We’re in the thick of it now, folks! The Dallas Mavericks are imploding, as are the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. Trade season is not here yet but it’s somewhere in the distance. We can see it, it can see us, but we’re not there yet.
There is still basketball to be played. Nothing is set in stone. Even the teams facing impending doom have a chance to course-correct. Let’s get cracking on five observations from another week of NBA basketball (read last week’s here).
No. 1: The Los Angeles Clippers Are Bad
The Clippers loaded up on depth this summer, adding John Collins, Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal and Chris Paul. The intent was to give them a front-court boost and work in some new ball-handlers to alleviate pressure off of James Harden.
The results? They’ve looked old.
Through 10 games, the Clippers are 3-7, including five straight losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns (twice) and Atlanta Hawks without Trae Young. It’s looked downright bad, with little to no signs of improvement.
Their problems are on both ends. It seems like they’re having trouble getting up and down the floor. The Clippers rank 25th in transition offense and 29th in transition frequency. They’re 29th in transition defense — teams score 6.4 more fast-break points per 100 possessions against them than the league average.
Their turnover issue hasn’t helped matters either. The Clippers cough the ball up on 17.2 percent of their possessions, tied for 28th in the league. Harden shouldn’t be blamed for this part, despite his rather inefficient start to the season. The 36-year-old is just being asked to do way too much. The Clippers are 20.9 points better per 100 possessions with Harden on the floor.
He needs help. And fast.
Maybe, the coaching staff needs to bring back these shirts.
Jeff Van Gundy inspired these shirts that all Clippers coaches were wearing today at practice.
“Get The F.U.C.K. Back” pic.twitter.com/OtX1l1Y63a
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 30, 2025
No. 2: The Speedster Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers are fun to watch. In fact, this is probably the most fun I’ve had watching them since Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams were on the roster. Maybe, I’m just partial to fast, electric guards donning the iconic black Sixers jerseys of the early 200s. But this new-look team, led by Tyrese Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes, has me in a chokehold.
I have labelled them the “Speedster Sixers” but they don’t necessarily live in transition. They’re 21st in transition frequency, despite being among the top 10 in efficiency.
Their speediness actually comes in the half-court. The Sixers are 7-4 with the seventh-best offense overall and 12th-best half-court efficiency. While Maxey, Edgecombe and Grimes do an excellent job of attacking closeouts and getting defenses in rotation, it’s also been remarkable to see how unselfishly they play as a unit.
The Sixers are in the bottom five in points coming after zero or one pass, according to Synergy. By contrast, they are second only to the Golden State Warriors in points after four or more passes. It’s no surprise their leader, Maxey, is off to a career start as a playmaker, averaging 8.3 assists a night, while adding in 32 points per game on ridiculous 61 percent true shooting.
No matter how talented they are individually, the Sixers are learning a very good lesson: the ball can move faster than any player.
this sequence. pic.twitter.com/mc3HShhBjr
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 12, 2025
No. 3: Jrue Holiday, Turning Back The Clocks
Speaking of Holiday’s time with the Sixers, it feels and looks like he’s 22 years old again. Holiday is averaging 17 points, five rebounds and a career-high 8.1 assists per game while leading the charge for the Portland Trail Blazers‘ frenetic point-of-attack defense.
These are most points Holiday has average since his 2022-23 All-Star campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s also taking 7.1 3-point attempts a night, nearly three more attempts than his career average, and knocking down 35 percent of those looks.
Coming into the season, there were a lot of questions about where the Blazers would find scoring on the roster. Deni Avdija has been remarkable in that regard, averaging a career-high 25.5 points on 62 percent true-shooting, and Jerami Grant’s 19.7 points per game off the bench have been a welcomed presence. But what the 35-year-old Holiday is doing should be seen as equally impressive.
He always had it in him to score like this. The only difference is on the Blazers, he’s required to do so.
Jrue Holiday is a mad man. pic.twitter.com/ixV0UOvX2l
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) November 6, 2025
No. 4: Jalen Duren’s Dominance
It’s been an incredible start for the Detroit Pistons, which are 9-2 with the third-best defense in the league. They’ve done this despite injuries in their rotation. They haven’t had Jaden Ivey suit up yet while both Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart have been out the last few games. Regardless, they’ve been chugging along, dominating.
A big reason is Jalen Duren’s breakout campaign. The 21-year-old is averaging career-highs in points (19.4), rebounds (12), steals (1.1) and blocks (1.2) per game on career-best 70.5 percent true shooting. The Pistons are 11.6 points better per 100 possessions when he is on the floor. That’s the highest mark on the team, even ahead of Cade Cunningham.
Offensive dominance goes hand in hand with his comfort as a roll man in ball-screens. But the real growth has been defensively. The Pistons’ defense is predicated on a no-middle scheme. They don’t want anyone to get inside the paint — they allow the league’s third-fewest points in the paint. But even when opponents do, Duren limits them to just 50 shooting at the basket.
The big man has been brilliant on both ends. If he continues to play like this, he’ll solidify himself as Cunningham’s long-term running mate and play his way into the All-Star conversation.
jalen duren 2025-26 self-creation https://t.co/8JjLjt01WO pic.twitter.com/WuejYMP3Zl
— iris! 🏳️⚧️ (@irisnuke) November 10, 2025
No. 5: Dyson Daniels, Leading The Charge
The Atlanta Hawks are 4-2 since Trae Young went down with a knee injury Oct. 29. During those 6.5 games without Young, Dyson Daniels has compiled 50 assists and just 15 turnovers. Without their pick-and-roll point guard leading the way, the Hawks have leaned on Daniels and he’s made the most of his extra opportunities.
They’ve also been forced to play a different brand of basketball. They’re No. 1 in the NBA in scoring off of cuts, generating 1.536 points per possession. They also do it frequently, ranking among the top 10 in cutting volume.
A big part of that has been Daniels and his knack for finding teammates who dart inside.
Dyson Daniels finding cutters has been fun: https://t.co/M2aoxcnIn1 pic.twitter.com/CZWZ8W0Y4b
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) November 12, 2025
