2025-26 NBA the season is officially a month old, so naturally it's time to take stock of what we've seen so far. Oklahoma City Thunder are proving that a championship hangover can be avoided as they are 17-1, comfortably in first place in the West. This is such an impressive record that people are already thinking about it. the likelihood that they will break the record of 73 wins installed Warriors in 2016. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Washington Wizards have won just one game this season and are at risk of going the entire month of November without a win.
Lakers got off to a great start with Luka Doncic entering the season determined after a transformative summer. Doncic leads the league in points and leads the Lakers to a 12-4 record, most of which was without LeBron James who just made his season debut on November 18 after being treated for sciatica. In the East, Pistons dominate with a score of 14-2, while Knicks didn't quite get off to the team start that many expected. They're still 9-6, but they're 1-5 on the road and have a defense that ranks 18th in the league. Under Mike Brown, they're making more threes than at any time in the Tom Thibodeau era (43.0 3PA/G), and while they're making them at a decent rate (36.6%), it doesn't matter if they can stop anyone on the other end.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what has happened over the past month. So let's dive in and hand out a few monthly superlatives based on what we've seen in the first four-plus weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Most likely to win his first MVP: Luka Doncic
It won't be easy. Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Giannis Antetokounmpo Surely they were convinced of this. But Doncic leads the league in scoring, and he hasn't shot this well since the year he finished third in MVP voting in 2024. He already has four 40-point games this season, looks more engaged on defense and is averaging nearly a triple-double.
Doncic (who currently has the third-best MVP odds at FanDuel +400) always knew how to rack up stats, but was never this dominant at the start of the season. He usually uses the first two months to get into shape, but came into the season motivated and already in mid-season form. His production remained unchanged in the two games that LeBron returned, and the Lakers essentially gave Doncic the keys to the kingdom. If he can lead this team to a top-four finish while maintaining the same level of performance, he will be hard to ignore for the Most Valuable Player award.
So the Raptors are 12-5 and on a seven-game winning streak. They have victories over Bucks, Cavaliers And 76ers (twice) in November and boasts the fifth-best offense in the league. Trio from Brandon Ingram, R.J. Barrett And Scotty Barnes The cohesion is better than many expected, and the result is a team that not only scores a lot, but also has great stamina and defensive versatility. This defense ranks seventh in the league, in part because it allows the third-highest three-point percentage. Toronto is taking advantage of a weakened Eastern Conference in a season where the battle for first place is wide open. While everyone else has been talking about other teams being positioned to dominate, the Raptors are actually doing it without much fanfare.
The Clippers are the oldest team in the league, and if you needed any proof of that, the recent season-ending injury Bradley Bealin which he has a broken femur certainly highlights this. Losing Beal is unfortunate, but even if he were healthy, I don't think it would help a Clippers team that has a subpar offense and an even worse defense. Kawhi Leonard being sidelined for 10 games certainly didn't help matters, but even when he was healthy, Los Angeles opened the season just 3-3.
What's wrong with the Clippers? We discuss the disastrous start of the NBA's most disappointing team
Jack Maloney
James Harden is doing his best to carry this team on his back, but at 36 years old, his back must be hurting as he ranks 10th in the league in minutes and his usage and points per game are the highest since his last year with the team. Houston Rockets. The Clippers are always going to be championship or bust due to the way this team is built, and so far they have been a huge failure at 5-12.
I could insert an entire video about Vembanyama's exploits over the past month. In fact, here's a collection of times he made me say, “How did he do that?!” this season, but each time it becomes more alien.
It's a shame we'll be without Wembanyama for a few weeks as he recovers from a calf strain that could in all likelihood keep him out of contention for late-season honors.
The start of the Bulls season reminds me of a sparkler. When you light one, you stand there for a few minutes wondering if it will work properly, and then, to your surprise, a big explosion of sparks shoots out. You revel in the beauty of the flowers and the light, and then, after about a minute, everything fades away and you're left wondering why everyone is so excited about them. Chicago started off with a five-game winning streak to lead the Eastern Conference as many declared, “The Bulls are back!” Since then, they've gone 4-7 in their next 11 games and sit in seventh place in the East.
The Bulls were caught off guard by some teams that underestimated them in the first week, and then, as everyone else settled into the season, they unleashed a defense that now ranks 20th in the league. Although there are some positive aspects here. Josh Giddy plays like an All-Star. Matas Buzelis is thriving, playing a much larger role than the one he played in his debut season and Ayo Dosunmu looks like a Sixth Man candidate. The Bulls are performing much better than they have in any of the last three seasons. But when you take the entire first month into account, this looks more like a fun young team with plenty of upside than a serious threat in the East that could disrupt things.
A dissatisfied star will most likely be sold: Ja Morant
In the first four weeks of the season, we saw Morant argue with his head coach Grizzly suspended Morant from the game due to said controversy, and Morant then stated that he had lost his joy in basketball. Since then, reports have surfaced that the Grizzlies could be exploring a trade market for the energetic star guard, although given his poor play thus far, an immediate landing spot doesn't come to mind. This may just be a rough adjustment period between Morant and first-year coach Tuomas Iisalo, but unless things start looking up for the 6-11 Grizzlies, change could be on the horizon. And given the checkered history Morant has built in Memphis, it wouldn't be surprising if he becomes a big-time star who changes teams at the February trade deadline.
Utah Jazz they have their own point guard. George wasn't just posting career-highs across the board (22.8 points, 7.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds), he was one of the most efficient scorers at the rim and in the mid-range. He's connecting on 74 percent of his shots at the rim, which ranks in the 84th percentile among combo guards, according to Cleaning the Glass. It's ahead Anthony Edwards And Donovan Mitchell. He shoots 48% from mid-range, which puts him ahead of someone like him. Devin Bookerone of the most elite mid-range scorers in the league. George has become more efficient, but his shot selection has also improved, as have his assists and court vision. He averages over seven assists and is becoming a more balanced defender, capable of distributing the ball as well as scoring.
Most underrated newcomer: Derick Queen
In a close loss against Dallas Mavericks The 6-foot-10 Queen recently posted 20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. We're used to seeing big players display defensive-like skills, whether it's the way they handle the ball or shoot it, but it's very rare that we see many of them with the court vision and passing prowess that Queen possesses. In fact, only two that come to mind are Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun. put Queen in the same category right now. In their last five games, Queen's scoring rate (5.4) ranks fourth among bigs behind Jokic, Sengun and Nic Claxton. And it's not just dribble passes or a simple desperation pass to a shooter because he's covered in paint. Queen sets the ball around the perimeter, calls screens, puts the ball in the court and shoots it to the corner as if he were the starting point guard. Pelicans
Just look at this:
In the last five games, Queens has finally found his starting lineup, and in that time he is averaging 17.6 points, eight rebounds, 5.4 assists and shooting 49.2% from the field. If Zion Williamson he manages to stay healthy, the frontcourt of these two should be a scary sight for the rest of the league.
Most dramatic team: Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks are 5-13 but have dominated the headlines in the first month of the season, mainly because they fired former general manager Nico Harrison. It was a move that was long overdue, but fans chanted “Fireman Niko” as the Mavericks forward PJ Washington hit potential game-tying free throws in a loss to the Bucks and was pulled by team governor Patrick Dumont. With Harrison overthrown, attention has now turned to the ruins he left behind, and trade rumors swirl around him. Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, D'Angelo Russell — basically everyone who is not named Cooper Flagg. On the other hand, Flagg looked every bit the “generational star” as he was called last week of games. It will be a distraction from the turmoil of the season as the Mavericks are just two seasons away from making the NBA Finals.
This is self explanatory. Just look at this thing.
I hated this court when the mockup was released and watching it in real time made it even worse. It's the kind of bright green that strains the eyes, and the hue bounced off the players, giving them all a green tint.
I understand that the league wanted to inject some fun into the NBA Cup, but this was just a terrible attempt and I hope we never have to see this again after the group stage.
