Biggest Overreactions to Every NBA Team's First 2 Weeks

Suspending Schröder is the only option. Trades will eventually be on the table, but good luck pulling those off before Dec. 15. The Nets need to be better about not being not being better. That starts with preventing the German star from poisoning their well with too much quality basketball and the far too many wins that come with it.

His overall scoring and efficiency is holding serve. He is putting up over 28 points per game on career-high true shooting ( 61.2 ) to go along with a personal-best 7.5 free-throw-attempts per 100 possessions. His assists have slipped to south of six per night, but that feels more about the Charlotte Hornets' offensive structure and, most importantly, supporting shot-making. LaMelo remains in the top 15 of potential dimes.

Somebody other than Luka Dončić will eventually draw shooting fouls. P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall and even Luka himself won't all plumb individual rock bottoms from beyond the arc forever. Opponents won't drill every three they take against the starting lineup until the end of time. The bevy of size at Dallas' disposal will translate to better rebounding in time. So on and so forth.

The Lakers under Redick are doing a much better job of getting him the ball. Period. But they're also striving to put him in more advantageous positions. His post-ups have not soared; his drives have . And getting him downhill has helped float a ridiculous number of trips to the foul line. He's averaging more free-throw attempts per game than anyone else in the league.

Minnesota is nevertheless too reliant on his perimeter volume. At the bare minimum, this rise has eclipsed too much of his ability to devastate going downhill. Such is life, to some extent, when playing with Gobert and Randle. Under 10.50 percent of Edwards' attempts come at the rim when he's alongside both bigs, according to PBP Stats. That share explodes to 19.44 percent when just one of them is on the court.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 25th in points scored per possession with a matching three-point-attempt rate . Pretty much everything from our last check-in remains true, right down to them allowing defenses too much leeway to get set when they don't have the personnel to break them down. They are 25th in average possession time, according to Inpredictable , and not making one ounce of effort to push the pace when opponents make shots.

Neither of them, though, imbue the rotation with additional shot creation. Brunson's usage rate is up from last season and an even larger share of his buckets ( 75 percent ) are going unassisted compared to 2023-24 ( 67.6 percent ). The Knicks were always going to travel as far as their floor general could take them. Generally speaking, though, you don't see teams go all-in without also increasing their best player's margin for error.

But, well, the Thunder essentially have zero backup bigs right now. Isaiah Hartenstein, one of the most valuable defensive centers around, has yet to even play. Oklahoma City is eventually going to be guarding with even more grit and IQ and actual size on top of its current meld of grit and high-IQ and frantic, disruptive energy. That is terrifying...if you're an opposing offense.

His defense is as advertised, and the Suns have not shied away from throwing him on the best of the best. The preseason three-point shooting might also be for real. His outside clip has skirted below 36 percent, but that's still serviceable, and he's firing away enough that defenses may eventually attach bodies to him or close out more aggressively (or at all) on him. If and when they do, he could become a mainstay in Phoenix's no-big arrangements.

Besides, Portland has its own set of progressions to make. It definitely has the size to rebound better, foul less and put up more resistance at the rim. Of course, this presumes opponents reach the rim ever again. They might not. The Blazers are fifth in the share of looks they allow at the basket, which is ridiculous by itself but doubly so when you consider how much time opponents are spending in transition.

Size and length at pretty much every position go a long way. Who knew? And you absolutely, positively have to give it up for Avdija and Grant, who lead the team in point-blank contests and are streamlining things for Deandre Ayton. And while you're at it, give it up for Toumani Camara simply because he exists.

Devin Vassell, meanwhile, has yet to make his 2024-25 debut as he recovers from right foot surgery. I'm skeptical he will do too much to affect change, but the 24-year-old is the team's most valuable floor-spacer. His return will open up more room for everyone, and he's a lower-turnover guy himself.

If you have not been paying attention, the 20-year-old looks . He has added more levels and layers to his offense, most noticeably ratcheting up his patience and poise when operating on the ball. And if he has not capably defended the best player on one of the other 29 teams, it is simply because Washington has yet to play them.