NBA Roundtable: Hot starts and surprises heading into 2024
With the first two months of the 2023-24 campaign in the books, theScore’s NBA editors answer some of the biggest questions around the league.
Who’s been the most impactful offseason addition?
It’s almost impossible to dismiss how instrumental Fred VanVleet has been in the Houston Rockets’ revamp. It would be wrong to say he’s done it alone – Dillon Brooks and head coach Ime Udoka also deserve credit – but VanVleet having the keys to the offense has made everyone around him better. Consider that Houston was a dire 6-17 at the 23-game mark last season. This term, the Rockets are 13-10 in the same span with three victories over the Denver Nuggets. With VanVleet off the court, the Rockets post their second-worst offensive and defensive ratings. An ideal veteran playmaker for a young core, he’s a reason why the club boasts the league’s second-best defense by efficiency and top-ranked defense in opponents’ points per game. – Jonathan Soveta
The Boston Celtics’ investment in Kristaps Porzingis is already paying dividends. The Latvian big man is averaging 18.9 points on a career-high 52.4% shooting. His post-up game and outside shooting have added another layer to the club’s potent offense. Porzingis has been equally effective on the opposite end of the floor, providing Boston with a bona fide rim-protecting presence. The veteran is among the league leaders in contested twos and is tallying 1.6 blocks per contest. Having Porzingis on the roster has also helped the team manage Al Horford’s minutes. – Chicco Nacion
It would be easy to chalk up the Philadelphia 76ers’ hot start to addition by subtraction after James Harden was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening days of the season. However, much of the credit has to go to new head coach Nick Nurse for invigorating a stale 76ers attack. Nurse has empowered Joel Embiid and Co. to push the pace, as the team sits in the top half of the league in tempo after ranking in the bottom six the last two years. Philadelphia is also crashing the boards at a much higher rate than previous seasons, a strategy Nurse brought over from his days with the Toronto Raptors. With the league’s best net rating by a country mile, all of Nurse’s strategies in the City of Brotherly Love are working thus far. – Matthew Winick
Which team’s hot start is the most sustainable?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a bona fide superstar who can carry the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs. The 25-year-old is on his way to making his second consecutive All-NBA First Team, averaging 30.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.5 rebounds while leading the league in steals per game with 2.7. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren has emerged as one of the league’s best young talents and a favorite to win Rookie of the Year. The Thunder aren’t just winning games by the skin of their teeth, though. There are only three teams in the NBA with a better point differential than the Thunder – the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the 76ers. -Thomas Tittley
There’s little reason left to doubt the Orlando Magic’s stellar start. After the team finished sixth-last in the league last season, head coach Jamahl Mosely and his staff have transformed the Magic by prioritizing defense; Orlando ranks inside the NBA’s top five defensive teams despite boasting much of the same personnel from last year. Another key factor is Jonathan Isaac’s return to health. The 26-year-old missed all but 11 games over the last three seasons due to a torn ACL followed by a torn adductor muscle, and, though his minutes have been limited, the Magic have their best defensive rating among their regular rotation when he plays. Once Isaac’s able to ramp up his minutes, the Magic will only become a tougher test. – Soveta
The Minnesota Timberwolves are legit. Anthony Edwards has developed into an efficient mid-range scorer, Karl-Anthony Towns is playing his best basketball on both ends, and a resurgent Rudy Gobert is anchoring the league’s top defense. Naz Reid continues to provide great value, averaging 13.5 points and 4.6 boards over just 22. minutes. Minnesota’s managed to come out of the gate strong despite some subpar outside shooting and problems taking care of the rock. The Timberwolves could become a much more serious threat if they can iron out those two deficiencies. – Nacion
Who’s been the most surprising player?
After a fantastic Rookie of the Year campaign, Toronto Raptors wing Scottie Barnes stagnated as a sophomore. And though his team has largely disappointed in his third season, Barnes has proven he’s a cornerstone the Raptors can rebuild around. Barnes’ points, rebounds, and assists are all way up from his previous two seasons, and, most importantly, he’s taken off as a shooter. After making an average of 60.5 threes at a 29% clip through his first two years, Barnes has already made 51 on 38.6% efficiency. Add his success in increased usage as an on-ball option, and Barnes has a case for being one of the best all-around players in the NBA. – Winick
Duncan Robinson and his five-year, $90-million contract was thought to be a sunken cost for the Miami Heat six months ago. The former Michigan Wolverine only played 16.5 minutes per contest last season and appeared in just 45 games. But the 29-year-old is having a bounce-back campaign, averaging career highs in points (14.7) and field goal percentage (47.9%). Robinson has also adopted a different role under Erik Spoelstra. The 6-foot-7 guard is now being asked to create off the bounce as well as act as a facilitator for others. This has led to career highs in usage rate, assist percentage, and field-goal attempts at the rim. Robinson has still managed to maintain his sharp-shooter status from behind the arc, knocking down 43.6% of his shots from downtown. – Tittley
Tyrese Haliburton’s talent was by no means a secret after his first full season with the Indiana Pacers in 2022-23, but the 23-year-old is emerging this campaign as one of the best offensive guards in the league. Not only is the sharpshooting ball-handler boasting a split of 51.5/43.5/87.6 on the season with 8.4 long-range attempts per game, but he’s been astoundingly reliable at creating good looks for his teammates. He leads the NBA with 12 assists per game, and he’s nearly two dimes per contest clear of Trae Young, who comes in second. Haliburton’s all-around offensive explosion even helped take the Pacers to the In-Season Tournament final, and, though they fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers, he was an indisputable pick for the All-Tournament team. Still only in his fourth season, it’s now fair to assume Haliburton has plenty more surprises in store. – Soveta
Who will be the first coach to get fired?
It’s been downhill for the Chicago Bulls since Billy Donovan guided them back to the postseason in 2021-22. Injuries to key players and roster construction have stunted the team’s progress. But Donovan is partly responsible as well. Despite having some talented scorers at his disposal, he hasn’t shown much creativity on the offensive end. Chicago is on pace to finish in the NBA’s bottom third in offensive rating for the third time in Donovan’s four-season tenure. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf has a history of keeping coaches employed for the duration of their contract. However, the firings of Fred Hoiberg and Jim Boylen are evidence that he’s at least open to moving away from that stance. – Nacion
This holiday season, Wes Unseld Jr. and the Washington Wizards should be thankful for the Detroit Pistons’ 23-game losing streak. The Wizards have only won twice in their last 22 games and have a point differential of -11, which is second-last in the league. They have also struggled to develop their lottery picks since Unseld took over in 2021. The most notable example is the 10th pick of the 2022 draft – Johnny Davis. The 21-year-old has only played a total of 551 minutes in his NBA career. Even though the Wizards picked up Unseld’s fourth-year option through the 2024-25 season, it might be time for an organizational reset. – Tittley
At 2-24, the Detroit Pistons have to think about moving on from Monty Williams midway through his first year with the franchise. There’s no denying it would be an utter embarrassment to fire the highest-paid coach in the NBA, who is owed nearly $80 million through 2029. But with the Pistons inching closer to the all-time record for longest losing streak – 26 straight defeats – and threatening the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats’ all-time lowest winning percentage mark, something has to be done. To be clear, few expected Detroit to set the world on fire this season, but bringing in Williams was supposed to spark a franchise that’s fallen on hard times and help develop the handful of young prospects on the roster. Spirits have never been lower in the Motor City, and management may have to make a move before the train derails even further. – Winick
