The Golden State Warriors’ season is not beginning as hoped. The oldest team in the NBA lost 131-122 to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, pushing their record to 0-3. It’s their first streak of three losses to begin a season since 2007-08, meaning this is the first time they have been 0-3 in Stephen Curry’s entire career. Before this season, the Warriors’ worst start with Curry was when they went 1-5 to open the 2019-20 season, which is remembered for being the year they were recovering from losing Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to an ACL tear before Curry broke his hand in the fourth game. But even in that season, they won their third game. This season’s team came with tempered expectations. Curry and Draymond Green are still around, but Jimmy Butler isn’t expected to return from a torn ACL until midseason, while Kristaps Porzingis is still dealing with POTS symptoms. The team’s remaining depth is questionable at best. Saturday’s game saw Curry, Green and Brandin Podziemski all sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back. The resulting starting lineup: Yaxel Lendeborg, Brandon Williams, Graham Ike, Will Richard and Gui Santos.Stephen Curry didn't play Saturday. That was only the start of the problems for the Warriors.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin That group couldn’t stop Suns star Devin Booker from dropping 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting plus 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Golden State had its moments, but a late run in the third quarter put the game out of reach. The Warriors’ entire ethos at this point is maximizing whatever they can get from their once-in-a-generation player in Curry. Last year saw them lose in the play-in tournament with head coach Steve Kerr openly admitting he didn’t know what the future held for him, Curry and Green. Kerr opted to return on a two-year contract rather than retire. He and the rest of the team now have some work to do to avoid a fate even worse than last season, to say nothing of a fifth championship for the team’s current era.

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The 2026-27 NBA season is here! Check out our team previews, including power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy advice. --- 2025-26 finish Record: 60-22 (1st in the East, lost 4-3 in East semifinals to Cavaliers) --- Offseason moves Draft: Ebuka Okorie (No. 17), Ugonna Onyenso (No. 53) Signings:Kevin Huerter (re-signed for 3 years, $27 million), John Collins (3 years, $51 million), Javonte Green (re-signed for 1 year, $3.9 million), Ausar Thompson (5-year, $155 million extension), Jalen Duren (5-year, $200 million extension) Trades: Isaiah Joe (from Thunder), Taurean Prince (from Bucks), Gary Harris (from Bucks) Key departures:Isaiah Stewart (traded to Grizzlies), Tobias Harris (signed with Spurs), Caris LeVert (traded to Bucks) Current rosterCade Cunningham and the Pistons were the No. 1 seed in the East last postseason, but fell in the second round. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Gregory Shamus via Getty Images --- Preseason Power Rankings: No. 13 What's exciting: The Pistons finished 17th in 3-point percentage but 29th in 3-point attempts last season, and that inability to effectively space the floor carried into the playoffs. Opponents crowded the paint for Duren and Cade Cunningham, but now the team has more shooting threats. Joe is a talented movement shooter, Prince is reliable off the catch, and Collins can knock down shots from the corners. Those additions will help out Cade on his drives, Duren on his rolls, and Thompson on his cuts. What's concerning: The issue is that Duren returning won't necessarily mean everything is all good and dandy. Even though he accepted a long-term deal, the frustration from these negotiations could always linger into the season. Duren's consistency has wavered plenty of times in the past. What if that version of him returns? And even if he has another All-NBA season, we've watched him turn into a shrinking violet for two consecutive postseasons. Maybe he's just not built for it. And if he's not, then he needs to be replaced. Preseason Power Rankings: How all 30 teams stack up ahead of 2026-27 --- Fantasy watch Jalen Duren signed, and the holdout is finito. But my top breakout here is Ausar Thompson; we know about the stocks, but the offensive growth is the story. His shot profile is already changing; he's hitting more confident middys, and his playmaking is underrated. That's why his ADP is climbing. — Dan Titus Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the 2026-27 NBA season --- 2026-27 schedule Opening week: 10/20 vs. Celtics, 10/23 at Heat Complete schedule --- Betting perspective 49.5 — win total +120 to win division +3000 to win NBA Finals --- Best case, worst case Best case: No. 1 seed They just won 60 games, and their two most impactful players from my view (Cunningham, Thompson) are 1) still here and 2) still getting better. Even with some defensive slippage — let's say they go from 2nd to 7th — more shooting should loosen things up in the half-court offensively. There's absolutely a pathway to them maintaining the top seed in the conference. Worst case: Play-In Tournament The East's depth could be enough reason for the Pistons to fall in the 7-10 range. If the half-court offense underwhelms — aside from the obvious Thompson shooting portion, I am curious to the volume of switches the Pistons face — in addition to the defense taking any sort of step back, there's certainly room to slide in the standings. — Nekias Duncan Read the full Central Division preview

LeBron James was named the NBA Finals' Most Valuable Player all four times his team won the NBA title [Getty Images] LeBron James said it's "going to take some time" for his new team-mates to gel after suffering defeat on his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in a pre-season game. The 41-year-old American joined the 76ers in July for what he says will be his final contract in the NBA following a glittering career. James is the highest points scorer in the history of the league and is entering a record-extending 24th NBA season. James scored 10 points and added four rebounds, five assists and a steal in 18 first-half minutes as his side fell to a 114-108 defeat by the Brooklyn Nets. "We're still trying to put each other in the position to be successful and complement each other the best way we can on the floor. But it's going to take some time," said James. "Tonight was a good sample size for us to build on." James played alongside new team-mates Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, with the latter leading the scoring with 18 points. James has won titles with every NBA side he has played for, including two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and another with the Los Angeles Lakers. He left the Lakers this summer after spending eight years with the franchise. James has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player four times, all between 2009 and 2013, and has been an NBA All-Star the last 22 seasons running. He is aiming to help the 76ers win their first NBA title in 43 years.

Believe it or not, the start of the 2026-27 NBA season is almost upon us. That means it's time to get prepared for fantasy basketball drafts. Fortunately, the Rotoworld Basketball crew has you covered. Get yourself a FREE DOWNLOAD of our 2026-27 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit! Here's a sampling of what you can expect: ◆ OFFSEASON RECAP NBC Sports' NBA writer Kurt Helin recaps an eventful offseason, from high-profile players changing teams (Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown. Ja Morant) to an impressive 2026 NBA draft class featuring the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and Darryn Peterson. ◆ PLAYER PROFILES In-depth player profiles on 140 players, breaking down how each performed last season and their respective fantasy outlooks for the 2026-27 NBA season. ◆ RANKINGS In addition to rankings for nine-category and eight-category leagues, we have rankings for points leagues and dynasty formats. FREE DOWNLOAD BELOW! This is just the start of what we have planned for fantasy basketball draft season. Keep it locked on Rotoworld's NBA player news page, as well as our fantasy basketball homepage for information on strategy, sleepers, mock drafts, and much more!

With the NBA's Eastern Conference stacked in 2026-27 we look at 6 talented teams that could end up missing the playoffs.