After three games on Tuesday night, the rest of the NBA teams opened their 2026-27 seasons on Wednesday night. And with it, we finally got a look at a host of star players with their new teams in regular-season action on the heels of a rather eventful summer across the league. After grading LeBron James's opening act with the 76ers, here are the report cards for some other notables after their first games in different digs.
The biggest name to change teams this offseason (non-LeBron division). Once again, Pat Riley got his man. But even after acquiring Antetokounmpo, Riley hinted that they were still looking to add another major piece, indicating that the Heat needed to improve a roster that could clearly use more floor spacing, shot creators, scoring and depth.
That's certainly how it looked in the Heat's ugly 25-point home loss to the Timberwolves in the season opener. Antetokounmpo had 35 points in 30 minutes, but that still wasn't enough to keep the Heat in the game. To the extent that there were any positives for Miami, at least Giannis looked like Giannis -- including airballing a free throw and being a problem in the open court (especially when the refs were lenient with traveling violations; more on that in a moment when we get to LaMelo Ball's debut).
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO GOES FROM HALFCOURT TO A DUNK WITHOUT A SINGLE DRIBBLE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/otpviA4P1I Antetokounmpo played just 36 games in his final season with the Bucks, the result of a combination of injuries and a late-season tank job. But prior to that, he finished in the top five in the MVP voting in seven straight seasons. He'll be 32 in December, but the Heat are betting he's healthy and has plenty of top-tier basketball still to offer.
They'll need all the heavy lifting he can muster if Miami wants to join the contenders in the loaded Eastern Conference. The "C" stands for comedy. Look, there's no denying that Ball is a skilled basketball player.
In an easy win over the Heat, Ball had 21 points (on 7-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-13 from deep) and six assists. He looked comfortable next to Anthony Edwards, who went off for a game-high 45 points without breaking much of a sweat. Ball can hit shots from all over the court and he's a fantastic passer.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
