The Credits: The Empire Strikes Back

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We’re now a week and a half into the NBA season. Most teams have played four to five games. One team, the Atlanta Hawks, has played six.

Only the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, both 5-0, remain undefeated. Only the Sacramento Kings (0-5) and Brooklyn Nets (0-4) are still winless. A wave of injuries — some short-term, some long-term — swept over the league to try and spoil some early-season excitement.

Here are a handful of the best stories from the past week as well as key news you may have missed.

• Paul Pierce wants relief from child support because he spends $7K a month at restaurants — SB Nation
• The Jaylen Brown situation is getting icky — Celtics Blog
• Hate it or love it, this has always been Jaylen Brown — Celtics Blog

• Kyrie Irving has found new purpose in Dallas alongside Cooper Flagg — ESPN
• The reinvention of Zaccharie Risacher and his quiet eye — Mavs Moneyball

• The Nuggets’ Troubling Start — The Lowe Post Substack
• The case for letting the Nuggets burn — SB Nation

• Kevin Durant doesn’t need to be “The Guy” every night for Rockets to succeed — The Dream Shake
• Kevin Durant and the Rockets are 5-0. What’s working in Houston? — The Athletic

• Tyrese Haliburton to miss at least two weeks with a strained hamstring — Shams Charania

• Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer becomes second-youngest player in NBA history to record triple-double — Yahoo Sports
• How are the Memphis Grizzlies 5-0? Hustle, muscle … and Cameron Boozer — The Athletic

• Heat’s pick-and-roll unlocks first win and a possible path forward — The Athletic

• Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards undergoes successful knee scope — ESPN

• Kevin Durant reflects on his eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder — ESPN
• Jalen Williams suffered a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, will be sidelined several months — Shams Charania
• Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will undergo surgery, will be sidelined several months — Shams Charania

• Paolo Banchero suffers low-grade right high ankle sprain, likely out 4-6 weeks — Shams Charania
• Jalen Suggs has a bone bruise in his right knee and will be re-evaluated in two weeks — Shams Charania

• Early returns on LeBron James, Joel Embiid and the 76ers: How Philly is finding success — Yahoo Sports

• The Suns’ new-look lineup is making life harder for Booker — Bright Side of the Sun

• Film Study: The New-Look Blazers Are a Blast — The Lowe Post Substack
• Two Injuries Tell the Story of Portland’s First Loss — Blazer’s Edge

• Kawhi Leonard will miss multiple weeks with swelling in his left knee — Shams Charania
• The Toronto Raptors need to fix the Jakob Poeltl problem — Raptors Republic
• The Raptors’ Kawhi-Less Survival Guide — Raptors in 7 Substack

• Jaren Jackson will miss 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL in his right knee — Shams Charania

• Evaluating AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut vs. the Cavaliers — Bullets Forever

• Ernie Johnson announces this will be his last season hosting “Inside the NBA”
• NBA’s biggest surprises, most concerning starts and best teams of the early season — Yahoo Sports