Back
The 2026-27 regular season is barely two weeks in, but the injuries have piled up across the board. Several NBA franchises will miss their best player for the foreseeable future. Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are two of the latest examples.
Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the unfortunate poster child for bad injury luck. They're completely decimated with injuries. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is all alone as their next three best players will be out for two-plus months.
On the bright side, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies have been the biggest surprise stories. For completely different reasons, too. The Sixers' star-studded cast has needed zero time to gel. And the Grizzlies' youthful roster is playing ahead of schedule.
Throughout the 2026-27 regular season, Thunder Wire will post weekly NBA Power Rankings. Here is the latest edition from the Oct. 26-Nov. 1 week:
It didn't take long for the Kings to back up all of their memes. They're off to an awful start. Not only being part of a bunch of non-competitive games, but they're also bleeding points. Zach LaVine is putting up numbers, but in a losing effort. He had 22 points in a loss to the Spurs. Honestly amazed that he's still around Sacramento. Guess he doesn't have a ton of believers across the league at being a winning player.
The Nets are another team expected to be at the bottom of the standings. Julius Randle has put up numbers. He had 24 points and nine rebounds in an overtime loss to the Celtics. Even though there's zero incentive to tank with the robust lottery odds, Brooklyn is designed to be bad. It has a bunch of veterans hoping to escape to a contender and young players learning on the job.
It's been quite the learning experience. Caleb Wilson had all of the hype. He had 23 points in a loss to the Celtics, but is still learning his way to be an efficient scorer. I think he's going to be fine. Chicago is letting him learn on the job. The learning curve might involve a ton of mistakes that cost you games in the short term, but it'll pay off in the long run. He's expected to be a franchise cornerstone. And I think he'll eventually go on a hot streak when he settles down.
Sadly, the Bucks won't punch above their weight. They're expectedly bad from the jump. Tyler Herro had 23 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Pacers. He's putting up numbers. Milwaukee is still figuring itself out. It has a bunch of notable names, but no real pecking order. It's going to be a long year as they're in the infancy stages of a rebuild. Remains to be seen if Herro is part of that for the long term or if he's going to be traded down the road.
Buried in a bunch of blahness, Jeremiah Fears has provided a rare spark of hope. The Pelicans are going through another down year. Maybe they finally decide to trade some of their pieces. Until that happens, though, New Orleans is stuck in this weird zone of being both bad and boring. But at least Fears provided some excitement. He had 22 points and 13 assists in a rare win over the Kings. A lot of the franchise's future falls on his shoulders. He had an up-and-down rookie year. Let's see if he can take the next step of his trajectory.
Like the kid who ended Omar in 'The Wire,' the Clippers have thrown a wrench into the NBA's major storyline. The Thunder go from a title contender to a team trying to rediscover their identity. Kris Dunn and Isaiah Jackson were part of two franchise-altering injuries that hurt OKC. None of it was malicious, but it showed the style of bully-ball LA will lean on. Even if LA is going to be bad, it's going to make you fight tooth and nail to get a win over it. That's their identity for now.
A lot of last year's magic hasn't been there for the Suns so far. Devin Booker only scored two points in a loss to the Thunder. Dillon Brooks was ejected in a loss to the Nuggets. Phoenix has failed to live up to last year's above-expectations year. That was the fear heading into the year. A bunch of their role players were due for some regression. We're seeing that play out right now.
All of the NBA nerds loved the Jazz. Including me. But a slow start has caused some panic. Defense remains a problem with that group. Sure, they can score video-game numbers. Giving up more on the other end makes that a moot point, though. Jaren Jackson Jr. is also expected to be out 6-to-8 weeks with a torn MCL. Absolutely brutal. He was expected to be a big piece in Utah. Now, he's out for the long haul.
The Pacers went through an early-season scare. So soon after his well-documented return, Tyrese Haliburton has sustained a hamstring strain. He will miss at least a couple of weeks with the injury. Uh oh. Obviously, Indiana is going to be super-duper careful here. They need their All-NBA talent to be healthy for the long run. As most know, hammies are famously difficult to get over if not treated right the first time. They could quickly fall in the standings, but it's a worthy price to pay to ensure he's good to go.
The Knicks are still trying to get their groove back. Sure, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds in a win over the Pistons and then Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in a win over the Bulls, but a second-straight loss to the Sixers has New York folks shook. I think they're still trying to get a rhythm. But let's remember, they were a pretty up-and-down team in last year's regular season. Nonetheless, they have to play better than this. Especially against their East rivals.
Injuries continue to haunt the Magic. In their latest one, Jalen Suggs is set to miss multiple weeks. He sustained a nasty-looking bone bruise in a win over the Knicks. Honestly, that was probably the best-case scenario. It looked a lot worse when it played out. Orlando is back in familiar territory as a couple of its top players will miss time with injuries. Desmond Bane had 28 points in a win over the Raptors. Health has been its biggest enemy in this iteration of the franchise. The top guys just can't stay healthy simultaneously.
Back to putting on the Superman cape. Giannis Antetokounmpo is being required to put up video-game numbers for the Heat to get wins. The two-time MVP winner had a 24-point, 18-rebound double-double in a win over the Hawks. Then, he had a 31-point triple-double in a win over the Pacers. Even though Miami captured its big fish, it still needs a lot of work to field an actual contender. Let's see how they operate the year under that basis.
The Hornets are still trying to figure out their new identity. Brandon Miller is now the franchise's most important player. He dropped a career-best 39 points in a win over the Wizards. It's obvious Charlotte has gone all in on him. He's now the face of the team. That might mean taking a small step backward in the interim, but they're banking on the coaching staff's vision and powers to make the most of their glued-together roster.
The wait is over. AJ Dybantsa made his NBA debut in a loss to the Cavaliers. He had 19 points. He missed the first four games with an ankle sprain. A lot of Washington's hopes are pinned on him. He was the No. 1 pick of a stacked 2026 NBA draft class, after all. Regardless if the Wizards regain a fun and competitive team this year, his development is the franchise's top priority for the foreseeable future.
Thunder fans know this, but the rest of the NBA world is realizing just how savvy a get Aaron Wiggins was for the Hawks. He dropped 20 points in a win over the Cavaliers. He's been the dream-perfect Sixth Man scorer. There's no question about his regular-season impact. It's the playoffs where his numbers drop off. But considering Atlanta is hoping to just be a competitive team, he found a good spot. They have a solid group of players. Even without a traditional NBA superstar, per se.
Every now and then, the Warriors turn back the clock. They're not an NBA dynasty anymore, but they're still able to pitch their fastball at times. Stephen Curry experienced that this past week. He scored a sizzling 44 points in a win over the Timberwolves. He then had 31 points in a comeback win over the Lakers. The 38-year-old can still put up buckets with the best of them. Golden State will rely on nostalgia to sell intrigue this year. Because they certainly don't field a competitive team.
The Raptors are another team that has been snake-bitten by injury. So soon after making his glorious return, Kawhi Leonard is dealing with knee swelling. He's expected to miss several weeks. Well, that's very ominous. This is part of the deal when working with him. He's going to miss time due to injury maintenance. You have to be extremely cautious with him. Especially this early in the year. I think Toronto should be fine in the short term, though. Scottie Barnes had 28 points in a win over the Magic.
Speaking of injuries, the Timberwolves also suffered a big blow. Anthony Edwards will miss two months with knee surgery. Brutal. Absolutely brutal. That caused a little bit of a panic in Minnesota. Makes you wonder why he didn't get the procedure done sooner. But life moves on. They're now going to have to survive these next couple of months. A lot will fall on LaMelo Ball. He had 24 points in a win over the Clippers. This is partially one of the reasons why you traded for him. He's a dynamic guard who can run the offense.
The Nuggets are back to being a high-scoring machine. That leads to a lot of fun nights. Albeit with a serious ceiling to your contender status. But Denver can worry about that another day. In a win over the Suns, Jamal Murray had 39 points and Christian Braun had 31 points. They catch a lot of flak as reasons why they're no longer a serious contender. But every now and then, they have offensive explosions like this.
Things have reached apocalyptic levels. Since last week, the Thunder have lost Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for the foreseeable future. The latter two will be out for most, if not all, of the 2026-27 season. All three sustained season-altering injuries in a win over the Clippers. Holmgren had a torn patellar tendon, Williams had a broken leg and Wallace had a torn labrum. Now, OKC navigates its new traumatic reality of going from a title contender to trying to rediscover its identity. This is all new and scary for one of the best teams of the decade.
The Cavaliers are getting their groove back. Evan Mobley had 27 points and Jarrett Allen had 25 points in a win over the Bucks. There's no question they've figured out the regular season. All of their skeptics point to their postseason success, though. That said, Cleveland has had some pretty decent success in that department with this group. We're a long way away from figuring out the real answers to those concerns. For now, expect them to continue to beat up cupcakes in the East.
One of the top surprises so far. The Trail Blazers have synced together a lot quicker than anticipated. They were one of the more polarizing rosters. Sure, they had a lot of big-time names. But how would they fit? So far, everything has gone well. Deni Avdija remains the top player, but he's welcomed taking on a lighter offensive workload. Portland has a couple of high-dynamic guards who can go off. Unfortunately, one will be out for a while. Ja Morant sustained a hamstring strain in a loss to the Grizzlies. His revenge outing ended short. Now, he'll be sidelined a couple of weeks.
It's been a minute, but we're seeing Luka Doncic put up textbook NBA superstar numbers. He had 52 points in a win over the Jazz. And then 41 points in a loss to the Trail Blazers. And then 45 points in a win over the Raptors. While the Lakers had an all-time meltdown in a loss to the Warriors, he still had 37 points. Los Angeles has gone all in on the MVP candidate. This is his team now. The newly-casted role players have been pretty nice, too. It's still going to be a while before we learn how serious this group is as a contender, but Doncic remains one of the best players.
Still extremely early, but the Mavericks look back. At least, in terms of being part of the contender conversation again. Cooper Flagg has looked like the next NBA phenom. Don't think it's going to take much longer for him to be a perennial MVP candidate. He had 26 points in a win over the Thunder. And then 35 points in a win over the Rockets. Kyrie Irving has also been the perfect Robin. He had 33 points in the latter game. Some folks might be surprised at Dallas being this good, this quickly. But as long as those two suit up, it'll be in the postseason picture.
The Spurs are rolling. After a 0-2 start, they've won four in a row. Victor Wembanyama dropped 43 points and six blocks in a win over the Timberwolves. Those are the types of numbers you see from a popular MVP candidate. Albeit the wins have been closer than comfortable. San Antonio is trying to rediscover its dominant regular-season formula from last year. Taking a little bit longer than anticipated to get to that point.
Despite offseason drama, the Pistons have started the year without a hitch. Cade Cunningham had 20 points and Duncan Robinson had 17 points in a win over the Nets. Roster continuity has helped them out. Detroit should be a really good team in the regular season. It looks to contend for the first seed once again. Even if Jalen Duren has to miss time with an injury. It's so early in the year that I wouldn't panic over it.
Like solid contenders typically do, the Celtics have routed some of the East's basement dwellers. They had a couple of easy wins over the Bulls. Sandwiched between was Jayson Tatum's best individual showing since he returned from his torn Achilles tendon. He dropped 40 points in an overtime win over the Nets. Boston is fully committed to this being his team. So far, the decision has paid off. It's been one of the best teams through the first couple of weeks of the regular season.
Easily the biggest surprise of the years. The Grizzlies have skipped a few steps in their rebuild. At least, for now. They remain the only undefeated team left. Cameron Boozer has looked like the best rookie by far. He had an 18-point triple-double in a win over the Trail Blazers. He followed that up with 27 points in a win over the Kings. Memphis is loaded with young talent. Goes to show how quickly things can change for you in the NBA. I think they're due for some learning curves soon, but there's no doubt that the excitement levels are through the roof there.
It's still early, but the Rockets look legit. They had another blowout win this year against the Thunder. Sure, they were depleted, but they took care of business. Jabari Smith Jr. continued a career-best start as he scored 30 points. The young guys in Houston are taking the next leap. Amen Thompson has been awesome. That has allowed Kevin Durant to go on autopilot in the regular season. A lot is still left to be determined, but there's no doubt they've been red-hot to get things started.
The NBA must be loving everything about the Sixers right now. They were already going to be the team to watch. That's what happens when you add LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in a single summer. But Philadelphia has wasted zero time getting in sync. James had 20 points to beat the Knicks a second time already this year. Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points in an easy win over the Hornets. The star-studded Sixers have lived up to the hype so far. That's a plus for a team you can shoo-in as an NBA main character because of all the celebrity personalities on the roster.
Back
Top
| Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact |
Refresh
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Scores Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Scores Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.