Celtics Struggles, Reaves Surge, Rookies Rising

Early in the 2025-26 NBA season, several rookies and young players are making notable contributions across the league. Utah Jazz rookie Walter Clayton Jr. has impressed with his poise and readiness, performing well as a backup point guard and showing potential as a future starter. The Boston Celtics have stumbled to a 1-3 start after losing Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porziņģis, shifting to a committee frontcourt; recent signing Luka Garza (two years, $5.5M) has shown modest production (6.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG in 12.7 minutes) while Payton Pritchard has stepped into a larger role with Jayson Tatum sidelined, posting early-career highs (15.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.0 APG). Around the league, Austin Reaves has produced a historic scoring surge (35.8 PPG through four games, including 51- and 41-point outings) and Luka Dončić is posting gaudy averages. Denver’s acquisition of Cam Johnson is viewed as a clean fit alongside Nikola Jokić that could allow Johnson to post a breakout season in a complementary role.