ll just have to wait and see.
McMenamin: The Clippers will stay relevant despite their injuries. Not saying they will certainly make the playoffs, or even the play-in, but this group won’t bottom out. They played the Suns into overtime on opening night at Intuit and then beat the Nuggets on the road with a 37-point performance from Norman Powell. Coach Ty Lue has early buy-in from the group, which currently has the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA, allowing only 104.8 points per 100 possessions.
Collier: Two teams will win more than 60 games. Both Boston and Oklahoma City were favorites entering the season in their respective conferences, and they’ve validated that notion fairly quickly to start the season. They both look like juggernauts in their own way ready to stack winning streaks, and in the age of parity, it has been a while since the league has had a dominant powerhouse atop each conference.
MacMahon: The Rookie of the Year won’t be a lottery pick. Two early candidates: New Orleans’ Yves Missi and Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn. Missi, the No. 21 pick, led all rookies in scoring (10.0 points per game), rebounding (6.5) and blocks (2.5) entering Sunday and should get consistent minutes, considering the lack of centers on the Pelicans’ roster. Dunn, the No. 28 pick, profiles as a potentially elite defensive player who raised a lot of eyebrows by making more 3s in the preseason (13-of-30) than he did in his two seasons at Virginia (12-of-51). That has carried over into the regular season, as Dunn is shooting 46.2% (6-of-13) from long range. He impressed Suns coaches and teammates with his poise and toughness as a starter in Saturday’s win against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Herring: The Orlando Magic, who made the fewest 3s in the league last season, will end up being one of the most proficient teams from distance. The Magic are off to a fantastic start, having knocked home 50 triples through three games, with a conversion rate bordering on 40%, leaving them right around the NBA’s top five in both categories to this point. And considering that Caldwell-Pope — their top offseason pickup — is struggling makes it even more impressive. Paolo Banchero showed a vast improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 and has been shooting well so far.
Trend most/least likely to continue is ___?
Wright: International players will continue to dominate the MVP conversation. Players such as Doncic, SGA and Jokic figure to battle among the top five all season long. But we can’t forget Giannis Antetokounmpo, Embiid and even Domantas Sabonis, who averaged nearly a triple-double last season. We haven’t seen an American-born player take home the MVP trophy since James Harden in 2018, which marked an 11-year run of American-born players winning the coveted award.
Herring: Boston’s 3-point frenzy. Just in case you weren’t convinced during the season opener — when Boston drilled an NBA-record-tying 29 3s against the New York Knicks — the Celtics are going to take, and make, a boatload of triples every night. They averaged 52.6 3-point attempts during the preseason and are currently launching more than 50 per night, all reasons it’s safe to assume that pace will continue throughout the season.
MacMahon: The defending champions will keep their foot on the gas. The Celtics are in a unique, enviable situation. They have a pair of young superstars in Jaylen Brown and Tatum who are early in their prime and come into the season with a bunch of fresh motivational fodder — thanks to Team USA roster and rotation decisions — despite the fact that they are fresh off winning their first title and have signed the richest contracts in NBA history over the past two summers. There will be no championship hangover in Boston.
McMenamin: The Buddy Hield/Klay Thompson comparison will remain a coin flip. There is no understating the tremendous strife the Warriors went through when Thompson left. He is one of the most important people ever to don a Warriors uniform. But Hield’s production at two years, $21 million will continue to mirror Thompson’s for Dallas on his three-year, $50 million deal. Through two games, Hield leads the league with 6.0 3-pointers per game, with Thompson close behind (5.5)
Collier: The Cavs are for real. Cleveland has started the season unbeaten after finishing in the top four in the East the past two seasons. They made a coaching change in the offseason that has them playing a different style of offense with Evan Mobley taking on more responsibilities. Unlocking Mobley will be critical for Cleveland’s long-term potential. And with the other teams projected behind Boston off to slow starts or struggling with injuries (Milwaukee, Philly and New York), the Cavs could put themselves in an ideal position for the rest of the season and beyond.
