Opening Night (part deux) is one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a lot of basketball, but you see that’s the best part of the experience — it’s a lot of basketball.
This is the part where I remind you I used to a be a video coordinator, which can lead to some psychotic tendencies when it comes to watching the sport. I like to have a rotation, games I know I want to watch and flip between those. You can play your way in, you can play your way out. I will absolutely find myself stuck on a game that I just did not see coming.
After absorbing a (whole lot) of basketball on Wednesday night, my biggest takeaway would be to tap in early this year. Tell a friend to tell a friend. The NBA Cup has generally done a good job of enhancing the underrated competitive aspect of the early season. But watching teams work to forge their identities and find success from Day 1 is very fun to see. Here’s what caught my eye:
Giannis debuts in Miami, but Wolves were on the prowl
If you wanted fireworks, you got them in Miami. There was no hesitation from Giannis Antetokounmpo in his Heat debut. He started the game with a midrange pull-up, then unleashed his trademark dynamic and dangerous play in transition. He had zero fear attacking anyone in a blue jersey (including Rudy Gobert): 14 points in 8 minutes in the first quarter, 21 points in the first half. The vibes were high in Miami.
But the vibes were also high for the Timberwolves. This is a unit that refreshed its identity this offseason, and Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball made sure to put a stamp on that in their first game together — a 131-106 victory. The duo combined to make 14 3s, while the Heat made only 8. Edwards had 21 points in the first half and ended with 45 on the night.
LaMelo allows Edwards to play off-ball more, and Edwards being able to fly off a stagger or off-ball screens makes him more sudden in the half-court. You know he’s going to attack, now you’re not always certain where or how. The tricky part is he can and will still take and make the shots that show he does not care about your defender or your scheme. And he did that over and over and over again in this one. When that blend hits, it’s tough to deal with.
Ball’s playmaking and passing were expected to elevate the Wolves’ offensive attack. His shot-making, though, adds another layer on top of that. He can attack early, he can attack often, he can attack when things break down. Combine that with continued room for Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels to stay aggressive and Jonathan Kuminga fitting in on both ends, and the Wolves appear ready to hit the ground running. The defensive effort, while not perfect, had a lot of activity, which is encouraging. They will need that base to unlock their offensive attack.
For Miami, it’s a reminder that the Heat will have to continue to build throughout the year. They attempted multiple things defensively which will pay off down the line. They will just have to navigate different types of matchups and the different challenges that pop up. The blend of Giannis with the Heat’s concepts looked great at times and rough at others. These are the moments you work through.
Vision of the Lakers on display
The Lakers no longer have the services of LeBron James and immediately pivoted to shift the roster around Luka Dončić. There was a feeling throughout training camp and preseason that JJ Redick had a belief in this team, having a different type of depth that could unlock a different version of the Lakers. Stephen Curry did not feel the same way, scoring 16 of the Warriors’ first 21 points against the Lakers on Wednesday. The trouble for the Warriors was they scored just 19 points in the second quarter, and 16 points in the third quarter, with the Lakers breezing to a 127-105 win.
The battle for the Lakers going forward is finding the right blend of offense and enough defense to sustain it. Luka Dončić is, was and will be Luka Dončić. Austin Reaves continues to feel unlocked within this context. Walker Kessler, quite literally did not miss a shot (12 for 12 from the floor) in his Laker debut. When all three of your new big three can put up 20, you can go home feeling good about the job you’ve done.
And for Kessler, when you put yourself in the company of Wilt Chamberlain (14 for 14 for the Lakers in March 1969; most shots without a miss in Lakers history, Kessler is now No. 2), you’ve done a great job. More important, though, was his work on the defensive end. His timing on his rotations and his ability to roam and protect the paint add a layer to the activity the Lakers want to provide on that end of the floor. The Lakers’ ability to get stops also unlocks Kessler’s ability to rim run in transition. As much as we want to tap the pick-and-roll button with Kessler, he’s shown a knack for cutting and flashing into open areas at the right time. The Lakers will have to continue to work to have this kind of success, but it’s key to get early success to further buy-in.
As far as Golden State goes, can someone please give Stephen Curry some help? Please.
The Klaw returns to Toronto (and the Bulls could not escape)
You could feel something special in the air as Kawhi Leonard made his official return to Toronto. As the Raptors introduced the roster, Kawhi came out and did the Klaw hand motion like he was the Texas Tornado. Then he hit an early 3, and it was very clear the Raptors were here to make sure the Bulls did not have a good time.
For Toronto to get 20+ points out of Kawhi, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley speaks to their future offensive synergy. But the real key was their defense. I cannot think of a worse team to face as you are working to build your identity than the Raptors. Size, length, activity, ball pressure, rotations. The Bulls had 27 made field goals; they also had 27 turnovers. If you’re not ready to execute against the Raptors, prepare for a series of precarious moments.
Damian Lillard, Portland enjoy basketball again
There was the moment in the Moda Center that everyone had anticipated for months. It was Damian Lillard’s return home, but it was Blazers PA announcer Mark Mason letting the world know he was “wearing the letter O” that sealed it. For the city of Portland, amid a sea of chatter that should never exist, the focus was finally on the court.
Wednesday night not only marked the return of Lillard but the debut of Ja Morant. It was Ja who hit a pull-up 3, and it was the Blazers who jumped out to a 21-0 run in this one. By the time you got to the Dame sequence of hitting a 3, rolling into a stepback from the logo, the crowd was ready and reminding the world basketball belonged in the city of Portland.
To the game, questions may abound about the guards the Blazers have and how it all fits. Many of the questions will be fair, but there is plenty of room for all of them to contribute and grow. Dame has room to be Dame without being overtasked. His off-ball movement and gravity will lift the team. For all of the talk about Morant, he appeared to play with a certain level of joy. Within the first six minutes of action, he hit a pull-up 3, contested a layup on a fastbreak, got into it with Devin Booker, dove on the floor to knock a ball off Collin Gillespie and forced a turnover. I don’t know if buy-in will be the full issue here.
I’m uncertain of what the Blazers will accomplish in this tough Western Conference, but their fight and belief shouldn’t be ignored. Lillard and Morant both have a chance to rewrite their stories. Do you think they are unaware? Do you think Jrue Holiday will ever take a day off? Do you think Scoot Henderson is worse for wear for being able to learn and play along those three? Do you think Robert Williams III is not happy to have a certain level of health? Do you think Micah Nori worked this hard for this long in this league to go backward? Adversity may knock on the door, but that shouldn’t ignore the ceiling — the ceiling for a team that has no business playing anywhere else than Portland, Oregon.
Tyrese Haliburton is back
We’ve known Tyrese Haliburton would be returning, and we’ve known what that would mean for the Indiana Pacers. He got the moment to prove it without a shadow of a doubt: a fourth quarter where he shot 4 of 4 from the field, 5 of 5 from the line and scored 13 points to help the Pacers win on the road in New Orleans in his first game since he tore his Achilles during the 2025 NBA Finals. He delivered a reminder of how much he raises the Pacers’ ceiling, and how they have the ability to shape shift, compete and attack to find a way to win.
It’s easy to forget how important that was to their formula to get to the Finals. Watching Haliburton and Pascal Siakam execute time and time again in the fourth was a clear statement: We’re not a fun team to deal with. And Ivica Zubac continues to have an undercurrent impact for this team with his defensive nuance and offensive ceiling.
I would be remiss if I did not give a salute to the Pelicans for their efforts. I believed in the talent of the roster, I believed in the coach, I wondered how the pieces would come together. This regular-season debut felt different. There was a compete level that could work to get the most out of this group. There was a Haliburton/Zubac pick-and-roll where Zion Williamson’s man was on the wing. Not only was Zion showing early help from the weakside, he stole the pocket pass to Zubac and the Pelicans scored on the other end. If they are going to compete defensively and complement each other offensively, this will be an annoying team to deal with.
Other notes
• Is everyone sure they know how good the Houston Rockets are? Like, imagine the defense stays at the same level but they play with more force and movement offensively. Imagine that the stops they generate actually turn into points on the other end. Imagine the reps that Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Co. took last year set them up for success this year.
Two possessions stood out to me. The first: the Rockets were up 14 in the second quarter, Kevin Durant gets the ball, and it looks like an iso. Alperen Şengün flashes from the block to the elbow and looks like he’s going to set a flare for Marcus Smart, but he slips, Smart slides to the wing, and KD hits him for a 3. The second: Şengün got a double team late in the second quarter, dribbled out of the post to the 3-point line, saw the double leave, and immediately drove left, spun and tried to finish. Little wrinkles mindset-wise can elevate Houston.
• Orlando vs. Atlanta was secretly my favorite matchup of the night. The Magic were working to find ways to get to tempo and ball movement in the half-court, while the Hawks were working to find help and rotate on defense. Atlanta was trying to execute in the half-court, while Orlando was trying to return to form in the half-court defensively.
Both teams played with belief. Paolo Banchero and Jalen Johnson played with a high level of confidence and comfort. Orlando wanted to get to a lot of inverted pick-and-roll. Atlanta was able to steal that game with Nickeil Alexander-Walker screening for Johnson. You should lock in on the Eastern Conference because the Magic jumped out of the gates and Atlanta responded with an early 29-9 run.
• I’ve said Ty Jerome’s game is decel and shoot stepbacks, what do you mean he did that to the tune of 45 points? Between that and the Cam Boozer fastbreak where he politely asked Jaren Jackson Jr. to move out of the way, it was a fun night for Memphis.
• I think the Washington Wizards are really fun. It was very funny to see Trae Young trade the preseason “I will get downhill and pass to anyone” for “I do remember exactly how I can draw fouls, so you know.” Young and Anthony Davis dropped reminders of how good they are with a roster of youth ready to compete. Kyshawn George probably should have made my breakout players if he’s going to drive to the basket like Derrick Henry.
• The Brooklyn Nets’ ABA throwback uniforms and court are phenomenal, and I think Julius Randle is going to have an outstanding year for them.