NBA's Biggest Winners and Losers After One Month: Lakers, Warriors Rise as Pistons, Jazz Slip

The first month of the NBA season is already in the rearview, along with all the storylines that came with it. Of course, most of the season still remains to be played, but there have been some trends around the league that can’t be ignored.

Whether that’s teams that are overachieving or players underperforming, these are my biggest winners and losers from the first portion of the NBA season. 

Winner: Golden State Warriors

The Dubs came into the season with little to no expectations. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody were going to miss a large chunk of the season, and the front office made no notable offseason moves to improve the roster. To make matters worse, Kristaps Porzingis retired at the start of the season to deal with an illness that kept him sidelined for a large percentage of the last few years.

None of that slowed the Warriors down, though. They rebounded from their 0-3 start by winning eight games straight. At 38 years old, Steph Curry is still the All-NBA talent we’re used to seeing, leading Golden State on this run. Yaxel Lindenborg has been one of, if not the most impressive rookies from a stacked rookie class.

Their elite play has been backed up by a supporting cast that has stepped up at every turn, making for a shocking start to the season in the bay.

Winner: Tyrese Maxey

With as much talent as the Sixers have, it’s nice to finally see the keys go to Maxey. He’s spent his career playing second or even third fiddle to Joel Embiid and James Harden. Injuries and trades punished Philly throughout those years, but Maxey’s production and availability never wavered.

Now, even with the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron, Maxey is the face of the team. Coming off last year’s All-NBA season, Tyrese continues to lead the Sixers in scoring and is the driving force behind their 9-3 start. After years of being in the backseat, Tyrese Maxey is finally getting his recognition, and no one deserves it more. 

Loser: Cade Cunningham

Cade is still playing like a top-10 player in the league, and the Pistons are still at the top of the East. Neither of these things is why he finds himself in this category. What does qualify him, however, is the fact that his usage has barely moved.

Last year, Detroit’s downfall came from an overreliance on Cunningham’s offensive production. When the Pistons desperately needed scoring from somewhere else, it was nowhere to be found.

The necessary help never arrived before this season, and the Pistons find themselves in a familiar situation. While the Cade-reliant iteration of the team has proven to work in the regular season, it will likely be an issue in the playoffs. 

Winner: Alperen Sengun 

Alperen Sengun was the face of an up-and-coming Rockets team that surprised the NBA during the 2024-25 season. The big man was expected to continue his ascension into the 2025-26 campaign as one of the League’s premier frontcourt players, but unfortunately that was not the case.

Between the addition of Kevin Durant and the absence of Fred VanVleet, Sengun was forced to play outside of his comfort zone. This exposed his inefficiencies and became a major factor in Houston’s terrible finish to the season.

This year, though, the script has flipped. The return of Fred VanVleet has shifted Sengun back into his natural role, and he has thrived as a result. He is averaging a near triple-double and has shown improvement in areas like three-point shooting.

Houston is firing on all cylinders, and while a year late, it looks like Sengun is finally making that leap we expected. 

Loser: Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte finished off the season last year as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. It looked like things were finally headed in the right direction until their front office opted to capitalize on Lamelo Ball’s health.

Melo was traded to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid and picks, and the Hornets are now far removed from that electric team from last season.

Their lack of a true point guard is a glaring issue, with Charlotte suffering from a lack of playmaking and reliable offensive creation. Kon Knueppel hasn’t been available yet, but their offense is the worst in the NBA by far, and he can only help that so much.

Lamelo’s success with the T-Wolves only adds insult to injury as the Hornets continue to reel from his departure. 

Winner: Walker Kessler/ Lakers supporting cast

Of course, Luka has been playing at an unbelievable level, but the Lakers’ role players deserve plenty of credit as well. Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams are just two of the players who have noticeably elevated their games for LA this season. Their ability to defend and finish plays on offense has complemented Luka perfectly.

Walker Kessler deserves a special shoutout, though, considering the skepticism he faced after getting traded to Los Angeles. He has fit perfectly into this Laker roster, acting as an elite rim protector and finisher around the basket. LA sits at an NBA-best 11-2 right now, and a lot of that success is owed to the guys doing the dirty work.

Loser: Darryn Peterson 

Darryn Peterson was supposed to be the perfect fit at the second overall pick for the Utah Jazz. They needed a shooting guard to plug into a team that was finally ready to compete. Instead, the Jazz were struck by an injury plague that derailed their season from the get-go, and they are now tied for the worst record in the league.

Peterson hasn’t made a particularly impactful start for a team that desperately needs help. Obviously, many factors play into the way his season has begun, including a crowded guard rotation and lineups lacking proper personnel.

Still, it’s hard not to compare what he’s done to the production of players like Cam Boozer, Darius Acuff, Yaxel, and many others who were drafted after him.  Peterson has all the tools to become a great NBA player, but up until this point, he’s been overshadowed by the other players in his class.