Nikola Jokic is still absurd, the Warriors are back, and 9 things we’ve already learned about the NBA this season

We’re over 10 percent of the way through the 2024-2025 NBA season. While that remains a small sample size in the grand scheme of things, it’s enough to start drawing some conclusions about what we think we know.

Nikola Jokic? He remains a terrifying force of nature who literally does it all and then some for the Denver Nuggets. The return of the Golden State Warriors? Hoo, buddy, they’re making it feel like the mid-2010s again. A slate of underwhelming also-rans everyone was really optimistic about as contenders? Well, there’s still time for the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers to turn it around. But they really shouldn’t lollygag for any longer. Their respective fanbases’ collective sanity depends on it.

What’s stood out from the early portions of this NBA season? What feels sustainable, and what’s pretty alarming when you consider the deeper ramifications? Let’s talk about it all with some early-season lessons.