The 2025-26 NBA season has advanced a month, and it has already provided spectacular moments. The clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, for example, was possibly the best game of the year in their first matchup, and the pace hasn’t slowed down since then. Although a month isn’t enough to draw definitive conclusions, as demonstrated last season with the Indiana Pacers, who started with a 6-10 record before reaching the NBA Finals, it is enough time for stories to develop that could influence the coming months. This includes the period leading up to the trade deadline in February and the race to the playoffs. Considering this, and after speaking with league experts across the country over the past week, we will analyze a lesson learned for each of the 30 teams. The statistics are updated to the matches on Wednesday.
Atlanta Hawks
Lesson after a month: There could be a plan for the post-Trae Young era.What we hear: Young’s knee injury, which sidelined him in late October, has given the Hawks the opportunity to see what the team could look like if he were to leave as a free agent or via a trade next summer, when he has a player option for $48.9 million. The early results are promising. Atlanta has had a 7-2 record without its star point guard and, more interestingly, ranks fourth in defensive efficiency in that span. Atlanta has never finished better than 18th in Young’s seven NBA seasons.
The situation highlights the delicate balance between the franchise’s emblematic figure and a team in possible transition. With several more weeks before Young’s return, this period will only intensify interest in whether his long-term future is in Atlanta or elsewhere.“I think Trae Young’s situation is fascinating,” said an executive from the Western Conference.
Western Conference Executive
Boston Celtics
Lesson after a month: The “Mazzulla ball” is not going anywhere.What we hear: With Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles tendon injury and the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Jrue Holiday in the summer, one of the curiosities in the league was whether Boston would move away from the focus on three-pointers that it has adopted under coach Joe Mazzulla. The answer didn’t take long to arrive, as Boston, despite having fewer shooters on its roster, is behind Cleveland in terms of three-pointers attempted per game. Mazzulla has always remained true to his training philosophy in his short time on the Boston bench, even though the franchise took a sabbatical year from its championship aspirations. This year’s team is the latest example.
Brooklyn Nets
Lesson after a month: Jordi Fernandez is not fixing things this time.What we heard: League experts praised the way Fernandez kept the Nets competitive during a 26-56 season that hovered near .500 until last Thanksgiving before falling off. But no coaching ability will be able to boost a roster designed to ensure Brooklyn gets a top prospect in the loaded 2026 draft. Several executives told Alofoke Deportes that this is the least talented roster in the league, with mixed early returns, at best, for the five first-round players the Nets selected in June’s draft.
Charlotte Hornets
Lesson after a month: Kon Knueppel’s chances of being Rookie of the Year are real.What we hear: The first draft pick, Cooper Flagg, was expected to win the league’s best rookie award decisively, but the biggest rival of the Dallas star could be his former Duke teammate. Knueppel, with 18.3 points per game, the most for a rookie, and his 40% success rate from the three-point line, has already impressed scouts with his shooting ability and understanding of the game.Chicago Bulls
Lesson after a month: They could be a potential destination for a transfer.What we hear: The Bulls are in a fascinating middle ground. Coach Billy Donovan has done a great job with this group, but the Bulls lack a star to build around. Second-year forward Matas Buzelis has shown interesting flashes, and the team has the ability to open up a lot of cap space this summer, but Coby White and Nikola Vucevic are about to become free agents. That means the Bulls could go in several directions in the coming months, including adding to the current roster. That has led some sources to speculate whether Chicago, with more than $80 million in expiring money, could be a suitor for Anthony Davis from Dallas and bring the Windy City native home.“He could see it,” said a Western executive who recently watched Chicago play. “Josh Giddey has worked well with Vucevic, but he could use a role player to get him the ball.”
Western Executive
Cleveland Cavaliers
Lesson after a month: The off-season changes are having an impact, but not a good one at the moment.What we hear: By essentially replacing the Sixth Man of the Year finalist of 2025, Ty Jerome, with Lonzo Ball, the Cavaliers knew they were running the risk of having a lower ceiling in the regular season in favor of a higher one in the playoffs. That’s exactly what league experts are seeing during the first month of the 2025-26 season. The departure of Jerome and the absence of Darius Garland, who has only played 73 minutes while dealing with a toe injury, has caused last season’s top-ranked offense to fall out of the top 10.
“Are they better [than last year]? Probably not. They’ve always needed Evan Mobley to improve even more, and he’s not there yet.”“They’re not great right now, but they’re at least two starters short,” said a Western scout, referring to Garland, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill, all out for a while. “Lonzo hasn’t been great.
Western Scout
Dallas Mavericks
Lesson after a month: A trade for Anthony Davis will not be easy.What we hear: The Mavericks are expected to explore a trade for Davis between now and the February trade deadline, something rival teams also expect to happen. The problem for the Mavericks is that any potential return will look more like the Kevin Durant trade to Houston, a couple of solid players and a draft pick, than, for example, the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades from Utah a couple of years ago, which each gave the Jazz control over several first-round picks.
Several other sources had difficulty producing a deep list of suitors for Davis, who is scheduled to earn $54.1 million, $58.4 million, and $62.7 million in the next three seasons.“With the lack of picks in the league now, that’s what you should expect for a deal for [Davis]”, said a scout from the West.
West Scout
Denver Nuggets
Lesson after a month: Jamal Murray’s season finale has arrived early.What we hear: Murray has long been seen by rival scouts and executives as a player who slowly adapts to the season. But if the point guard’s early games are any indication, Murray could be changing that narrative. The 28-year-old is averaging 22.5 points, the highest figure of his career, a production that Denver will need to continue with the absence of Christian Braun until around the New Year due to a severe sprain in his left ankle.“He’s moving well, his body looks good… I’ve been impressed,” said an Eastern Conference scout. “He’s been a big part of their good start. They’re in the inner circle of contenders largely because of the work he’s been doing alongside Jokic.”
Eastern Conference Scout
Detroit Pistons
Lesson after a month: Jalen Duren made the right decision.What we heard: Practically no talk of Duren and Detroit reaching an agreement before the league’s rookie extension deadline on October 20, and sources said at the time that the two sides were quite far apart on price. Duren has responded with the best month of his career, with career highs not only in points (20.6) and rebounds (11.9) per game, but also with significant defensive improvement. Duren, after allowing 62% shooting in the paint last season, is down to 53% this season. That has led league insiders to firmly include him in the Most Improved Player race, and to project a good salary when he becomes a restricted free agent in July.Golden State Warriors
Lesson after a month: Kuminga’s situation remains unresolved.What we hear: It wouldn’t be a Warriors season without the drama surrounding the future of Kuminga, who, according to reports, remains in limbo with the team. While Kuminga’s role has fluctuated again from starter to substitute before dealing with a knee problem, the same underlying inconsistencies that have followed him during his early years have resurfaced once more.Calculating a possible Kuminga trade remains complicated, as Golden State is not going to get rid of him, and with the Warriors very close to the second limit, it’s difficult to find value for him and a team to acquire him. “Who is going to take him?” said the scout. “And are they going to trade him for things they don’t want, or will they just wait? It’s very difficult to find a trade that makes sense for everyone.”“It is what it is, although he is young,” said an Eastern scout. “He has looked better, and he has been trying to fit in, but he still falls back on his old habits.”
Eastern Scout
Houston Rockets
Lesson after a month: Houston has the opportunity to be the best offensive rebounding team in history.What we’re hearing: The Rockets are capturing more than two out of every five missed shots. To put their absurd 40.5% offensive rebound rate in perspective: the difference between Houston and second-place Portland is the same as between the Trail Blazers and the 16th-ranked Nets. No team since 1996-97 has exceeded 38% in a full season. This is how the Rockets have the best offense in the league despite being last in terms of 3-point shot volume, being the only team that makes less than 30 per game.
Indiana Pacers
Lesson after a month: It’s a good time for a sabbatical.What we’re hearing: Indiana was expected to regress with the season-ending injury to their All-Star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, due to a torn Achilles, and the departure of center Myles Turner to Milwaukee as a free agent. But no one could have predicted this start for the current Eastern Conference champions, who have started with a series of injuries beyond Haliburton. The Pacers have the worst offense in the league with the second-worst net rating, just ahead of Washington. The consolation for Indy is that, after reacquiring their 2026 draft pick from New Orleans in June, the team can hope to get an elite prospect next spring.
LA Clippers
Lesson after a month: You can get old fast in the NBA.What we hear: At the start of the season, the Clippers were seen by many scouts and executives as the best team in Los Angeles, praised for essentially replacing Norman Powell with John Collins and Bradley Beal and then signing Brook Lopez and Chris Paul to bolster their depth. But Beal is out for the season due to a hip injury, and Lopez and Paul have been seen at 37 and 40 years old, respectively. It has all left the Clippers, with Kawhi Leonard once again injured, in a position where they could send an unprotected lottery pick to the Thunder next spring, as the Paul George trade continues to give to the current champions.
Los Angeles Lakers
Lesson after a month: They are good, but how good?What we’re hearing: It’s been a fascinating opening month in Los Angeles. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have put up huge numbers, and LeBron James has basically missed everything. Deandre Ayton has been productive… but the Lakers are several points better per 100 possessions with him on the bench than with him on the court.
Opponents are having fun in the paint, as the Lakers are allowing 69% shooting within 5 feet (the fourth-worst mark in the NBA). While they are 11-4, they have mediocre overall efficiency numbers (11th in offense, 17th in defense, 14th in net rating). Add it all up, and while it’s been an impressive start in the standings, it’s still unclear how high this team’s ceiling really is, which was reflected in conversations this week with league sources.A scout from the West, however, was much more optimistic: “They are the top three for sure. When you have Luka, you’re always going to be in the mix.”“Are they there with Oklahoma City, Denver, and Houston? No,” said a scout from the East. “But they are clearly among the top six. Their overall depth isn’t good, but their top-tier talent makes them a team you wouldn’t want to see in the playoffs.”
Eastern Scout
Memphis Grizzlies
Lesson after a month: Ja Morant is not the same player.What we hear: There’s a very easy way to test the above statement: the percentage of Morant’s shots that are taken from within three feet. That number, according to Basketball Reference, has gone from 39.6% of his shots as a flying rookie to a notable 15.4% this season and has decreased in each of his seven seasons. Since Morant hasn’t improved as a shooter (he was a terrible 10 of 60 from the 3-point line before his latest calf injury), it’s easy to see why he’s not the same player who electrified the league and seemed to have Memphis on a championship-caliber trajectory a few years ago. Sources expect Memphis to explore the trade market for Morant, but, like Davis, they believe it will be difficult to get value for him.
“I think they’re going to trade him,” said a scout from the West.
West Scout
Miami Heat
Lesson after a month: Last year was not a coincidence for Norman Powell.What we hear: Much has been said about Miami’s new offensive system, but no one has adapted better than Powell. When the Clippers decided not to extend him this past summer and sent him to Miami in a three-way deal that saw the Heat get him for almost nothing, it was considered a win-win situation. But even the most optimistic Heat supporters would have had a hard time imagining how Powell has adapted to life on the shores of Biscayne Bay, where he is averaging 25.5 points, the highest figure of his career, with an absurd 46% from the 3-point line and has kept Miami in the top 10 in offense with Tyler Herro still not playing this season and Bam Adebayo missing a good part of it.Milwaukee Bucks
Lesson after a month: Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the NBA MVP.What we hear: During the first month of the season, when Antetokounmpo has been on the court, the Bucks have had an offensive rating of 123.5 points per 100 possessions, the equivalent of the best offense in the NBA. However, when he has been out, Milwaukee has had an offensive rating of 102 points per 100 possessions, a couple of points below the number 30 team in the league (Pacers). With Antetokounmpo out for up to two weeks with a groin strain, coach Doc Rivers must devise a system that supports this group without its star, a path that sources believe will be difficult to traverse.“Of course not,” said an executive bluntly when asked if he thought Milwaukee could stay afloat without Antetokounmpo, pointing to the lack of other ball creators on the roster.
Executive
Minnesota Timberwolves
Lesson after a month: Rob Dillingham is still a work in progress.What we hear: When Minnesota made a bold move on draft night 2024 to move up to number 8 and select Dillingham, it envisioned the team’s point guard of the future to replace Mike Conley. But, while Conley has moved to the bench this season, it has been in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Dillingham’s minutes have been a struggle.
The second-year point guard is shooting 39% overall, 23% from the 3-point line, and is being outscored by 14 points per 100 possessions in the over 100 minutes the Timberwolves have played with him on the court, an astonishing 24-point swing from the +10 net rating they have in the over 500 minutes with him on the bench.“I’m not sure that’s ever going to work,” said an Eastern scout. “Maybe things will change, but it’s hard to see it.”
Eastern Scout
