Make certain to pay attention and add the 13 Guidelines: NBA Random Ideas podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your record! This week Steve shares his ideas after week 6 of the 2025-26 NBA season. Fouls are up, some shocking sizzling begins and injury-plagued contenders
Fouls and Recreation Circulation
The typical fouls known as per NBA sport this yr is 45.7. Final yr it was 37.2. The rise in known as fouls doesn’t assist the sport for 2 causes. The primary is it makes longer video games with loads of stoppages. This results in the second downside, choppier video games with no stream, which makes a sport robust to look at.
Chicago Bulls Begin
The Chicago Bulls opened the season with 5 straight wins, and their up-tempo offense was stated to be the explanation. Since that begin, the Bulls are 4 and 9, together with solely profitable three of their final 11. In these 11games, they’ve given up 120 factors or extra in every sport. It appears to show the previous adage in sports activities: protection wins.
Toronto Raptors Surge
How concerning the Toronto Raptors? After beginning the season one and 4, they’ve gone 13 and one, together with profitable the final 9 straight. In that stretch, they’re giving up just a little greater than 107 factors per sport. Of their first 5 video games, they gave up 127.8 factors per sport. The opposite plus has been the play of Brandon Ingram. Not solely has he been wholesome and has performed extra video games up to now this yr than final yr in the whole season, he additionally has made some large pictures down the stretch and has grow to be Toronto’s go-to man.
Orlando Magic Enchancment
The Orlando Magic are one other crew on the rise. The Magic started the season one and 4 like Toronto. Since then, they’re 11 and 4. They’ve crushed the New York Knicks twice and the Detroit Pistons as soon as in that stretch. They’ve executed this with one in every of their greatest gamers injured; Paolo Banchero has missed their final eight video games.
Phoenix Suns Tradition Shift
Who would have thought the Phoenix Suns can be 12–8 and in sixth place within the Western Convention? Included in that’s two wins over the Spurs and one over the Timberwolves. Jordan Ott has appeared to alter the tradition of the Suns. Whenever you watch them, it seems like a crew that likes taking part in collectively, in contrast to final yr’s crew.
Philadelphia 76ers Accidents
The Philadelphia 76ers can’t escape the damage bug. It appears it carried over from final yr. Thus far this yr, Joel Embiid has missed 12 video games, Kelly Oubre 6, VJ Edgecombe 3, Paul George 14, Trendon Watford 4, Dominick Barlow 9, Adem Bona 5, and Jared McCain 9. Andre Drummond was injured final night time as nicely. These are all gamers that may get common minutes when they’re wholesome.
LA Clippers and DeRozan Rumor
Rumor has it the LA Clippers are thinking about buying DeMar DeRozan. This makes completely no sense. The Clippers are 5–14; their subsequent first-round choose is in 2027, and DeRozan is 36 years previous. The Clippers have James Harden at 36 and Kawhi Leonard at 34, two of their greatest gamers, and they’re of their later years. It seems just like the Clippers are destined to backside out within the close to future.
