Ten days of games is hardly enough data to allow us to draw any sweeping conclusions, but when it's all we've got at the start of a new season, we can have some fun with small samples.
Here are 10 things worth talking about a week-and-a-half into the NBA's 2026-27 season.
What's with all the injuries?
All right, this first note isn't fun. An unfortunate number of stars have already suffered serious injuries, and the league-wide total is stunning. Between Wednesday's and Thursday's games, 85 players were listed on NBA injury reports, representing more than 15% of the league's player pool.
So what's driving all these absences? Old-school types might contend that players simply aren't as tough as they used to be, but that's naive. For one, teams make the decisions to shelve players, and to the degree that disagreements occur, teams hold players out against their will (for their own protection) more often than cleared players choose to sit.
Secondly, while the NBA may not be as obviously physical and contentious as it was 30 years ago, the physical demands on today's players are unprecedented in the sport. It's not just the pace of play (Basketball Reference's historical data shows this is the league's fastest pace in 40 years, and the 14th-fastest season overall). It's the spaced-out nature of modern basketball, which requires players to cover more ground even though the dimensions of the court haven't changed. Defenses pick up opposing ball-handlers full court more often. Watch a big wing player end a frantic defensive possession with a soaring closeout at the 3-point line and it almost looks like a different sport than the ground-bound, paint-heavy game of prior generations.
The game is bigger and faster, players have to cover more ground, modern training programs and national-team duties shorten offseasons, and that's just the start of it. (Of course, today's players also benefit from advanced training, conditioning, and recovery methods, not to mention snazzier travel.)
The league will want a bigger sample before it reacts. It's possible that this is an early-season blip, and some freak injuries can't be chalked up to wear and tear. Plus, I can't imagine the owners and players would ever agree to reduce the number of games. Would they ever discuss shortening games?
Everyone has an opinion. No one has an answer. But it's something to keep an eye on.
The Bizarro Sixers
When the 76ers assembled a star-studded roster that added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, it was easy to imagine Philadelphia lighting up the scoreboard but struggling to stop opponents. The opening-week version of the team had the opposite problem.
Despite Maxey's heroics, Philly's offense has been a slog. The Sixers rank 27th in offensive rating and half-court efficiency, per Cleaning the Glass. The problem doesn't seem to be the "one ball, too many stars" issue some expected, but rather a dearth of shooting. Philly's shot profile ranks a more respectable 13th, but the results aren't measuring up.
The Sixers rank 24th in 3-point attempt rate, 19th in 3-point percentage, 27th in rim efficiency, and 26th in mid-range efficiency. You've heard of three-level scoring; this is zero-level scoring. One concerning trend to watch is Maxey's 32.4% shooting on threes. That number should rebound, but it's notable that after a couple early-career seasons where he made more than 40% of his threes, the star guard has been a more league-average (35%) shooter on high volume over the last four seasons. He also shot below 34% from long range two years ago.
Meanwhile, the Sixers' third-ranked defense looks great. The biggest reason - literally and figuratively - is that Embiid's more mobile than he's been in years. When the big fella's on the court, Philly's defensive rating (96.5) would rank first. The team's mark when Embiid sits (112.1) would rank 16th. It's actually encouraging that the latter figure is in the middle of the pack, but the Sixers need Embiid in order to have a chance at a contending-level defense. That makes his career-high 35.8 minutes per game thus far concerning. Classic Nick Nurse.
The Miami Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee for South Beach, but the early returns in Miami look a lot like his last few seasons with the Bucks. The two-time MVP is putting up video game numbers - roughly 28 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two stocks (steals plus blocks) in 31 minutes - but the Heat lost four of their first five games, largely because the Greek Freak didn't get enough help.
We already knew the Heat lacked the playmaking and off-the-dribble creation to contend immediately, but their defense has been the biggest disappointment. Although they've had some tough shooting luck on both ends, it's mind-boggling that a team starting Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins owns a bottom-five D.
Raptors' defense is terrifying
It's been overshadowed by Kawhi Leonard's swollen left knee, but the Raptors are defending like madmen. Led by Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Ja'Kobe Walter, the Raptors are an aggressive, versatile, relentless, and cohesive defensive unit.
The difference between Toronto's league-best defensive rating (97.9) and the second-ranked Timberwolves is larger than the gap between Minnesota and the seventh-ranked Clippers' D. The Raptors' defense is 14.3 points per 100 possessions stingier than league average. To put that into context, the greatest defense of all time relative to league average (the 1963-64 Celtics) was 10.8 points better, per Stathead.
Toronto's defense still looks elite after taking our tiny sample into account. The only defense of the last five years that performed better through the first 10 days of a season belonged to the 2024-25 Thunder, who went on to win the championship.
Where the Raptors really shine is forcing turnovers. Toronto's defensive turnover rate of 22.4% means opponents are turning the ball over on more than a fifth of their possessions. If it holds, the Raps would boast the second-highest opponent turnover rate in league history. Again, even if we adjust for the sample size, this is the highest opponent turnover rate through a team's first four games in 18 years (since the 2008-09 Heat).
The Raptors haven't faced a difficult schedule, but the terrifying part for rivals is that Toronto has done this while Leonard - a two-time Defensive Player of the Year - only suited up twice and starting center Jakob Poeltl has looked borderline unplayable.
After a 30-point loss in Toronto on Wednesday, Magic players were heard marveling at the speed and physicality of the Raptors' defense in the postgame locker room. That brand of basketball has led to a ton of fouls and the league's highest rate of opponent free-throw attempts, but Toronto will be satisfied with that trade-off if these are the results.
Lendeborg leads special rookie class
The 2026 draft class looks as good as advertised.
AJ Dybantsa's poise and patience with the ball in his hands stood out in the No. 1 overall pick's debut. Dybantsa can't be sped up, and that's rare for a rookie. On a similar note, Cameron Boozer doesn't move like it's his first year in the NBA. The Grizzlies big man looks like a seasoned pro as he goes about his business, even as his efficiency lags. Meanwhile, Caleb Wilson is averaging about 21 points, seven rebounds, and three stocks through five games.
And yet, none of them have been the league's best freshman. That honor belongs to Warriors forward (and Summer League MVP) Yaxel Lendeborg, whose all-around play has been a revelation. No rookie in the last 44 years has matched Lendeborg's stat totals through five games. Only 21 other players in history have scored as many points through five games. Add Lendeborg's enthusiasm, trash talk, and hilariously brutal honesty to the mix, and you have one of the league's most entertaining players.
Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic after facing him tonight because he said Doncic was “complaining the entire game.” On his interaction with Doncic: “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me.” Full soundbite https://t.co/1NPctFQ3Vp
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 22, 2026
Will Lendeborg's act wear thin if he continues to rib stars like Luka Doncic while the Warriors rack up losses? Perhaps, but everyone should enjoy the show right now.
Acuff's green light is blinding
Not every rookie has enjoyed a seamless transition to the pros. Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. went off for 34 points and 14 assists Thursday night, but even a cursory look under the hood shows that his first few games in the league have been a struggle.
An explosive three-level scorer with major defensive issues at the point of attack, Acuff drew pre-draft comparisons to Damian Lillard. And Acuff is still an exciting prospect who should have a prolific career on the offensive end. But his unconscious trigger and the premature green light he's getting from a terrible Kings team have combined to produce some wretched basketball.
No player has ever taken more shots through their first five NBA games. Acuff's averaging 24 points per game, but he's doing it on putrid efficiency. He's shooting 22% on nine 3-point attempts per contest, and his at-rim finishing ranked in the 17th percentile among point guards entering Thursday, per Cleaning the Glass. His mid-range efficiency was in the 21st percentile. Though he's shown flashes of his playmaking potential, his assist-to-usage ratio is in the 19th percentile.
The Kings are 0-5 with bottom-five marks on both ends of the floor, and a league-leading 48.4% of their buckets were unassisted entering Thursday - a whopping figure. It's not fun basketball, and it starts with their rookie point guard. In fairness to Acuff, he's a 19-year-old who would benefit from some structure. Unfortunately, no one's ever found that in Sacramento.
The Grizzlies are perfect
No one's saying the 5-0 Grizzlies are world-beaters; only one of their victories came against an opponent with a preseason over/under of 40-plus wins. But this is a rebuilding team that won 25 games last season, had a sub-30 preseason over/under win total of its own, and has been favored just once so far. Memphis is a fantastic story.
The young Grizzlies just swept a West Coast road trip, and they return home as the league's only team with top-five marks on both ends of the court.
Ty Jerome - who always gets buckets when healthy - has been a top-10 scorer. As noted above, Boozer is playing with a poise beyond his years; the 19-year-old just became the second-youngest player in history to record a triple-double. Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells are shooting the hell out of the ball. Zach Edey, Isaiah Stewart, and Quinten Post are giving the Grizzlies solid minutes at the five. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo is making the most of his team's sneaky depth, giving 11 different players 15-plus minutes per game (Iisalo prefers shorter stints and quick subs).
The Grizzlies aren't going to contend, but they should be in the postseason race all year, and that's a great first step. Also, their next three games come against the winless Kings, the 1-4 Pelicans, and the Haliburton-less Pacers. This season-opening streak could get downright crazy.
Don't sleep on the Rockets
The league's other undefeated team, 5-0 Houston, is a much more serious threat than Memphis.
The significance of Fred VanVleet's return can't be overstated. The former All-Star and NBA champion is the definition of a floor general. VanVleet is a smart point guard who can shoot, defend his position, and generally organize things on both ends. That organization and offensive table-setting is exactly what the Rockets were missing last season.
Everything seems to have fallen back into place with Steady Freddy in the lineup. Alperen Sengun is playing some of the best all-around ball of his career. Kevin Durant is still scoring on outrageous efficiency. Amen Thompson is in an offensive role that better suits him. And Jabari Smith Jr. seems to have settled in as a solid two-way power forward.
Injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace in Oklahoma City have opened the door for more Western Conference contenders to emerge. Houston is as well-equipped as any team to take advantage.
Is JJ Redick onto something?
Led by the offensive brilliance of Luka Doncic, the secondary creation of Austin Reaves, the vertical spacing of Walker Kessler, and supplementary shooting throughout the rotation, Los Angeles can score with anyone. Through five games, the Lakers' top-ranked offense produced 122.5 points per 100 possessions, with Doncic averaging a league-leading 36 points and eight assists on 66% true shooting.
The Lakers' offense was expected to be electric, but their porous defense was supposed to be the reason they weren't contenders. Heck, if they could just flirt with playing middle-of-the-pack defense, they'd give themselves a chance. Well, head coach JJ Redick made the surprising decision to start both Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams in hopes of giving Kessler some help on the defensive end - and it's paying off. The Lakers' 17th-ranked D counts as an early-season win (as does the combined 49% 3-point shooting from Thybulle and Williams). Most encouraging of all, the team's defensive rating of 112.3 has held steady when Doncic and Reaves share the court.
New-look LaMelo
In his brief stint as a Timberwolf, LaMelo Ball has taken fewer shots than ever before, posted his lowest usage rate since his rookie season, cut down on the boneheaded decisions that used to waste possessions, and played some of the best defense of his career. All of that has helped Minnesota to a 3-2 start during which the Wolves have been 15.4 points per 100 possessions better when Ball is on the court.
The obvious caveat here is that Ball seemed content to take a back seat to franchise star Anthony Edwards, who will be sidelined for the next couple of months. Minnesota needs Ball to take on the starring role, and the team also needs him to be a leader. Is the famously unserious guard up for the challenge? Or will he revert to his old ways and give in to his worst on-court impulses?
Bonus observation: Flagg for MVP? It's been buried by a ton of other news, but Cooper Flagg is quietly averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 4.1 stocks on 63.5% true shooting for the 3-2 Mavericks. The 19-year-old is tied for the lead in Basketball Reference's Value Over Replacement Player Metric and leads the league in ESPN's Net Points measure of value.
Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.
