With the first week of the NBA season complete, it’s way too early to make any definitive conclusions. The time is just right though to highlight the things that have made you go “hmmm.”  

It’s still early enough that you can find reasons to be optimistic about every team in the league. There have been a lot of fun developments, which can be hard to track when the firehose of games has started.

 Here are the things that I have been enjoying most from every single team in the league thus far. 

30 fun observations from all 30 teams

Atlanta Hawks – Mo Gueye

The Hawks haven’t had the fast start they wanted, but they do have one pleasant surprise. Mo Gueye, recently inserted into the starting lineup due to injuries, is the best role player you’ve never heard of. He’s postered Chet Holmgren, thrown a beautiful dime to set up a Trae Young corner 3, and made hustle plays on both ends of the floor.

I had Gueye ranked No. 73 on my preseason top 100 defenders list. He’s not going to be that low next year. He’s destined to be a league pass darling sooner rather than later.

Boston Celtics – Hugo Gonzalez 

It’s been a rough start for the Celtics as well, who can’t seem to secure a defensive rebound to save their lives. One bright spot has been rookie big man Hugo Gonzalez, taken with the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft. His defense and hustle have been stellar. He had two steals, a block, and drew an offensive foul in the first four minutes alone of Sunday’s Celtics game. 

That hustle led Stan Van Gundy to announce on one national broadcast that, “I’m falling in love with Hugo Gonzalez.” So are the rest of us, Stan. 

Brooklyn Nets – Egor Demin

There was a lot of doubt about Demin as a draft prospect. The good news is that the rookie’s shaky shooting in one year at BYU has been much better in the NBA. He’s hit 8-of-16 from deep through his first two games (for the purposes of this column, we can ignore that he hasn’t even attempted a two-pointer yet). 

Charlotte Hornets – Ryan Kalkbrenner

LaMelo Ball has been fun to start the season. A crazy last-second brick in a close game that marred an otherwise great performance from him takes him out of the running here. 

Instead, I’m going with rookie second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner, who has been a ray of light in a tepid center rotation for the team (with apologies to spark plug Moussa Diabate).

After dominating at Creighton, Kalk is showing that his game can translate to the next level. He’s averaging 9.3 points and 7.7 rebounds on a ridiculous 87.5 field goal percentage in only 25 minutes per game. He has had trouble with some of the massive players on the Sixers, but he has dominated smaller guys. He’s already proving to be a master at slipping screens and finding pockets of space on pick-and-rolls. 

Chicago Bulls – Matas Buzelis

Buzelis had an up-and-down two games. He was brilliant in the Bulls‘ opener, dropping 21 points and recording three blocks. He fouled out in only 12 minutes in his second game. 

Let’s focus on that first game, where he’s looked like a young Aaron Gordon. His athleticism at 6-foot-10 is special, and he has the defensive instincts to become one of the best shot-blocking forwards in the game. 

Cleveland Cavaliers – Lonzo Ball

Ball is looking healthy and providing the perfect role player skills for the Cavs with his passing vision, defense, and shooting. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, but Cleveland just plays better with him out there.

They also haven’t been missing Isaac Okoro much, who was traded for Ball and hasn’t scored a single point through his first two games for the Bulls. That’s looking like a nice offseason trade for the Cavs, who raised their ceiling while saving money.  

Dallas Mavericks – Cooper Flagg

Flagg was rough in his debut, but he’s been better in his most recent two games. It’s been a tough situation for him. Given the team’s lack of playmaking, he’s had to learn on the fly how to play point guard. 

That should ultimately be good for his development. Jason Kidd employed a similar strategy with a young Giannis, teaching him how to become a better passer. Flagg is already showing some skills, creating some very cool lob passes for his teammates and helping to make Dallas the No. 2 team in the league in total dunks this year. 

Denver Nuggets – Aaron Gordon

Every player should literally live in a gym like Aaron Gordon. Gordon converted a warehouse into a two-story house with a regulation half court, sauna, weight room, and more upon coming to Denver. His shooting has grown from shaky to outstanding since the purchase. 

Gordon is shooting a blistering 65 percent from 3 after hitting 44 percent of his bombs last year. He shot 32 percent from deep in his 10 previous seasons and was a 42 percent free throw shooter in college. 

Gordon’s jumper has been one of the most remarkable transformations in the league. His 50-burger in the Nuggets‘ opener came off the back of hard work. 

Detroit Pistons – Ron Holland

Holland is following a somewhat underwhelming rookie year with an explosion in his first three games as a sophomore. He has been all over the place defensively, wreaking total havoc with his ball pressure. And his athletic finishes at the basket have already led to several highlights.

On a team full of guys that play hard, Holland’s motor has stood out.

Golden State Warriors – Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga didn’t let his contentious summer contract negotiations affect his play. He’s been everything the Warriors wanted him to be, finally figuring out how to fit his one-on-one scoring into their movement-based system. He’s actually rebounding the ball for once in his career. And it was shockingly a smart defensive read from him that led to the team’s overtime win against the Nuggets.

If the mental stuff clicks for Kuminga this season, then he’s a totally different player. He could go from trade chip to the cornerstone that they had hoped he’d become for so long. 

Houston Rockets – Alperen Sengun

There’s been plenty of debate over the years as to who the Rockets best player is. Sengun is putting an end to that. 

The hyper-skilled big man is averaging 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists through Houston’s first two games. Even more impressive is his 3-point jump. After four years of being considered a non-shooter from deep, he’s taking five 3s per game and hitting half of them. 

The Rockets need Sengun to do more with the loss of Fred VanVleet and Reed Sheppard not looking quite ready for a starting role. He’s been an All-NBA talent early. 

Indiana Pacers – Bennedict Mathurin

Rick Carlisle gave a vote of confidence to Mathurin by announcing him as a starter during the summer. He’s rewarded that faith. 

Mathurin has always been a great shot-maker and downhill force. He’s leveled up, averaging 31.0 points per game and getting to the line a remarkable 13 times per night. 

A foot injury kept him out of the team’s most recent game. He and the rest of the Pacers have already been decimated by injuries, contributing to a winless start for the defending Eastern Conference champs.

Los Angeles Clippers – John Collins is free

Collins has been a good player hiding out on bad teams over the past several seasons. The Clippers have him coming off the bench, where he looks like an early contender for Sixth Man. 

Collins has always been able to shoot the 3 outside of a brief stretch of time where his ring finger looked like a baseball. He’s providing that stretch shooting and has already developed nice high-low passing chemistry with Ivica Zubac. 

The Clippers are going to have a nice veteran bench, and Collins is at the forefront.

Los Angeles Lakers – Austin Reaves

No LeBron, no Luka, no problem. Reaves dropped a career-high 51 in the Lakers’ third game of the season against the Kings, needing only 22 shots to do it. 

Reaves has always been a master at getting to the line. He had 22 free throw attempts in that win in Sacramento, along with 11 rebounds and nine assists. 

The Lakers are a top-heavy team whose lack of depth was glaring in their season-opening loss. If Reaves plays like this, it won’t matter.

Memphis Grizzlies – Cedric Coward

Coward was the mystery man in the draft, flying all the way up to the No. 11 pick after a tremendous combine showing. That is looking like a home run reach by the Grizzlies, who are furthering their reputation as shrewd drafters after poaching the best of Draft Twitter.

Coward may not have played much high-level ball before entering the NBA, but his tools have made him an instant fit in the league. You can’t teach a 7-foot-2 wingspan in a wing’s body.  

Miami Heat – New offense

The Heat have been a bottom 10 offense over the past two seasons. There was a lot of worry about how this team would score, particularly with the loss of Tyler Herro for the beginning of the season. 

Spo usually finds a way. Erik Spoelstra has completely revamped the team’s offense, taking them away from the pick-and-roll heavy diet that we’re used to seeing across the league and focusing instead on creating space for players through wheel-type movements that the Grizzlies popularized last season.

This surprise attack has led to the No. 10 offense in the league, massively overachieving based on what you’d expect of their personnel. 

Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis MVP season

The Bucks were low on plenty of analysts’ preseason predictions (including mine) due to their lack of depth. Does it matter if Giannis plays this well? 

He’s averaging a ludicrous 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists on 68 percent shooting from the field. That (along with a scorcher from newcomer Cole Anthony) has led them to a nice 2-1 start to the year. Giannis is putting up Wilt Chamberlain numbers. He was the MVP of Week One.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Julius Randle continuing his momentum

Randle showed late in the season and through the playoffs that he was capable of thriving in a point forward role. He continued to do that, carrying the Wolves with 31 points and six assists after they lost Anthony Edwards in the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the Pacers. 

Randle doesn’t get the respect he probably should for being an elite scorer and creating so many advantages for others. He’s back to his All-NBA form, averaging 25.3 per game for the Wolves through their first three games. The team will continue to lean on him as Edwards spends the next two weeks recovering from a hamstring strain.

New Orleans Pelicans – Jeremiah Fears and Derek Queen grilling on the roof

The Pels haven’t won a game yet, but all is not lost. Zion Williamson has been terrific and both of their big-name rookies have played well.

Jeremiah Fears has been poised. Derik Queen has been a very fun scorer. They’re grilling on the roof of the Smoothie Center.

New York Knicks – Tyler Kolek

This is a deep cut, but the rest of the Knicks players are known commodities. Kolek was buried in Thibs’ doghouse as a rookie. In Year Two, he’s surprising people with how well he’s played early. 

Kolek has provided a steady hand on offense, making quick decisions and setting up teammates well. He’s also been aggressive looking for his shot, which will be vital for him. His emergence as a capable backup makes the sudden retirement of Malcolm Brogdon much more palatable. With Mike Brown emphasizing depth this season, he could play an important role. 

Oklahoma City Thunder – Ajay Mitchell

The early leader for Most Improved Player has to go to Mitchell, who has been nothing short of outstanding for the Thunder. Last year’s No. 38 pick has been a scoring machine, averaging 18.7 points per game on 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3. The Thunder’s offense has needed his crafty drives and shooting to fill in for injured Jalen Williams. The rich keep on getting richer. 

Franz Wagner

Orlando Magic – Franz Wagner

The Magic have lost two of their first three in concerning fashion, but at least they have Wagner emerging as the best player on the team. His worrisome hitch shot in his 3-pointer is on summer vacation — he’s hit 4 of his first 11 attempts from downtown and his stroke looks at least a little smoother.

That opens up the rest of his game, where he’s a terrific driver and playmaker. It’s going to take time for the rest of the Magic’s pieces to fit, but Wagner is already there.

Philadelphia 76ers – VJ Edgecombe

Somebody forgot to tell Edgecombe that Cooper Flagg is the presumptive Rookie of the Year. 

Edgecombe has been the best player of the draft so far, averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals for the Sixers. That’s been buoyed by scoring 34 in his debut, which was the most since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959.

Edgecombe’s athleticism and driving ability has jumped off the page. He looks like he can do a lot more than he was limited to at Baylor. 

Phoenix Suns – Collin Gillespie

I’ll be honest. Apart from Devin Booker playing his usual A+ brand of ball, there hasn’t been a ton that I’ve loved watching the Suns. 

Gillespie has at least been fun, building upon some nice performances last season. The Suns need his playmaking and shooting. His 6-foot-1 blogger height makes him a liability defensively, but he’s been a pest on that end of the floor. He’s been given more opportunity this year, and my preseason prediction for the Most Improved Player that media won’t vote for is making me look good. 

Portland Trail Blazers – The most annoying team to play against

Despite the distractions surrounding Chauncey Billups, the young Blazers have played well to start the year. They’ve been in all three of their games, going 1-2 during that span. 

What has been keeping them in games has been a maniacal defense that is miserable to play against. This may be more than an early season fluke — Portland was quietly an awesome defense to close last year, suffocating teams and forcing them into bad late clock shots. They have young, aggressive personnel that are a joy to watch. 

Sacramento Kings – Good Dennis Schroder

Schroder is a talented NBA player. It’s why he’s been in the league for 13 years. He can also check out mentally, which is why he’s been on 10 different teams during that time span. 

The Kings are getting the good version of Schroder for now. They’ve needed a distributor who can make the wonky parts of their offense fit better. He’s organized them well, averaging 7.3 assists per game while playing tenacious point-of-attack defense. 

Bonus points for the team being part of the silliest TikTok NBA analysis of the year. 

San Antonio Spurs – WEMBY

Victor Wembanyama has given us the play of the season about 400 times so far. Every game is must-watch because you truly never know what kind of breathtaking sequences you’re going to witness.

This sequence from Sunday would be a career highlight for anyone else. For Wemby, it’s just another game. 

Toronto Raptors – Darko memes

The Raps have given some up-and-down performances. They blew past the Hawks in their opener, leading to some very funny memes from coach Darko Rajakovic.

They’ve been a mess in some other games, but Darko’s personality is always going to keep things entertaining. 

Utah Jazz – Brice Sensabaugh

Sensabaugh was one of the best players in the preseason, getting named to my All-Preseason team. He’s kept it up to start the year. 

Sensabaugh is a walking bucket. He has a great midrange game but can score from anywhere. His 20 points in the season opener led the Jazz to surprisingly blowing out the Clippers. 

Washington Wizards – Kyshawn George

George was brilliant over the summer as part of Canada’s national team. He has exploded for the Wizards to start the year, averaging 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. 

Those aren’t empty stats. He’s showing playmaking chops, controlling the flow of games, and playing excellent defense. The Wizards could have a star on their hands. 

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