Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your list! This week Steve shares his thoughts after week 3 of the 2025-26 NBA season. Dysfunction in Memphis, Celtic Struggles, and Unexpected Lakers
The Ja Morant Situation
The Ja Morant situation isn’t a good look for the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA, or Memphis. Ja is still young and has been the star since he got to Memphis. He needs to understand that no matter how he feels about what his coach said about him, he still has to play hard. Your team is always bigger than one player. The average fan looks at Ja as just another NBA player making ridiculous money and starting problems. For the city of Memphis, most players don’t want to play there, and his actions just make it more difficult to attract free agents. Yes, Ja can be unhappy; however, he should play hard and keep his thoughts to himself.
The Lakers’ Strong Start
The LA Lakers are playing good basketball. Presently they are 7-2, and this is without LeBron James for all nine games. Luka Dončić has missed four games, and Austin Reaves two. That is unquestionably their three best players. What is interesting is the Lakers are plus-three in point differential. They are the only team among the Western Conference’s top five teams to have a differential less than plus-ten.
Up-and-Coming: Alex Sarr
This week’s up-and-coming player is Alex Sarr. Sarr, only 20 years old, was the second player chosen in last year’s draft. His rookie season did not go as well as hoped for, and there were questions about whether he should have been drafted that soon. Last year, he averaged 13 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He shot 31% from three. This year his numbers have increased, averaging 19 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and shooting over 45% from three. I know it’s early, but Sarr is showing great improvement.
Jaylen Brown’s Leadership
Thus far, Jaylen Brown has proven he can be the number one guy on his team. Brown is averaging 27.7 points per game in only 31.1 minutes a game. This includes five games where he scored over thirty, with his best game being 41 against the Detroit Pistons.
The Magic’s Defensive Struggles
The Orlando Magic are off to a slow start, going 3-5. I thought the Magic would be a top-three team in the Eastern Conference this year. Though it is early, it’s easy to see why they are struggling. Last year, the Magic gave up 105.6 points per game, the lowest in the league. They were rated the second-best defense in the league statistically. This year, they are giving up 117.6 points per game and are rated 14th.
Pacers Hit by Injuries
The Indiana Pacers have been decimated by injuries. They are 1-7 so far, and when you see their injuries, you understand why. Besides Tyrese Haliburton being out for the season, thus far Bennedict Mathurin has played two games, Obi Toppin three, Andrew Nembhard one, and T.J. McConnell has yet to play this year. That’s five rotational players missing significant time. I don’t think Rick Carlisle believes in tanking, but if these players aren’t back soon, that may be the way to go.
The Three-Point Debate
There has been a lot of debate about teams shooting so many threes in a game. This week, the Boston Celtics went 11-for-51 in a winnable game they lost against the Utah Jazz. The three-point shot is a bigger risk with a bigger reward. Hot shooting from three can make it easier for a poor team to beat a much better team. A better team, as in the case of the Celtics the other night, could lose a game they should win.
People talk about teams taking too many threes, and my take is simple: the next time you go to a game, arrive early and watch players shoot. Naturally, nobody is defending them; however, these guys can shoot consistently well when open. I once watched Marcus Smart, not known as a shooter, make ten in a row from three. My point is, as long as it’s an open shot, an NBA player should take it.
