One month into the season, and the NBA is in full swing. With loads of thrilling moments and attention-grabbing storylines stealing the headlines, there have been just a few gamers who’ve actually taken off which are flying underneath the radar.
Listed below are 5 gamers who’ve discovered a brand new rhythm early within the season and are rising because the potential superstars of tomorrow within the Affiliation.
The Detroit Pistons have been trending upwards for a while now, with all issues seeming to be clicking in Motor Metropolis. The reward for this success primarily goes to Cade Cunningham for his heroics, however Jalen Duren has quietly been proving himself as among the best large males within the NBA.
Now in his fourth season, Duren is averaging a career-high 20.6 factors per recreation. Sure, it’s primarily based on a small pattern dimension, however that’s 6.8 extra factors than his earlier private finest in 2023-24. He’s additionally grabbing 11.9 rebounds per contest and blocking 1.1 pictures per recreation.
The 22-year-old has scored 30-plus factors on three events already this season — a feat he achieved simply as soon as by way of his first three campaigns within the NBA. He set a brand new career-high with a 33-point exhibiting in a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 1, and he additionally had a 22-point, 22-rebound efficiency in a victory towards the Utah Jazz on Nov. 5.
The Pistons are additionally inserting their belief within the six-foot-10 centre, as he boasts his highest utilization proportion of his profession at 23.5 per cent. Duren’s averages have him fifth amongst centres in scoring and fourth in rebounds. If Duren continues on this path, the first-place Pistons can have no selection however to provide him a max contract subsequent low season.
Sure, Alex Caruso and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder gained the NBA Championship final season, nevertheless it might not be too loopy to say that the Chicago Bulls gained the commerce that landed them Josh Giddey.
Giddey has been on a roll for the reason that second half of final season, a pattern which has carried over into this yr. The Australian is averaging a near-triple-double of 20.8 factors, 9.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists — all profession highs, whereas additionally taking part in a personal-best 34.2 minutes per recreation.
The 23-year-old has secured three triple-doubles in 14 video games, the second most within the NBA behind Nikola Jokic. Giddey has additionally scored 20-plus factors 5 occasions and set a brand new career-high of 32 factors in a win over the New York Knicks on Oct. 31.
Giddey’s 118 rebounds by way of the primary month are essentially the most by a guard within the league, and he’s dished the fourth most assists by a guard with 116. The previous sixth-overall decide can be second within the NBA in help proportion at 42.2 per cent out of gamers to play a minimum of 10 video games, and with Giddey operating the offence, the Bulls common the third most assists within the NBA with 30.2 per recreation.
Chicago rewarded Giddey with a four-year, $100-million contract in September, and he has been value each penny by way of the primary month.
It could appear odd to incorporate a former Most Improved Participant winner and All-Star in an inventory of breakout stars, however Tyrese Maxey has reached new heights to start 2025-26.
Not a lot has gone proper for the Philadelphia 76ers during the last couple of years, however there ought to be zero complaints about Maxey. The 25-year-old is averaging a career-high 33.4 factors, 4.7 rebounds and seven.9 assists per recreation. He’s additionally doing so whereas taking part in a league-high 40.7 minutes per recreation.
Maxey’s scoring at a charge that no one anticipated: he hasn’t scored lower than 21 factors in a recreation this season. He has exploded for 40-plus twice, 30-plus six occasions and three separate nights of 39 factors. Maxey moreover erupted for a career-high 54 factors in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 20.
Maxey trails solely Luka Doncic within the scoring race, whereas additionally sitting second behind reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for many factors scored with 501.
The Kentucky product has been environment friendly, taking pictures 47.3 per cent from the sector whereas trying a career-high 23.4 pictures per recreation. Maxey can be posting a personal-best 61.8 true-shooting proportion, and he’s made a league-high 61 threes.
Philadelphia ought to be totally ready to give attention to the longer term and be certain that Maxey is the centrepiece of the franchise shifting ahead.
With only one win this season, the Washington Wizards appear to be getting outplayed each night time. With a lot going fallacious for the Wizards, it’s arduous to seek out many positives, however what Alex Sarr is doing can’t be ignored.Â
The seven-footer is averaging 18.3 factors, 8.2 rebounds and three.6 assists, and doing so whereas taking pictures 51.9 per cent from the sector and 35 per cent from three. Sarr has scored 31 factors twice already by way of the primary month — he solely managed to hit the 30-point mark as soon as throughout 67 contests in 2024-25.
Sarr’s point-per-game common leads all sophomores by way of the opening month, and he has essentially the most blocks amongst second-year gamers with 28. His 2.2 swats per contest are adequate for second in your entire NBA, behind solely fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama.
One of many primary issues of Sarr’s recreation final season was his effectivity. He has since put these issues to relaxation by enhancing his taking pictures proportion by 12.5 per cent from final yr and his true-shooting proportion by 9.6 per cent.
Sarr additionally impressively ranks within the prime 25 within the NBA for factors per recreation amongst all prime 5 picks throughout the league, surpassing gamers like Cooper Flagg, Ja Morant, and Andrew Wiggins.
The Los Angeles Lakers have entered a brand new period. Luka Doncic is main the crew, LeBron James is nearing 41 years previous and Austin Reaves is blossoming right into a star.
There have been issues concerning the Lakers coming into the season with James lacking the primary 14 video games. Luckily, Reaves stepped up in his absence, performing as the perfect complementary piece to Doncic.
Reaves continues to show himself as among the best undrafted gamers of the final decade. He’s averaging career-highs in factors (28.1), rebounds (5.1), assists (7.6) and steals (1.3). He additionally had a 51-point outburst in a win over the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 26 and a buzzer-beater to down the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 29.
The 27-year-old leads all undrafted gamers in factors per recreation, with the following highest scorer, Naz Reid, sitting 14.8 factors behind Reaves. If Reaves can preserve this output, he might obtain the highest-scoring season by any undrafted participant all time.
Reaves’ offensive success goes past simply undrafted gamers this season; he’s additionally eighth within the scoring race, averaging extra factors by way of the primary month than Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson and Devin Booker.
With the Lakers sitting at 11-4, Reaves’ newfound stardom alongside Doncic and James may lead L.A. to new heights.
