More than two weeks into the 2025-26 NBA season, six teams have defied preseason predictions with strong starts. The Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat have shown surprising depth and performance despite injuries and roster changes. These franchises, often underestimated, are proving their potential early on.
The 2025-26 NBA season has brought unexpected twists, with several teams outperforming low expectations. Analysts highlight the Los Angeles Lakers, who sit at 7-2 with five straight wins, even without LeBron James recovering from sciatica and Luka Dončić missing four of their first nine games due to injuries and rest. Austin Reaves has stepped up, scoring 51 points in a win at the Kings, 41 against the Blazers and a game-winning 28 versus the Wolves. The Lakers also beat the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama in a close game on Wednesday. Their most notable victory came against the Blazers on a back-to-back road trip, winning without Dončić and Reaves using a lineup of Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, DeAndre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. Nick Smith Jr. added 25 points in 27 minutes off the bench. DeAndre Ayton noted the team's professionalism: "It's become a thing in our routine... That's something you just have to take a deep breath on and wonder if what we're doing back here is really fundamentally sound."
The Portland Trail Blazers are 5-3 after handing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder their first loss on Wednesday, despite the Thunder missing three starters. New addition Jrue Holiday has revived his two-way play, while Deni Avdija averages nearly eight more points per game. The Blazers rank second in pace and eighth in defensive rating, led by Toumani Camara.
Milwaukee Bucks hold a 5-3 record, pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Myles Turner after waiving Damian Lillard. Giannis averages 32.3 points, 12.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists on 70.7 effective field-goal percentage. Ryan Rollins has filled the point guard role effectively at 16.3 points, 5.6 assists and 62 true shooting percentage since Kevin Porter Jr.'s knee injury.
Chicago Bulls lead the East at 6-1 without Coby White, who has a calf strain. Josh Giddey nears triple-doubles and posted back-to-back ones, the first for a Bull since Michael Jordan in 1988. They lead the league in drives and transition points, ranking second in paint scoring and third in 3-point percentage. A 24-point comeback win over the Sixers featured Giddey's assist to Nikola Vucevic for the game-winner.
Philadelphia 76ers are 5-3, a jump from last season's 24 wins. Tyrese Maxey leads the league with 33.5 points per game, the most in franchise history for the first seven games, amid Joel Embiid's minutes limit and Paul George's absence.
Miami Heat rank eighth in net rating and fourth in points per game without Tyler Herro, out until mid-November. Their fast-paced, read-and-react offense has Bam Adebayo and Norm Powell combining for 43 points, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. at 17.4 points in 29 minutes. Adebayo exited Wednesday's game in Denver with a foot injury after eight minutes.