In this article, we’ll take a look at the most eye-popping stats, standout performances and other must-see news from around the league. Week 1 was filled with some huge individual stats, milestones reached and new perspectives on what to expect in terms of team rotations and player roles moving forward.
To start things off, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics made a statement on Opening Night, when the squad tied the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a game (29), en route to a 132-109 victory over the new-look Knicks. The entire Celtics team rolled in the win, but Tatum was the standout as he went 8-for-11 from deep, on his way to a 37-point, 10-assist performance. Jaylen Brown shot 5-for-9 from deep and finished with 23 points, while Derrick White went 6-for-10 from long range, on his way to 24 points. Tatum maintained a great level of play all week, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Wizards on Thursday, and another 37-point display in a win over the Pistons on Saturday.
History was made on Opening Night as LeBron James and Brony James became the first father and son duo to hit the court together. Bronny’s time was limited to just a few minutes late in the first half, where he went 0-for-2 from the field and grabbed one rebound. On the other hand, LeBron delivered 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks to help lead the way to a seven-point win over the Timberwolves. LeBron showed progressively stronger play throughout the week, culminating in a dominant 32-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist performance in a win over the Kings on Saturday. The even more impressive aspect of his triple-double outing was the fact that he turned out 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting, in addition to five rebounds and six assists in the fourth quarter, alone.
More of the Lakers in Week 1 was the incredible game of Anthony Daviswho surpassed the 30-point mark in three consecutive games, leading the squad to a 3-0 start. Davis averaged 34.0 points on 57.1 percent shooting, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.3 blocks through the three outings and looks comfortable under new coach JJ Redick.
LaMelo Ball also got off to a hot start, including back-to-back 34-point performances to start the campaign. Ball has shot at least 10 three-pointers in each of his three outings, but has only hit more than four in one of the three games and is 15-for-36 from deep on the season. Ball seems to be of the mindset to remain the leading scorer for the Hornets, while also propelling the offense with his elite passing ability. He is averaging 7.3 assists per game through three appearances.
The Pelicans received a major blow in their season opener as their highly anticipated addition, Dejounte Murray, suffered a broken hand before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter. The injury is expected to keep Murray out for most of the month of November. As a result of the injury, the squad appears to be returning to running CJ McCollum at point guard, while Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado will likely see a considerable boost in opportunity.
Trae Young is off to a bright start to the season, hitting 30-point double-doubles in each of his first two games, including 38 points on 11-for-24 shooting in a win over the Hornets on Friday. Young hasn’t been too effective from long range, but he’s on fire from the foul line, where he shot a total of 33-for-37 over three games. He will probably continue to lead the charge in the scoring column among the current composition of the Hawks squad, but his ability to collect the assists is what takes his total value to elite heights. Young is averaging 10.0 assists per game through three outings.
Despite getting a veteran center Jonas Valanciunas in the offseason, the Wizards opted to run the big man from a bench role, giving the starting job to a rookie. Alex Sarr. Valanciunas was an all-time starter throughout his career and averaged a double-double for four straight seasons, before posting 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in 2023-24 with the Pelicans. So far, he’s put together two solid performances off the bench to start the season, but his numbers likely won’t compete with the top producers at the position when playing off the bench. On the other hand, Sarr finished with just two points in the season opener but followed up with 12 points and six rebounds in his next outing. The rookie also had two blocks in each of his first two games and should develop more of a comfort level with each passing day.
Long time splash brother Klay Thompson looked very comfortable in his new role with the Mavericks, scoring 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting in the season opener, followed by a 19-point display in his second outing on Saturday. Thompson is shooting 48.3 percent from the field and is 11-for-22 overall from deep through his first two games with the Mavs. He will likely continue to thrive due to the top level playmaking of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
When news that Kawhi Leonard‘s a lingering injury problem would keep him out of the lineup to start the season, it became clear that Norman Powell would have a chance to step up as one of the squad’s top offensive options. Powell turned in a respectable 17-point performance in the Clippers’ season opener, but the 10th-year guard stunned the competition with a 37-point display on 14-for-21 shooting in a win over the Nuggets on Saturday. Powell has had many outstanding scoring performances in his career, but with the current state of the Clippers’ roster, he has the opportunity to establish himself as a consistent high-level scorer.
Newbie Jay Huff is off to a solid start to his career, averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game through three games. Most notably, he made a statement in the Grizzlies’ win over the Magic on Saturday, where he turned in 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting in just 19 minutes of action. However, Huff still faces plenty of competition for playing time amid a relatively deep frontcourt, but his impressive play to start the season can only help his case going forward.
Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 29,000 points. The veteran shooter hit the mark in a win over the Mavericks on Saturday, where he finished with 31 points on 10-for-21 shooting. It was the second straight game that Durant scored at least 30 points, and he reached the 25-point mark in each of his three outings to start the season. Durant is shooting 52.7 percent from the field, including a total of 8-for-16 from deep through his first three games played. At 36, he remains one of the most feared scorers in the league and looks ready and able to help the Suns push for the top goal.
The electric Russell Westbrook made his debut with the Nuggets but turned in some underwhelming performances as he struggled with his shot, hitting a total of 2-for-18 from the field through two games. He will continue to fill a bench role for the squad and should find some more rhythm as he settles into the new surroundings.
Cam Thomas has regained his elite scoring touch, reaching the 30-point mark in two of his first three games this season. He is now established as the clear No. 1 offensive option among the Nets’ lineup. He can be expected to continue to fill it with multi-level scoring and a knack for getting to the foul line.
Tyrese Maxey set the league-high scoring mark at this early stage in the season with 45 points on 14-for-32 shooting to lead the Sixers in a win over the Pacers on Sunday. With an ominous injury problem plaguing the 76ers’ star players, Maxey remains a consistent point of hope and it looks like he can continue to build on the upward trajectory he’s shown over the past few seasons.
