NBA Swing: Winners and Losers after Opening Week

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There have been many surprises a week into the 2024-25 season. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder remain the only undefeated teams after the first week of the season at 6-0 and 5-0 respectively. Teams like the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks have continued their dominance from last season, and the Celtics are looking to return to the Finals for the second year in a row. The following six teams have surprised the league for good and bad reasons, dubbed winners and losers after the first week of the season.

Denver Nuggets: Losers

The Denver Nuggets have had a very rough start to the 2024-25 season. In their first four games, the Nuggets started 2-2. The Nuggets would open their season with a 15-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder where no player would finish with more than 16 points. The Nuggets would then suffer a five-point loss to the Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angeles Clippers. Denver would then have two closer victories, first a 127-125 win over the Toronto Raptors and then a 144-139 overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets. While Nikola Jokic has continued to show why he’s won three MVPs in the last four years, most of the team has struggled.

Jamal Murray has struggled to start the season, continuing his struggles going back to the 2024 playoffs. Michael Porter Jr. has struggled, averaging under 40% from the field and averaging just 13.3 PPG in his first four games. Despite having a good game against the Nets, Russell Westbrook has not been a good fit with the Nuggets. Christian Braun has been a bright spot on the team, moving into the starting lineup following Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure. The team lacks bench depth and there is not much the Nuggets can do in terms of moves as they are deep in the first apron of the salary cap. While the team has been in rumors for several stars going back to the summer, a significant move may be the only thing that would help the Nuggets stay a legitimate championship contender.

Golden State Warriors: Winners

Many predicted the Golden State Warriors would fall apart after losing Klay Thompson and missing out on several superstars. Five games into the season, the Warriors currently sit at 3-2. The biggest addition and key for the Warriors so far this season has been Buddy Hield. So far, Hield has averaged 21.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG while shooting over 50% from beyond the arc. Andrew Wiggins has looked like he is returning to form, averaging 19.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Stephen Curry would have a solid start to his season before suffering an ankle injury, averaging 18.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 5.3 RPG, shooting 40% from three.

At the same time, several players have had a slow start to their season including Brandon Podziemski, Kyle Anderson, and Jonathan Kuminga, who was benched. While there are concerns about the team schedule heading into November without Steph Curry, the team has looked more complete and deep compared to last season. With the West being so deep, the Warriors will be a team to watch in the standings all season long.

Milwaukee Bucks: Losers

After a strong season-opening win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bucks have lost four games in a row, including a 13-point loss against the Brooklyn Nets and a 22-point blowout against the Memphis Grizzlies. Giannis Antetokounmpo has looked great so far this season, averaging 28.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 6.3 APG. Damian Lillard has had a good start to his season averaging 28.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 6.3 APG, but would suffer one of his worst games in years, finishing with just 4 points on 1-12 shooting. Other than their two superstars, there has not been much productivity from the rest of the Bucks roster. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are averaging just over 11.0 PPG while offseason signing Gary Trent Jr. is only averaging 10.0 PPG.

The Bucks are still focused more on their veteran core while their young players are not seeing much development. The team is also still missing Khris Middleton, who could have an impact as the third star if healthy. With the upcoming schedule for the Bucks having several contenders, there are concerns about what the Bucks can do. With the 2024-25 season possibly being a make-or-break season for Giannis and the Bucks, the team is off to a very rough start this season.

Los Angeles Lakers: Winners

Given an offseason that saw the team make no significant moves and sign a first-year head coach in JJ Redick, the expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers were low. Five games into their season, the Lakers have looked like a much better team with legitimate hopes of being a playoff contender. LA would open the season with three straight wins against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings. The team has been led by Anthony Davis, who is currently averaging 30.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 BPG, and 1.6 SPG. AD leads the Lakers in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks per game.

Now in his 22nd season, LeBron James has taken a small step back, averaging 21.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 6.6 APG, focusing more on the back half of the season and the playoffs. He has been described as more locked in this season with his son being drafted to the team. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have both looked great as starters alongside AD and LeBron so far this season. The biggest piece of the Lakers’ success for far this season has been JJ Redick. Redick has been a refreshing coach for the Lakers compared to Darvin Ham last season. Redick has shown he can make adjustments on the fly while also using Anthony Davis as more of an offensive hub. He has already been touted as the potential coach of the year. With LeBron’s career in its final stretch, the new-look Lakers is his best chance to win one more championship.

Philadelphia 76ers: Losers

After having one of the best offseasons of any team, the Philadelphia 76ers have had a rough start to the 2024-25 season. Paul George would hyperextend his knee in the preseason while Joel Embiid did not suit up during the preseason at all. One week into the regular season, neither star has suited up for the team yet. The NBA would investigate the Sixers regarding Embiid and statements made by the team about his health and would fine the organization $100K. Tyrese Maxey has had a strong start this season but has not been able to lead the team alone.

While they had a four-point win over the Indiana Pacers, they lost by 15 to the Bucks, by 8 to the Toronto Raptors, and by 10 to the Detroit Pistons. Lacking two of their three stars, the Sixers are lacking a significant scoring punch. While many expected PG and Embiid would miss time during the season, not many expected it to happen right from the beginning of the season. With the Sixers’ upcoming schedule featuring several powerhouses, Philly may be in serious trouble before PG and Embiid can return.

Phoenix Suns: Winners

Following a first-round sweep in the playoffs, many thought the Suns would make big changes heading into the 2024-25 season. Firing Frank Vogel and hiring Mike Budenholzer would be one of the biggest moves for the Suns before signing guard Tyus Jones late in the offseason. The Suns would start their season off with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to the Lakers. They would then have strong wins against the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are leading the team with 29.0 PPG and 23.0 PPG, respectively, while Bradley Beal has become the perfect third option for the team averaging 18.0 PPG.

Tyus Jones has been the best addition for Phoenix, becoming the distributor the team desperately needed while making very few mistakes with the ball. Rookie Ryan Dunn has also been a great addition to the Suns, having a promising start to his career. Even though the Suns have only played five games in the first week of the season, they have shown they are much better than they were last season. If the team can stay healthy, they will be a serious threat in the West this season.