2 things I liked…and 2 Things I Didn’t: NBA Opening Week (10/20-10/25)

Things I liked this week:

1. Ty Jerome Is Apparently Now Stephen Curry

“LeBron James? I’m the only Ty Jerome.”

Okay, the real quote is “I’m the only Ty Crane,” a line delivered by Ty Crane, the #1 basketball recruit in the country, in the (semi) based-on-a-true-story cinematic masterpiece known as Coach Carter. But seeing as how Ty Jerome just averaged 34.7 PPG en route to leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 3-0 start to begin the 2026-27 season, it felt all too fitting, and I simply couldn’t resist.

At this point, Jerome’s physical limitations have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam. He can’t jump over a piece of paper. No, seriously, I’m not sure 34 (almost 35) year-old me wouldn’t register a higher vertical leap. There are offensive linemen in the NFL who could probably beat Jerome in a 40-yard dash. And yet, he’s been absolutely unstoppable to start the season.

Pull-up threes, spot-up threes, backdoor cuts, stop-and-start and then stop-and-start-again drives finished off with awkward 15-foot floaters. Passes out of double teams from the hash mark to cutting teammates. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it, look up his pass to teammate Quinten Post against the Golden State Warriors. Pure wizardry.

At 6-foot-5 with long arms, Jerome has the height and length to make reads over the defense and the size to overcome any physical limitations he might have.

His shooting splits through three games are 56.3/42.9/88.5, all of which would match or exceed his career highs. His turnover percentage is a minuscule 7.4%, while his usage rate sits at 34%, higher than the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.

Point blank, he was the best player in the NBA in Week 1, with only maybe Luka Dončić challenging him for that title. Player of the Week will be an interesting topic.

Is Ty Jerome going to lead the NBA in scoring this season?

No, no he’s not.

Is he going to continue to shoot the ball like prime Stephen Curry? Probably not, though that’s one I’m less inclined to doubt.

Will he go through a period where those mid-range floaters inevitably just aren’t dropping, defenses adjust, and his overall numbers take a pretty big dive?

Most likely.

But again, I’m not doubting him too much at this point.

The Grizzlies are going to give teams a run for their money. Cam Boozer is special, Zach Edey, when on the court, is a difference-maker, and they’re a team full of “dawgs” if you will.

And at the center of it all?

A career overachiever who played four years in college, was an afterthought as a late first-round pick, 24th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, bounced around for multiple years despite being productive at every stop he made, and is now leading the NBA in scoring one week into the year.

He’s definitely not LeBron James.

But he’s certainly the only Ty Jerome.

2. The Minnesota Timberwolves Firing on All Cylinders

Anthony Edwards. LaMelo Ball. Jonathan Kuminga. And the big man in the middle, Rudy Gobert. What could go wrong, right?

Well, through three games, not a whole lot apparently. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 3-0, bombing threes from all over the court and locking down opponents, leading the league as a team in defensive rating (97.7) and 3-point percentage (42.4%) in the early season.

I’ll be honest, when I was researching this team, I was a little surprised to see they’re only 15th in pace, 10th in 3PA, and 13th in 3PAr to start the year. Every time I’ve flipped on a T-Wolves game, it feels like they’re running and gunning, and making threes with reckless abandon.

We knew when they traded for Ball that this was going to be a fun team to watch. He, along with new teammate Anthony Edwards, are widely considered two of the biggest characters in the sport. Personalities to match their audacious games.

Ball, famously the youngest of the Ball brothers trio, which also features now-retired NBA player Lonzo and former UCLA Bruin (technically) LiAngelo, has been throwing up 28-plus-foot threes and making absurd passes since he was a freshman at Chino Hills High School. One of my favorite LaMelo Ball stories is when he was asked which three figures, current or historical, he would want to wear his signature shoe. His answer? Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.

10/10. No notes.

Edwards is also no stranger to outrageous claims. While playing for Team USA during the 2024 Summer Olympics, he once told former U.S. President Barack Obama that he was the “truth.” Bold words from the then-22-year-old shooting guard, particularly in a room featuring NBA legends like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Hey, irrational confidence matters in this league, and Edwards has it in spades.

With the two of them manning the ship, the offense was always going to pop, especially during the regular season. Add in significant offensive improvement from Jaden McDaniels over the past few years, a year-older Terrence Shannon Jr., and the additions of Kuminga (more on him later) and Ayo Dosunmu, and it’s not hard to see why they’re sixth in the league in offensive rating. That’s a number I admittedly expected to be higher.

Kuminga feels like, and is, the wild card.

Look, I’m a Golden State Warriors fan. Jonathan Kuminga is a polarizing figure in the Bay Area and among Warriors fans, a player many were happy to be rid of while others still believe he could have been the guy to take the reins following a not-too-distant Stephen Curry retirement.

He’s an uber-athlete with all the tools to be a lockdown defender and a fast-break demon. But he’s spent the better part of his Warriors career trying, and often failing, to walk the line between a guy who sees himself as an offensive hub and All-Star-level player and a Shawn Marion/Aaron Gordon type who defends at an All-NBA level, thrives in space and the open court, and can get a bucket when his number is called.

So far, he’s doing the latter. Something the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, following a midseason trade last year, tried desperately to get him to embrace.

He’s making his threes (66%) in the early going and defending at an extremely high level. Will it last? That’s where the uncertainty lies. Kuminga is also hoping for a big payday after settling for a mid-level, two-year deal with the Timberwolves, with the second year being a player option, meaning he can opt out if he believes another team will lock him up at more money and for more years. 

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think this team crashes and burns in spectacular fashion come playoff time. Despite the personnel, I’m not sure I trust the early-season defense to hold up, nor do I necessarily believe this team will continue to lead the league in 3-point shooting.

They’re also asking a lot of 34-year-old, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. After all, their lone true backup big man is Gobert’s second-year countryman, Joan Beringer.

To quote Mad Men: “Not great, Bob!”

The season is three, maybe four in a few teams’ cases, games in. Things are going to change. Teams will get better, injuries will happen, and uncertainty will become clearer.

I don’t believe in this team long-term, but damnit if I’m not going to enjoy every minute of this season-long roller coaster. Because that’s exactly what it’s going to be. A roller coaster.

The only question is, is it the kind you immediately hop back in line for, or the type you ride once and say to yourself, “Yeah, I’m good.”

Buckle up, and let’s ride.

Things I Didn’t Like This Week:

1. Jalen Brunson Losing His Powers 

Am I a hater? Maybe. I’ve poo-pooed Jalen Brunson probably more than any star in the NBA over the past few years, was a non-believer in the Knicks all of last year, and picked them as the team I was lower on than consensus during our season preview of The Best of Seven Podcast. Hey, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain, right?

In all seriousness, I don’t dislike Brunson or the Knicks. I’ve long been a fan of Jalen’s game, and basketball is better when the Knickerbockers are competitive. Say what you want, New York teams being good inject life into the world of sports. I truly dislike very few players or teams. And if your favorite player or team earns my disdain, it usually means you, the fan(s), have been so obnoxious, hyperbolic, or downright mean that it’s skewed my opinion. Though, I try to remain as unbiased as possible.

In the case of Brunson, the disconnect for me is how I’ve seen him discussed and compared to the greats who came before him. Is he a top-15 player in the NBA? Absolutely. Over the last three postseasons, has he been a top-five player, arguably top-three, and last year, No. 1? Yes, without a doubt. But three years is relatively short when discussing a career, and I do think it’s fair to question how a smaller guard, by NBA standards, who plays below the rim, is a great but not elite three-point shooter and playmaker, and just entered his 30s, will age. And that’s not even factoring in his significant deficiencies on the defensive end.

To start the 2026-27 season, 30 has not been kind to Brunson. The Knicks started 0-3, while Brunson is shooting 39.1/26.7/70.0 and averaging 22.7 PPG and 3.7 APG. For context, over the previous three seasons, Brunson averaged 27.0 PPG and 6.9 APG while shooting 47.7/38.5/83.7 and attempting 6.8 threes per contest. Insert the previously mentioned Mad Men quote.

Now, the caveat: it’s been three games. And I admittedly haven’t watched the Knicks since opening night, when they blew a massive second-half lead against the Philadelphia 76ers. Outside of Karl-Anthony Towns, the team as a whole is clearly still experiencing a championship hangover. Mikal Bridges is yet to make a three-pointer. OG Anunoby is shooting below 30% from three. Josh Hart is being Josh Hart, and that’s a very streaky shooter. That’s to be expected. After all, the New York Knicks hadn’t won an NBA title since 1972-73!

But the East is much deeper than in previous seasons. There are very few nights when you can expect a win. Even fewer where you shouldn’t expect to be in a dogfight. Unlike the Timberwolves, I actually believe in this Knicks team come playoff time. But I do think a top-four seed matters. And nobody thrives off the madness of home-court advantage quite like the Knicks do when playing in the greatest arena on Earth, Madison Square Garden. (Maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder.)

There’s still plenty of time. I do not believe Jalen Brunson will shoot below 40% from the field and 26% from three for the season. He’s too crafty, his footwork is too good, and his array of finishes is too vast. But he can’t take too long to find it, otherwise the Knicks might find themselves in a hole they can’t climb out of.

And for Brunson, currently the darling of the NBA world, he could find himself in a place many before him have found themselves: Is he an all-timer? Or just the default best player who won a lone title during his tenure with the team?

Tick tock, Jalen. Tick tock.

2. The Warriors and Heat Still Think It’s Preseason

Okay, I’m cheating on this one. But I couldn’t resist. As mentioned, the Warriors are my favorite team. The Miami Heat, the team of choice for my The Best of Seven Podcast co-host, Will Hailey. Both teams are 0-3. The Warriors’ season was always going to be an uphill battle. The Heat, at minimum, have deep playoff-run aspirations. But they both stink so far, and that’s enough for me.

Let’s start with the Warriors, as this was a little easier to see coming. Stephen Curry is 38 years old. Draymond Green has fallen off a cliff offensively, and his defense is finally starting to decline. (He’s still the most cerebral defender I’ve ever seen.) Kristaps Porzingis may never play basketball again. They’re starting Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos, both fine players I really like, but each more suited for sixth- or seventh-man roles than full-time starters. Their best player has probably been Laxel Lendeborg, a polished offensive rookie, but he’s 24, and the defense, his calling card in college, seems to have wanted another semester of partying.

They’re 29th as a team in defensive rating. They led the league in 3PA as a team last year and have dipped to 11th early this year while being 16th in 3P%. Stephen Curry has already missed a game for rest purposes, a trend that should continue throughout the season as the Warriors manage his load, trying to bide their time until Jimmy Butler returns from his season-ending ACL injury suffered a year ago. Oh yeah, through two games, Curry is shooting just 29.4% from three.

“Not gre...” I’m kidding, I won’t beat a dead horse, but you get the picture. It’s been a disaster.

I wish I could tell you there’s light at the end of the tunnel. That when Jimmy Butler gets back, all will be made right. I just don’t know that it’s in the cards. The Warriors have cap space next summer and, if they can get off the Porzingis contract, will have even more with which to pursue a big fish for one last Curry title run. Cancun on 3 chants might start sooner rather than later.

Now for the Heat. Poor Will. He’s been pining for Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Miami Heat for years. They finally got his guy. And supposedly put some good pieces around him. Though I was a bit more skeptical than my co-host, I did not, however, expect this.

Phew, where to start? 27th in Offensive Rating, 24th in Defensive Rating, and 29th in Net Rating. Yes, you read those numbers correctly. After all the negatives I just gave about the Warriors, the Heat have somehow been even worse. Ouch.

Giannis has been incredible through three games, but that was never much of a concern. Davion Mitchell has continued his improvement as a shooter and continues to hound opposing ball handlers. And Bobby Portis is still one of the best bench bigs in the NBA. That’s pretty much where the positives end.

As much as it pains me, any hopes that the Miami sun and crystal-clear waters of South Beach would rejuvenate Klay Thompson’s career are probably gone. He looks slow, can’t defend in space, and they don’t really need him to guard opposing bigs, his lone true strength at this point on the defensive end. And he’s shooting 34% from three, the one thing he’s always been able to fall back on.

Bam Adebayo remains an inconsistent shooter and scorer. Tim Hardaway Jr. was brought in to be a sniper off the bench and, well, he’s made just 3 of his 17 attempts from deep in the early going. The Pelle Larsson third-year leap many hoped for hasn’t happened. Nikola Jovic continues to be a giant question mark. And Simone Fontecchio can’t get off the bench for a team clearly in dire need of outside shooting.

Again, what the heck is happening in South Beach?

As has been cited in each one of these topics, it’s early. It’s soooo early. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t form opinions based on what we’ve seen and project out how we think things will unfold. I didn’t hate this roster prior to the season’s start. But the more I look at the Eastern Conference, the more I break down this team’s deficiencies, the more I just don’t see where things get a ton better.

Giannis can opt out next summer. I don’t think he will. But if things don’t get better fast, I won’t be so quick to rule it out.

Hey Giannis, I know a team in San Francisco with lots of cap space next summer.

Just saying…