The Lakers are out to a fast start, and the biggest reason is sitting in plain sight: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are torching opponents from the backcourt.
Los Angeles improved to 3-0 behind a duo that’s piling up numbers early. Doncic is putting up 34.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game after dropping 52 on the Jazz. Reaves has chipped in 26.7 points and 6.3 assists while shooting 63.9% from the field and 61.5% from 3-point range.
That kind of production isn’t sustainable forever, especially not those Reaves percentages. Even so, the Lakers aren’t in any hurry for him to slow down.
Their injury report also hasn’t changed much. Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr remain out for Tuesday’s home game against the Trail Blazers, according to Ryan Ward of Lakers On SI.
Thiero is dealing with swelling in his left knee, while Carr has a right oblique strain. Neither player has appeared this season.
Both guards earned Western Conference Player of the Week consideration, though the actual award went to Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome. Now the Lakers turn to a matchup with Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and Portland, a game that should keep their backcourt busy on both sides of the floor.
In Brooklyn, the record hasn’t matched the effort.
The Nets have opened 0-3 after trying to make themselves more competitive, a result that obviously wasn’t the goal. Still, as Ivan White of Nets On SI points out, there’s a clear difference between an ugly opening week and a season that’s already gone off the rails.
Brooklyn’s first three games have included close losses to the Hornets and Cavaliers, followed by a lopsided defeat to the Pacers on Sunday. That last one got away, but the night before, the Nets pushed Cleveland all the way to the end.
That’s the version Jordi Fernandez has to bottle more often. The challenge now is turning those stretches of fight into wins instead of moral victories.
The Cavs are dealing with a different kind of issue: they need James Harden to steady the offense, but he has helped create some of the mess.
Through two games, Harden has 12 assists and 10 turnovers while shooting 6-of-20 from the field, according to Mack Perry of Cavaliers On SI. His line of 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists looks solid on paper, but the giveaways are undercutting the production.
There have been some productive links with Evan Mobley and Peyton Watson, and Harden still commands enough defensive attention to open things up for teammates. The passing itself isn’t the problem.
The concern is what happens when the pressure rises. Cleveland has already blown one massive lead and nearly gave away another, and the Cavaliers need cleaner possessions in those moments. That responsibility starts with the player running the offense.
In Other News...
Donovan Mitchell Saved The Cavs In A Game Fans Won't Forget
The Cavaliers needed every bit of Donovan Mitchell on a night when Minnesota kept pushing them to the edge, and the result was the kind of overtime win that can linger with a team for a while. Cleveland escaped with a 127-125 victory after Mitchell led the way with 26 points, while Anthony Edwards poured in 47 for the Timberwolves in a game that never really let up.
Meleek Thomas also gave the Cavs a fresh storyline in his NBA debut, contributing offensively as Cleveland found just enough support around Mitchell to survive. With the game hanging in the balance deep into the fourth quarter and overtime, the Cavs had to lean hard on their star, and the kind of finish they pulled out is the sort of thing fans will remember long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Rookie Meleek Thomas Just Gave Cleveland A Real Bench Question
Meleek Thomas didnt need long to make his first regular-season impression. In his debut against the Timberwolves, the Cavaliers rookie guard stepped in and immediately showed the scoring pop that made him a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, giving Cleveland a spark off the bench while the team was sitting at 1-1.
Thomas got into the action right away and brought some real life to a unit that can use more reliable offense. His ability to stretch the floor was on display, and his quick burst gave the Cavs something to think about as they sort out who can provide steady minutes behind the main rotation. For a rookie trying to earn a spot in the conversation, that kind of start matters. [Read more 🡒]
Meleek Thomas Just Put Pressure On A Tough Cavs Decision
Meleek Thomas arrived with the kind of debut that tends to get a front office thinking. In Clevelands 129-127 overtime win over Minnesota, the Cavaliers 2026 second-round pick gave the bench a real jolt, scoring efficiently and bringing the kind of active, disruptive defense that can swing a tight game. For a team always trying to squeeze value out of the back end of the roster, it was the sort of first impression that can quickly change a players standing.
The bigger issue now is less about one good night than what it means for the group around him. Cleveland has been searching for dependable depth, and Thomas looked like someone who could make that conversation a little more complicated than expected. If his role keeps growing, the Cavs may have to weigh not just his development, but how much room there is for everyone else on a roster where the margins are already thin. [Read more 🡒]