{"id":2300,"date":"2025-10-25T09:29:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T06:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antetokounmpo1.wordpress.com\/?p=2300"},"modified":"2025-10-25T09:29:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T06:29:09","slug":"7-nba-stars-dominating-the-first-two-games-of-2025-26-giannis-nope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/2025\/10\/25\/7-nba-stars-dominating-the-first-two-games-of-2025-26-giannis-nope\/","title":{"rendered":"7 NBA Stars Dominating the First Two Games of 2025-26: Giannis? Nope!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The 2025-26 NBA season has kicked off with an offensive explosion, and seven superstars\u2014Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Aaron Gordon, Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey, and Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2014are leading the charge. Through the first two games, these players have delivered performances that are rewriting record books and setting the tone for an electrifying season. At the same time Giannis, playing two of the worse teams in the NBA for his first two games, still can’t shoot mid range, still has loads of turnovers, still can’t screen. He simply has not developed at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Thunder\u2019s Scoring Tsunami<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making an early MVP case with a jaw-dropping 45.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game<\/strong> on 47.4% shooting through two games. In the Oklahoma City Thunder\u2019s season opener, a 141-135 double-overtime thriller against the Indiana Pacers, SGA erupted for a career-high 55 points<\/strong> (15-31 FG, 23-26 FT), tying Russell Westbrook for the most 50-point games in Thunder history. He followed it up in Game 2 with 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks<\/strong>, powering OKC to another victory and a 2-0 start. His two-game total of 90 points ranks fourth all-time for an opening weekend in NBA history. SGA\u2019s silky mid-range game, relentless drives, and 88.5% free-throw shooting are making him a nightly highlight reel. The Thunder look like title contenders, and Shai\u2019s in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aaron Gordon: Denver\u2019s Unexpected Scoring Juggernaut<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets\u2019 high-flying forward, has shocked the league with 50.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game<\/strong> on an unreal 81.0% from the field<\/strong>. In Denver\u2019s opener, a 137-131 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors, Gordon exploded for a career-best 50 points<\/strong>, including a franchise-record 10 three-pointers<\/strong>, joining Michael Jordan and Kyrie Irving as one of the few to drop 50 in an opener. Known for his dunks and defense, Gordon\u2019s sudden emergence as a long-range assassin alongside Nikola Joki\u0107 gives Denver a terrifying new dimension. This isn\u2019t the AG we knew\u2014this is a superstar reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107: Lakers\u2019 New Wizard Wows in Hollywood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Lakers is paying immediate dividends. He\u2019s averaging 43.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game<\/strong>, with playmaking flair that\u2019s lighting up Tinseltown. In the opener, a 119-109 loss, Luka delivered 43 points (17-27 FG), 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block<\/strong> in 41 minutes, showcasing his signature step-back threes and paint dominance. At 26, Luka\u2019s vision and scoring touch are meshing perfectly even without LeBron James on the floor yet this season, making the Lakers\u2019 offense a nightly spectacle. If this is Luka\u2019s baseline in purple and gold, the league\u2019s in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anthony Edwards: Ant-Man\u2019s Explosive Start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anthony Edwards is staking his claim as the NBA\u2019s next big thing, averaging 41.0 points per game<\/strong> for the Minnesota Timberwolves. In Game 1, he showcased his athleticism and shooting touch, setting the stage for a breakout season. Game 2 saw him drop 31 points (11-19 FG, 3-6 3PT)<\/strong> in a loss, but his efficiency and aggression were undeniable. Across both games, Edwards\u2019 blend of highlight-reel dunks, deep threes, and improved playmaking alongside Rudy Gobert has Minnesota dreaming big. At just 24, Ant-Man\u2019s confidence and swagger make every game must-watch TV. The Wolverine is clawing his way to superstardom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victor Wembanyama: The Alien\u2019s Sophomore Surge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs\u2019 7\u20194\u201d unicorn, is averaging a monstrous 40.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 71.4% FG<\/strong> through two games. His opener was a masterclass, with a double-double featuring rim-rattling dunks, blocks that sent shots into the stands, and smooth perimeter shooting. His length and skill make him a defensive nightmare, while his offensive versatility has Spurs fans envisioning a dynasty under Gregg Popovich. Wembanyama isn\u2019t just the future\u2014he\u2019s the present, and he\u2019s rewriting what a big man can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyrese Maxey: Philly\u2019s Speedy Scoring Sensation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tyrese Maxey is torching defenses for the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 40.0 points and 6.0 assists on 54.2% shooting<\/strong>. In the opener, he set the tone with blazing speed and a quick release, racking up points in bunches. Game 2 he had limited minutes, but his full performances show a star who\u2019s taken a leap, complementing Joel Embiid with drives and jumpers. Maxey\u2019s ability to score efficiently in transition and create for others is making Philly\u2019s offense lethal. At 24, he\u2019s no longer a rising star\u2014he\u2019s arrived, and the Sixers are reaping the rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn: Houston\u2019s Triple-Double Titan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Houston Rockets center Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn is a stat-sheet stuffer, averaging 39.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists<\/strong> on 50.0% shooting. His opener showcased his post dominance and passing wizardry, with a near-triple-double that set the tone for Houston\u2019s 2-0 start. Game 2 kept the momentum, with \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s soft touch and Joki\u0107-like vision creating nightmares for opponents. His ability to score, rebound, and facilitate at 23 years old has the Rockets looking like playoff locks. \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s Turkish hammer is pounding, and Houston\u2019s frontcourt is a force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Season Already Ablaze<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These seven stars aren\u2019t just playing well\u2014they\u2019re setting the NBA on fire. With 50-point outbursts, triple-doubles, and record-breaking efficiency, the 2025-26 season is shaping up to be a historic one. Shai\u2019s scoring, Gordon\u2019s shooting, Luka\u2019s playmaking, Edwards\u2019 explosiveness, Wemby\u2019s dominance, Maxey\u2019s speed, and \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s versatility are just the beginning. As we roll into Week 2, the question isn\u2019t who\u2019s playing better\u2014it\u2019s how much higher this ceiling can go. Oh and they are driving TV ratings crazy (unlike Giannis.) These players can dribble, control the game, shoot from any distance, provide solutions for their teams in tough matchups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Not Eclipsing<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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the New-Age Scorers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a season opener that’s seen a barrage of 40+ point explosions from the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Aaron Gordon, and the rest of our highlighted seven, you might wonder where Milwaukee’s Greek Freak fits in. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP and perennial All-NBA beast, is off to another monster start\u2014historically so, in fact. But against the easiest opponents possible. Through the Bucks’ 2-0 beginning (a<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

133-120 rout of the Wizards followed by a gritty win over the Raptors), he’s posted 30.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game<\/strong>, becoming the first player ever to hit 60-30-10 in a season’s opening duo. Game 1: 37 points, 14 boards, 5 dimes on 16-of-26 shooting. Game 2: A double-double that sealed the historic line, with his relentless drives and rim-finishing keeping Milwaukee’s offense humming. Of course to be fair, while the other players mentioned in this post where playing the toughest team’s in the league, Giannis was playing the very worse. And he is still a ball hog as you can see on the chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giannis isn’t quite “close” to the supernova pace of those seven right now: He hasn’t shown the kind of tangible, eye-popping improvement<\/em> that’s catapulting the others into uncharted territory. Those guys? We’re seeing Aaron Gordon morph into a 50-point, 10-three sniper (81% FG be damned); Luka Don\u010di\u0107 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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seamlessly integrating into a new Lakers system with 43-12 lines; Victor Wembanyama expanding his alien toolkit to 40-15 dominance; and Tyrese Maxey evolving from spark plug to 40-point Ferrari. It’s leap-year growth: New skills, higher ceilings, “holy crap, he can do that<\/em> now?” moments that scream evolution. Again last night, no mid range shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giannis? He’s Giannis<\/em>. The 30-15-5 is elite, sure\u2014it’s MVP-adjacent and has the Bucks looking cohesive early under Doc Rivers\u2014but it’s a refinement of what he’s done for years. His free-throw woes persist (around 57% last season, no signs of a breakthrough yet) and there’s no radical shift in playstyle to suggest he’s adapting to the league’s scoring arms race. Last year, he averaged 30.4-11.9-6.5; this year, it’s tracking eerily similar, just with more rebounding grunt work. No added pull-up range, no sudden point-forward explosion, no “I’ve unlocked mid-range mastery” arc like SGA. It’s dominance, but it’s familiar<\/em> dominance\u2014beautiful in its brutality, but not the “amazingly improved” revelation that’s got the others rewriting highlight reels. And in the 4th quarter nobody is expecting him to become clutch. Gary Trent Jr scored the same amount of points in half the minutes. In fact why was Giannis even on the floor at the end as the Bucks were blowing the Raptors out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don’t get it twisted: Giannis is still a walking triple-double threat who’s dragging Milwaukee toward contention despite roster flux (hello, Myles Turner spacing). If the Bucks gel around his paint-pounding, he could average 32-12-7 by midseason and remind everyone why he’s the Freak. But in this early-season fireworks show, where the narrative is all about who’s leveled up now<\/em>, Giannis feels like the grizzled vet holding the fort rather than igniting the revolution. He’s close in impact, miles ahead in hardware, but that lack of a clear “new trick” keeps him a step behind the evolution parade\u2014for now. Keep watching; the Greek Freak doesn’t stay stagnant for long.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He’s Giannis. The 30-15-5 is elite, sure\u2014it’s MVP-adjacent and has the Bucks looking cohesive early under Doc Rivers\u2014but it’s a refinement of what he’s done for years. His free-throw woes persist (around 57% last season, no signs of a breakthrough yet), his three-point volume remains a whisper (1-of-3 in Game 1), and there’s no radical shift in playstyle to suggest he’s adapting to the league’s scoring arms race. He could average 32-12-7 by midseason and remind everyone why he’s the Freak. But in this early-season fireworks show, where the narrative is all about who’s leveled up now, Giannis feels like the grizzled vet holding the fort rather than igniting the revolution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[20,619,160,56,73,780,89,93,806,120],"class_list":["post-2300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-postgameeval","category-skills","tag-basketball","tag-development","tag-freak","tag-giannis","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-mvp","tag-nba","tag-no-growth","tag-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image-1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greekinter.net\/giannis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}