Another intense week in the NBA wrapped up with outstanding finishes and even the Brooklyn Nets winning a game.
With the Nets’ victory against the Indiana Pacers, every team in the league now has at least one win. Along with the Nets and Pacers, only the Washington Wizards have just one victory this season. The New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Los Angeles Clippers round out the bottom three teams in the Western Conference, with the Pelicans having a pair of wins. The Mavericks and the Clippers each have three wins this season.
Of all the news this week in the NBA, the biggest story to come out in the last 24 hours is the firing of General Manager Nico Harrison from the Mavericks. While Luka Doncic is putting up MVP numbers and powering the Los Angeles Lakers to an 8-3 record, all without LeBron James, mind you, the Mavericks have the exact opposite record at 3-8 and are without Anthony Davis.
Drafting Cooper Flagg first overall in the NBA Draft is the lone consolation for the Mavericks as the last three months have only proven that the Doncic trade should never have happened. The firing of general manager Nico Harrison was long overdue following a widely panned trade. The superstar will have a future in Los Angeles while Dallas will be retooling a team to fit around the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.
While this is the biggest story of the week, each of the local teams has storylines of its own. Let’s dive deep into what’s going on in Brooklyn, New York and Philadelphia.
Brooklyn Nets: 1-9
Results this week: 112-103 win at Indiana, 125-107 loss vs. Detroit, 134-98 loss at New York.
Biggest storyline: Cam Thomas is out for 3-4 weeks.
Thomas was highlighted in last week’s NBA weekly recap as the one player who needed to improve for the Brooklyn Nets. The young star was putting up points the Nets desperately needed, but his lack of ball movement limited the team, among other fixes the Nets need to make.
During the first quarter of the win over Indiana, Thomas left the game with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least 3-4 weeks. He was second on the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game behind Michael Porter Jr.
With that timetable in mind, the earliest we can see Thomas back on the court for Brooklyn would be on Friday, Nov. 28, against Philadelphia if Thomas is only sidelined for three weeks. If he’s out for four weeks, then we can see Thomas play with the Nets in Chicago on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
This timeline can vary, but it looks like Thomas’ return will be either late November or early December.
In the meantime, the Nets will look for more offense, and the rookies will get plenty of playing time in his absence.
Thomas’ injury could also affect what happens with him when the Trade Deadline approaches. Thomas is an unrestricted free agent once the season is over and Brooklyn could deal him if the team continues this rebuild. The injury can change the haul the Nets receive in any trade if this injury nags throughout the rest of the season.
New York Knicks: 6-3
Results this week: 137-114 win vs. Minnesota, 134-98 win vs. Brooklyn.
Biggest storyline: Dominant at home, lackluster on the road.
The New York Knicks have played six home games and won all of them. The New York Knicks have also played three away games and lost all of them. The team is 6-3.
Coincidence? It should not be. After some close finishes to start the season at home against Cleveland and Boston, the Knicks lost by 10 points or less in the three games away from Madison Square Garden.
Of the three losses, New York would probably want that game back from Miami or Milwaukee. With just a few key mistakes from the Knicks’ offense, those games mean the difference between being second in the Eastern Conference and first. Right now, only Detroit has a better winning percentage in the East than New York.
The Knicks will play three more home games before their first extended road trip of the season, with five games away from New York. Of those eight games, five of those teams are below .500 (the Knicks will play Miami and Orlando twice in that span).
Philadelphia 76ers: 6-4
Results this week: 113-111 loss at Chicago, 132-121 loss at Cleveland, 130-120 win vs. Toronto, 111-108 loss vs. Detroit.
Biggest storyline: Rookie helps in hot start
VJ Edgecombe is making the Rookie of the Year race tight for Cooper Flagg.
After a historic start to his career with a 34-point performance against the Boston Celtics, Edgecombe has been a key member of the 76ers alongside Tyrese Maxey and even Kelly Oubre Jr.
While Joel Embiid has been limited in his role with the team so far this season, that has opened the door for other Philly role players to shine. The 76ers opened the season with a shocking start, winning five of their first six games and becoming one of the best Eastern Conference teams.
This is the Philadelphia 76ers and what it can do with a healthy roster.
Since that start, Philly had dropped three of its next four while suffering some injuries on the bench. Paul George has been sidelined to start the season after going through offseason knee surgery, while Dominick Barlow and Johni Broome have been limited through the first ten games of the season.
With a limited bench and two superstars who were supposed to anchor the team, Maxey and, especially, Edgecombe have been the 76ers’ brightest spots, playing exceptionally well in their increased playing time.
