Two games into the 2026-27 NBA season, a few names are already forcing their way into the conversation. Not the biggest stars of the summer, not the loudest headlines from the offseason - just the players who have hit the ground running and changed the feel of their new teams.
Ty Jerome has been the first jolt. In his second season with the Memphis Grizzlies, he erupted for a career-high 45 points against the Utah Jazz and powered Memphis to a win by more than 20 points.
It was the highest-scoring game in a season opener in franchise history, and it stood out because Jerome had only topped 30 points one other time in his NBA career. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant both gone over the past year, the Grizzlies needed someone to grab the offense.
Through two games, Jerome has done exactly that.
Tyler Herro has wasted no time taking over in Milwaukee, either. Acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Herro has been the engine of the Bucks’ attack so far.
In a 132-125 loss to the Chicago Bulls, he was the only Milwaukee player to clear 20 points, finishing with 34 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. That followed his debut, when he led the Bucks in shot attempts and scored 24 points.
His 58 total points through two games are a career high to start a season, and the early signs point to him being the No. 1 option going forward.
Then there’s Walker Kessler, who looks like exactly the kind of center the Lakers have been searching for. Los Angeles brought him in this offseason in a sign-and-trade with Utah, sending the Jazz two first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round swaps (2028, 2030), while Kessler signed a four-year, $130 million deal.
In his first two games as a Laker, he has scored 48 points, including 22 and 26, and his 84.6% field goal percentage leads the league. His debut featured a perfect 12-for-12 night from the field, the second-best shooting performance in franchise history, and he followed that by becoming the eighth Laker to log six blocks and three steals in a game.
For all the offseason noise around the league, these three have been the early surprises that actually look sustainable. Jerome has stabilized Memphis.
Herro has become Milwaukee’s clearest offensive answer. Kessler has given the Lakers a new presence in the middle.
After just two games, that’s a pretty loud start.
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Austin Reaves Is Forcing A New Lakers Debate Already
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