Photo Courtesy of Erik Drost- Wikimedia Commons
Luka Dončić has gone from an unsure trade piece to a franchise star. Dončić has led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 3-0 start to the 2026-27 NBA season, recording 34.3 points through three games.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is finally back with some of the most prominent athletes in the world once again on our television screens. Hoops fans around the world are euphorically welcoming the start of the 2026-27 season after a transcendent season last year, which saw the Knicks relinquish their 53-year title drought and was the eighth consecutive season with a different NBA Champion. The parity of the NBA is at an all-time high, with star talent spread out all throughout the league. This season just might be one of the most unpredictable and chaotic seasons to date. Without further ado, let’s dive into what has already been a jaw-dropping introduction to the basketball season.
Trouble in Paradise: The Heat’s surprisingly slow start
After the offseason additions of future Hall of Famers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson, Miami was expected to reclaim their former status as perpetual contenders for the championship. Unfortunately, this memo might have been lost in translation as Miami has started out 0-3 in the young season, marking just the fifth time in franchise history this has occurred. Their biggest issue has been a leaky defense, surrendering 124.7 points per game (twenty-sixth in the NBA), while also struggling offensively (twenty-seventh in the NBA in offensive rating). The cohesion between their new star duo of Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo has been nonexistent, as the Heat have struggled to space the floor when these two giants share the court. It has only been three games, so the panic button has not been sounded just yet, but Miami will have to turn the tide sooner rather than later to cool off their rightfully tense fanbase.
Luka Dončić historic scoring
Once LeBron departed to form a superteam in Philadelphia, the keys to the Los Angeles Lakers were effectively handed to the 27-year-old Dončić; despite his brilliance, many questioned if he could operate as the de-facto leader of a franchise. Well, he has taken no time at all to shut up the doubters with his scorching start to the 2026-27 season. Dončić is second in scoring through three games (34.3 Points), highlighted by a ridiculous 52-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 25. More importantly, under Dončić’s leadership, the new-look Lakers are 3-0 and might just be the surprise team in the Western Conference. It is inevitable Dončić will slow down, but what if he doesn’t?
Heartbreak in Oklahoma
Late in the fourth quarter in Oklahoma City’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Oct. 26, Thunder forward Jalen Williams suffered a devastating leg injury—truly a heartbreaking moment for one of the association’s most-complete rosters. Last season, Williams, better known as “JDub,” missed more than half of the season due to injuries. Now, the Thunder will likely be without their star wing for the entire season. Instantly, Williams injuries drew comparisons to a similarly-devastating injury to Gordon Hayward’s ankle injury in 2017. The severity of the injury hasn’t been confirmed, but hopefully we see JDub back on the court as soon as possible!