the Milwaukee Bucks are 1-6, Philadelphia 76ers 1-5, Cleveland Cavaliers 8-0 fOklahoma City Thunder 7-0.
the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors She is 6-1. It is not surprising that he is the defending champion Boston Celtics It is 7-1.
We’re early in the 2024-25 NBA season, and there’s plenty of time to turn things around. But could the Suns and Warriors be among the top six teams in the deep Western Conference? Can the Cavaliers challenge the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, or at least earn the No. 2 seed? Will the Celtics reach 60-plus wins as they try to become the first team to do that since Golden State in 2017 and 2018?
Let’s look at the teams that are trending up and down in the NBA two weeks into the season. (Records and statistics before Wednesday’s matches):
TRENDING: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have an MVP candidate in Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and potential All-Stars in Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Oklahoma City is full and deep with a path designed to maximize the present and the future.
The Thunder should be good for a long time, perhaps performing similar to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
Oklahoma City will have to spend money, especially when Alexander’s next contract comes up and Holmgren and Williams are willing to extend his new contract. However, Thunder general manager Sam Presti is preparing for those days. The Thunder signed contributors Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to value contracts in the offseason that pay both players less in their final two seasons than they pay in their first two.
Presti continues to have success in the draft as well. The Thunder took second-round pick (No. 38 overall) Ajay Mitchell in June’s draft, and he’s already getting good playing time.
TRENDING DOWN: Milwaukee Bucks
Damian Lillard is still trying to find his place with the Bucks alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Milwaukee’s defense is struggling early, as it allows 116.5 points per 100 possessions, 22nd in the league. Before a full accounting can be made of how troublesome this start has been, the Bucks need to get Khris Middleton back into the lineup.
However, it does not solve all their problems. Depth is a concern, and Milwaukee has had trouble selecting a draft pick. Since the Bucks haven’t been a lottery team since 2016, the pick is usually in the second half of the first round and often in the 20s. They did not have a first-round pick in 2023 and had to surrender a second-round pick in 2022. The team also just declined an at-large option on Marjon Beauchamp’s rookie contract for 2022 first-round pick and is looking to trade him.
Part of this shows how difficult it is to recruit and sign the right players in free agency, and more importantly, it reveals how difficult it is to win multiple championships even with a great player like Antetokounmpo on the roster.
If the loss continues, there will be more chatter about blowing up the roster and trading Antetokounmpo, but trading a two-time MVP who’s still an NBA player, puts fans in seats and sells merchandise isn’t usually high on an ownership ownership to-do list — no matter how high it is. Golden State’s interest in Antetokounmpo.
Uptrend: Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets started 0-2 and won the next two in overtime. The score was close to 0-4, making the tension even more intense in Denver as the Nuggets, like the Bucks, are trying to capitalize on winning another title with a generational star (three-time MVP Nikola Jokic).
Since winning the championship in 2023, the Nuggets have lost depth (Jeff Green, Bruce Brown, Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), and general manager Calvin Booth has tried to replace them with young draft picks.
Maybe the Nuggets will see that effort pay off. In Monday’s win over Toronto, the Nuggets finished the game with Christian Brown (No. 21 in 2022), Peyton Watson (No. 30 in 2022) and Julian Strother (No. 29 in 2023) on the court. Brown is a solid defender and is averaging a career-high 14.9 points on 54.2% shooting from the field and 45% on 3-pointers.
Aaron Gordon’s calf strain, which will be out for a few weeks, will test that depth. (Aside: Gordon opting up for the final year of his deal next season and agreeing to an extension that begins in 2026-27 saves the Nuggets about $40 million in luxury taxes for next season.)
Jokic continues to prove why he is a three-time MVP and MVP. He is averaging 29.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks and is shooting 54.3% from the field and 53.1% on 3s. The rate on 3s isn’t sustainable — he’s never shot better than 39.6% in a season — but he’s off to a great start.
Much of Denver’s success rests on Jamal Murray, who signed a four-year, $207.8 million extension in September. He had a slow start offensively, shooting 37% from the field and 30.4% on 3s. He is in the league’s concussion protocol but is expected to return to the lineup soon. The Nuggets need him at the All-Star level.
TRENDING TOP: Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell’s extension, which runs through 2027-2028 with a player option in the final season of the deal, gave the Cavaliers a chance to see what’s possible with their starting quartet (Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) intact for a few seasons and without contract drama.
The Cavaliers claim to be the second-best team in the East with the No. 2 offense (121 points per 100 possessions), the No. 5 defense (108.3 points allowed per 100 possessions), and the No. 4 netminder rating (plus-12.7).
New coach Kenny Atkinson, a longtime assistant coach, then head coach in Brooklyn and then an assistant under Steve Kerr with Golden State, has fine-tuned the offense. The Cavaliers are second in 3-point percentage and sixth in 3s made per game.
Heading down: Philadelphia 76ers
It’s a terrible start to the season for the 76ers that includes a 1-5 record, the absence of Joel Embiid with a knee issue, a three-game suspension for shoving a reporter, and the team’s $100,000 fine for violating the NBA’s Player Participation Policy and Paul George. He missed the first five matches with his new team. But like the Bucks, the Sixers need to have their best players on the court together before coming to any conclusions. They make headlines for the wrong reasons.
Embiid, who is expected to return soon, and George need to provide offensive help immediately for a team that holds No. 29 in field goal percentage, 25.y In 3-point shooting percentage, 26y In the offensive classification.
Heading down: New Orleans Pelicans
After winning 49 games last season and acquiring Dejounte Murray in the offseason to join Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, expectations were high. They are starting to fade after a 3-5 start that includes four losses in the past five games. Murray injured his hand in the season opener and was out for 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing surgery. Williamson missed three games and the injury was listed as questionable due to right thigh soreness.
Rookie: Phoenix Suns
New coach Mike Budenholzer led the Suns to a five-game winning streak. Budenholzer makes his mark defensively on the team, and is No. 6 in points allowed per 100 possessions. Phoenix also ranks seventh in 3s made per game and seventh in three-point shooting percentage. Kevin Durant is averaging 27.1 points and shooting 54.8% from the field and 43.6% on 3s, and Bradley Beal is making an offensive contribution with solid shooting stats (50.8% from the field, 43.8% on 3s) and the average points of rookie guard Tyus Jones. 9.4 points and 6.6 assists. The Suns are now waiting for Devin Booker to hit his shot (41.9% from the field, 35.7% on 3s).
TRENDING: Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have won three games without Steph Curry and have the No. 4 offense and No. 2 defense — all while playing 13 players at least 11.9 minutes per game, with no player logging more than 28.1 minutes. Some of that is due to injuries to Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Dean Anthony Milton but regardless, Kerr plans to use the deep rotation, keep players fresh and try to win in gritty style.
TRENDING DOWN: Orlando Magic
The joy and potential of a 3-1 start as Paolo Banchero played admirably – 33 points in the opener and 50 points in Game 4 – evaporated with Banchero’s injury (torn right muscle), sidelining him for at least another four weeks. The Magic have now lost four straight games, including three without Banchero. There are winnable games on the schedule but Orlando’s depth and ability to play without its best players will be a focal point down the stretch.
