NBA Halloween: Four Early Season Horror Stories

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The Concerning Amount of Week 1 Injuries

While injuries are common in any start, the number of injuries in the NBA after just a week has drawn concerns from all over the basketball world. Via the NBA’s injury report on Wednesday, October 28th, 2026, 108 names were listed (including G-League assignments). Of those 108 on the injury report, 84 were out with an injury or illness. The list of injured names has only continued to grow as the NBA closes its first full week of the 2026-27 season. Injured names include:

Tyrese Haliburton (strained left hamstring): Expected to miss several weeks
Kawhi Leonard (knee swelling): Expected to miss multiple weeks
Jalen Williams (fractured left fibula, dislocated left ankle): Likely out for the season
Anthony Edwards (right knee): Expected to miss up to two months
Jaren Jackson Jr. (torn MCL): Expected to miss 6-8 weeks
Paolo Banchero (ankle sprain): Expected to miss 4-6 weeks
Jalen Duren (hamstring strain): Expected to miss two weeks
Kristaps Porzingis (ongoing health concerns): Out indefinitely
Cason Wallace (torn labrum): Likely out for the season

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they lose their number two option in Jalen Williams, who missed much of last season as well. They also lose Cason Wallace, who moved into the starting lineup and was expected to be in the conversation for Most Improved Player. For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards was off to a hot start and looking like a legitimate MVP contender, and will now be disqualified from the award contention as he will not reach the league’s minimum 65 games played rule for awards and All-NBA teams. With the number of injuries occurring during the first week and a half of the 2026-27 season, discussions addressing the issue should be around the corner.

Miami’s Slow Start

When the Miami Heat traded for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo early in the summer, some in the basketball world thought this would make the Heat immediate contenders, while others thought Giannis would be in the same situation but a different jersey. After a week into the season, it’s looking like the latter. Miami’s first five games would see a 25-point loss to Minnesota, a 17-point loss to Detroit, a 5-point loss to Charlotte, and a 4-point loss to Dallas before getting their first win of the season against the Indiana Pacers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has had a strong start to the season, averaging 27.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG. Antetokounmpo’s frontcourt running mate, Bam Adebayo, has had an off start to this season, averaging 14.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG. He has had two games scoring 8 points or fewer. Klay Thompson is a shell of his former self, Andrew Wiggins’ production has gone down, and Miami ultimately traded many of the players that would’ve fit around Giannis and Bam. The team has struggled from the perimeter and has been a bottom-10 defense to start the season. Miami is limited on their tradable assets, and Giannis could become a free agent in the summer of 2027, as he has not signed an extension with Miami yet. While some thought Miami would be a championship contender, they do not look like a play-in team the first week into the season.

Luka’s Hot Start: Can He Finally Win MVP?

With major changes occurring during the offseason, some expected the Los Angeles Lakers to take a downturn and for superstar guard Luka Doncic to struggle with more weight being put on his shoulders. To start the season, Luka has been on fire. At the time of this writing, the Lakers have played five games with Doncic playing in four of those games. In those four games, Luka has averaged a league-leading 36.0 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 6.8 RPG. In last Sunday’s game against the Utah Jazz, Doncic would go off for the first 50+ point performance of the season, scoring 52 points in a win. He would follow that up with a 42-point performance in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 2026-27 season could finally be the season the stars align for Luka Doncic’s MVP hopes. After only a week and a half into the season, Doncic has the best odds of winning the award. Two-time and current MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be a victim of voting fatigue, while some are noticing a decline from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to start the season. Anthony Edwards, who had a hot start to his season, is not expected to reach the league’s 65 games played minimum rule for awards as he’ll miss up to two months following arthroscopic knee surgery. With questions in the Western Conference early on, Luka has a legitimate chance to lead the Lakers to a top seed in the West and win his first MVP award.

Stephen Curry’s Nightmare in Golden State in his Final Years

At 38 years old, Stephen Curry is in the final stretch of his legendary career. After a season where he missed time due to runner’s knee (which he will be dealing with the rest of his career), he enters another season where there appears to be no hope for the team. In the first four games of the season, Curry is averaging 28.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.5 APG. On Wednesday, Curry would put up 44 points in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With that game, Curry would tie LeBron James for the most 40-point games by a player after turning 35, with 15 games. While Steph has shown he can still be one of the best at the back end of his career, the Warriors have shown they are more focused on life after Steph.

Us too, Yaxel. Us too. 😂 https://t.co/EnECUtRn01

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 29, 2026

Steph’s most reliable help this season has come in the form of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who has averaged an impressive 22.6 PPG and 9.2 RPG, making a strong case for rookie of the year. Brandon Podziemski, whom the Warriors just invested in with a five-year, $110 million rookie extension, is averaging 14.7 PPG. Fifth-year guard Brandon Williams is averaging 11.0 PPG after coming over from Dallas. Other than that, Steph does not have much help. Draymond Green is far from the player he once was, Jimmy Butler is not expected to be back until 2027, there’s no telling how he’ll look post-ACL injury, and Kristaps Porzingis’ career is in question as he continues to deal with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The Warriors currently have all their first-round draft picks through 2033, with their 2030 pick going to Memphis unless it falls in the top 20. The team has not been willing to move on from draft capital to give Curry one more chance at a championship. With players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant thriving on contenders late in their careers, Steph Curry’s career could end in a nightmare scenario for a once-in-a-lifetime talent.