Week 2 of the 2024-25 NBA season is done and dusted so we’re looking into the notable moments with three big takeaways from the chaos.
NBA Wrap
The NBA is consistently the best soap opera on television, and this week didn’t disappoint.
Only four teams in the Eastern Conference are above .500 with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the top at 7-0. There is stacks of quality in the Western Conference, though. The Golden State Warriors have proven to be the surprise team to start the NBA season at 5-1. As expected, the Oklahoma City Thunder are leading the way at 6-0 to be on the second line of betting in the championship winner market at $5.50.
Shoutout to anybody who had Jimmy Butler over 3.5 steals against the Detroit Pistons during the week. He forced the scorers to give him an extra one as time expired in the 4th quarter.
Crying. Jimmy Butler really fought for this steal 😭 https://t.co/zJYhCrfqZN pic.twitter.com/Fqo6ubzTGr
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) October 29, 2024
The Bronny James circus saw another major moment with the youngster scoring his first points in the NBA. Fittingly, they came against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland. The points probably move him one step closer to the G League, where he can develop in relative peace.
Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero scored the first 50-point game of his NBA career. The Orlando Magic needed him to take another step if they were to climb the Eastern Conference standings and leap he has. However, the 21-year-old finished the week on the sideline and is out indefinitely with a torn oblique.
Victor Wembanyama is showing no signs of second-year syndrome to remain as the Defensive Player of the Year favourite ($2.63). Opposing defences aren’t showing any signs of figuring him out either. With another 5×5 game, he became only the third player in NBA history to register such a box score multiple times. There’s is a good chance he finishes with the most ever, too.
“It tells me I need to get my standards up when I don’t get 5x5s because I am able to help my team in all those areas. It should be a consistent thing. As I have said before, it is something we must have (and) something I must have more often to help my team.” – Victor Wembanyama
Finally, the drama escalated into a physical altercation and the exposing of poor reporting around the NBA as Joel Embiid shoved a journalist. The instant “Joel did what?!?” reaction soon changed to applause when it became clear what he was reacting to after the game.
For reference, this is what Marcus Hayes wrote about Embiid. Not hard to see why Joel was upset. Criticise his performances and his availability or lack thereof but this absolutely crossed the line https://t.co/xlgoJxZxeG pic.twitter.com/zIeKDhEzjO
— Steve Smith (@steve__smith__) November 3, 2024
As one journalist is called out for his ragebait article he thought would go unchecked, another chose to report on the incident, focusing on being first and extreme rather than being right.
Oh, boy, people will remember the Sixers season for all the wrong reasons. The team just dropped to 1-4 and Joel Embiid assaulted a reporter in the locker room.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 3, 2024
It captures the worst of NBA reporting in a week that clearly proves we don’t need the hyperbole in a league consistently producing wild moments.
3 Takeaways From Week 2
The Mess In Milwaukee
Giannis Antetokounmpo has made a habit – deliberate or not – of insinuating he would leave the Milwaukee Bucks if they weren’t competing for an NBA championship.
In response, the Bucks front office hired Doc Rivers, who hasn’t won anything for over a decade and paired him with Darvin Ham – the former Lakers coach pushed out for his inability to identify talent and develop it while winning.
It’s, therefore, no surprise to see the Bucks start the 2024-25 NBA season 1-5 with Antetokounmpo struggling to find comfort on the court.
“How are we going to win the game? Are we going to defend for 48 minutes? Are we going to move the ball for 48 minutes? Are we going to attack? We’ve gotta find an identity. We don’t have that right now.”
Their identity, by the numbers, is of a bad basketball team.
The Bucks rank 21st in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating. They’re poor in rebounding (20th) and don’t move the ball well at 26th in assists per 100 possessions.
Antetokounmpo will hold up his end of the bargain for 31 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Damian Lillard can still get buckets for his 26.2 points per game, along with 6.7 assists. However, there is little else around the superstar duo. Certainly not enough to treat them as championship contenders right now ($34).
The Bucks are still $1.10 to make the playoffs. The expectation is for a sharp improvement soon. If not, though, the Antetokounmpo rumours will heat up.
Cohesion Is King
We spend weeks dissecting rosters and numbers leading up to the start of the NBA season. However, there is consistently one stone left unturned when it comes to making pointless preseason predictions: Cohesion.
The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers all kept much of the same squad as last season. For the Celtics, it made sense to return the NBA champions, and they remain as favourites to do it again at $3.30.
The Cavaliers and Lakers, on the other hand, have caught a few by surprise. Cleveland’s win total opened at 48.5, while Los Angeles’ 42.5 looked low. We took both to go Over.
At 7-0, the Cavaliers are playing with the best record in the NBA. They’re deep, playing with understanding, and only look like they are getting better moving forward.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 1 of only 2 teams in NBA history to begin a season 6-0, with no player averaging 30 minutes per game.
The other team on that list is the 1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics, who won the championship that year.
h/t @FanDuelSN pic.twitter.com/pAeq4u6Rkr
— The Commish (@CommishFilmRoom) November 3, 2024
Meanwhile, JJ Redick is working wonders with the same group of Lakers Darvin Ham struggled to control. He started by putting the best players on the floor to start games… Redick is already making a name for himself as a lethal coach on ATO’s and the Lakers look even better than their 4-2 record suggests.
Others will catch up around the league as cohesion develops, but the Cavaliers and Lakers look better for it early. The Lakers appeal as favourites on Tuesday against a Detroit Pistons team playing the second of a back-to-back.
Thunder Numbers
The Oklahoma City Thunder came into the NBA season among the favourites to win the title and remain there at $5.50.
While they finished 3rd in the league offensively last season, they’ve started this one scoring 112.1 points per 100 possessions to rank 18th. The expectation is for an improvement into the Top 10 sooner rather than later. However, with a top-ranked defence allowing only 94.9 points per 100 possessions, the Thunder can afford a slow start with the ball.
The Thunder have a 94.9 DRTG so far this season.
They are currently ranked as the #11 best defense of all time.⚡️ pic.twitter.com/LGM27A03Th
— 𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙖 (@arkaavs) November 3, 2024
So many of these early-season numbers don’t stick around for long. Only last week the Denver Nuggets ranked last in offensive rating before climbing 9th only three games later. This Thunder defensive figure is one to keep an eye on, though. They have the potential to be one of the greatest defences in NBA history.
NBA Futures
NBA Futures Portfolio: Suns to win Pacific Division ($3.20), Lakers Over 42.5 wins, Kings miss playoffs ($2.12), Cavaliers Over 48.5 wins ($1.91), Knicks Over 53.5 wins ($1.87), Buddy Hield ($11) and Alex Caruso ($26) Sixth Man of the Year.
After touching on Anthony Davis to win Defensive Player of the Year at $10 last week, we’re back for more in this one. He’s dominating every game. Voters can often overlook a young player they know will win it eventually while also correcting their mistakes from last season. Davis is primed to fit that voting approach if he’s in the mix later in the season.
Early-season form has been kind to those already holding Oklahoma City Thunder futures with their price coming into $5.50 from $8.50 a week earlier.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have made an early move into the Top 6 at $13. They’ve taken the place of the Philadelphia 76ers, who have blown out to $21 following a week of controversy.
TOP 10 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS
| TEAM | CURRENT PRICE | LAST WEEK’S PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | $3.50 | $4.20 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $5.50 | $8.50 |
| New York Knicks | $9.50 | $9.50 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $10.00 | $11.00 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $12.00 | $11.00 |
| Phoenix Suns | $13.00 | – |
| Denver Nuggets | $15.00 | – |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $21.00 | $11.00 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $23.00 | – |
| Miami Heat | – | $12.00 |