One week into the 2026-27 NBA season, most teams have already played four games.
Several teams remain undefeated, including the OKC Thunder and the LA Lakers. Meanwhile, some teams have stumbled out of the gate, possibly because their players have started slowly. Many are in shooting slumps that have hurt their early-season production.
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Here are 10 NBA players who have made a concerningly slow start to the 2026-27 season.
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#1 Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo is off to a sluggish start to the 2026-27 NBA season, widely contributing to the Miami Heat’s winless record so far. Over the first four games, he is averaging 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds on 40.0% shooting. Last season, he put up 20.1 ppg and 10.0 rpg on 44.2% shooting.
Many have attributed Adebayo’s struggles to the adjustment of playing with former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, now Miami’s offensive focal point. Heading into the season, many projected the Heat as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but they will need to shake off the rust quickly.
#2 Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks
Heading into Tuesday, the defending champions are one of five winless teams. Mikal Bridges has had a brutal start to the season. In three games, he is averaging just 3.3 ppg on 21.7% shooting in 30.0 mpg.
Bridges scored four points against the Philadelphia 76ers in their season opener, six points vs. the Orlando Magic, and was scoreless against the Boston Celtics. He also hasn’t made a single 3-pointer in 10 attempts.
Bridges played a key role in the Knicks’ championship run last season, and they need his scoring as they embark on their title defense.
#3 Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Mikal Bridges’ star teammate Jalen Brunson has also struggled early this season. The 2026 NBA Finals MVP is averaging 22.7 ppg and 3.7 apg on 39.1% shooting, including 26.7% from the 3-point line. Last season, he averaged 26.0 ppg and 6.8 apg on 46.7% shooting (36.9% on 3-pointers).
Although Brunson still leads his team in scoring, his overall shooting efficiency has dipped. The Knicks also rank 29th in offensive rating (103.4) heading into Tuesday.
#4 Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat
Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has had a concerningly slow start. Over the first four games, he averages 8.8 ppg, down from 15.4 ppg last season. His shooting has also dipped, making 40.0% from the field and 12.5% from the 3-point line. In 2025-26, he shot 47.5% from the field and 41.4% from the 3-point line.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the one-time All-Star was expected to be the Heat’s third scoring option behind Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
#5 Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Through the first three games, Draymond Green is averaging 3.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 7.0 apg for the Golden State Warriors. Although the four-time NBA champion isn’t expected to score much, his slow start has contributed to the Warriors’ 1-4 record.
Green, 36, is in his 15th season with Golden State, which is seeking a fifth title in the Steph Curry era.
#6 Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.1 ppg and 4.1 apg on 48.4% shooting, including 39.1% from the 3-point range. However, in the first three games of the 2026-27 season, he is averaging just 15.0 ppg and 1.3 apg on 33.3% shooting (28.6% from three).
Bane was Orlando’s third-leading scorer last season behind Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. With Banchero sidelined for multiple weeks with a low-grade high ankle sprain, the Magic need Bane to snap out of his shooting slump.
#7 Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
Desmond Bane’s teammate Jalen Suggs is also off to a dismal start this season. He is shooting 35.7%, including 11.1% from the 3-point range, down from last season’s 43.5% and 33.9% splits. Additionally, ESPN reported that he sustained a mild bone bruise in his right knee and will miss at least two weeks.
Suggs and Bane’s struggles could explain the Magic’s 1-2 start this season. With new coach Sean Sweeney, Orlando was expected to be one of the East’s top teams.
#8 Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Scottie Barnes is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, earning his second All-Star nod and his first All-Defensive Team selection. Despite averaging 17.0 points over his first three games this season, he is shooting just 35.1%, including 14.3% from the 3-point range. Last season, he shot a career-high 50.7%.
In the Toronto Raptors’ 117-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, Barnes was held scoreless, finishing 0-for-12, including 0-for-5 from the 3-point range. Sports Illustrated’s Jalon Dixon wrote Tuesday that Barnes’ “rough start” could be attributed to a change in his shot selection.
#9 Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors
Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is back with the Toronto Raptors after being traded from the LA Clippers in the offseason. Over his first two games, he is averaging just 19.5 ppg and 1.5 apg on 32.4% shooting, including 28.6% from the 3-point range.
This is a huge drop from his averages in his final season with the Clippers: 27.9 ppg and 3.6 apg on 50.5% shooting (38.7% on 3-pointers).
Additionally, the Raptors announced on Tuesday that Leonard will undergo a treatment and rehabilitation program to address swelling in his left knee. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he could miss “a period of weeks.”
#10 Klay Thompson, Miami Heat
After the blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Heat signed Klay Thompson to address their need for more shooting. However, over the first four games, Thompson has averaged 9.0 points on 32.4% shooting, including 33.3% from the 3-point range, in 20.8 minutes.
Thompson has had slow shooting starts before, but concerns linger as he approaches the twilight of his legendary career. The 36-year-old is in his 14th season.
Edited by Arvind Sriram
