3 early NBA risers and 3 disappointing underperformers right out of the gate

The NBA season is BACK, baby! And man, what a few days it has been. In terms of overall quality of the games, it's hard to remember an opening slate this electrifying.

We've already seen the defending champs win in double overtime... twice. Once against their foremost challenger in the West, once against the team they just beat in the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder are built for the grind.

There have also been historic performances. Several of 'em! The sort we will still be talking about years from now. It's never wise to put too much stock into the first handful of games in an NBA season, but special, special things are happening. For some fanbases, this week has felt like a breath of fresh air and possibility. For others, it has served as a sobering reminder that nothing is ever guaranteed in this league.

Let's dive into six NBA teams on divergent courses here in the early going. A few that are outperforming all reasonable preseason expectations, and a few that are underwhelming.

Better than expected: Toronto Raptors

Just as the Toronto Blue Jays are preparing to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, the Toronto Raptors are loudly announcing their intention to compete in the East this season. It's one game, but a 138-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks will certainly turn a few heads. All the offseason chatter was about Atlanta's looming ascent. Perhaps we should give more credence to Toronto instead.

The Raptors haven't looked this crisp offensively in a hot minute. The 2024-25 campaign was miserable, and the Brandon Ingram trade was met with an appropriate amount of skepticism. But lost in the discourse was the extent to which injuries derailed Toronto last season. That team was never at full strength. The Raptors have a lot of money tied up in good-not-great players, but there's something to be said for paying a lot on good players and drafting well. Toronto has comprised a versatile group that can win in a variety of ways on paper, and head coach Darko Rajaković is quietly one of the best motivators and vibe guys in the NBA.

R.J. Barrett was incredibly efficient and purposeful in Toronto's opening win. He used his trademark physicality to score at the rim, but he also hit a couple 3s, hoarded eight rebounds and dished out five assists. Scottie Barnes was brilliant as a jumbo table-setter on offense. Immanuel Quickley's importance to this offense really can't be overstated. He went 0-for-7 from deep, but those shots will fall eventually. In the meantime, the gravity of his shooting, combined with his speed and decisiveness as a slasher, gives Toronto an element that was missing during his extended absence a year ago.

Toronto only shot 6-for-25 from deep as a group and dropped 138 points. They pummeled the Hawks on the interior, which is no small feat considering the rim-protecting bona fides of Kristaps Porzingis. Toronto's ability to attack the lane and play off of the advantages created by their big, bruising wings was a sight to behold. The defense should get better over time, too, especially once the Raptors unleash first-round pick Collin Murray-Boyles.

Worse than expected: Atlanta Hawks

Uhhhhhhhh... Atlanta? U up?

The Hawks put together, on paper, one of the absolute best offseasons in the NBA, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from Boston for pennies on the dollar, signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency and fleecing New Orleans on draft night. But the final product underwhelmed in game one. It's far too early to panic, of course, but the Hawks ran into painfully familiar issues on Wednesday.

Atlanta's defense was abysmal. Dyson Daniels got in early foul trouble and aside from Alexander-Walker, it felt like the Hawks didn't really show up on that end of the floor. Trae Young struggling with the physicality of a big Raptors lineup is hardly a surprise, but Atlanta's complete inability to get back in transition and limit Toronto from abusing them at the rim was a surprise. Atlanta needs to get back on the saddle. Quickly.

The Hawks looked fine on offense. Trae Young couldn't find his range, but that's not a long-term concern. Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Porzingis all looked solid. This Hawks team will score, and in the broader landscape of this Eastern Conference, it's not worth sweating too much over the defense — yet. But this was not the resounding statement of arrival that most Hawks fans expected.

Better than expected: San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs put the Dallas Mavericks in the hurt locker on Wednesday night. The main storyline was, of course, an incredible performance from Victor Wembanyama. The third-year big man appeared to put it all together in real time. After missing the stretch run of last season with blood clotting, Wemby spent his summer training with Kevin Garnett and studying with the monks. Few 21-year-olds are as intelligent and mature as Wemby. Combine that with his god-given gifts as a 7-foot-5 Stretch Armstrong, and this dude is going to be a problem.

Wembanyama was my preseason pick to win MVP. We just don't see players like him come along all that often. He's leveling up at warp speed, with physical tools that render him virtually matchup-proof. Wemby is already the most dominant interior defender in the NBA by a comfortable margin. Now he's playing with physicality on offense, using his shoulder to drive through the chest of smaller defenders — and every defender is smaller. His efficiency has improved dramatically in just two NBA seasons. He has also made noticeable progress as a ball-handler, operating with a cadence and dexterity that is typically reserved for guards a foot shorter than him.

The roster around Wembanyama isn't without its warts, but he might just be the most dominant individual player in the league now. It's unclear how teams can go about stopping him. Once De'Aaron Fox retuns and Dylan Harper gets his sea legs, Wemby will have a trio of productive guards to make life easier on him. Stephon Castle looked great. The Luke Kornet signing is going to pay dividends.

Dallas is far from perfect, but that frontcourt features two all-world interior defenders in Anthony Davis and Derrick Lively. If the wise words of Shaq, Wemby made them into BBQ chicken. The Spurs have a different feeling about them right now.

Worse than expected: Dallas Mavericks

This early in the season, it's only natural for this article to feature two sides of the same coin. The Spurs looked great and the Mavs, by comparison, looked like hot garbage.

This Dallas roster has more than enough talent to compete in the West. For all his faults, AD remains one of the most dominant two-way forces in the NBA. Lively is a stifling presence at the rim. P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Max Christie — these are all rock-solid role players. And Cooper Flagg, though he may be 18 years old, is due for an incredible rookie season.

And yet, a 33-point loss to the Spurs on opening night was not on anyone's bingo card. We all kind of knew Wemby was going to take a leap this season, but Dallas was outclassed across the board. The level of advantage that Wemby created on seemingly every possession could mean we chalk this one up as an aberration and move on. But not only did the Mavs struggle to contain the Spurs' offense. Dallas couldn't score, man.

Jason Kidd deserves some of the criticism here. This team won't reach its final form until Kyrie Irving returns, but 'Point Cooper' is not the way. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and zero assists on 4-of-13 shooting, committing three turnovers. Flagg is a smart and dynamic player. He's one of the greatest college freshmen of all time and a generational prospect. But even the best rookies need patience. There needs to be some effort to ease them in and optimize their stengths. Dallas is asking Flagg to stretch his game beyond anything he's done at lower levels of competition. It won't work. Not straight away. He is the only credible ball-handler in the starting lineup right now. There is a difference between empowerment and over-reliance.

It sucks that the only semi-logical solution right now is either to start D'Angelo Russell or 5-foot-11 rookie Ryan Nembhard, but Dallas needs to get Flagg moving into open space and attacking closeouts. Make it easy. Let him build up a rhythm and find his sea legs before he becomes the hinge upon which the entire offense hangs. The Mavs have a lot to figure out.

Better than expected: Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors entered the season with the oldest starting lineup in the NBA. In the West, with teams like OKC and Houston displaying the benefits of youth and depth on a nightly basis, the Warriors appeared stuck in the past. Well, through two games, it seems we may have undersold just how good Golden State's old heads still are.

The Dubs ran roughshod over the Lakers in the third quarter on opening night. Their defense relegated Luka Dončić to a one-man show while the offense simply out-executed L.A.'s at every turn. In their follow-up performance, Golden State withstood a historically efficient 50-piece from Aaron Gordon to win a high-scoring affair against a very good Denver Nuggets squad.

Golden State looked like the Golden State of old — that "beautiful game" style that defined the Dubs' championship runs was on full display. That's not to say Golden State is a championship contender, especially since durability concerns don't dissipate with a couple strong showings out of the gate. But the Warriors played with intent and palpable chemistry. Jonathan Kuminga was locked in on the small things in a way he never was before his contract saga. Al Horford, Buddy Hield and the entire second unit fits like a glove. Horford's mid-post playmaking is going to pop all season with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler in his orbit.

The Warriors will need to stay healthy. That's the big question mark still hovering over the organization. But, as things stand, it's hard not to be impressed with Golden State's start. Curry can still bend a defense over backward with his off-ball movement. Butler's rim pressure and playmaking has infused the halfcourt offense with much-needed dynamism.

All the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. Only time can tell us if it's sustainable, but man, watching the Warriors go blow-for-blow with Denver on national TV, just days after dismantling the Luka-led Lakers, felt like a moment of revelation. Steve Kerr hasn't had this level of buy-in since Golden State's title run in 2022. If Kuminga finally lives up to his potential, and if Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Quinten Post and other youngsters can step up to insulate the vets, we cannot ignore Golden State as a potential threat in the West.

Worse than expected: Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers lost 129-108 to the Utah Jazz, the worst team in the NBA last season. The game was not as close as the final score suggests. Utah blew the doors off of L.A. before the end of the first quarter and led by double digits practically the entire game. Kawhi Leonard scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. James Harden dropped 15 points and 11 assists, but shot 41.7 percent. Bradley Beal scored five points in 20 minutes in his Clippers debut. It was a completely embarrassing effort from the Clippers.

On paper, this Los Angeles squad, which won 50 games a year ago, upgraded in major ways in the offseason. Take or leave the Beal signing, but the Clippers added John Collins, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul to the second unit, forming one of the deepest and most skilled bench mobs in the NBA. Both Lopez and Collins showed up in the Clippers' opener — at least on offense — but this game was lost by the starters.

Kawhi, still under NBA investigation for an offseason scandal that feels like a distant memory now, was passive on offense and disconnected on defense. Harden's effort waned, like it can when things go south. Ivica Zubac, a bonafide DPOY candidate last season, couldn't stop the bleeding whatsoever. Utah didn't miss in the paint until more than 20 minutes into the game.

Los Angeles was sloppy, turning the ball over and getting blitzed in transition by a younger, more vibrant Jazz team. It's only opening night. The Clippers will be a better team than Utah this season. But man, with so much emphasis on youth and physicality in today's NBA, and especially in the West, it's fair to wonder if the Clippers are built for this. There's a lot of talent on paper, but if they can't show up consistently in peak condition, that won't really matter.