Six NBA Trends That Really Matter This Week - Ringer

Can the San Antonio Spurs survive Victor Wombanyama's injury?In addition, the Houston Rockets have become the best offensive team in the league with their powerful offensive ability.

The 2025-26 season is almost a month away, and we're learning more about the NBA landscape with each passing game.In this column, we'll provide insight and analysis on several current developments that NBA fans should know about.Today, we look at whether the Spurs can survive Victor Wembanyama's injury, the Rockets' unusual but highly effective offense, the free throw shooting and more.

These Spurs can survive without Wemby.

On Monday afternoon, San Antonio Spurs star Vance Webanyama held a press conference and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.Injury is a big deal for a 9-4 player.

The Spurs outscored their opponents by almost nine points per 100 possessions when Wemby was on the court, but that number dropped to two per 100 when he was not.That's actually good news compared to last season, when the team had boat races whenever Wemby was out.

San Antonio is in better shape for the Greeting Game without Wemby this season for two main reasons.First, Lukas Kornet is small - obviously he didn't have a reliable backup center last year.In Wemby's absence, Kornet started Antonio's game against the King on Sunday and helped the Spurs hold the line in the middle. Another reason Last year, the Spurs lacked the right kind of serious desire for the fox to bring the table.In the same trip in the king, Fox led all scorers with 28 points and was also the groin 11. That's the whole number.In fact, the rest of the young core of the team has been targeted and it is reasonable to expect that this year's squad will play enough ties without the leader of the French group.

The Atlanta Hawks are quietly preparing without Trey.

The question mark in the NBA is now wearing street clothes, because tlee young has missed the last nine games for the Atlanta sprain.The injury comes into an interesting time: Young did not receive a contract and a long-term contract of extension in the summer, and this time is suddenly interesting and a sudden subpot is interesting in the league is interesting in the league is curious in the league.Why?Because you can grow in the NBA who believes that Atlanta can goodness without it.

The Hawks are 2-3 in the five games they've played with Young in the lineup;He is 7-2 in the nine games he has missed.More specifically, the trey-less Hawks have won five straight, including going undefeated on a four-game road trip out West.If you're wondering when was the last time Atlanta made such a trip, the answer is never.

More to the point, important indicators like this make it more difficult: in 139 minutes with the young man down this season, the Hawks have a net rating of +6.4 in 533 minutes without him.

Let's be creative.Here's how that difference looks across the league's performance landscape.As you can see, with Young off the floor, the Hawks profile as a contender, similar to the East-leading Pistons.But with Young on the floor, the team's stats look like Brooklyn.

It may be too early to conclude that they've improved without the four-time star, especially in their season (they can't score the ball without being quick in the crease. But earlier this year, the fight itched to maintain a different humidity. Atlanta's offensive action with no time 114.4 points per 100 people on Sunday who were afraid of winning on the way to 127 minutes. Offseason additions Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu showed all levels and helped the teamto end the journey with a special point.

Youngless linemen are stacked with longer arms and taller frames, and so far this year, those groups have been pretty good, especially defensively.With Young on the floor, the team is scoring 123.2 points per 100, which is 28th in the NBA.When he is out, that number drops to a secondary, secondary.has an elite defensive ceiling to go with It's starting to look like a new era has begun in Atlanta.

The key to being organized for Houston's offense isn't rocket science.It is very strong.

Now, here's a riddle.How can a team in the modern NBA have the most efficient offense in the league despite the fact that they use the fewest 3-pointers?

The answer is: Kevin Durandi and the amazing move.

The 9-3 Houston Rockets Ray is last in the NBA in 3-point attempts per contest, with only 30.3, but ranks first in the league, which is an impressive efficiency in one can.. True Durger, Slorician Rarest topic 12/40/90 shots per game more points than stat, while 2 per stat.The player, let alone nearly 7 parents, is playing in his 18th NBA season.

Durant is not limited;We have known this for a long time.But here's a wrinkle added to H-Town: even if he misses, a defensive dream is pointless.Collects defensive rebounds as teammates like Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, AMEN Thompson and Clint Capela hit the opposing glass.Just ask about the money lost in Houston earlier this month because the Rockets had an offensive cap because the money had a defensive cap;Houston won the Battle of the Battles 50-27.

Houston's offensive rebounding stats are by far the best in the league.They are tied for first in the NBA, rebounding on over 49 percent of missed shots, and tied for first in the NBA, rebounding on over 36 percent of missed shots.They also have more second chance points than any other team and their overall offensive rebounding rate is the highest in over 30 years.

Durant and Co.'s defenses not only have to be countered.

The definition of bad has changed.Again.

On November 5, the star-studded crowd packed meena crypto.com to see the photo between Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic, but the real star of the game is the official.With the sitting situation in Leo LEO city, the team was surprised by 66 people that night, which translates into 84 free.All the travel that slowed down the line in a game that lasted for 2 hours and 54 minutes - 14 minutes longer ... in Hollywood.

After the win, Lakers head coach JJ Redick lamented the excessive fouls. "There were a lot of foul shots tonight. Something that disrupted the rhythm of both teams."The Angeles Times called the game "ugly".

No one likes to watch free throws, but the Spurs-Lakers game was one of the prime examples of a great season: The game in the middle of Game Eight.Let's dig deeper:

- Last year, seven NBA teams committed more than 20 fouls in a single game.This year, all 30 of them committed.

- Onkeni led the entire NBA in free throw shooting last year at 27.1 percent.That number remains this year.

What's going on here?Some of these say more about last year than this.In 2024-2025, the league's combined penalty kick percentage of 18.9 percent was the lowest ever, and this year's figure of 22.8 percent is a partial return to normality.

But within the last year of the small story-time of free friends, injury behavior and players suddenly more than usual about NBA allowances.

Revival is made to spin.

Open some baskets, people: the hottest Wrangler team on the planet is the hottest basketball team from Motors.Destos is ranked first, 12-2 in the conference, and owns the league's longest winning streak.With Cade Zinham as the face of the team, some of his most famous teammates were rushing, rushing and rushing.in a circle.

The Pistons were strong on both ends of the floor from the start, but their signature dominance came inside.This should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Duren and Stewart play basketball.These two bad boys evoke a certain type of physicality that fits perfectly in the land of Rick Mahorn, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace.But it is more than just heritage;Detroit ranks first in the league in points per game in the paint, with 58.3, and fourth in points scored by opponents in the paint, allowing just 43.2 per game.

In other words, they win when they control the interior, and that sets the tone for an exciting new era of Pistons basketball.If they can keep it up, their glory days could go back to 313.

Nikola Jokic has gone to a (different) level.

Did you think we had a Joak Joker?Think again.If you thought Jokic's numbers couldn't get Zanier's, that's the case, even by his ridiculous standards.Let's start with two major facts: First, Jokic leads the NBA in rebounding.Second, he leads the NBA in assists.

No player in NBA history has led a league in both of these primary categories in a season.I didn't even choose.Jokic may not be at the top of the league when they're all said and done, but he's been there for 12 games, which is impressive in itself.And that's just the beginning - Dost is also the best player with the highest volume in the league.

So far this season, 147 players have taken 100 shots. This is one third of the total.This motoley group, Jokic gets the most resistance, taking 1.49 points per attempt.

We got a closer look at the Joker's magic on the road last week: He made 34 of 42 shots in back-to-back wins over the Kings and Clippers.Thirty-four out of 42!It's not as if Jokic is dealing with a talent problem, though, as he is currently on track for career marks in 3-point percentage, free throw percentage, and 2-point percentage.In fact, those numbers inside the bracket are amazing.Impressive – Jokic is shooting an impressive 77 percent on 11.5 two-point attempts per game.

TL;Dr: He's the MVP so far.Sorry, Shai.

Stamps are updated through Sunday games.