Basketball Intelligence For 10/28/25
Austin Reaves continues to make the case for being "him," Orlando's not-so-magical start, Wemby does not come in peace, and much more...
THE BASKETBALL INTELLIGENCE NETWORK
Carlos Boozer Walked So Jaylen Brown Could Run
The guys start off with the conversation du jour, as they dig into the NBA’s gambling problem in the Tip-Off (4:46). The Vibe Check is then devoted to discussing Aaron’s recently released Top 100 and how he goes about the process of constructing it (
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
NBA Week 1: Austin Reaves, Cooper Flagg lead one thing I’m excited about for all 30 teams
Stephen Noh, The Sporting News
AROUND THE LEAGUE
NBA: Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren Are Warping The Center Position
Nathan Grubel, No Ceilings
Jazz vs. Suns Leads a Fun, Packed Monday Night | HOOPS, 10/28/25
Dustin Brewer, Hoops Daily
Power Rankings, Week 2: Warriors, Spurs, Lakers rise up
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Free agents that could reshape NBA next summer include some big names
Scooby Axson, USA Today
NBA’s early trend: 94 feet of pressure; plus Grizzlies’ super-efficient rookie and more
John Hollinger, The Athletic
It’s the biggest story of the first week of the season: Ball pressure. All over the court, all game long, no matter how big a star is handling the rock.
I don’t want to get too caught up in the numbers behind this yet, because Week 1 statistical trends can often be fleeting mirages as coaches, referees and players quickly adjust to whatever new tactics were dreamed up over the summer.
That said, the statistical evidence backs what I’ve seen with my eyes. The league-wide turnover rate is up from 12.6 percent in 2024-025 to 13.8 percent through Sunday’s games this season, and more notably, the league-wide steal rate has shot up from 8.1 per 100 possessions to 8.9.
NBA winners (Victor Wembanyama) and losers (Lakers) from 2025-26 season’s first week
Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today
Wemby for MVP, the Lakers’ Austin Reaves dilemma and more early NBA observations
Sam Amick, The Athletic