Record: 3-0

OffRtg: 121.2 (2) DefRtg: 103.4 (7) NetRtg: +17.8 (1) Pace: 98.2 (24)

Not breaking news: Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are really bleeping good. They almost blew a double-digit, fourth-quarter lead in Memphis, but they got two comfortable wins over good teams (the Lakers and Thunder).

Three takeaways

• So far, so good for the bench. The Nuggets outscored their opponents by 13.6 points per 100 possessions in Jokic’s 43 minutes off the floor. Some of that was garbage time on Sunday, but Jamal Murray and the reserves extended the lead early in the fourth, allowing Jokic to sit the final 13 minutes of the 33-point win.

• Transition defense has not been great. The Nuggets allowed 30.7 transition points per game (second most) in Week 1, according to Synergy tracking. That includes 39 in Memphis on Friday when Jokic had nine turnovers.

• Among 65 players with at least 35 field goal attempts, Jokic (68.4%) and Murray (66.5%) rank sixth and seventh in true shooting percentage.

No championship hangover yet. The defending champs come out of Week 1 (in which they faced some solid competition) as the league’s only 3-0 team and at the top in point differential per 100 possessions.

Their win in Oklahoma City began a stretch of five games in seven days, so the Nuggets’ depth should really be tested by the time they get to their back-to-back (against the Mavs and Bulls) on Friday and Saturday.

Joker casual half-court baseball pass lob 🤷‍♂️

DEN/MEM – Live now on the NBA App: https://t.co/htyakZeFve pic.twitter.com/NH5HP8n50u

— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2023

Week 2: vs. UTA, @ MIN, vs. DAL*, vs. CHI

Record: 2-0

OffRtg: 115.8 (7) DefRtg: 109.7 (14) NetRtg: +6.1 (10) Pace: 98.0 (25)

Kristaps Porzingis made an immediate impact, putting up 30 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in the Celtics win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. And with the score tied with less than two minutes left, he drained a 27-foot, pick-and-pop 3 that put the Celtics up for good. Two nights later, Derrick White was the star, with eight of his 28 points being all of his team’s scoring on the run that turned a two-point deficit into a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter against Miami.

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Celtics’ defense hasn’t yet reached the level we’re accustomed to them playing at, but their starting lineup allowed less than a point per possession in its 40 Week 1 minutes. Their starting guards — White and Jrue Holiday — combined to block eight shots in the two wins, with Holiday’s rejection of Jaime Jaquez Jr. on Friday being the highlight.

• They had five of their top six guys (the starters plus Al Horford) on the floor for about 60% of their total minutes. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser (who combined to shoot just 2-for-10 from 3-point range) were the second and third guys off the bench.

• Opponents shot just 8-for-20 at the rim when Porzingis was there to protect it.

Now that they’ve gotten through the Knicks and Heat, the Celtics have a good chance to run off a decent-sized winning streak to start the season, though the Pacers (who they’ll host on Wednesday) are also off to a 2-0 start.

The Celtics have a league-high 16 rest-advantage games this season, and the first is Saturday in Brooklyn.

Week 2: @ WAS, vs. IND, @ BKN

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 107.2 (18) DefRtg: 100.7 (4) NetRtg: +6.5 (8) Pace: 102.2 (10)

The great thing about having three stars is that when one is out, you still have two. But when two are out…

Three takeaways

• With both Bradley Beal (back) and Devin Booker (foot) out for their games against the Lakers and Jazz, the Suns outscored their opponents by 48 points (30.1 per 100 possessions) in Kevin Durant’s 69 minutes on the floor and were outscored by 31 points (55.5 per 100 possessions) in his 27 minutes on the bench.

• Though Durant scored an efficient 39 points in 39 minutes, the Suns’ loss in L.A. on Thursday was the third worst offensive performance (95 points on 105 possessions) for any team in Week 1. Their assist/turnover ratio of 0.67 was the worst Week-1 mark by a healthy margin.

• Josh Okogie is the fifth starter for the Suns and began the season by guarding Stephen Curry on Tuesday and LeBron James on Thursday. The two stars combined to shoot 4-for-9 (with no free throws) with Okogie as the closest defender.

Back and foot injuries can linger, so it’s already time to wonder how many games the Suns’ big three will play together. But there was some good stuff from Durant’s supporting cast against the Jazz on Saturday.

Even with all their star power, the Suns might be the less interesting team for their next three games, two against the Spurs and a visit to Philadelphia. Phoenix has won nine straight games against San Antonio.

Week 2: vs. SAS, vs. SAS, @ PHI, @ DET

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 110.3 (13) DefRtg: 105.7 (10) NetRtg: +4.6 (12) Pace: 100.2 (18)

They lost the opener at home, but the Warriors are 2-0 on the road! (They lost their first eight road games last season.) Draymond Green is back after missing the first two games, and Chris Paul coming off the bench (for the first time in 1,366 career games) worked pretty well in Houston on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Stephen Curry leads the league with 17 triples, with four of those coming on a 15-2, fourth-quarter Warriors run that turned a two-point deficit into a 11-point lead on Sunday.

• Even when they started the first two games together, the Warriors staggered the minutes of Curry and Paul, so that at least one of the two was on the floor the entire game. They scored 120.4 points per 100 possessions in their 48 minutes together and just 98.1 per 100 (105 on 107) in 49 minutes with Curry on the floor without Paul. But Paul (who’s 0-for-11 from 3-point range himself) was on the bench for Curry’s fourth-quarter flurry on Sunday.

• Team stats to monitor: The Warriors are 15th in free throw rate and 13th in turnover rate after ranking 30th and 29th last season.

Curry remains electric, so if the Warriors can just avoid getting killed by turnovers and free throws, they’re in good shape.

The Warriors are just getting started on a pretty tough, two-week stretch of travel, where they’re going from Northern California to the Southeast, back home for one game, and then back East again.

Week 2: @ NOP, vs. SAC, @ OKC*, @ CLE

Record: 1-1

OffRtg: 110.1 (14) DefRtg: 117.3 (27) NetRtg: -7.2 (24) Pace: 103.8 (7)

Damian Lillard’s Bucks debut was brilliant. His second game was brutal, and the 122.1 points per 100 possessions the Bucks allowed the Hawks to score on Sunday was more than Milwaukee allowed in any of its first 20 games last season.

Three takeaways

• After going 17-for-17 from the line against Philly on Thursday, Lillard didn’t attempt a free throw against Atlanta on Sunday. He was also 0-for-7 from the field with six turnovers in the first half, in which the Bucks were outscored by 31 points in his 17 minutes.

• Brook Lopez set 26 ball screens for Lillard over the two games, while Giannis Antetokounmpo set just 18, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

• The Bucks were outscored by 17 points (23.8 per 100 possessions) in 37 total minutes with their four full-time starters — Lillard, Antetokounmpo, Lopez and Malik Beasley — on the floor. Chalk some of that up to 3-point variance, as Milwaukee shot 7-for-30 from 3-point range, while its opponents were 14-for-29 from deep in those minutes.

Milwaukee is still undefeated (1-0) with Khris Middleton in uniform (and he was a plus-14 in 16 minutes against Philly), but it may be a while before he’s a full go on a consistent basis.

The Bucks’ three-game homestand concludes with a visit from the No. 8 seed that knocked them out of the playoffs six months ago.

Week 2: vs. MIA, @ TOR, vs. NYK*

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 118.6 (5) DefRtg: 107.7 (13) NetRtg: +10.9 (5) Pace: 100.2 (18)

James Harden was on the bench on Sunday, but it remains to be seen if he’ll play for the Sixers this season. This team is still pretty good without him, going 2-1, with only a one-point loss in Milwaukee, in Week 1.

Three takeaways

• Joel Embiid is averaging more than 30 points for the third straight season, but his passing remains under the microscope (because he’ll be double-teamed) and his seven turnovers in Milwaukee were a problem. In the Sixers’ two wins, he had 15 assists and just four turnovers.

• Tyrese Maxey is also averaging more than 30 points per game. And while 56% (14-for-25) from 3-point range is obviously unsustainable, it’s worth remembering that he’s an excellent shooter, one of four guys who’ve shot 40% or better on at least 300 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons.

• Harden has made 1,337 more free throws than any other player over the last 10 seasons. Without him, the Sixers still lead the league in free throw rate (35.9 attempts per 100 shots from the field). Maxey’s rate of 41.1 per 100 is up from 23.3 last season.

The fact that the Sixers haven’t missed Harden that much doesn’t mean that they don’t need to get as much as possible in a trade. They’ll just need to be patient.

With their first back-to-back in the books, the Sixers have three days off before facing the Raptors again on Thursday, Game 2 of a stretch where they’re playing eight of nine at home.

Week 2: vs. TOR, vs. PHX

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 116.4 (6) DefRtg: 112.4 (18) NetRtg: +4.0 (13) Pace: 104.1 (6)

De’Aaron Fox had a strong week, averaging 31.3 points pretty efficiently. And when the Clutch Player of the Year turned his ankle in the fourth quarter on Sunday, the Kings got a huge clutch win over the Lakers without him or Domantas Sabonis on the floor.

Three takeaways

• The biggest shots (on the Kings’ end of the floor) in that game were all 3-point attempts, a miss from Keegan Murray for the win at the end of regulation and makes from Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter in overtime. The Kings lead the league in 3-point rate, having taken 46.3% of their shots from beyond the arc.

• For the second straight season, they rank in the top five in both ball and player movement.

• In their eight-point loss to the Warriors on Friday, the Kings were outscored by nine points in Fox’s 8:51 on the bench. Overall, they were 30 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor than they were with him on the bench last week.

The Kings aren’t off to a bad start defensively, though they’ve fouled a little too much. Sabonis wasn’t available down the stretch of the Lakers game because he fouled out and the Kings have two of the five guys — Chris Duarte and Davion Mitchell — who’ve averaged more than seven fouls per 36 minutes.

Fox has a couple of days off to rest his ankle before the Kings will get another shot at the Warriors on Wednesday. Then they’ll play three straight games against teams — Houston (x 2) and Portland — that went winless in Week 1.

Week 2: @ GSW, @ HOU

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 106.4 (19) DefRtg: 110.5 (15) NetRtg: -4.2 (19) Pace: 101.0 (15)

The Lakers are in the Play-In group again.

OK, it’s too early for that, but they did go 1-2 against some of their best Western Conference competition, with the Suns missing two of their three stars when the Lakers beat them on Thursday.

Three takeaways

• The plan was to keep LeBron James’ minutes down, and he logged just 29 minutes in the opener. And then he was out there for 35 and 39 minutes as the Lakers played two close games on Thursday and Sunday. Over the three games, the Lakers were outscored by 36 points (36 per 100 possessions) in his 46 minutes on the bench.

• The Lakers rank fourth in both point differential in the restricted area (+13.3 per game) and on free throws (+6.7).

• Jump-shooting remains a problem. The Lakers rank 25th in mid-range field goal percentage (32.1%) and 26th in 3-point percentage (29.1%), with Gabe Vincent going 0-for-11 from beyond the arc in Week 1.

The defense will probably need to be better. The win over the Suns was ugly, but the Lakers couldn’t get enough stops against the Nuggets and Kings. Including the Phoenix game, the starting lineup allowed 113 points on its 89 defensive possessions (127 per 100).

The Lakers are tied (with Houston and Orlando) for the league’s biggest rest-advantage discrepancy this season, where they have five fewer rest-advantage games (7) than rest-disadvantage games (12). They’ll have one of each this week, playing with a disadvantage against the Magic on Monday and with an advantage against the Clippers on Wednesday.

Week 2: vs. ORL, vs. LAC, @ ORL

Record: 2-0

OffRtg: 101.5 (27) DefRtg: 93.6 (1) NetRtg: +7.8 (7) Pace: 102.0 (11)

The Pelicans’ first two games were the 11th and 12th of a possible 121 games that CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson have played together. They’re now 8-4 with the trio, even though their offense is off to a slow start (after an ugly preseason).

Three takeaways

• The big three each scored efficiently (combined true shooting percentage of 59.8%), but the Pelicans scored an anemic 80 points on 91 offensive possessions (88 per 100) in their 41 total minutes with McCollum, Ingram and Williamson on the floor together last week.

• The Pelicans were at their best offensively (81 points on 61 possessions) when McCollum was on the floor without the other two or when the other two were on the floor without him. Matt Ryan (who was claimed off waivers two days earlier) provided a spark (3-for-5 from 3-point range) in a 32-19 second quarter in Memphis.

• The Pelicans held their opponents to a point per possession or less in just one of their first 16 games last season. This season: two of two.

It’s possible that the Grizzlies just aren’t very good this season, but based on preseason projections, that was a huge win on Wednesday. The Pelicans don’t need to have any sympathy for a team missing key personnel.

New Orleans had a rest advantage when it held the Knicks to just 87 points on 100 possessions (the second least efficient game for any team in Week 1) on Saturday. The Pelicans will have another rest advantage when they host the Warriors on Monday.

WHAT A SEQUENCE FOR ZION 🤯

The poster AND the half-court lob ‼️#KiaTipOff23 | Live on the NBA App
📲: https://t.co/WfH3FJ6tZs pic.twitter.com/nQkBuR0xI7

— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2023

Week 2: vs. GSW, @ OKC, vs. DET, vs. ATL

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 120.5 (4) DefRtg: 103.6 (8) NetRtg: +16.9 (3) Pace: 100.8 (16)

The Clippers played a weak Week 1 schedule and lost to the Jazz (who are otherwise 0-2) despite shooting 53% in what was the most efficient performance for a losing team in Week 1. But more important is that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were in uniform for all three games.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers lead the league in effective field goal percentage (61.2%), ranking second in 2-point percentage (60.5%) and third in 3-point percentage (41.4%).

• The Clips rank 26th in defensive rebounding percentage through Week 1 and were last before they beat the Spurs (who rebounded just six of their 50 missed shots) by 40 points on Sunday. The Jazz’s 33 second-chance points on Friday were the most for any team in Week 1 and the most the Clippers have allowed in a game since February 2014.

• The starting lineup has outscored its opponents by 38 points per 100 possessions, the best mark among 22 lineups that have played at least 25 minutes. And that number was nearly as good (plus-33.4) before the blowout on Sunday.

The Clippers of this era have always been pretty good defensively. But having healthy stars gives them a chance to have an elite offense like they did in 2019-20 and ’20-21.

The Clippers have just two games this week, but their first back-to-back of the season, with their “road game” against the Lakers on Wednesday on national TV. The Clippers have won the last 11 meetings between the two L.A. teams, even though Leonard has played in only six of those 11 games.

Week 2: vs. ORL, @ LAL

Record: 2-0

OffRtg: 120.7 (3) DefRtg: 114.4 (23) NetRtg: +6.3 (9) Pace: 104.3 (5)

Last season, the Mavs were 3-11 in clutch games (those within five points in the last five minutes) with both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in uniform. This season: 2-0, coming back from late deficits against both the Spurs and Nets.

Three takeaways

• They scored 31 points on 21 clutch possessions, with Doncic’s 5-for-6 on clutch 3s capped by one of the most amazing shots he’s ever made (and there’s been a lot of amazing shots).

• The Mavs lead the league in turnover differential (7.0 per game fewer than their opponents), with Doncic and Irving having combined for 29 assists and just six turnovers (13/0 against Brooklyn on Friday).

• Dereck Lively II didn’t start the opener, but did start each of the next three halves, and over the two games, the Mavs were at their best (plus-18.0 points per 100 possessions) with the rookie on the floor.

Most important about Lively’s minutes is that the Mavs allowed just 106.8 points per 100 possessions, including just 94.6 in his 33 with Grant Williams also on the floor. The opponents shot well, but the Mavs limited fouls (Lively had just four in 48 total minutes) and rebounded well with him on the floor.

The rookie will get to face the best player in the world when the Mavs begin the In-Season Tournament with a game in Denver on Friday. Their other three Week 2 opponents all rank in the bottom 10 offensively after Week 1.

LUKA MAGIC.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SAY.

4 straight threes… each getting progressively more difficult and more clutch… to reach 49 points and give Dallas the win.

Special stuff from a superstar. pic.twitter.com/4uCvy2Qdfe

— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2023

Week 2: @ MEM, vs. CHI, @ DEN*, vs. CHA

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 108.3 (17) DefRtg: 112.7 (19) NetRtg: -4.4 (20) Pace: 100.2 (18)

After a strong start defensively (holding the Bulls and Cavs to just 102.5 points per 100 possessions), the Thunder ran into the champs on Sunday. And now they rank in the bottom half of the league on that end of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets’ 128 points on 95 possessions in Oklahoma City on Sunday was the most efficient performance for any team in Week 1. They made fewer 3-pointers (11) than the Bulls or Cavs and attempted just 13 free throws, but had 72 points in the paint.

• The Thunder have an inverted offense, where the starting guards — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey provide more offense inside, while the other guys shoot more from the outside. Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in drives per game (24.0) for the fourth straight season, also leading the league with 15 total assists on 3-pointers.

• The Thunder scored 114.0 points per 100 possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor and just 91.1 per 100 (82 on 90) with him on the bench.

The Thunder aren’t quite ready to compete with the champs, but two road wins are two good wins. And this is the first time in the last seven years that the Thunder have won at least two of their first three games.

Their six-game homestand continues this week with what should be three fun games, including a meeting with the similarly 2-1 Pistons on Monday.

Week 2: vs. DET, vs. NOP, vs. GSW*

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 109.6 (15) DefRtg: 114.2 (21) NetRtg: -4.6 (21) Pace: 101.0 (13)

The Cavs had double-digit leads in all three of their games, but needed some Donovan Mitchell heroics to get their only win. More important than the 1-2 record is that they had three starters — Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen — on the shelf in the third game of the season.

Three takeaways

• Four different Cavs scored at least 27 points in a game last week. Most encouraging were some of the post moves Evan Mobley made on his way to 33 points (second most in 158 career games including playoffs) against Indiana on Saturday.

• Bench minutes were not good. Georges Niang shot 1-for-12 from 3-point range (missing his first nine attempts) and the Cavs were outscored by 25 points in his 59 minutes on the floor.

• Somewhat related to the above, Max Strus led Week 1 in total minutes played (118.5) and is averaging 11.1 more minutes (39.5) than he did last season.

Health matters. The Cavs were 39-18 with both Mitchell and Allen last season, but just 12-13 when one or both weren’t available. The development of Mobley matters too, and absences provide him opportunities like he had on Saturday.

The Knicks absolutely clobbered the Cavs on the glass in their first-round series six months ago. We’ll see if they can keep that from happening again when the two teams play a home-and-home back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Week 2: vs. NYK, @ NYK, @ IND*, vs. GSW

Record: 2-0

OffRtg: 128.2 (1) DefRtg: 111.5 (17) NetRtg: +16.7 (4) Pace: 104.5 (3)

The Pacers have been a worse-than-average defensive team, but are tied with the Magic for the league lead in point differential (per game), because they had the second and third most efficient scoring games of Week 1.

Three takeaways

• Last season, the Pacers were the worst first-quarter team in the league. And though they’ve got three new starters, they still have first-quarter issues. They trailed 28-19 against Washington and 27-12 in Cleveland.

• While the new starting lineup struggled, the Pacers had the top-ranked bench in Week 1. Their top five guys in regard to cumulative plus-minus were all reserves.

• They have the league’s No. 1 offense, even though they rank last in free throw rate (14.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field). They’re first in turnover rate (9.6 per 100 possessions), with their three main ball-handlers combining for 48 assists and just seven turnovers.

They beat the Wizards and a Cavs team without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. So we’ll temper the enthusiasm a bit for now. But the Pacers could be pretty good.

They have two five-game homestands (their longest of the season) and two stretches of five games in seven nights this season. The first of both begins Friday with their In-Season Tournament opener, which is also their second game against the Cavs.

Week 2: vs. CHI, @ BOS, vs. CLE*, vs. CHA

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 105.0 (20) DefRtg: 106.6 (11) NetRtg: -1.6 (16) Pace: 101.0 (13)

You would think that a back-to-back in Week 1 wouldn’t be that big of a deal. But (having won in Atlanta the night before) the Knicks came out completely discombobulated in New Orleans on Saturday, scoring 12 points (with eight turnovers) in the first quarter and finishing with the second-least efficient offensive performance for any team in Week 1.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks shot a league-worst 44.9% in the paint in Week 1, with Jalen Brunson (7-for-22) and Julius Randle (6-for-22) combining to shoot less than 30% in the paint.

• The Knicks are one of two teams — the Jazz are the other — that rank in the top five in both offensive rebounding percentage (fifth) and defensive rebounding percentage (first).

• Mitchell Robinson leads individuals in offensive rebounding percentage and has more offensive boards (19) than defensive boards (15), though he’s also the only player averaging at least two steals and two blocks per game.

It’s obviously too soon to worry. We knew the Knicks had a tough early schedule, and (despite another ugly first quarter) they were right there with the Celtics down the stretch on Wednesday.

The Knicks have another back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, though both games (one on the road, one at home) are against the same opponent, a familiar one at that. They were 7-2 against the Cavs last season when you combine the regular season and playoffs.

Week 2: @ CLE, vs. CLE, @ MIL*

Record: 1-1

OffRtg: 100.0 (30) DefRtg: 94.0 (2) NetRtg: +6.0 (11) Pace: 99.8 (21)

The Wolves have held their opponents under a point per possession in two straight games for the first time since March of 2022 (before Rudy Gobert arrived). But the offense was even uglier on the Wolves’ end of the floor on Wednesday, so the league’s second-best Week 1 defense translated to just a 1-1 record.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves were outscored by 12 points and allowed 116.7 points per 100 possessions (84 on 72) in 36 total minutes with Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor together. They were a plus-32 and allowed 75.6 per 100 (96 on 127) in 58 total minutes with one on the floor without the other. Naz Reid was on the floor for 53 of those 58 minutes.

• The Wolves rank second defensively even though their opponents combined to shoot better than the Week 1 average from 3-point range. They rank fifth in opponent field goal percentage in the paint, third in opponent free throw rate, and second in defensive rebounding percentage.

• Anthony Edwards was 7-for-12 from 3-point range, but just 8-for-30 (26.7%) inside the arc, including just 4-for-16 in the paint.

The minutes with Reid on the floor with one of the other bigs were bad (minus-11.0 points per 100 possessions) last season, so a reversal in the first two games is promising. If Towns can find his 3-point stroke (he was 3-for-14 from deep), maybe the starters’ minutes will be better.

The Wolves had a rest advantage in their win over the Heat (who rested Jimmy Butler) on Saturday, and they’ll have another rest advantage in Atlanta on Monday night. Then they’ll begin their Western Conference schedule with the team that eliminated them in the first round six months ago.

Week 2: @ ATL, vs. DEN, vs. UTA

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 113.3 (10) DefRtg: 113.2 (20) NetRtg: +0.2 (14) Pace: 104.3 (4)

Team Even Steven has become Team Jekyll and Hyde. The Hawks began Week 1 with a loss in Charlotte and ended it with a 17-point win in Milwaukee. In between was a near-miraculous comeback against the Knicks, but Clint Capela couldn’t catch Trae Young’s lob with an opportunity to tie or take the lead.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks’ offense saw improvement in each game. That was mostly about shooting, but they also had 43 points on fast breaks and second chances on Sunday, up from 33 and 31 in their first two games.

• Young ranks second in assists (10.7 per game) for the second straight season and has gone to the free-throw line a ton. But he has an effective field goal percentage of just 32.7% (second worst among 125 players with at least 25 field goal attempts) and the Hawks’ offense has been better in his minutes on the bench.

• According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Hawks have used “blitz” or “show” coverage on 34% of ball screens, easily the highest rate in the league and up from just 8% (14th) last season.

With that more aggressive pick-and-roll coverage, the Hawks lead the league in opponent turnover rate (18.6 per 100 possessions). But they’re going to give up some weak-side 3s, and the Knicks were 20-for-44 from beyond the arc on Friday.

It was surely a nice flight home from Milwaukee, but it will be a quick turnaround for the Hawks, who host the Wolves on Monday, their first rest-disadvantage game of the season.

Week 2: vs. MIN, vs. WAS, @ NOP

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 104.1 (21) DefRtg: 110.8 (16) NetRtg: -6.7 (23) Pace: 97.8 (26)

The Heat added fuel to the “they don’t care so much about the regular season” fire, resting Jimmy Butler in the second game of their first back-to-back. They lost it and the game that came before it, having barely held on to beat the Pistons at home on opening night.

Three takeaways

• Their game in Boston on Friday was lost by the bench, with the Heat getting outscored by 24 points in a little less than 30 minutes with at least one reserve on the floor.

• Over the two games that Butler played, Bam Adebayo had a much higher usage rate (30.8%) than Butler (23.5%). (All three of Adebayo, Butler and Tyler Herro were about even last season.)

• Adebayo continues to take a lot of jump shots, with 37 (74%) of his 50 field goal attempts being 2-point shots outside the restricted area. That’s up from 63% last season and 55% the season prior. He’s 15-for-37 (41%) on those non-restricted-area 2s.

The Heat have just 13 back-to-backs this season, tied (with nine other teams) for the league-low. But if they’re liberal with resting Butler, it’s unlikely he’ll be eligible for any NBA awards. Again, maybe they (and he) don’t care about that. They were 9-9 without him last season.

The Heat don’t have any back-to-backs this week, but they will play their first game against the one that got away, visiting Damian Lillard and the Bucks on Monday.

Week 2: @ MIL, vs. BKN, vs. WAS*

Record: 2-0

OffRtg: 113.5 (9) DefRtg: 95.8 (3) NetRtg: +17.7 (2) Pace: 95.8 (30)

The opponents were the Rockets and Blazers, but a 2-0 start is certainly better than the alternative (like an 0-5 start last year). The Magic trailed in the two games for a total of just 4:58.

Three takeaways

• The Magic starting lineup outscored its opponents by 20 points (23.2 per 100 possessions) in its 38 minutes, even though the opponents shot well from 3-point range (10-for-23, 43%) in those minutes.

• The Magic outscored their opponents by a total of 50 points in the restricted area (+34) and on free throws (+16). That was the biggest such per-game differential in Week 1.

• Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner didn’t shoot particularly well from the field, but rank first (89 attempts per 100 shots from the field) and ninth (54 per 100), respectively, in free throw rate among 196 players with at least 15 total field goal attempts.

The Magic ranked fifth in free throw rate last season and were still in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency for the 11th straight year. They’re still looking for better shooting around their two young forwards, and the starting backcourt — Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs — was 2-for-10 from 3-point range over the two games.

The Magic were 1-12 in the second games of back-to-backs last season, the worst such mark for any team in the last six years. Their first back-to-back of this season is Monday and Tuesday in L.A.

Week 2: @ LAL, @ LAC, @ UTA, vs. LAL

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 101.7 (25) DefRtg: 102.6 (5) NetRtg: -1.0 (15) Pace: 97.6 (27)

The Raptors let one get away in Chicago on Friday, committing multiple bad turnovers and bad fouls as they blew a 17-point lead with less than five minutes left and lost to the Bulls in overtime.

Three takeaways

• Last season, the Raptors averaged 9.1 more shooting opportunities than their opponents, the biggest differential (by a healthy margin) in (at least) the last 50 years. But over their first two games this season, they had 29 fewer shooting opportunities than the Wolves and Bulls, allowing Minnesota to grab 16 offensive rebounds and committing 23 turnovers against Chicago.

• Their first two games were two of the four games in Week 1 in which both teams scored less than a point per possession. They had 34 fast-break points (most for any team last week) in their win over the Wolves on Wednesday, but still scored just 97 points on 101 possessions overall.

• As was the case with preseason numbers, the Raptors have seen the biggest jump in assist rate, recording assists on 70.8% of their field goals (third), up from 57.1% (26th) last season.

That jump in assist rate has come with the league’s biggest jump in turnover rate, and 23 turnovers killed the Raptors in that loss in Chicago on Friday. They only had 13 the following night against Philadelphia, but still blew another double-digit lead (early in the second quarter).

The Raptors will be at a rest disadvantage against the Sixers again on Thursday, and that’s the start of a four-game trip that concludes in Boston.

Week 2: vs. POR, vs. MIL, @ PHI, @ SAS

Record: 2-1

OffRtg: 111.8 (11) DefRtg: 102.7 (6) NetRtg: +9.1 (6) Pace: 98.7 (23)

The 2022-23 Pistons won two straight games only once, and those two wins came by a total of 11 points. After a narrow, opening-night loss in Miami, the Pistons have their first winning streak since before Thanksgiving of last year, having beat both the Hornets and Bulls by more than 11.

Three takeaways

• The Pistons lead the league in offensive rebounding percentage (38.1%). Jalen Duren leads the league in rebounds per game (15.3) and ranks fourth in rebounding percentage (20.6%).

• Despite the offensive boards, the Pistons have averaged fewer shooting opportunities than their opponents, because they have the league’s worst turnover differential (+8.3 per game). They rank 30th in turnover rate (19.6 per 100 possessions) and (despite some in-your-shirt defense in Charlotte on Friday) 28th in opponent turnover rate (11.1 per 100).

• Last season, Alec Burks had the best on-off differential among Pistons who played at least 500 minutes. This season, they’ve outscored their opponents by 31.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. That’s the fourth-highest on-court mark among 195 players who averaged at least 20 minutes in Week 1.

The Pistons rank sixth defensively after Week 1, and the positive context is that’s more about shooting in the paint (42.3%, second lowest opponent mark) than shooting from deep (the Pistons have limited opponent 3-point attempts). The negative context is that their opponents were teams that ranked 25th, 30th and 24th offensively last season. Better offenses are coming.

With their central location, the Pistons lead the league with 13 one-game road trips. The first two of those — to Oklahoma City and New Orleans — are this week.

Week 2: @ OKC, vs. POR, @ NOP, vs. PHX

Record: 0-2

OffRtg: 115.3 (8) DefRtg: 119.5 (29) NetRtg: -4.2 (18) Pace: 100.5 (17)

The Nets were Team Heartbreak in Week 1, blowing a six-point lead with 1:20 left against the Cavs and blowing a five-point lead 2:15 left in Dallas, with the difference on Friday being Luka Doncic’s ridiculous, late-clock 3 that hit off the glass.

Three takeaways

• As noted last week, while the Nets have the personnel to be a great defensive team, the results haven’t been there. And they rank 29th defensively after games against two teams that ranked in the top 10 offensively last season.

• The defense had bigger issues on the perimeter, allowing the Cavs and Mavs to shoot 41% from 3-point range, while forcing just 19 total turnovers. (They rank last in opponent turnover rate after Week 1 and committed 15 more than their opponents.)

• Cam Thomas ranks sixth in usage rate (33%) and was one of seven players with multiple 30-point games in Week 1, totaling 66 points on 25-for-40 (63%) shooting, including 16-for-19 in the paint.

Cam Johnson (calf) and Nic Claxton (ankle) both missed the Dallas game with injuries, and it’s somewhat encouraging that the Nets were competitive against what should be two good teams. But they enter Week 2 as the only winless team in the Eastern Conference and missed opportunities will hurt if they’re competing for a playoff or Play-In Tournament spot.

Some not-as-great offenses are coming up on the schedule and the Nets will play the Heat three times in the next four weeks. After their four-game trip ends with an In-Season Tournament game in Chicago on Friday, they’ll play 11 of their next 14 games at home.

Week 2: @ CHA, @ MIA, @ CHI*, vs. BOS

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 103.0 (22) DefRtg: 114.2 (22) NetRtg: -11.2 (26) Pace: 97.1 (28)

Zach LaVine had the highest-scoring game of Week 1, dropping 51 in Detroit on Saturday … as the Bulls lost by 16 points to what was the worst team in the league last season. They’d be 0-3 if not for multiple blunders from the Raptors down the stretch on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The Bulls have averaged a league-high 11.2 more shooting opportunities than their opponents, thanks to big discrepancies in turnovers and offensive rebounds.

• But they’re the only team that ranks in the bottom five in both effective field goal percentage (30th) and opponent effective field goal percentage (29th).

• Bench minutes seemed to determine the Bulls’ overall success. They outscored the Raptors by 29 points in Alex Caruso’s 32 minutes on Friday, but were a minus-35 in his 40 minutes over their two losses.

The good news is that the Bulls are undefeated in clutch games. But it wasn’t a good week for those hoping for a Patrick Williams breakout. The 22-year-old didn’t get a contract extension by Monday’s deadline and then shot 5-for-18 (1-for-9 from 3-point range) over the Bulls’ first three games.

There are six undefeated teams after Week 1 and the Bulls will play half of them in Week 2.

ALEX CARUSO HITS THE 3⃣ TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH 2.3 SECS IN OT!

WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/WfH3FJ6tZs pic.twitter.com/kE4hRbGotT

— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2023

Week 2: @ IND, @ DAL, vs. BKN*, @ DEN

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 110.8 (12) DefRtg: 122.2 (30) NetRtg: -11.4 (27) Pace: 101.8 (12)

A second straight 3-0 start was not to be. In fact, the Jazz got clobbered by the Kings and Suns. But in between, they got a nice win over the Clippers, with Lauri Markkanen scoring 35 points and Jordan Clarkson hitting a tough 3-pointer to take the lead in the final minute.

Three takeaways

• Throughout that game on Friday, the Jazz allowed Clarkson to get switched onto Kawhi Leonard. They did it one final time after Clarkson hit the go ahead 3, and he got a stop to seal the win. Counting that miss, Leonard shot 2-for-6 with Clarkson as his closest defender.

• The Jazz are one of two teams — the Knicks are the other — that rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.

• Having such a big frontline certainly helps on the glass, but the Jazz have been outscored by 25 points (29.3 per 100 possessions) in 35 minutes with Markkanen, John Collins and Walker Kessler on the floor together.

Size should also help on defense and Kessler is thought of as an anchor on that end, but the Jazz are one of three teams — the Bulls and Blazers are the others — that allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions multiple times in Week 1.

The Jazz are one of three teams with three sets of five games in seven nights this season, and they’re two games into the first of those five-in-seven stretches. They’re set to face another elite offense (that of the champs) on Monday, but some weaker ones are on the schedule later in the week.

Week 2: @ DEN, vs. MEM, vs. ORL, @ MIN

Record: 1-1

OffRtg: 108.9 (16) DefRtg: 116.9 (26) NetRtg: -8.0 (25) Pace: 106.8 (1)

Game 1 was an “Uh oh,” with the Wizards allowing the Pacers to score 143 points on 111 possessions, the second most efficient performance for any team in Week 1. But the Wizards were much better in their home opener, a rest-advantage win over the Grizzlies, who shot just 18-for-40 (45%) in the paint.

Three takeaways

• Jordan Poole ranks fourth in usage rate (34%). He hasn’t been efficient himself (true shooting percentage of 47.7%) and has more turnovers (9) than assists (7), but the Wizards’ offense has still been much more efficient with him on the floor.

• The Wizards lead the league in pace, though that’s more about their opponents (27.5 transition points per game) than the Wizards themselves (20). The 32 fast break points the Pacers had on Wednesday were as many as the Wizards allowed in any game last season.

• Wizards point guards Tyus Jones and Delon Wright have combined for 26 assists and just three turnovers.

Transition defense shouldn’t be as much of an issue if you’re sixth in (lowest) turnover rate. If the Wizards don’t clean it up (consistently), they’re probably looking at a bottom-10 finish on defense for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

The Hawks and Heat are both 1-2, so visits to Atlanta and Miami this week could be good measuring sticks of just how competitive the Wizards will be this season.

Week 2: vs. BOS, @ ATL, @ MIA*

Record: 0-3

OffRtg: 101.6 (26) DefRtg: 107.1 (12) NetRtg: -5.5 (22) Pace: 103.2 (9)

The Grizzlies lost their three games by a total of just 18 points, but only one (vs. Denver on Friday) was within five in the last five. They trailed the Pelicans by 17 and the Wizards by 15 in the fourth quarter before making a couple of too-little-too-late runs. It’s their first 0-3 start since the 2004-05 season, when Hubie Brown was their coach. (That team finished 45-37 and made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but got swept in the first round.)

Three takeaways

• Despite scoring less than a point per possession, the Grizzlies’ starting lineup outscored its opponents by five points in its 40 minutes. Bench minutes were not good, and in each of those two not-so-close losses, the Grizz were outscored by 13 points in the second quarter.

• The Grizzlies are the only team that ranks in the bottom 10 in each of the four factors (effective field goal percentage, free throw rate, turnover rate and offensive rebounding percentage) on offense.

• They’ve taken 46.2% of their shots (second highest) from 3-point range, up from 37.2% (16th) last season. That’s the league’s biggest jump. Eight of the nine Grizzlies who’ve played more than 20 total minutes have attempted at least nine 3s.

With a starting lineup that included Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams, we used to worry about the Grizzlies’ 3-point volume. With two of those three players not available, that’s no longer an issue. Overall talent and an ability to score inside is an issue, though the increased 3-point rate could add some variance to an offense that scored less than 105 points per 100 possessions in all three games last week.

The Grizzlies’ three-game trip that begins Wednesday in Utah and includes both of their games in Portland should offer three good opportunities to score more efficiently and get a win.

Week 2: vs. DAL, @ UTA, @ POR*, @ POR

Record: 1-1

OffRtg: 101.4 (28) DefRtg: 104.7 (9) NetRtg: -3.3 (17) Pace: 105.8 (2)

Brandon Miller scored eight points on a 19-9, fourth-quarter run that turned the Hornets’ opener around, with the rookie making more 3-pointers in the span of four possessions (two) than he made in the entire preseason (one). Miller had a highlight dunk two nights later, but the Hornets followed their win over the Hawks with a loss (at home) to the Pistons, scoring just 99 points on 108 possessions (92 per 100).

Three takeaways

• Mark Williams was in foul trouble on Friday, but the Hornets allowed just 105 points on 112 defensive possessions (93.8 per 100) in his 51 total minutes on the floor. That’s a great number for a starting center, but that opponent inefficiency was largely about 3-point shooting (6-for-33, 18%).

• The Hornets themselves shot just 28% (second worst) from 3-point range in Week 1. LaMelo Ball was just 2-for-14 inside the arc, including 2-for-11 in the restricted area.

• They rank second in assist rate, recording assists on 71.1% of their field goals.

The Hornets will go as Ball goes, and as good as Williams is defensively at 21, they’ll need to score efficiently to be competitive. Ball must find his rhythm all while not getting too shot-happy.

A loss to Detroit was a missed opportunity, but the Hornets’ easy start to the season continues with six more games against teams that either had losing records last season or had a losing record after trading Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. They’ll head out on a three-game trip after hosting the Nets on Monday.

Week 2: vs. BKN, @ HOU, @ IND, @ DAL

Record: 1-2

OffRtg: 101.9 (24) DefRtg: 115.6 (25) NetRtg: -13.7 (28) Pace: 103.6 (8)

Victor Wembanyama continues to amaze, and he made some big plays on both ends of the floor as the Spurs got their first win of the season (Friday vs. Houston). But while a strong preseason had the Spurs looking like a decent team, a 40-point loss to the Clippers is a signal that it’s time to temper expectations.

Three takeaways

• A 7-foot-4 guy can make a difference on defense. The Spurs have allowed 23 fewer points per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the floor (102.8) than they have with him off the floor (125.8).

• A point guard can make a difference on offense. The Spurs have scored 41.2 more points per 100 possessions with Tre Jones on the floor (120.6) than they have with him off the floor (79.4).

• Zach Collins shot just 1-for-15 from 3-point range, but did some nice work in the post against multiple defenders against Dallas, also getting a big post-up score (with a quick spin move) in the Spurs’ overtime win over the Rockets.

We’ll watch Wembanyama every night to see what he’ll do on any given possession. But we might need to be patient in regard to wins and losses.

Get your popcorn ready, because Wembanyama and Kevin Durant could be matched up quite a bit as the Spurs play two games in Phoenix this week. And it will be fascinating to see how Durant tries to score if he’s got the rookie one-on-one.

Victor Wembanyama puts on a SHOW and secures his first career NBA win in an OT thriller!

🔥 21 PTS
🔥 12 REB
🔥 3 BLK
🔥 2 STL pic.twitter.com/a0cYk5lPmj

— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2023

Week 2: @ PHX, @ PHX, vs. TOR

Record: 0-3

OffRtg: 101.0 (29) DefRtg: 115.2 (24) NetRtg: -14.2 (29) Pace: 97.0 (29)

The Rockets had fourth-quarter leads in two of their three games, but Jabari Smith Jr. had a rough finish (0-for-2 from the line before missing a wide-open game-winner) in San Antonio. Stephen Curry happened two nights later. Houston is off to a 0-3 start for the second straight season.

Three takeaways

• The Rockets have outscored their opponents on 2-point shots, but have the league’s third-worst point differential (-11.0 per game) on 3s and its worst differential on free throws (-8.0 per game).

• Their starting lineup has registered a positive plus-minus in all three of their games and outscored their opponents by 11.5 points per 100 possessions in its 56 total minutes. But they’ve been outscored by 29.8 per 100 in 93 minutes with at least one reserve on the floor.

• The Rockets are playing slower under Ime Udoka. They’ve seen the league’s second-biggest drop in pace, from 99.7 possessions per 48 minutes (14th) last season to 97.0 (29th) this season.

The Rockets don’t play the Blazers until Jan. 24, so they’re going to have to be better to get off the schneid. They got their first win in their fourth game last season, beating the previously undefeated Jazz with Smith going 4-for-4 from the line down the stretch.

Their loss to the Warriors on Sunday was the start of a seven-game homestand, with the next game (vs. the Hornets on Wednesday) clearly being the most winnable of the seven, because the Kings (x 2), Lakers, Pelicans and Nuggets are coming to town after that.

Week 2: vs. CHA, vs. SAC

Record: 0-3

OffRtg: 102.7 (23) DefRtg: 117.8 (28) NetRtg: -15.1 (30) Pace: 99.3 (22)

A seemingly bad team got worse when Anfernee Simons was lost for 4-6 weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Blazers struggled on both ends of the floor as they lost their three games by a total of 45 points.

Three takeaways

• Shaedon Sharpe replaced Simons in the starting lineup over the weekend and the new group was outscored by 24 points (scoring an anemic 31 points on 46 offensive possessions) in 22 total minutes against the Magic and Sixers.

• Deandre Ayton ranks ninth on the team (behind Skyler Mays) in usage rate, having attempted just 20 shots and one free throw through three games (74 total minutes).

• The one thing the Blazers have done well is grab offensive boards. They rank fourth in offensive rebounding percentage and third with 18.7 second-chance points per game. But they’re last in defensive rebounding percentage.

The Blazers trailed the undefeated Magic by just a point early in the fourth quarter on Friday, but then scored just two points (on a pair of free throws) over the next seven and a half minutes. It’s going to be tough for them to put four decent quarters together.

But it’s a good time to be playing Memphis, and the Blazers will host the Grizzlies for a two-game series this coming weekend.

Week 2: @ TOR, @ DET, vs. MEM*, vs. MEM