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 1 of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Sengun Expands His Range in Houston
- Alperen Sengun made five 3-pointers Tuesday night against Houston. This from a guy who shot 23 percent last year and 27 percent in his career from three. If this is not an outlier game and Sengun can consistently hit threes, he will make himself tougher to guard. Sengun likes to operate at the top of the key above the 3-point line. By becoming a threat from three, things will open up when he goes to the basket.
Embiid Shakes Off the Rust in Philly
- Joel Embiid on Wednesday night played 20 minutes, less that three in the fourth quarter, in a one-point win against Boston. He shot 1-for-9 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds. He was the league MVP in the 2022-23 season and is guaranteed $299.5 million through the 2028-29 season. Let’s hope that poor game was because he hasn’t played in a while, is rounding into shape and shaking off the rust. If not, the 76ers are spending a lot of money on a player who isn’t even average.
- The news isn’t all bad for the Philadelphia 76ers because V.J. Edgecombe went off for 34 points in his first game as a pro. He and Tyrese Maxey combined for 74 points in their win over Boston. It looks like Philadelphia will be getting its production from its guards this year. They will get more help when another potential star guard, Jared McCain, returns from injury.
Wembanyama Looks Like the Future
- Victor Wembanyama opened the season with a 40-point, 15-rebound game in a win over Dallas. Last night he scored 29 with 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots. Wembanyama is only 21. If he stays healthy throughout his career, he will produce stats no player since Wilt Chamberlain has ever produced.
OKC’s Ajay Mitchell Emerging as a Hidden Gem
- Who is this guy Ajay Mitchell of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and where did he come from? Mitchell is a 23-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard playing his second year in the NBA, both with OKC. He was a second-round pick, 38th overall, born in Belgium and went to UC Santa Barbara. Last season, he played in 36 games for the Thunder. It looks like Sam Presti has found another good player for his team.
Veteran Warriors Still a Roller Coaster
- The Golden State Warriors opened the season with an impressive overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. The next night, they followed it up with a 20-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. One characteristic of a team with its three best players—Draymond Green, 35; Jimmy Butler, 36; and Steph Curry, 37—is they can beat anybody on a given night and lose to anybody on a given night but are most vulnerable in the second game of a back-to-back.
NBA Gambling Scandals Cast a Shadow
- I would be remiss not to mention that three NBA people were arrested on gambling issues. Terry Rozier has made more than $100 million in his playing career; coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, more than $100 million as a coach and player; and Damon Jones, $22 million as a former player. I’ll never understand why an athlete who has made the money these people have made would get involved in something like this. It puts a bad stain on the league at a time when the NBA’s popularity is at an all-time high.
