What do the Lakers look like when LeBron returns? (0:46)Mark Spears is uncertain what sort of adjustments the Lakers will make when LeBron James returns to the court. (0:46)
In the East, the Chicago Bulls have jumped to a surprising hot start, going 6-1 and in an early standings race with the Philadelphia 76ers, who seemed to have shaken their injury bug from last season.
In the West, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have proved why continuity will serve them well this season. They remain the only undefeated team left. The Los Angeles Lakers, still without LeBron James, are 6-2. This is the best eight-game stretch his NBA team has had without him in the lineup.
In addition to our weekly rankings, our NBA insiders chose a newcomer — defined by a rookie, offseason addition or new coach — who has made an impact already for each team. From Mike Brown’s arrival in New York to Cooper Flagg’s warm welcome in Dallas, these are the 30 players and coaches who impressed in the first week of the season.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong this season.
It’s been a bumpy transition for Cameron Johnson after replacing Michael Porter Jr. in Denver’s starting lineup after they were traded for each other. Johnson is dealing with right shoulder inflammation while trying to work his way out of an early-season shooting funk (40.0% from the floor, 25.0% from 3-point range). Hardaway Jr. has been the Nuggets’ most impactful newcomer, averaging 10.2 points off the bench while shooting 44.8% from deep. — Tim MacMahon
There have been few newcomers to make a bigger impact with their team this season than Edgecombe, the sensational rookie guard out of Baylor whom Philadelphia snagged with the third pick in June’s NBA draft. Edgecombe is making all of the pain of last season’s miserable campaign for the 76ers worth it, as he entered Tuesday night’s game averaging 20.3 points — miles ahead of anyone else in the class — while shooting over 49% overall and 42% from 3. — Tim Bontemps
The Bulls brought back nearly their entire roster from last season but added Okoro to the mix to help build a defensive identity in the starting lineup. Chicago entered the week ranked 12th in defense and has been one of the surprise teams even though Okoro has struggled, averaging six points while shooting 38.5% from the field (29.4% from 3) and has just two steals in six games. — Collier
Joining the Bucks made Turner a villain in Indiana, the place where he spent the first decade of his career. Turner was greeted with boos in his return Monday, but Bucks players made it a point to win the game for their newest teammate. Turner is off to a modest start offensively — 9.7 points on 39.7% shooting, but coach Doc Rivers has lauded his defense and intangibles to boost Milwaukee early. — Collier
Collins has found an early role as the Clippers’ sixth man, leading coach Tyronn Lue’s reserves in scoring (11.8 points) and rebounds (5.3), while also averaging 1.2 steals. A cynical view would credit Collins’ initial success because of the collective struggles of other newcomers such as Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul, who have all underwhelmed. However, the 6-foot-9 forward is shooting a career-best 58.5% from the floor, too. So, props to him. — McMenamin
As Boston waits to get Jayson Tatum back on the court, it took fliers on several upside swing players this offseason. One of them, Minott, has settled into a starting spot in Boston’s rotation over the past few games and has immediately made an impact as a high-energy grinder, creating extra possessions by hitting the glass and creating turnovers. — Bontemps
Ingram isn’t technically a new addition, as Toronto traded for and extended him in the middle of the 2024-25 campaign, but he never played a game for the Raptors until this season. The one-time All-Star leads Toronto averaging 22.3 points, and he’s quietly posting the best efficiency numbers of his career thanks to a hot streak from his midrange-heavy shot diet. Ingram never made more than 49.7% of his shots in any previous season, but he’s all the way up at 55.0% this season. — Zach Kram
Coward, the 11th pick of the draft, shines for a Memphis squad flashing few bright spots in the wake of the one-game suspension of veteran point guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies moved up five spots to acquire Coward in the draft as the brass identified the shooting guard’s athleticism, versatility and physicality as key elements in building around Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Offensively, the rookie ranks third on the team in scoring while connecting on better than 50% from deep. — Wright
While Brooks has been limited to three games because of a core muscle strain, the nine-year vet has already made an impression in the Valley. Brooks is the Suns’ second-leading scorer (19.3 points per game) and his 2.7 steals average is second in the league, behind only Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace. His presence has helped Phoenix climb from the league’s No. 27 defensive rating to No. 22 under first-year coach Jordan Ott. — McMenamin
Utah’s front office and coaching staff are optimistic that Bailey, the fifth pick in the draft, can develop into a franchise cornerstone. That potential hasn’t translated into instant production for the teenager, who is averaging 4.6 points on 29.5% shooting. However, the Jazz have been encouraged by Bailey’s approach and willingness to be coached since he arrived in Utah. — MacMahon
Entering an expected gap year with Tyrese Haliburton injured, the Pacers didn’t add many new players over the summer. The best of the bunch is backup center Huff, whose offense hasn’t yet made the trip from Memphis to Indiana — he’s shooting just 3-for-17 (18%) on 3s after nailing 41% last season — but is a capable interior defender. Huff is averaging 3.7 blocks per 36 minutes, while no other Pacer has more than 1.1 blocks per 36 with two-time blocks champion Myles Turner gone. — Kram
No. 6 pick Johnson has been a plug-and-play floor-spacer early in his NBA career, sinking 2.1 3-pointers per game on 36% shooting. One area of potential improvement for the rookie is his playmaking: Johnson has received 36 picks as the ball handler and produced assists on just two of them, per GeniusIQ tracking. Overall, he has 11 assists and nine turnovers through seven games. — Kram
In the apron era, a financial reckoning will soon force the Thunder to rearrange their rotation below the headliners. But that day is not yet here. Oklahoma City brought back the entirety of its championship rotation, so there isn’t much room for a newcomer to bust through the doors. Mitchell will have to qualify in his second season. He played 597 minutes as a rookie before toe surgery, and there were intriguing flashes. But the first seven games of his second season have been something different. Stepping into a major role due to backcourt injuries, Mitchell is averaging 17.3 points in 27.6 minutes, making the case he should stay in Mark Daigneault’s nightly plans even when Jalen Williams and others have returned. — Anthony Slater
The No. 2 pick, Harper, earns mention in the discussion, averaging 14 points over six games while shooting 50% from the field and averaging nearly four assists. Playing 23 minutes per game, Harper ranks fourth on the team in scoring, and at 19, figures prominently in San Antonio’s rotation but will likely miss several games due to his latest injury. Harper suffered a left calf strain during Sunday’s loss to the Suns and is expected to sit out multiple weeks. This injury could potentially derail San Antonio’s chances of finishing this season with three consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners. — Michael C. Wright
Naturally, the arrival of Durant, one of the most gifted scorers of all time, would lead to an uptick in offensive production. With Durant leading the way, Houston averaged 127.8 points over its first five outings, the most through five games in Rockets history. Houston bounced back from a 0-2 start to outscore opponents by 75 points during a three-game winning streak after Monday’s victory over Dallas. Durant (21 points) finished as the third-leading scorer as Alperen Sengun (26) and Amen Thompson combined (27) for 53 points — Wright
For a team that’s lacking in 3-point production (27th in attempts per game), newcomer Robinson will be counted on for more volume, especially with Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser out with injuries. He’s getting up over six 3s a night and shooting nearly 41%, but it would help with the spacing if he got a little more assertive in hunting shots to spread the floor for Cade Cunningham and emerging star Ausar Thompson. A fifth-ranked defense has kept the Pistons afloat — the shooting should come around. — Vincent Goodwill
Sunday was just what the doctor ordered for new coach Brown. Following a three-game road losing streak, the Knicks put together their best stretch of basketball in the young season, hitting 20-of-42 on 3-pointers to avenge a loss to the Bulls from two nights earlier. “I still think our ceiling is a lot higher, but you can see the potential. This team is more than capable of playing faster,” Brown said. For a team that didn’t have a three-game losing streak last season until January, the Knicks — and Brown — needed proof of concept early. — Goodwill
Powell has been a nice fit in Miami, especially while Tyler Herro is out. If he can stay healthy, Powell can do what he did in the first couple of months with the Clippers last season when Kawhi Leonard was out. He played like an All-Star, providing the Clippers with shooting from the perimeter and much-needed scoring. With Herro out, Powell has scored 20 or more points in three of his four games, including knocking down 11 triples in those games. He missed three straight contests with a groin issue, but Powell should be able to continue to do damage in Miami’s new up-tempo offense. — Ohm Youngmisuk