Wembanyama Sustains Left Calf Strain, Out Multiple Weeks
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a left calf strain after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release. The French center suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to Golden State.
While the Spurs didn’t give a return timeline for the former No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Shams Charania hears Wembanyama will miss a few weeks (Twitter link).
Through 12 appearances this season, Wembanyama has averaged 26.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-high 3.6 blocks in 34.7 minutes per game. He’s second in the league in rebounds per contest (Nikola Jokic is at 13.0) and holds a shooting slash line of .500/.345/.857.
The 21-year-old big man missed his first game of the season on Sunday due to the injury — head coach Mitch Johnson indicated Wembanyama experienced soreness in his calf on Friday and would undergo testing.
According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link), Wembanyama was wearing a “small sleeve” on his calf in the locker room following Sunday’s win, but was otherwise in good spirits and didn’t seem to be in any pain. Still, San Antonio is known for being cautious with injuries, and calf strains are notoriously tricky to manage — they can also lead to more severe injuries.
Both Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Wright (Twitter links) hear Wembanyama will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks, confirming Charania’s reporting.
Backup center Luke Kornet and veteran big man Kelly Olynyk are among the Spurs who could receive more playing time with Wembanyama out.
Second-year guard Stephon Castle was also hurt recently, having suffered a hip injury on Sunday which prevented him from returning from the victory over Sacramento (Twitter link via Matthew Tynan). It’s unclear if the reigning Rookie of the Year will miss additional time as a result of the injury.
Several noteworthy players — including Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, Wembanyama and Spurs rookie Dylan Harper — have been diagnosed with calf strains in recent weeks.
Injury Notes: Wemby, Harper, Herro, Bam, Mathurin, Allen
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama missed his first game of the season on Sunday against Sacramento, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Head coach Mitch Johnson indicated the French center was held out for precautionary reasons after experiencing left calf soreness.
“It’s just something that he felt,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there was a specific play. Obviously, we’ve seen around this league recently, the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly. So, [we’ve] just got to get some more information. Don’t want to push it there.”
Johnson also provided an injury update on No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, Wright adds. The 19-year-old guard is making progress from a left calf strain and is no longer wearing a walking boot.
“It’s getting better,” Johnson said. “He’s out of the boot. You’ve just got to build that thing up. For every day that you were in the boot or off the court, you’ve probably got to hit it on the other side. It’ll be good to have him back on the court ramping up pretty soon.”
Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Heat guard Tyler Herro, who made his first All-Star appearance in 2024/25, practiced on Sunday for the first time since undergoing ankle surgery in September, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. While the 25-year-old was happy to return to the court, his season debut isn’t necessarily imminent. “It felt great, just being out there with my teammates, being on the court with them first time all season,” Herro said with a smile. “So it felt great to be in the drills. My foot is getting better. I’ve been rehabbing around the clock every day since my surgery, trying to get back as soon as I can and I’m looking at about a week or two hopefully, if there are no setbacks. So we’ll see what happens.”
- Three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo also returned to practice on Sunday, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, but the Heat big man will miss his sixth straight game on Monday due to a left big toe sprain. “A lot less pain that I had,” Adebayo said of his toe injury. “A lot less. So I’m working toward getting out there.” Head coach Erik Spoelstra said neither player has an official timeline for return. “It was great to have (Herro) and Bam on that third unit today,” Spoelstra said, per Winderman. “That third unit looked like they had a boost of energy and confidence with those two in it. So we’ll just keep on building. Don’t have a timeline on them, but obviously that’s a big step today.”
- Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin, who has missed the past 11 games with a right great toe sprain, has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Monday’s matchup in Detroit, the team announced (via Twitter). Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files hears the Montreal native is on track to return tomorrow (Twitter link). Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, was off to a strong start to the season prior to the injury, averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two games.
- Suns guard Grayson Allen suffered a right quad contusion in the first half of Thursday’s win over Indiana and didn’t return for the second. He will missed Sunday’s contest against Atlanta and is considered day-to-day going forward, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. “We’ll continue to see how he gets out of this,” head coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday’s practice. “Stick to day-to-day. We just walked through a lot today. Nothing up and down, nothing live. Good to have these two days in between. We need it. It doesn’t seem too bad.”
Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Davis, Magic, Clippers, LeBron
With the Mavericks off to a 3-9 start, there’s a feeling around the league that trading Anthony Davis — and possibly Kyrie Irving as well — might be their best strategy, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Dallas fired general manager Nico Harrison this week amid continued fan uproar over February’s Luka Doncic trade, and now personnel moves may be necessary to carve out a brighter future.
Trade speculation has already focused on Davis, who is currently sidelined with a left calf strain and has appeared in just five games this season. He’s under contract for $58.5MM in 2026/27 and has a $62.8MM player option for the following season. He’ll become eligible for an extension next summer and could earn up to $218.5MM by picking up the option and extending for three more years.
Considering Davis’ contract situation and his long injury history, Windhorst states that the Mavs may have trouble getting the return they would want in a potential trade.
“I just looked it up so I could say this to my owner if he asks me about it, AD is turning 33 in March and he’s going to be in position next summer where he’ll probably want a contract extension that would cost $70MM per year when he’d be 37,” a rival general manager said. “He’s a great player, full stop. But when you consider a player at his age with his injury history, you’d also be trading for the stress of that extension. That plays into it.”
Executives around the league tell Bontemps that while the Mavericks could still be formidable with a fully healthy roster, moving the two stars and replenishing their draft assets while building around Cooper Flagg is probably their best strategy. After the 2026 draft, Dallas doesn’t control any of its first-round picks for the rest of the decade.
Parting with Davis and Irving would also help the Mavs escape the luxury tax, Bontemps adds. The team is projected to have a tax bill around $32MM this season, and the current roster is about $16MM over the tax threshold.
Bontemps and Windhorst share more inside information from around the NBA:
- The Magic have won five of their last seven games, but their offense is still just 18th in the league and the offseason trade for Desmond Bane hasn’t provided the spark that was hoped for. According to Windhorst, head coach Jamahl Mosley has turned over most of the play calling to assistant Joe Prunty, who was hired during the offseason. However, some observers are skeptical that the current roster is capable of producing an efficient offense. “It’s got to get a little better, but the pieces aren’t changing,” a West executive said. “Bane will settle in eventually. But you still have a ball-dominant, iso star in Paolo (Banchero) that doesn’t scream ball movement, player movement and getting open shots. It hasn’t been pretty at all.”
- With an old roster and growing injury concerns, the Clippers may be “cooked” after a 3-8 start. Bradley Beal has been lost for the season with a hip fracture, and Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a sprained foot as well as a sprained ankle. It appears the decision to invest heavily in veteran talent is backfiring, as Windhorst notes that Brook Lopez, Nicolas Batum and Bogdan Bogdanovic haven’t been productive early in the season, while Chris Paul is completely out of the rotation. “They move so slowly, they can’t recover when they turn the ball over or give up a quick transition,” one advance scout said.
- The Spurs and Lakers are both off to impressive starts, but there are mixed opinions on whether they can finish in the top four in the West. A West scout doesn’t believe Victor Wembanyama can hold up for 82 games, while an East executive isn’t convinced that L.A. will get better when LeBron James returns from his injury. “Don’t ask me about the Lakers until I can see LeBron play and see him move and how he looks,” the executive said. “He isn’t just dealing with the sciatica, he hurt his knee at the end of last season, and it surely affected his training routine. He’s never started a season coming off injuries like this before.”
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Okogie, Kornet, Mavs
The Pelicans‘ first 10 games of the 2025/26 season have gone about as poorly as they could have, according to William Guillory of The Athletic, with star forward Zion Williamson sidelined due to another hamstring injury and Willie Green‘s hold on his head coaching job looking tenuous.
As Guillory writes, even when the 2-8 Pelicans have been relatively healthy, things haven’t gone according to plan — the trio of Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones has a net rating of -11.3 during their 75 minutes on the court together.
Lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have been two of the only reasons for optimism in New Orleans so far, Guillory continues. Fears has shown off his ball-handling skills and his ability to make things happen in open-court situations while improving as a decision-maker in pick-and-roll scenarios. Queen, meanwhile, has acted at times as the team’s offensive hub and has scored double-digit points in each of his last four games despite playing a relatively modest role (23.5 MPG).
Guillory also singles out offseason trade addition Saddiq Bey as a bright spot for the Pelicans in the early going, observing that the veteran forward has played better in his return from an ACL tear than Jordan Poole has through three weeks. The duo was acquired from Washington in a summer deal that sent out CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk.
Things won’t get any easier for the Pelicans in the near future, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com, who writes that the team is about to begin a five-game home stand against Western Conference opponents that includes matchups with the Lakers, Warriors, Thunder, and Nuggets.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- In an offseason that saw the Rockets acquire players like Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, minimum-salary free agent addition Josh Okogie flew under the radar. However, he has emerged as a valuable part of the team’s rotation, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Okogie has started seven of nine games and Houston is 6-1 in those starts. “He has the same DNA as the guys that we brought in initially and (does) some of what Dillon (Brooks) did, and Dorian, Jae’Sean (Tate), those guys,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “His defensive versatility, offensive rebounding, being able to knock down those shots, it’s what we need at that position. Takes the pressure off Amen (Thompson), and so he’s a guy you can kind of plug in with all these different lineups, and adds more to our depth than just versatility on defense.”
- After missing seven games due to ankle and shoulder injuries, Spurs center Luke Kornet had a big game in his return on Monday, scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds in a win over Chicago. The Kornet/Victor Wembanyama pairing playfully known as “French Vanilla” came up big down the stretch and now has a +23.0 net rating in three games together, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details. “It’s good to have him back,” Wembanyama said. “There are not a lot of shot-blockers like him in the league. It’s always good to play with Luke.”
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers what’s next in Dallas following the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison, suggesting that trades involving Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving could take some time to materialize even if the Mavericks are open to moving them. Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) also examines the challenges facing new co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, who take over a team that lacks draft assets and features several underachieving veterans.
Southwest Notes: Fox, Flagg, Exum, Eason
Spurs fans have been waiting eight months to see De’Aaron Fox back in action, and he gave them something to remember in Saturday’s season debut, writes Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press. Fox had 24 points, three rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes and sank a late floater to wrap up a win over New Orleans. He admitted being rusty after not playing for so long, but trusted his talent when taking the final shot.
“I mean, I’m good at basketball,” Fox said. “So, you can still have rust and be able to do that.”
San Antonio was hoping to make a push for the playoffs after acquiring Fox in February, but he suffered a torn tendon in his left pinky finger and decided to have season-ending surgery March 12. An offseason injury to his right hamstring delayed his comeback as the Spurs were cautious with his recovery.
“For me, as a player and as a competitor, obviously I want to get out there,” Fox said. “But I’m listening to (the medical staff) and they have the best interest for me because obviously I signed a contract to be here long term, so they want to protect the asset and make sure the asset is ready when I’m out there. So, for me, it was just trusting that, trusting the process and I feel like we did a great job this summer and up in the early parts of the season.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Cooper Flagg expressed frustration over the Mavericks‘ slow start after Wednesday’s loss to New Orleans, but he was happier with the results on Saturday as the team picked up its first road victory at Washington, relays Christian Clark of The Athletic. Coach Jason Kidd explained that handling the ups and downs of a long season is part of the adjustment to NBA life. “I think you learn really fast when you play 82 games with the best players in the world,” Kidd said. “It’s not high school. It’s not college. You lose more than six games. There are lessons to be learned. It doesn’t take you from becoming a champion or one of the best players in the world. You have to adjust and understand that you’re going to lose. But you learn from losing each time you take the floor.”
- Kidd told reporters on Saturday that Dante Exum is getting reevaluated for a right knee injury that has prevented him from playing so far this season, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Exum hasn’t practiced since early in training camp and has been listed as out due to injury management.
- Rockets forward Tari Eason talks to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle about the “toughest year” of his life due to his father’s disappearance and unexpected death in March. “I try to just keep his name alive, keep his spirit alive,” Eason said. “That’s all I can do, is hold it down for my little brothers and little sister.”
Spurs Notes: Castle, McLaughlin, Wembanyama, Champagnie, Harper
Stephon Castle was happy to win Rookie of the Year honors last season, but he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that it doesn’t change anything about his approach to the game. Castle was selected for the award by a wide margin, getting 92 of 100 first-place votes, but now he wants to focus on other goals, like getting the Spurs into the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
“I feel like once you get it, your name is installed in history,” Castle said of the ROY trophy. “And then you have to go make your career after that. I’m not going out there saying, ‘I’m the Rookie of the Year and give me a vet (officiating) call, respect me.’ You got to go out there and play. I’m not really thinking about that (award) when I’m playing in the game. I’m just trying to improve every year.”
Castle is off to an even better start to his second NBA season — averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists through eight games — and he’s been handling the starting point guard duties while De’Aaron Fox was sidelined. He’s also San Antonio’s best perimeter defender and routinely gets assigned to handle the opponent’s top scorer.
“He can impact winning whether he is on the ball, off the ball, defensively,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He is going to guard a ton of different profiles in terms of premier players on teams. He has an opportunity to affect the game as much as anybody.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Reserve guard Jordan McLaughlin scored nine points in nine minutes on Friday night as the Spurs opened NBA Cup play with a win over Houston, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). McLaughlin saw limited action last season after being acquired from Sacramento in February, but management liked him enough to re-sign him to a one-year, $3MM deal. “That’s why we brought him back,” Johnson said after Friday’s game. “He’s a professional, a mature adult, a great teammate who’s a really cerebral, skilled basketball player.”
- Victor Wembanyama was impressed by former WWE star Mark Henry, who chatted with players during a visit to Frost Bank Center on Friday, per Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Billed as “the world’s strongest man,” Henry passed along a few weightlifting tips to Wembanyama, who Finger notes still frequently finds himself outmuscled by opponents. “Kevin (Durant) was in the same boat early,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Until you get that strength, the first thing that everybody’s going to try to do is be physical with you.”
- Fox’s return to action means Julian Champagnie is coming off the bench for the first time this season, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Champagnie was averaging a career-high 30 minutes per night and scoring 10.1 PPG through the season’s first eight games.
- Prior to tonight’s contest, Johnson told reporters that Dylan Harper, who’s sidelined with a left calf strain, hasn’t resumed physical activity yet, relays Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
De’Aaron Fox Expects To Make Season Debut On Saturday
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox is set to make his season debut Saturday night against New Orleans, Shams Charania of ESPN said in an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Fox is working his way back from a hamstring injury and will miss his eighth straight game on Friday as San Antonio hosts Houston in an NBA Cup contest. Sources tell Charania that today is considered to be a “ramp-up day” for Fox in preparation for playing on Saturday.
This shapes up to be the first extended run for Fox and Victor Wembanyama as teammates since Fox was acquired from Sacramento in February. They only played five games together before Wembanyama was declared out for the season with deep vein thrombosis.
The Spurs traded for Fox in hopes of finding an accomplished point guard who could bring out the best in the young French star. Since then, they unexpectedly rose to No. 2 in the draft lottery and selected Dylan Harper, raising questions about whether Fox, Harper and Stephon Castle can be successful on the same team.
Even with those concerns, San Antonio gave Fox a four-year max extension in August. Based on current cap projections, the deal projects to be worth over $223MM.
Fox’s return comes at an opportune time, as Harper is currently sidelined with a strained left calf and is expected to miss multiple weeks.
Fox was a former All-Star with the Kings and was considered to be one of the best young point guards in the league. He was traded after extension talks failed amid the belief that he wouldn’t sign a long-term deal in Sacramento.
Spurs Notes: Arena, Sochan, Waters, Olynyk, Castle
The Spurs took a significant step on Tuesday toward building a new downtown arena in San Antonio, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who reports that voters in Bexar County, Texas approved a measure that will allow officials to put up to $311MM in venue taxes toward a new building.
While the proposal had been opposed by several local lawmakers and advocacy groups, just over 52% of voters supported it, per county officials.
The Spurs have expressed a willingness to commit at least $500MM toward construction of the new arena, with a proposed $489MM coming from the city, per Reynolds. The $1.3 billion arena plan is still in the early stages, with no proposed timeline for construction of the building yet. The Spurs’ lease at their current arena, Frost Bank Centers, runs until 2032.
Here’s more out of San Antonio:
- While the Spurs are dealing with a number of injury absences, including point guards De’Aaron Fox (right hamstring strain) and Dylan Harper (left calf strain), a handful of players appear on the verge of returning to action. Jeremy Sochan (left wrist sprain), Lindy Waters III (bilateral eye procedure), and Kelly Olynyk (left heel surgery) are all listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers and have a “chance” to make their season debuts, a team spokesman tells Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
- As Orsborn writes, the Spurs have exhibited plenty of caution when it comes to bringing back players from injuries, which those players appreciate. “The best part is we know they have our back,” Julian Champagnie said of the team’s coaches and medical staff. “They want us to play basketball for a long time and be healthy for the team ultimately. So, rushing a guy to come back to play, it is not going to do us no good. We’d rather go out there with what we have and trust what we have on the bench than force a guy to come back and potentially hurt himself some more.”
- Olynyk’s season debut will also be his Spurs debut, so it could take him some time to get acclimated to a new situation after being traded from New Orleans to Washington to San Antonio during the offseason. However, head coach Mitch Johnson is confident that the veteran big man will fit nicely with the Spurs once he’s ready to return, Orsborn writes (subscription required). “He’s seen the whole league – I think he’s been with six or seven teams,” Johnson said. “Some (of those teams) have won a ton, some have lost a ton. He’s very skilled. He’s played a few different positions in terms of what his role’s been on certain teams he played with. And I think he’ll be someone we can fit with quite a few lineups and will really be able to help us as the season goes on.”
- After being named Rookie of the Year in the spring, Stephon Castle‘s next individual goal is to make an All-Defensive team. According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Johnson challenged Castle during the offseason to impact winning on both ends of the floor, and the second-year guard has been tasked with handling the most challenging perimeter defensive assignments this fall. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for his versatility,” Johnson said. “… He is going to guard a ton of different profiles in terms of premier players on teams. He has an opportunity to affect the game as much as anybody.”
Dylan Harper Suffers Left Calf Strain, Out Multiple Weeks
4:35 pm: Harper underwent an MRI on Monday which revealed a left calf strain, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter). The 19-year-old guard is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell Charania.
A Spurs spokesperson confirmed the injury, adding that Harper does not have ligament damage, per Orsborn (Twitter link). The team says Harper will be out at least one week.
8:00 am: Dylan Harper suffered a left calf injury Sunday night in the Spurs‘ loss at Phoenix, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The injury occurred when Harper tried to contest a dunk by Nick Richards midway through the second quarter. He grabbed at his leg after the play while grimacing in pain and was declared out of the game at halftime.
Coach Mitch Johnson wasn’t able to provide an update on Harper’s condition after the game, but the rookie guard was using crutches and wearing a walking boot as he left the arena.
“I believe it’s something with his calf, but I don’t have anything as of yet,” Johnson told reporters.
Harper, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, is off to a promising start through his first six games. Even with Sunday’s abbreviated appearance, he’s averaging 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per night with .500/.357/.833 shooting numbers. He has played an important role in helping San Antonio get off to a 5-1 start and has been seeing 23.3 minutes per game off the bench. He had 12 points in 11 minutes against the Suns before exiting.
Sunday’s injury could be the second significant one for Harper in the past two months. He suffered a partially torn ligament in his left thumb during the offseason and underwent surgery in early September.
“Yeah, I hope the best for him, for sure,” Victor Wembanyama. “We’ve seen great things from him. It’s actually been hard to believe how good he’s played. But it happens. We have to be able to deal with injuries. But at the same time, we’re going to get some guys back.”
Although the Spurs have been one of the NBA’s best teams during the first two weeks of the season, their injury list is getting lengthy. De’Aaron Fox hasn’t played yet due to a hamstring issue, and Jeremy Sochan is still recovering from a calf injury he suffered during the summer. Luke Kornet (ankle), Kelly Olynyk (heel) and Lindy Waters III (eye) were all unavailable on Sunday, but they traveled with the team for the start of a two-game road trip.
Johnson said Harper’s injury won’t affect the timeline for those five players, but he indicated that some of them may be available for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
“I think we’re optimistic. There’s two more days,” he said. “Again, it’s that funny part of the schedule, so you have almost 72 hours and everybody is trending the right way. But one person’s status won’t affect anybody else’s. But guys have been getting closer and closer, so we’ll just have to see how it breaks in the next couple days.”
Community Shootaround: NBA’s Undefeated Teams
If NBA fans had been polled prior to the season about which four teams would be the last to lose a regular season game, it’s safe to assume the defending champion Thunder would have received a ton of votes. So it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that Oklahoma City – which set a new NBA record by winning a 21st consecutive game against an Eastern Conference opponent on Thursday, per Nick Gallo (Twitter link) – is the league’s only 6-0 team entering Friday’s games.
But fans would presumably have hard a much tougher time predicting the other three teams in that undefeated group alongside the Thunder. After 10 days of regular season action, the Spurs (5-0), Sixers (4-0), and Bulls (4-0) also haven’t lost a game.
Incredibly, while the Spurs have been playing in the NBA for a half-century and have won five titles during that time, this is the first year the team has ever gotten off to a 5-0 start. As Michael C. Wright of ESPN details, Victor Wembanyama has been leading the way by playing at an MVP level. After piling up 26 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocked shots on Thursday vs. Miami, Wembanyama leads the league in rebounds (14.6) and blocks (4.8) per game while also averaging 30.2 points per night.
“It feels great,” Wembanyama said of the Spurs’ five consecutive wins, per Wright. “It’s not random. We didn’t get those five wins randomly. We worked for it. We started this season strong, and we need to keep that streak going for as long as possible.”
As impressive as the Spurs’ hot start has been on the heels of a 34-win performance in 2024/25, it’s not the most surprising season-opening run. That honor belongs to either the Sixers, who went 24-58 last season and still haven’t had star forward Paul George in their lineup, or the Bulls, a perennial play-in team who had an over/under of 32.5 wins prior to the season.
Besides not having George available yet, the Sixers have had star center Joel Embiid on a minutes restriction — he has played in just three of the team’s four games and has logged 21.0 minutes per night. Philadelphia’s success has been largely driven by a trio of guards, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes, who have combined to average a remarkable 77.5 points per night, led by 37.5(!) from Maxey.
While the 76ers’ ability to make a deep playoff run in the spring will largely come down to what Embiid and George can give them, the fact that they’re thriving in the early going without major contributions from either of those two veteran stars is an extremely encouraging sign.
As for the Bulls, they opened the season with wins over three far trendier Eastern Conference playoff picks – the Pistons, Magic, and Hawks – before beating old friends Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on Wednesday in a victory over the Kings. As Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required) writes, the Bulls – without top scorer Coby White – are succeeding as a result of a balanced offensive attack, with at least six players scoring in double figures in all four of their victories and no one averaging more than 20 points per game.
Whether their strong start will continue is up for debate, but Josh Giddey seems to be carrying his momentum from last year’s strong second half over to 2025/26, while Matas Buzelis is taking a step forward in his second NBA season and veteran center Nikola Vucevic continues to be a reliable source of offense. Role players like Tre Jones (.581/.625/.750), Ayo Dosunmu (.524/.500/.857), and Patrick Williams (.542/.500/.571) have all be on fire to open the season too.
We want to know what you think of those four undefeated teams. While there’s probably not much to say about the Thunder, what do you make of the Spurs’, Sixers’, and Bulls’ hot starts? Will they come back to earth sooner rather than later, or have you seen enough so far to feel confident about those teams’ chances to exceed their preseason expectations? Which team will be the last to lose a game this season?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!