NBA Opening Week: Knicks Start 0-3, Grizzlies Surge and Luka Drops 52

One week into the 2026-27 season, the standings already look strange. The reigning-champion Knicks are winless, a team ranked 24th in preseason by ESPN's BPI is 3-0, and one of the league's top scorers plays for a team that has not won yet.

The Worst Starts

New York Knicks (0-3). The champions' ring night came with drama, and the results since have not helped. They lost close games to Philadelphia and Boston, then fell at home to Orlando. Mikal Bridges was averaging 3.3 points on 22 percent shooting through the first stretch.

San Antonio Spurs. After blowing late leads in last season's Finals against the Knicks, the Spurs have again drawn questions about their late-game offense. They lost to Oklahoma City and Houston, with Victor Wembanyama shooting 1-for-13 against the Thunder and Amen Thompson blocking a potential game-tying shot at the rim for the Rockets. They beat a Dallas team missing Cooper Flagg on Saturday.

The Best Starts

Memphis Grizzlies (3-0). It is Memphis's best start since 2017-18. Ty Jerome scored 45, 28 and 31 points in the three games, and rookie Cameron Boozer became the fifth player in NBA history with at least 10 rebounds and four assists in each of his first three games. The Grizzlies lead the league in offensive rebound percentage.

Los Angeles Lakers (3-0). Luka Doncic poured in 52 points against Utah on Sunday to keep the Lakers perfect.

Injuries Already Hit

Three players are sidelined with injuries: Pistons center Jalen Duren, Magic guard Jalen Suggs and Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who was stretchered off the floor. Read more on Oklahoma City's situation in our report on the Thunder's injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.

The Contract Angle

Two notable contract stories surfaced early:

• Tyrese Maxey (28.8 points per game) and Anthony Edwards (28.7) are both under contract for three more seasons. If either earns MVP or All-NBA honors, or meets the Defensive Player of the Year criteria, they could sign a four-year, $304 million supermax extension next summer, starting in 2029-30.
• Zach LaVine is third in the league in scoring at 29 points per game for a winless Sacramento team, on an expiring $49 million contract. If he is bought out, teams over the first or second apron could not sign him. The list of ineligible teams includes the Nuggets, Warriors, Knicks, Magic, Timberwolves, Thunder and Suns.

New to the league's rules and format? See our NBA rules explained guide and how the play-in tournament works.

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