The NBA is filled with surprises yearly, and the beginning of the 2025-26 marketing campaign is proving to be no exception. The standard knowledge heading into the season is already being confirmed incorrect after two weeks, and the parity that has outlined the final seven years of the league appears extra entrenched than ever. Whereas the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder proceed to be the juggernaut we anticipated, a lot else concerning the early season has been unanticipated.
I had the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls at No. 22 and No. 23 respectively in my pre-season energy rankings, and proper now they’re on prime of the East with two losses between them. I had the Minnesota Timberwolves as a respectable title contender, however they’re solely 3-3 coming into the week. I definitely didn’t anticipate the San Antonio Spurs to look this good.
Right here’s a take a look at the most important surprises within the NBA to this point at first of the 2025-26 common season.
The Sixers don’t want a totally wholesome Joel Embiid to contend within the East
The Sixers’ season gave the impression to be using on the well being of Joel Embiid coming into the 12 months, and that’s by no means a very good wager. Final time we noticed Embiid in peak kind again in Jan. of 2024, he scoring some extent per minute and taking part in like a top-2 participant on the earth. Philadelphia crashed and burned with out Embiid as he was sidelined with accidents for many of final 12 months, ending 24-58. The Sixers lastly received slightly little bit of luck within the draft lottery, transferring up No. 3 after they would have surrendered their choose to the Thunder if it got here in exterior of the top-6. Lead government Daryl Morey used the choice to take Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, and it’s a giant cause why Philly is outperforming expectations to this point.
Edgecombe has been the NBA’s greatest rookie to date, averaging 20.3 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 60.7 p.c true capturing and 42 p.c three-point capturing coming into the week. Edgecombe is already one of many NBA’s most explosive athletes, and he’s proving his rim ending, spot-up capturing, and defensive playmaking are able to go from day one. For as nice as Edgecombe as been, it’s nonetheless Tyrese Maxey driving the Sixers’ success proper now. Maxey is taking part in like an All-NBA participant to this point, trailing solely Luka Doncic in factors per recreation whereas additionally placing up one of the best facilitating numbers of his profession with a 33 p.c help fee. Kelly Oubre has been sensational as a wing scorer to this point, and Adem Bona is giving the crew incredible rim safety whereas Embiid works his approach into form. We haven’t even talked about Paul George but, the NBA’s fifteenth highest paid participant, who hasn’t performed but. Philly is already 5-1, and if Embiid can slowly play his approach again into form and George finally takes the ground, this crew could possibly be a legit risk to win the East simply when it appeared like they had been cooked.
The Rockets offense is elite strictly by way of rebounding
The Rockets enter the week with the NBA’s greatest offense, scoring a ridiculous 126.5 factors per 100 possessions, which might crush the all-time report (122.2) set by the 2024 Boston Celtics if it holds for the entire 12 months. Scoring like that is nearly definitely unsustainable for Houston, however I do assume they are often one of many league’s prime offenses final 12 months after ending No. 12 on that finish final season. The Rockets are capturing the quilt off the ball proper now: 45.4 p.c from three coming into the week, greatest within the league, after capturing 35.3 p.c from three (No. 21 within the NBA) final 12 months. Including Kevin Durant and giving minutes to Reed Sheppard has modified Houston’s capturing outlook, and it’s clear Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason are improved shooters in the event that they gained’t hold capturing at their present scorching clips. The larger cause Houston’s offense is so good proper now could be due to their work on the glass, and that does really feel sustainable. The Rockets’ 42.1 p.c offensive rebound proportion proper now would crush something within the NBA during the last decade.
Steven Adams is the league’s greatest offensive rebounder, and he nonetheless has a strong spot on this rotation even when head coach Ime Udoka is tinkering together with his fifth beginning spot. Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. are additionally crashing the offensive glass arduous. It feels potential this actually could possibly be a top-5 offense this 12 months given the capturing and rebounding success, and that’s a giant shock for a median offense that misplaced Fred VanVleet this season. If Houston’s protection can even return to the elite kind it confirmed final 12 months, they’ll actually be cooking.
Josh Giddey is taking part in like an All-Star
The Bulls had been the East’s final undefeated crew by ripping off 5 straight wins earlier than dropping to the Knicks on Sunday. Chicago owes its stunning success to this point to a powerful bench, elite pace-and-space ball motion, and defensive three-point capturing luck, however there’s little doubt whose liable for driving it. Josh Giddey is taking part in one of the best ball of his life, and he’s proving his post-All-Star break run final season was no fluke. Giddey has improved his three-point shot, gotten to the foul line extra incessantly, and is beginning to minimize down his turnovers some. The Australian will get the Bulls working at each alternative, with hit-ahead transition passing, alley-oop lobs, and cross-court zingers all a part of his playmaking bundle. I’m extra impressed by Giddey’s scoring, particularly his newfound dedication to drive the ball to the rim and end over smaller defenders. Giddey is large for a guard at 6’8, and he’s lastly taking part in prefer it. Watch the best way he overpowers Miles McBride on this drive, and buries Mikal Bridges underneath the basket on one other. Giddey is proscribed in his pace and leaping, however he’s beginning to embracing strength-based creation as a scorer to enhance his superior passing. If Giddey’s enchancment on open spot-up three-pointers holds, he could possibly be an All-Star this 12 months, and Chicago would all of the sudden be vindicated in buying and selling Alex Caruso for him forward of final season.
The Bucks look reborn as an East contender
The Knicks and Cavaliers started the 12 months because the heavy favorites within the East, and two weeks of play shouldn’t be sufficient to alter that. What I’m keen to rethink already is the most important risk to these two groups. I picked the Magic to make the NBA Finals, which already seems like a catastrophe. The Pistons and Hawks haven’t been too spectacular but both. That leaves room for the Milwaukee Bucks to re-enter the internal circle of East contenders. Milwaukee enters the week with a top-5 offense because of main the league in true capturing proportion, a blistering 63.4 p.c mark as a crew. The Bucks’ Level Giannis experiment is figuring out nice to this point. Antetokounmpo is posting a career-best 39.7 p.c help proportion, and surrounding him with shooters is opening up the paint for his ridiculously environment friendly scoring barrages. It’s not all Giannis, although. Ryan Rollins seems like a hidden gem as a tricky defensive guard with improved three-point capturing and scoring off the bounce to this point this season. Kyle Kuzma has given up his quantity scorer goals, and is once more turning into the identical gritty defenders he was on the Bubble Lakers. Myles Turner is taking part in strong two-way ball and protecting his three-point fee excessive, whereas AJ Inexperienced (NBA greatest 79 p.c true capturing) and Taurean Prince (76 p.c true capturing) have been on hearth as shooters. I’m prepared to maneuver the Bucks into the primary tier of East contenders, not less than till Cleveland will get wholesome and proves it could actually draw back, or the Knicks get their stuff collectively.
The Spurs are already this good with out De’Aaron Fox
The Spurs’ undefeated run to open the season led to stunning style in opposition to the Phoenix Suns, who by some means held Victor Wembanyama to solely 9 factors by pushing him away from the paint, denying him the ball, and double-teaming at or earlier than the catch. Wembanyama should face defensive changes all season, however he’s nonetheless 7’5 and extra expert and extra athletic than any participant that dimension has ever been. Wemby is prepared compete within the West proper now, however I’m much more shocked his supporting forged seems this competent with out injured guard De’Aaron Fox within the lineup but. Stephon Fortress seems like a monster attacking the rim to this point, and his scoring effectivity coming into the week (63.7 p.c true capturing) proves it. Dylan Harper is already an prompt impression rookie because of his rim strain (replace: Harper is now out for weeks with a calf pressure), and Harrison Barnes stays a strong veteran at age-33. If Fortress’s leap is actual — and he nonetheless wants to chop down the turnovers — the Spurs are arrange fairly nicely to make noise within the West this season. Simply think about how this crew seems with Fox pushing the tempo within the open ground and including a component of pull-up capturing to the combo. The Spurs are going to win due to Wembanyama’s protection greater than anything. So long as their capturing round him be common as a substitute of horrible, I may see this crew successful a playoff collection within the West already.
Austin Reaves is trying like one of many NBA’s greatest scorers
Reaves’ numbers to start out the season coming into the week are nothing wanting sensational: 31.1 factors and 9.3 assists per recreation on 65.4 p.c true capturing. He’s presently sixth in scoring, fourth in assists, and top-40 in scoring effectivity. Reaves is turning into the Lakers’ second-option subsequent to Luka Doncic whereas LeBron James is out with a again harm, and he crammed in admirably as the first possibility when Doncic was injured, together with main the Lakers to win over the Wolves final week. Reaves’ scoring manufacturing has risen yearly of his profession, and now it seems he’s going to blow final season’s 20 factors per recreation out of the water. He must be distinctive on offense to make up for the defensive issues subsequent to Doncic, and it’s occurring. The Lakers arguably one of the best 1-2 scoring punch within the recreation proper now, and it doesn’t even embrace LeBron this time.
