Record: 8-1

OffRtg: 119.6 (3) DefRtg: 108.6 (7) NetRtg: +11.0 (2) Pace: 100.8 (13)

As James Harden struggles with his new squad, Tyrese Maxey has established himself as a star and the Sixers have established the best record in the league. Their only loss was by one point on opening night and since then, they’re 8-0, with wins over the second and third-place teams in the Eastern Conference last week.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers came to Philadelphia on Sunday with the league’s No. 1 offense, having scored 121.5 points per 100 possessions through their first 10 games. They scored 126 on 100 against the Sixers, but that wasn’t enough. Maxey scored 50 points, Joel Embiid added 37, and the Sixers secured more than half of their available offensive rebounds.

• Maxey has seen another jump in efficiency (a significant one in true shooting percentage and a huge one in assist/turnover ratio) with another jump in usage rate. The biggest difference in his shooting has come in the paint, where he’s shot 59.6%, up from 53% last season.

• Losing Kelly Oubre Jr. for an extended time is a tough blow for both the team and player. Oubre was having, by far, the most efficient scoring season of his career and was also the primary defender on Jayson Tatum as the Celtics’ star was limited to just 16 points in Philadelphia’s win on Wednesday. While Maxey’s ascension is evidence that the Sixers don’t necessarily need another star, they could certainly use another starter (or two).

The Sixers will play the Pacers and Celtics again this week, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against Boston on Wednesday. That’s the next test, and it’s the end of this home-heavy stretch that they’ve had. Starting Friday, they’ll play six of their next eight games on the road.

Week 4: vs. IND*, vs. BOS, @ ATL*, @ BKN

Record: 7-2

OffRtg: 111.1 (16) DefRtg: 102.0 (1) NetRtg: +9.1 (4) Pace: 100.2 (20)

The Wolves might have the league’s most impressive resume. They have its fourth-best record, its third-best point differential, the No. 1 defense and the most wins (they’re 4-1) against the 14 teams that are currently over .500. Two of those four wins have come against the teams — the Nuggets and Celtics — that would probably be the favorites to reach The Finals at this point.

Three takeaways

• Poor 3-point shooting is a factor in that No. 1 ranking on defense. The Wolves’ opponents have shot just 31.3% from beyond the arc, and that mark has been below 30% in more than half (5/9) of their games. But you can affect your opponents’ 3-point percentage a bit by limiting corner 3-pointers, and only 21% of their opponents’ attempts (the league’s fifth-lowest rate) have come from the corners.

• The Wolves also rank first in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (50.8%). Additionally, the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come in the paint (46%) is the league’s sixth-lowest opponent rate. They also rank fourth in opponent free throw rate. So they’re defending the paint without fouling.

• The offense hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t needed to be, and Karl-Anthony Towns is coming around. After averaging just 16.7 points on an effective field goal percentage of 42% through the Wolves’ first six games, he’s averaged 24.3 on 69% over the last three.

If the Wolves can beat the Warriors again on Tuesday, they’d have a seven-game winning streak, their longest since 2003-04, the year that they went to the Western Conference Finals.

The schedule is friendly in that the Wolves have just one rest-disadvantage game (along with 10 rest-advantage games) in the first 11 weeks of the season. But it’s Wednesday in Phoenix, the night after that second Golden State game determines which of the two teams remains unbeaten in West Group C.

TAKEOFF 🛫
ANT WINDMILL.

NOP/MIN – Live on the NBA App
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— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2023

Week 4: @ GSW*, @ PHX, @ NOP

Record: 8-2

OffRtg: 117.6 (5) DefRtg: 108.2 (6) NetRtg: +9.5 (3) Pace: 97.9 (27)

The Nuggets swept a four-game homestand, picking up quality wins over the Mavs and Warriors. But they’ve lost their last two road games, with their defeat in Houston on Sunday being somewhat of a shocker.

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Nuggets’ bench has been better than it was last season. But Sunday was one of those games. Nikola Jokic had 36 points 21 rebounds and 11 assists, registering a plus-12 points in his 38:15 on the floor. But the Nuggets were outscored by 15 points (scoring just 10 points on 17 offensive possessions) in his 9:45 on the bench.

• The starting lineup with Reggie Jackson in Jamal Murray’s place has outscored opponents by 37.1 points per 100 possessions in its 97 total minutes (which include games before Murray was injured).

• The Nuggets lead the league in field goal percentage (50.3%), but rank last in free throw percentage (70.8%). The two guys who’ve been to the line most — Jokic (43-for-57, 75%) and Aaron Gordon (15-for-28, 54%) — are both shooting their worst percentage of their careers. Denver has also seen a drop in free throw rate and has been outscored by 4.4 points per game (the league’s third-worst discrepancy) at the line.

The Nuggets are also missing Murray, who’s shot 87% from the line over his career. He’s probably out another 10 games or so and while Jackson has had a couple of good games as a starter, spots No. 6-9 in the rotation remain under the microscope.

If the Nuggets have real road woes, we’re going to find out soon. After they host the Clippers on Tuesday, they’ll play eight of their next 10 games away from Ball Arena.

Week 4: vs. LAC*, @ NOP*, @ CLE

Record: 7-2

OffRtg: 118.5 (4) DefRtg: 104.9 (3) NetRtg: +13.6 (1) Pace: 100.5 (15)

The offense that scored an amazing 124.7 points per 100 possessions through its first five games went cold, scoring less than a point per possession as the Celtics lost (to two top-seven defenses) in Minnesota and Philadelphia. But they got back to dominating over the weekend, leading both games by at least 24 points as they swept a home back-to-back against Brooklyn and Toronto.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics have committed more turnovers than their opponents in six of their nine games. One of the exceptions was the Minnesota game, but they committed six turnovers on their 19 clutch possessions in the overtime loss.

• They’ve taken at least half of their shots from 3-point range in six of their nine games. No other team has done it more than thrice, though the Mavs rank higher in overall 3-point rate.

• The starting lineup has outscored its opponents by 41 points per 100 possessions in its 114 total minutes. That’s the best mark among the 18 lineups that have played at least 75 minutes through Week 3. It ranks first in both points scored and points allowed per 100 possessions among that group.

It’s not good that they lost to the Sixers despite a plus-18 scoring differential from 3-point range, but the Celtics’ two losses have come by a total of eight points. Boston (5-0 in non-clutch games) and Philadelphia (7-0) are the only teams that don’t have a loss that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes.

The Celtics, who are 14-1 in rest-advantage games since the start of the 2021-22 season, are back in Philly on Wednesday for one of three rest-advantage games this week. The exception is their In-Season Tournament game in Toronto on Friday.

Week 4: vs. NYK, @ PHI, @ TOR*, @ MEM

Record: 8-2

OffRtg: 121.8 (2) DefRtg: 115.6 (24) NetRtg: +6.2 (6) Pace: 101.8 (9)

The Mavs still haven’t played a very tough schedule. Only two of their games have come against teams — Denver and Orlando — that also have winning records as we enter Week 4. That said, they can only play who’s on their schedule, they’re tied for the second-best record in the league. Plus, they got three relatively comfortable wins (including one in Orlando) last week.

Three takeaways

• There were 22 seconds of clutch time in that Orlando win on Monday, with the Mavs on a game-clinching 9-0 run as the clock hit 5:00 in the fourth quarter. With that, they improved to 6-0 in clutch games and (with the Nuggets loss in Houston on Sunday) are now the only undefeated team in games that were within five points in the last five minutes.

• Luka Doncic had shot just 35% from 3-point range over the last three seasons, in part because he takes difficult 3s. But he’s 43-for-103 (42%) this season after going 10-for-18 in weekend wins over the Clippers and Pelicans. So, despite a significant drop in free throw rate, he’s registering the highest true shooting percentage of his career by a wide margin.

• The Mavs had been outscored in the paint by double-digits in seven straight games before outscoring the Pels in the paint (54-48) in New Orleans. Their 30 fast break points on Sunday were tied for their most in a game since they drafted Doncic in 2018 and, according to Synergy tracking, they’ve averaged 23.4 transition points per game, eighth in the league and up from 17.7 (29th) last season.

Some of their shooting numbers might be unsustainable, but more running is a great thing for the Mavs, who’ve probably played a little too slow over the last several years. They’ve also done a better job of taking care of the ball; Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 16 assists and just three turnovers on Sunday.

Their win in New Orleans was the start of a four-game trip in which the opponents all rank in the bottom 10 defensively, and the Mavs remain in New Orleans for their third In-Season Tournament game, having split their first two.

Week 4: @ NOP*, @ WAS, @ MIL, vs. SAC

Record: 6-4

OffRtg: 113.6 (7) DefRtg: 112.0 (17) NetRtg: +1.7 (12) Pace: 102.0 (7)

The Thunder are 5-0 against the Eastern Conference after handling two good East teams — Atlanta and Cleveland — rather easily last week. But they were the only team (East or West) without a win within their conference before they back from a six-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Phoenix on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Thunder are the only team that ranks in the top five in both effective field goal percentage (55.7%, fifth) and free throw percentage (85.8%, first). They have four of the 16 players with an effective field goal percentage of 55% or higher on at least 75 shots and who’ve also shot 80% or better on at least 30 free throw attempts.

• Josh Giddey is not one of those four guys (it’s the other four starters), he’s seen a pretty big drop-off in his shooting numbers, he doesn’t get to the line, and 4-for-19 from 3-point range is not a good complement to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder have scored 120.5 points per 100 possessions in 146 minutes with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor without Giddey, compared to just 112.5 per 100 in 175 minutes with the two starting guards on the floor together.

• The Thunder have gotten 45% of their minutes, the league’s highest rate, from rookies (23%, highest) or second-year players (22%, third highest). While they’re 6-4, the other seven teams that have gotten at least 25% of their minutes from first or second-year players are a combined 22-45. Six of them are at least two games under .500, while the Kings (eighth at 25%) are 4-4.

This team is good, but it’s still susceptible to some ugliness on offense (like we saw in Sacramento on Friday night).

The Thunder are in the middle of a stretch where they’re playing five of six games out West. The lone exception is their In-Season Tournament game against the Spurs on Tuesday, with both teams looking for their first tournament victory.

Week 4: vs. SAS*, @ GSW, @ GSW, @ POR

Record: 6-5

OffRtg: 113.4 (9) DefRtg: 111.1 (12) NetRtg: +2.3 (11) Pace: 100.4 (16)

The team with the lead at halftime has won all 11 of the Warriors’ games. Unfortunately for the Warriors, that’s been their opponent in each of the last three as they’ve scored 67 points on 72 possessions (93 per 100) over the three second quarters.

Three takeaways

• According to Synergy tracking, the Warriors have been outscored by 8.1 transition points per game, easily the league’s worst discrepancy. They’ve seen the biggest drop in the percentage of their possessions that have been in transition (from 16.6% to a league-low 12.5%) and its third biggest drop in transition points per possession (from 1.12 to a 29th-ranked 0.94) from last season.

• Even with the huge drop in transition points, the Warriors rank one spot higher in overall offense than they did last season. They’ve scored 1.7 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season, but the league average has dropped by 1.9 per 100.

• A couple of familiar issues popped up over the weekend, as the Warriors committed 20 turnovers in their (second) loss to the Cavs and 57 total fouls (resulting in 72 opponent free throws) over their two games combined.

Stephen Curry has cooled off (effective field goal percentage of 50.8% over the losing streak) and the Warriors haven’t found another way to win. They actually retook the lead early in the third quarter on Sunday, but then saw the Wolves go on a 35-18 run.

The Warriors’ six-game homestand continues with another game against the Wolves on Tuesday, this one with In-Season Tournament implications. Then it’s two games against the Thunder, who the Warriors edged (on Stephen Curry’s game-winning drive) in Oklahoma City in their In-Season Tournament opener.

Week 4: vs. MIN*, vs. OKC, vs. OKC

Record: 6-3

OffRtg: 113.1 (10) DefRtg: 108.1 (5) NetRtg: +5.1 (7) Pace: 96.9 (30)

The longest winning streaks (all of them active) of the young season belong to the Sixers (eight games), the Wolves (six) and … the Rockets! Houston’s six-game streak includes a 34-point, wire-to-wire victory against the Lakers and an upset of the Nuggets on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Alperen Sengun is having a breakout season, averaging 19.4 points (on an effective field goal percentage of 61.6%), 8.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists. He’s also cut his turnovers down significantly, from 13.7 (last season) to just 8.9 per 100 possessions used.

• The Rockets’ much bigger improvement has come on defense, where they’ve allowed 10.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season. A lot of that’s about 3-point shooting (32.2%, including 25.4% from the corners) that’s not necessarily in the Rockets’ control, but they’ve also seen a drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint, as well as a jump in opponent turnover rate.

• Good defense starts in transition, and the Rockets have allowed just 15.6 points per game in transition, fewest in the league and down from 27.2 (most in 19 years of Synergy tracking) last season.

The transition defense improvement was noted last week, but it’s so remarkable that it’s worth repeating, and the average has gone down in the last seven days. The Nuggets’ 11 transition points on Sunday were their fewest of the season.

It’s not a good time for the Rockets to have their longest (non-All-Star) break of the season, but they don’t play again until Friday, when they begin a three-game, four-day trip with an In-Season Tournament game against the Clippers.

Week 4: @ LAC*, @ LAL

Record: 6-4

OffRtg: 109.2 (22) DefRtg: 109.6 (9) NetRtg: -0.5 (15) Pace: 100.5 (14)

The Heat have followed a four-game losing streak with five straight wins. The bigger difference between the two streaks has been on offense, where they’ve been shooting better (especially inside the arc) and getting to the line more frequently.

Three takeaways

• The Heat are the only team without a lineup that’s played at least 40 minutes. Part of that is Kevin Love being taken out of the starting lineup, and part of it is more absences from their other starters. Only Duncan Robinson and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. have played in all 10 games and Tyler Herro is out at least two weeks after spraining his ankle on Wednesday.

• Robinson shot 1-for-10 from 3-point range on Saturday, but still had some critical buckets in the Heat’s win in Atlanta. The following night in San Antonio, he scored a season and game-high 26 points, with a transition layup that gave the Heat the lead with a little less than four minutes to go. Robinson has had at least four 2-point baskets just nine times in his 352 career games (including playoffs), and two of those nine times were over the weekend. For the season, he has almost as many 2-point buckets (23) as he had all of last season (25).

• The Heat’s ninth-ranked defense ranks in the bottom 10 in opponent effective field goal percentage. But they’re in the top three in both opponent free throw rate and opponent turnover percentage.

With a bottom-10 offense and a top-10 defense for the second straight season, the Heat are again playing a lot of close games. Nine of their 10 games (including all of their six wins) have been decided by single digits, and they’re comfortable being uncomfortable, as the saying goes.

The Heat have lost five straight games to the Nets, including a game in Miami in Week 2. The two teams will meet two more times in the next 13 days.

Week 4: @ CHA*, vs. BKN, @ CHI

Record: 6-4

OffRtg: 122.0 (1) DefRtg: 118.9 (27) NetRtg: +3.0 (10) Pace: 103.4 (3)

Over their last five games, the Pacers have scored an amazing 129.3 points per 100 possessions, 3.2 more than they scored in any five-game stretch last season. That stretch has included a big win against the Bucks on Thursday, but also two losses, because the Pacers’ opponents have scored pretty efficiently too.

Three takeaways

• There have been four games this season where both teams scored at least 125 points per 100 possessions. The Pacers have been involved in two of the four, and they’ve lost both of those games. They actually shot more effectively than their opponent in both, but they’re consistently getting outscored at the free throw line and they allowed the Sixers to score 30 second chance points on Sunday.

• Ranking first in offensive efficiency and third in pace, the Pacers have scored 126 points per game. That would be the second-highest average in NBA history (behind only the 1981-82 Nuggets’ 126.5).

• Tyrese Haliburton has 35 assists to Myles Turner (having assisted on five of Turner’s seven buckets on Sunday), the most from any player to a single teammate.

At 6-4, the Pacers are in third place in the East, and they just began a stretch where they’re playing seven of nine against top-10 defenses by scoring 126 points on 100 possessions on the road. The positives outweigh the negatives, though they’ve had a home-heavy schedule and will have to start defending at some point.

They remain in Philadelphia for an In-Season Tournament game on Tuesday. Then the Pacers will have what could be a pretty big stretch, games against the Magic, Hawks and Raptors.

Week 4: @ PHI*, vs. ORL

Record: 5-4

OffRtg: 113.0 (11) DefRtg: 116.5 (25) NetRtg: -3.5 (21) Pace: 102.4 (4)

A 5-4 record isn’t so bad on the surface as the Cavs, Lakers and Suns are all off to worse starts. But the Bucks’ record belies their point differential (minus-3.7 per game, 12th in the East), which is that of a 3-6 team. All five wins have been by single digits, while three of their four losses have been by at least 15 points.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks have, amazingly, scored 12.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Damian Lillard on the floor (107) than they have with him off the floor (119.5).

• But Lillard (who’s registered the worst effective field goal percentage of his career) certainly isn’t to blame for all their woes. As he’s missed the last two games with a calf issue, the Bucks have lost in Indiana and Orlando, despite 89 total points from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

• Antetokounmpo has an assist/turnover ratio of 0.85, by far the worst mark of his career. His assist ratio (12.1 per 100 possessions used) is the lowest of his career, while his turnover ratio (14.2 per 100) is the highest since his rookie season. He totaled 14 turnovers over the losses in Indiana and Orlando, committing two straight with less than two minutes to go in their two-point defeat on Thursday.

It’s not yet time to panic, but the Bucks have issues to work out on both ends of the floor. It also doesn’t help that Lillard is out and Khris Middleton has been limited to 20 minutes per game.

After Monday, the Bucks (23-7 against the West last season) will be the only team that hasn’t played a game against the opposite conference. Their first vs. the West will be a rest-disadvantage game against Dallas on Saturday.

Week 4: vs. CHI, @ TOR, @ CHA*, vs. DAL

Record: 5-4

OffRtg: 116.2 (6) DefRtg: 113.1 (18) NetRtg: +3.1 (9) Pace: 103.5 (2)

A four-game winning streak that included three (seemingly) quality wins had the Hawks in the top five last week. But what was the league’s third-ranked offense took a step backward as they lost two of three, including an important game against the Heat on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Their new (more aggressive) defense hasn’t been great, but the Hawks are 5-0 when they’ve scored more efficiently than the league average and 0-4 when they haven’t. Offensive success hasn’t always been about their shooting, as their loss to Miami came with both their highest turnover rate and lowest free throw rate of the season.

• Among 139 players with at least 75 field goal attempts, Trae Young ranks 134th in effective field goal percentage at 41.7%, by far the lowest mark of his career. But he has the third-highest free throw rate (53 attempts per 100 shots from the field) among that same group, and has shot 89.9% from the line, including 33-for-35 over the last three games.

• The Hawks rank last (by a healthy margin) in time of possession at 19.3 minutes per game. They lead the league in the percentage of possessions (21.2%) that have been in transition and they’ve averaged a league-low 13.5 seconds per possession.

The Hawks have still played a relatively tough schedule, with six of their nine games having come against teams that currently have winning records. They won’t have their first rest-advantage game until next week and they’ll be at a disadvantage when they host New York on Wednesday.

They’re one of three teams that haven’t played an In-Season Tournament game, but they’ll play three over the next nine days.

Week 4: @ DET*, vs. NYK, vs. PHI*

Record: 5-4

OffRtg: 111.5 (15) DefRtg: 104.7 (2) NetRtg: +6.8 (5) Pace: 98.4 (26)

The Knicks have won three straight games to climb above .500 for the first time. The opponents — James Harden and Victor Wembanyama — were the headliners on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, but the Knicks’ improved defense held the Clippers and Spurs to just 103.6 points per 100 possessions.

Three takeaways

• The last two games have been the Knicks’ two most efficient offensive games of the season, and have taken them from 28th to 15th in points scored per 100 possessions. RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle each scored at least 20 points in both games.

• The Knicks’ defense has allowed 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than it did last season. That’s been the league’s third biggest improvement, and a big part of that has been rebounding. They lead the league in defensive rebounding percentage (77%) after ranking 12th (72.7%) last season

• The Knicks’ bench had some early struggles, but probably had its two best games of the season last week. Their lineup with Barrett and four reserves outscored the Clippers and Hornets by 25 points in less than 23 total minutes.

If the defense can remain in the top 10 while the shooting recovers from a brutal start, the Knicks should be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference again.

Their win against the Hornets on Sunday afternoon was the start of the Knicks’ only stretch of five games in seven days, and they begin a five-game trip (their longest of the season) in Boston on Monday. The second games of their first two back-to-backs were the two times this season they’ve scored less than a point per possession, though it’s helpful that four of their five starters played less than 30 minutes against Charlotte.

Week 4: @ BOS, @ ATL, @ WAS*, @ CHA

Record: 4-5

OffRtg: 108.7 (25) DefRtg: 110.8 (11) NetRtg: -2.1 (18) Pace: 100.9 (12)

The Cavs have two wins in New York and two wins against the Warriors. Otherwise, they’re 0-5. But they’re mostly healthy and trending in the right direction.

Three takeaways

• After averaging a league-high 32.5 points on an effective field goal percentage of 63% through his first six games, Donovan Mitchell totaled just 41 points on 37% over the Cavs’ two games last week. But five other Cavs scored in double-figures as they won in San Francisco on Saturday.

• The Cavs have scored 118.2 points per 100 possessions in 109 minutes with Mitchell and Darius Garland on the floor together, but just 105.3 per 100 in 235 minutes with one on the floor without the other.

• One way in which the Cavs’ defense (which ranked No. 1 last season) has taken a step backward is opponent free throw rate (29 attempts per 100 shots from the field). Wildly, their opponents have attempted exactly 30 free throws in four of their last five games.

The four games in which they’ve had their full starting lineup have been the Cavs’ best stretch of offense. The defense isn’t yet where it needs to be, especially in regard to fouls and rebounds.

Three of the Cavs’ four wins have come on the road, and they’re halfway through a four-game trip. Their In-Season Tournament game against the Pistons is the start of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight at home.

Week 4: @ SAC, @ POR, vs. DET*, vs. DEN

Record: 5-5

OffRtg: 109.0 (23) DefRtg: 114.0 (22) NetRtg: -4.9 (22) Pace: 99.7 (22)

The Lakers are a 5-5, but are one of five teams that don’t have a win that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes. They’re also part of a more exclusive club, one of four teams — the Pistons, Pelicans and Spurs are the others — that rank in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers have built a better supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but still need both of them to be healthy. They had absolutely no defensive presence without Davis in Houston on Wednesday, when they allowed the Rockets to score 68 points in the paint. Without James on Sunday, they needed 41 minutes from Davis to get a six-point win over the 3-6 (and very short-handed) Blazers.

• The Lakers’ initial starting lineup has been outscored by 16.3 points per 100 possessions, so Austin Reaves was moved to the bench over the weekend. He averaged nearly as many minutes (31.9 vs. 32), and scored more efficiently than he did in most of his games as a starter.

• Cam Reddish, meanwhile, totaled 35 points as a starter in the two games, with his five 3s against Phoenix (including a big one that put L.A. up five late) being more than he’s made in any game in almost two years.

While the Lakers haven’t been particularly good overall, they do have three wins — two against the Suns and another against the Clippers — that could be very useful in the long run. They’re also 1-0 in the In-Season Tournament with their remaining games against the Grizzlies, Blazers and Jazz.

Their non-tournament win against the Blazers on Sunday began a stretch where the Lakers are playing six of seven at home, but they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Kings on Wednesday. They beat the Magic at home in their first rest-disadvantage game.

Week 4: vs. MEM*, vs. SAC, @ POR*, vs. HOU

Record: 4-6

OffRtg: 110.9 (17) DefRtg: 111.1 (13) NetRtg: -0.2 (14) Pace: 99.8 (21)

Bradley Beal made his Suns debut last week, but his new team is just 1-2 with him in the lineup, with the one win coming in overtime (after they blew two double-digit leads) in Chicago on Wednesday.

Three takeaways

• The Suns have had a halftime lead in seven of their 10 games, but have won just three of those seven. (The four losses after leading at the break lead the league.) The combined second-half scores of their losses (at home) to the Lakers and Thunder this weekend was Opponents 124, Suns 96, with Phoenix having almost as many second half turnovers (nine) as field goals (11-for-42) on Sunday.

• Jusuf Nurkic had the game-winning bucket in Chicago, but has an effective field goal percentage of just 43.5%, the 10th worst mark among 139 players with at least 75 field goal attempts.

• Two stars haven’t been enough. The Suns have been outscored by 15 points in 107 total minutes with Kevin Durant on the floor with either Beal (minus-6 in 55 minutes) or Devin Booker (minus-9 in 52 minutes).

Booker has now missed eight of the last nine games, so the Suns are 12% through the season and haven’t yet had their three stars all in uniform. Booker was initially listed as “doubtful” for Sunday, so that’s seemingly a step in the right direction.

The Suns’ first game against the Jazz was their most efficient offensive game of the season. They’ll play two games in Utah this week, with the Friday matchup counting toward the In-Season Tournament.

Week 4: vs. MIN, @ UTA*, @ UTA

Record: 4-4

OffRtg: 108.8 (24) DefRtg: 111.7 (16) NetRtg: -2.8 (19) Pace: 99.4 (24)

After losing their first three games without De’Aaron Fox, the Kings changed their starting lineup — Davion Mitchell out, Keon Ellis in — and have won two straight. It’s not great that they needed overtime to beat the shorthanded Blazers at home, but they got a quality, In-Season Tournament win in Oklahoma City on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The Kings have scored just 103.8 points per 100 possessions over their five of their games without Fox, what would have been their worst five-game stretch of offense last season.

• Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray have combined to shoot 28% from 3-point range this season, but both came up big in Oklahoma City. Murray scored the first nine points on a 17-6 run (that put the Kings back in control) spanning the third and fourth quarters, while Huerter hit a big, dagger-ish 3 late in the fourth.

• The Thunder struggled to defend the Kings’ play where Huerter comes from under the basket to take a handoff from Domantas Sabonis at the top of the key. Sabonis recorded his first triple-double of the season (17, 13 and 13) with seven of his 13 assists going to Huerter.

They’ve stopped the bleeding, but there’s still no indication if the Kings will get Fox back this week. And neither Ellis nor Mitchell provide much offensively.

The Kings are the only West team that hasn’t played a game against the East. They’ll host the Cavs on Monday before heading out on a six-game trip that hits only Western Conference arenas.

Week 4: vs. CLE, @ LAL, @ SAS*, @ DAL

Record: 4-5

OffRtg: 108.1 (27) DefRtg: 109.1 (8) NetRtg: -1.0 (17) Pace: 97.8 (28)

The Raptors have wins against two of the five teams that have won at least seven games, having beat the Wolves on opening night and the Mavs (on the road) last week. But they were very different wins — one ugly, one efficient — and it’s not yet clear what this team’s identity is.

Three takeaways

• Prior to last week, Pascal Siakam had a usage rate of just 20.8%, third on the team and down from 27% last season. But his usage was up over 30% for both games last week, and he led the Raptors with 31 points in the Dallas win. While he was 15-for-20 inside the arc that night, he’s missed 16 of his last 17 shots from 3-point range.

• The last two games have also come with the Raptors’ two lowest turnover rates of the season. But they’ve still seen the biggest jump in turnover rate from last season (when they had the lowest in the league), a side effect of increased ball movement.

• Scottie Barnes has three games (all wins for the Raptors) of at least two steals and two blocks after recording two such games last season (and three in his rookie year).

The Raptors are sometimes pretty good. But the new offense hasn’t found any consistency and bench minutes have been bad. Their first In-Season Tournament game — Game 3 of a four-game homestand — is against the same Celtics who blew them out on Saturday.

Week 4: vs. WAS, vs. MIL, vs. BOS*, vs. DET

Record: 5-4

OffRtg: 110.0 (20) DefRtg: 105.8 (4) NetRtg: +4.2 (8) Pace: 100.2 (19)

The Magic have impressive wins over the Lakers and Bucks over the last nine days, but their fourth-ranked defense suffered some slippage with absences from Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. They’ve yet to win or lose more than two games in a row.

Three takeaways

• Orlando’s win on Saturday was the first time this season that Milwaukee scored less than a point per possession. They didn’t have much to do with the Bucks shooting 12-for-25 from the free throw line, but still rank as the league’s fifth most-improved defense, having allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season.

• The Magic blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Hawks in Mexico City and scored just six points on 11 clutch possessions as they lost by one. They’re 2-3 in clutch games, but those two wins each had just a brief dalliance with clutch time and they’ve scored just 20 points on 34 total clutch possessions (59 per 100), having shot 1-for-11 on clutch 3-pointers. Paolo Banchero is 0-for-4, having missed a pretty good look for the win on Thursday.

• They’ve been 25 points per 100 possessions better in the first halves of games (plus-16.2, second best) than they’ve been in second halves (minus-8.8, fifth worst). That’s been the league’s biggest half-to-half drop-off and (with their loss to the Mavs on Monday) they’re one of four teams with at least three losses (they’re 5-3) in games they led at the half.

Banchero’s offense has been more consistent after an ugly October, but the Magic still need to defend at a high level to win games. They’re 5-0 when they’ve held their opponent under 106 points per 100 possessions and 0-4 when they haven’t.

The Magic are one of three teams that haven’t played an In-Season Tournament game, but they’ll play four over the next two weeks. Their two this week — against Brooklyn and Chicago — are both on the road and potentially important beyond the tournament.

Week 4: @ BKN*, @ CHI, @ CHI*, @ IND

Record: 5-5

OffRtg: 112.4 (13) DefRtg: 113.2 (19) NetRtg: -0.8 (16) Pace: 100.4 (17)

The Nets got Cam Johnson (seven-game absence) and Nic Claxton (eight-game absence) back last week, but first lost Ben Simmons (hip issue) and Cam Thomas (sprained ankle). So they’ve yet to play a game with a full rotation. Despite the injuries, they’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to, though things got a little hairy against the Wizards on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Nets have scored just 103.7 points per 100 possessions over their last three games, but have still won two of the three, in part because the Clippers and Wizards combined to shoot 18-for-77 (23%) from 3-point range.

• The Nets themselves shot a season-low 12-for-49 (24%) from 3-point range on Sunday, but turned 20 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points against Washington. Day’Ron Sharpe had seven of those offensive boards in just 19 minutes off the bench and has the highest rebounding percentage (22.1%) among 296 players who’ve averaged at least 10 minutes per game.

• In 400 career games with the Suns (including playoffs), Mikal Bridges never recorded a usage rate of 35% or higher. He’s done so seven times in 41 games with the Nets, with his 29 field goal attempts against Washington on Sunday being three more than he’d attempted in any other game.

The Nets’ only losses have come against the Cavs, Mavs, Celtics (x 2) and Bucks, and they’re looking very much like a .500-ish, Play-In team. But the next couple of weeks will help determine their standing in the East. Their next five games are against teams that enter Week 4 with winning records, though they already have a win in Miami, where they’ll play on Thursday.

Week 4: vs. ORL*, @ MIA, vs. PHI

Record: 4-6

OffRtg: 107.7 (28) DefRtg: 114.5 (23) NetRtg: -6.8 (26) Pace: 101.4 (10)

After a 4-1 start, the Pelicans have lost five straight games, and only one of five — their In-Season Tournament loss in Houston on Friday — was close.

Three takeaways

• It was noted in this space last week that the Pelicans got a win after trailing by at least 20 points, something they never did last season. But that doesn’t mean they want to be down big almost every night. They’ve trailed by at least 18 points in a league-high six games, with deficits of 31 (in Minnesota) and 29 points (in Dallas) in the last five days.

• They led a game (in Denver on Monday) by 20, but were outscored by 38 points (93-55) over the final 28 1/2 minutes. The Pelicans played four games last week and lost six of the 16 quarters by more than 10 points.

• With all their injuries, rookie Jordan Hawkins has started seven of the last eight games and ranks fourth among rookies in total minutes (first by wide margins in 3-pointers made and attempted). His 31 points (on 10-for-19 shooting) in Denver on Monday are six more than Zion Williamson has scored in any game this season.

Williamson has played in eight of the Pelicans’ 10 games, but that’s second most among their starters, and Williamson just hasn’t been as proficient as he’s been in previous years (when healthy). Health is the biggest issue, but the Pelicans just also haven’t been good when their best players have been on the floor.

They’ve also played a tough schedule. In fact, the Pelicans still have three games left on a stretch where they will have played 11 of 12 against teams that currently have winning records.

Week 4: vs. DAL*, vs. DEN*, vs. MIN

Record: 3-6

OffRtg: 112.9 (12) DefRtg: 111.3 (14) NetRtg: +1.6 (13) Pace: 99.5 (23)

Barring an injury, the Clippers’ first week with James Harden couldn’t have gone much worse. They lost all four games with their new point guard, scoring less than 105 points per 100 possessions in three of the four, with one of those losses coming at home to a team (Memphis) that was 1-8.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers have outscored their opponents by 24 points (16.8 per 100 possessions) in Harden’s 67 minutes on the bench over the four games, but have been outscored by 67 points (25.8 per 100) in his 125 minutes on the floor. The bigger difference has been on defense.

• But the offense has been pretty ugly (101.5 points scored per 100) as they’ve been outscored by 23 points in the 65 total minutes that all four of their stars have been on the floor together.

• Harden (17.3%) ranks just sixth on the team in usage rate over the four games, but Kawhi Leonard’s usage rate is down from 27.6% through the Clippers’ first five games to just 22.3% over these last four. He had just 6.8 ball screens per game set for him last week, down from 13.8 through those first five games, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

Going back to their last game without Harden, the Clippers have lost five straight. It’s the first time they’ve lost five straight games in which Leonard has played since he joined the team in 2019. Growing pains are to be expected, but a loss to the Grizzlies is not.

The Clippers now have to play the champs, but they should be able to get in some practice time this week, as they have two-day breaks after both of their In-Season Tournament games.

Week 4: @ DEN*, vs. HOU*

Record: 4-6

OffRtg: 110.2 (18) DefRtg: 113.5 (20) NetRtg: -3.3 (20) Pace: 97.7 (29)

The Bulls climbed from 27th to 18th in offensive efficiency over the last week, recording their two most efficient games of the season, with pretty balanced scoring both nights. And with their win over the Pistons on Sunday, their offense has climbed above the point-per-possession mark in the minutes with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic on the floor together.

Three takeaways

• DeRozan leads the league in mid-range attempts for the fourth time in the last five seasons, but his 28-for-80 (35%) from mid-range is down from 47% over the last three years. He was 4-for-17 in the Bulls’ first two games last week (badly missing a step-back for the win against Phoenix) before going 3-for-6 from mid-range on his way to 29 points (his most since Week 1) against Detroit on Sunday.

• The Bulls have seen the league’s fourth-biggest drop in ball movement from last season and rank last in assist percentage, having recorded assists on just 54.5% of their field goals.

• Less ball movement can result in fewer turnovers, and the Bulls lead the league in turnover differential, having committed 5.8 per game fewer than their opponents. They’ve actually committed fewer turnovers than their opponent in all 10 of their games, with the differential being 29-61 over the last three.

Games against the Jazz and Pistons have allowed the Bulls to stay afloat, but the schedule gets tougher this week. They’re three games into a stretch where they’re playing six of seven at home, but also one game into their only stretch of five games in seven nights. Their next six games are against teams that currently have winning records and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against both the Bucks and Heat this week.

Week 4: @ MIL, vs. ORL, vs. ORL*, vs. MIA

Record: 3-7

OffRtg: 111.7 (14) DefRtg: 119.1 (28) NetRtg: -7.4 (29) Pace: 102.1 (6)

The Jazz are 2-0 against the Grizzlies, but those are their only two wins in the last 16 days, and only the Grizzlies have a worse overall record in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Jazz have allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions six times, tied (with the Hornets) for the most in the league. They allowed more than 128 points per 100 over the first three games of the four-game trip that ended with a win in Memphis on Friday.

• The Jazz rank last in turnover differential, having committed 5.8 more per game than their opponents. Over their three games last week, their total turnover margin was 66-31.

• With Walker Kessler out at least two weeks with an elbow sprain, the Jazz have gone with just two bigs — Lauri Markkanen and John Collins — in their starting lineup, though they’ve been at their best (plus-7.0 points per 100 possessions) with Markkanen on the floor alongside Kelly Olynyk. The latter has the lowest usage rate of his career, but has shot 20-for-28 (71%) inside the arc and 7-for-17 (41%) from 3-point range.

The Jazz aren’t the feel-good story they were a season ago, but they have an opportunity to make up some ground in the West over the next few weeks. Their win in Memphis on Friday also began a stretch where their 28th-ranked defense is playing seven of nine against teams that rank in the bottom eight offensively.

They’ll also play both of their home In-Season Tournament games this week, currently 1-0 in the tournament after that win in Memphis.

Week 4: vs. POR*, vs. PHX*, @ UTA

Record: 3-7

OffRtg: 108.4 (26) DefRtg: 119.8 (29) NetRtg: -11.3 (30) Pace: 101.8 (8)

After winning two games in Phoenix, the Spurs have lost five straight, with a second loss by at least 40 points included. But they were competitive against both the Wolves and Heat over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs rank last in opponent effective field goal percentage at 58%. They had their best game in that regard (50.6% for the Heat) on Sunday, but Miami was 28-for-30 from the free-throw line and committed just seven turnovers.

• Victor Wembanyama registered a positive plus-minus in both of the weekend losses, and the Spurs have outscored their opponents by 19.3 points per 100 possessions in 136 minutes with he and Tre Jones on the floor together. As the Spurs lost consecutive games by 62 total points last week, the Jones-Wembanyama combo was a plus-1 in 17 total minutes.

• Devin Vassell is taking some tough shots (because somebody has to score), but is still registering career-high marks (by wide margins) in effective field goal percentage (60.9%) and true shooting percentage (63.5%). His 16-for-29 (55%) from mid-range ranks second among 35 players with at least 25 attempts.

The multiple blowout losses are still skewing the Spurs’ overall numbers quite a bit. But if you’ve suffered multiple blowout losses just three weeks into the season, you’re probably not a good team.

One of those blowout losses (at Indiana) came in the Spurs’ first rest-disadvantage game, and their second rest-disadvantage game is Saturday against Memphis. Before they get there, they’ll play a couple of fun In-Season Tournament games, including a rematch of what was an entertaining preseason game in Oklahoma City.

Week 4: @ OKC*, vs. SAC*, vs. MEM

Record: 3-6

OffRtg: 105.2 (30) DefRtg: 110.1 (10) NetRtg: -4.9 (23) Pace: 99.0 (25)

With Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson already on the shelf, the Blazers lost Malcolm Brogdon to a hamstring injury last week. So their offense (which ranks last) is now being run by Skylar Mays, who was on a two-way contract two days ago.

Three takeaways

• The league has averaged 112.2 points scored per 100 possessions. In the Blazers’ best offensive game, they scored 112.1 per 100. And that was the first game of the season.

• They actually lead the league in mid-range field goal percentage (57-for-111, 51.4%), with Deandre Ayton (12-for-20) and Shaedon Sharpe (10-for-17) ranking fifth and seventh among 75 players with at least 15 attempts. But they’re last in field goal percentage in the paint (51.2%) and 28th in 3-point percentage (30.8%).

• Seven of the Blazers’ nine games have been within five points in the last five minutes. That’s the league’s highest clutch rate through Week 3.

If almost all of their games have been close despite an anemic offense, the Blazers must be doing something right defensively. Only the Wolves, Rockets and Knicks have seen bigger drops in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season.

After their In-Season Tournament game in Utah on Tuesday, the Blazers will have played seven of their first 10 games on the road. A three-game homestand begins Wednesday and includes another In-Season Tournament game against the Lakers.

Week 4: @ UTA*, vs. CLE, vs. LAL*, vs. OKC

Record: 3-6

OffRtg: 113.6 (8) DefRtg: 120.8 (30) NetRtg: -7.2 (27) Pace: 102.1 (5)

The Hornets are 1-0 in the In-Season Tournament, having come back from a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit to win (behind a huge performance from Mark Williams) in Washington on Friday. But they’re otherwise 2-6, and they just can’t get stops.

Three takeaways

• They weren’t a good defensive team last season, but they were never this bad. Over their last seven games, the Hornets have allowed 125.6 points per 100 possessions, 1.4 more than they allowed in any seven-game stretch last season.

• One note for potential encouragement is that their 29th ranking in opponent effective field goal percentage is mostly about perimeter shooting. In fact, the Hornets are one of two teams — the Grizzlies are the other — who have a higher opponent mark on shots from outside the paint (57.9%, 30th) than from in the paint (57.0%, 13th).

• But the Hornets also don’t force less efficient shots. Their opponents have attempted 5.2 as many 3-pointers as mid-range shots, the league’s highest opponent rate.

Terry Rozier isn’t an elite defender, but with him missing the last four games, the Hornets have had rookie Brandon Miller in the starting lineup. Miller turned his ankle in the first quarter of a loss in New York on Sunday afternoon, when the Hornets allowed more points per 100 possessions (129 on 93, 139 per 100) than they did in any game last season.

They’ll see the Knicks again this week after they play In-Season Tournament games against the Heat and Bucks. It’s the start of a five-game homestand, the Hornets’ longest until late March.

Week 4: vs. MIA*, vs. MIL*, vs. NYK

Record: 2-7

OffRtg: 110.2 (19) DefRtg: 117.5 (26) NetRtg: -7.3 (28) Pace: 105.4 (1)

The Wizards looked like they were going to go 2-0 against the Hornets (and 1-1 in the In-Season Tournament), but blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead at home on Friday. They showed some fight in coming back from an early, 17-point hole in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, but couldn’t finish the job (committing three straight turnovers down the stretch) and have lost six of their last seven games.

Three takeaways

• The Wizards were destroyed on the glass in their losses to Charlotte and Brooklyn over the weekend. They allowed an amazing 48 offensive rebounds and 53 second-chance points over the two games. Their defensive rebounding percentage on Friday (46.9%) was the second lowest for any team in any game in the last eight seasons.

• With that, they’ve seen, by far, the biggest drop in defensive rebounding percentage from last season, when they ranked 13th. They’ve been playing small (with Danilo Gallinari at the five) when they’ve gone to the bench, but their defensive rebounding percentage has been lower with starting center Daniel Gafford on the floor (62.1%) than it’s been with him off the floor (66.2%).

• These last two games were the Wizards’ first two games that were within five points in the last five minutes. They scored nine points on 17 clutch possessions, while their opponents scored 28 on 18.

The Nets scored less than a point per possession on Sunday, but that was more about their 3-point shooting (12-for-49, 24%) than what the Wizards did defensively. And Washington’s defense will suffer with Delon Wright out with an MCL sprain.

In their first rest-advantage game of the season, the Wizards got a comfortable win over Memphis. Their second rest-advantage game is Wednesday against the Mavs, who will be in New Orleans the night before.

Dunk of the Night 😳

Landry Shamet takes flight for a huge dunk and gets the Wiz bench hyped 🔥😤#NBAAfrica #NBA pic.twitter.com/J0Atdq8Vmo

— NBA Africa (@NBA_Africa) November 9, 2023

Week 4: @ TOR, vs. DAL, vs. NYK*

Record: 2-8

OffRtg: 106.4 (29) DefRtg: 111.4 (15) NetRtg: -5.1 (25) Pace: 101.2 (11)

The Grizzlies’ list of unavailable players now includes Derrick Rose, Ziaire Williams and Xavier Tillman. Their starting lineup for the last two games has included Jacob Gilyard (5-foot-8 and on a two-way contract) and Bismack Biyombo (who was signed after they’d already played four games). But they got to play the post-trade Clippers on Sunday and held on after losing a 15-point lead to pick up their second win.

Three takeaways

• With losses to the Heat and Jazz last week, the Grizzlies are 0-5 at home. That’s just one less home loss than they had last season, when they recorded the best home record in franchise history (35-6).

• They’ve been a better-than-average defensive team, and have allowed fewer than 110 points per 100 possessions in five of their last six games. But only the Blazers (whom the Grizzlies have played twice) have scored less efficiently. The Grizz have seen a much bigger drop in their field goal percentage in the paint (-3.4%) than they have in their effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (-1.8%).

• Desmond Bane has seen a drop in the percentage of his buckets that have been assisted in each of the last three seasons, from 82.1% as a rookie to just 48% this season. He was assisted on just four of his 14 buckets as he scored a season-high 37 points in a loss to the Jazz (the Grizzlies’ one bad defensive game in these last six) on Friday.

The Grizzlies will play two games against bottom-10 offenses (those of the Lakers and Spurs) this week, and they’re playing just three times over the next nine days, a good stretch to have when you’re banged up. But that stretch includes a back-to-back where they’re hosting the rested Celtics on Sunday.

Week 4: @ LAL*, @ SAS, vs. BOS

Record: 2-9

OffRtg: 109.4 (21) DefRtg: 113.9 (21) NetRtg: -4.4 (22) Pace: 100.3 (18)

The Pistons had fourth-quarter leads against the Warriors and Bucks, and they were up 16 in the second quarter against the Sixers last week. But those leads all disappeared and they’ve lost eight straight games and now have the league’s worst record for the second straight season.

Three takeaways

• While they have the league’s worst record, the Pistons rank 22nd in point differential. Some of that is comebacks that came way too late, but they’re also 1-4 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, having scored just 20 points on 35 clutch possessions (57 per 100). You know they don’t have much offensively (and are missing key vets) when Isaiah Stewart has taken the second most clutch shots (he’s 2-for-9) on the team.

• Turnovers and free throws. The Pistons rank 29th in turnover differential (5.5 more than their opponents) and 30th in free throw differential, having been outscored by 7.7 points per game at the line.

• Ausur Thompson has grabbed 15.6% of available rebounds when he’s been on the floor. That’s, by far, the highest rate among 153 players 6-6 or shorter who’ve averaged at least 10 minutes per game and it would be the highest rate for a player 6-6 and shorter in the last 18 seasons (since Chuck Hayes — 16.9% — in 2005-06).

The Pistons got Alec Burks back from a six-game absence on Sunday and, appropriately, he registered a plus-6 in 21 minutes off the bench. But some good bench minutes were not enough in a loss in Chicago, the Pistons’ worst defensive performance of the season.

Week 4: vs. ATL*, @ CLE*, @ TOR