Week 4 Look Ahead: Luka Dončić continues to dominate, while Kon Knueppel is back on the injury report
After Sunday’s games, the 2026-27 NBA season will have completed its first three weeks. While devastating injuries dominated early on, historic performances have taken center stage more recently. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama had a night rarely seen in NBA history, while Lakers star Luka Dončić is on an extreme heater. Let’s look back at some of Week 3’s key storylines and look ahead to what’s to come in Week 4.
Five Week 3 Storylines
– Luka Dončić has been on a historic heater: With LeBron James no longer in the picture, the Lakers became Luka’s “team” for those interested in that kind of conversation. And it also opened things up for him to do even more offensively, if that were even possible. Well, it was, and Dončić has been on a run rarely seen in NBA history.
Through nine games, the Lakers guard is averaging 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 5.8 three-pointers per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 87.3 percent from the foul line. Sure, Dončić is also averaging 4.9 turnovers per game, but hisoverall production has minimized the impact on his fantasy value.
Not only has he scored at least 40 points in four straight games, but Luka has also tallied at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists in each of his last seven appearances. At this rate, Dončić is well on his way to being the most valuable player in fantasy basketball…and possibly league MVP as well.
– Victor Wembanyama’s historic night: Wembanyama’s averages aren’t on par with Luka’s, but he’s gotten off to the start that fantasy managers expected, based on his preseason ADP. The Spurs center had a huge night in the team’s November 4 win over the Mavericks, tallying 52 points, 24 rebounds, two assists, two steals and eight blocks. Wembanyama joined Bob McAdoo as the only players in league history to finish a game with at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks since blocked shots became an official stat.
Also, he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record at least 50 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks. Wilt achieved that feat on five separate occasions in his storied career. With Wembanyama not turning 23 until January, this may not be the last time he records a stat line like the one he dropped on Wednesday.
– Kristaps Porziņģis stepping away from basketball: Unfortunately, the Porziņģis situation took another turn last week, as the 7-foot-3 center announced that he was stepping away from basketball. He’s been dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) since his time with the Celtics, and managing the illness has been a major challenge. Because of Porziņģis’ absence, the Warriors have been withholding payment on his contract, and reports suggest the team hopes to trade him for a player who can help immediately.
For his part, Porziņģis said in a statement last week that he’s willing to work with the Warriors to reach a solution that satisfies all parties. In his absence, the Warriors have relied more on Charles Bassey, whose contract won’t be fully guaranteed until January 10. Undrafted rookie Graham Ike even made two starts early in the season, and Al Horford is providing bench depth.
– Yaxel Lendeborg is establishing himself as the early Rookie of the Year favorite: Porziņģis’ absence was a factor in Golden State’s three-game losing streak to start the season, but they’ve been on a roll ever since. Saturday’s overtime win over the Magic extended the Warriors’ win streak to seven, with Stephen Curry going off for 41 points on 13-of-19 shooting. The future Hall of Fame guard’s big night isn’t a surprise. However, Lendeborg has established himself, in the eyes of many, as the early favorite for Rookie of the Year.
During the Warriors’ ongoing win streak, he has averaged 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.1 three-pointers per game, shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 79.5 percent from the foul line. While many teams go young and bet on perceived upside in the draft, the Warriors prioritized adding a player who can help win now, with Curry and Draymond Green in the latter stages of their respective careers. Lendeborg does that, and he’s also looked like a potential cornerstone in the post-Curry/Green era, whenever that may be.
– Kon Knueppel makes his season debut…and aggravates his hamstring strain: Injured just before the start of training camp, Knueppel made his first appearance of the season in the Hornets’ November 4 loss to the Nets. Unfortunately, he played just under six minutes before aggravating his strained left hamstring and leaving. Knueppel didn’t play in Charlotte’s November 6 loss to the Celtics, and the Hornets have not provided a return timeline.
Making things worse for the Hornets, Brandon Miller left that game with groin tightness, and neither Moussa Diabaté (quad) nor Dennis Schröder (thigh) played against the Celtics. Naz Reid struggled the last time out, shooting 6-of-17 from the field, and his start in Charlotte has not gone as smoothly as many hoped. But with injuries, the Hornets will need more from Reid.
Five Week 4 Storylines
– Jalen Duren to miss at least two more weeks: The Pistons have been without their starting center since the second game of the season when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Duren’s status was updated on Sunday, when the Pistons announced he’s cleared to start on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Paul Reed has filled in at center, averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 29.3 minutes per game. The Pistons don’t need Reed to be a prolific scorer, but he has provided solid fantasy value as Duren’s replacement. The disappointing part is that John Collins‘ production has dropped compared to his 2025-26 numbers with the Clippers. He’s averaging 9.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and seems to be struggling to fully grasp his role in Detroit. The Pistons play three games next week, two against the Wizards, which could be a “get right” opportunity for Collins.
– Thunder reportedly acquire Nique Clifford: Needing depth due to their many injuries, Oklahoma City reportedly acquired Nique Clifford from the Kings for two future second-round picks. After a decent rookie season, Clifford fell out of the Kings’ rotation, averaging 6.3 minutes per game this season. The move to Oklahoma City gives him a fresh start, and he’s joining a franchise that has developed young players well in the past.
As for the Kings, will they look to add another guard? Kevin Porter Jr.‘s name has come up before, and he’s still a free agent. Whatever the Kings decide, one thing will remain the same: Darius Acuff Jr. will stay the focal point of their ongoing rebuild.
– The Wizards ended Week 3 without Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton: Davis missed the Wizards’ final two games of the week with a sprained ankle, while Ayton exited Saturday’s loss to the Thunder with a lower left leg injury. Alex Sarr played 28 minutes on Saturday, finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds and one assist. He didn’t record any defensive stats, but the third-year center has a higher ceiling when Davis is out.
Bilal Coulibaly started on Saturday and could retain that role, but he went scoreless on 0-of-8 shooting. The Wizards have a surplus of wings, which lends itself to smaller lineups for longer periods if Davis and Ayton can’t play on Monday against the Pistons.
– The Nets and Timberwolves have light schedules: Brooklyn and Minnesota are the only teams scheduled to play two games in Week 4. However, the Timberwolves have a silver lining: both games are on light days (Thursday and Saturday). With those games against Dallas and Chicago, low-rostered options like Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland may be worth a roll of the dice for streaming purposes.
The Nets are also active on Saturday, but their first game is on Wednesday, the busiest day of the week. Nolan Traoré, who has been more productive than many expected before the season began, loses some luster in fantasy leagues because of the schedule. The lighter schedule helps Mikel Brown Jr., who isn’t playing both games of back-to-backs because of the back injury that ended his lone college season early. Also, guard Egor Dëmin (leg) will be re-evaluated at the beginning of the week, and the schedule may open the door for him to return to action.
– The Mavericks will play on Saturday and Sunday: Dallas is the only team with games on Saturday and Sunday to close out Week 4. That means fantasy managers rostering Kyrie Irving have to anticipate him sitting out one of those games, at Cleveland (Saturday) and at Boston (Sunday). Caleb Martin started the most recent game Irving missed, a November 2 loss to the Kings, and accounted for five points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Naji Marshall is a better streaming option than Martin on nights when Irving doesn’t play.
Three Questions
1. How many games will Nic Claxton play before he moves into the Bulls’ starting lineup?
2. How much longer will the Raptors be without Kawhi Leonard?
3. Will the Celtics stick with a three-man center rotation all season long?
Early Waivers Look (Players rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)
G: Nolan Traoré (Brooklyn Nets, 40%), Grayson Allen (Charlotte Hornets, 33%), Ja’Kobe Walter (Toronto Raptors, 24%), Jamal Shead (Toronto Raptors, 9%)
F:Aaron Wiggins (Atlanta Hawks, 40%), Tari Eason (Houston Rockets, 37%), Tristan da Silva (Orlando Magic, 27%), Max Strus (LA Clippers, 16%)
C: Brook Lopez (LA Clippers, 35%), Robert Williams III (Portland Trail Blazers, 13%)
Stats of the Week
43: Both Orlando and Golden State made 43 field goals in their November 7 overtime battle. However, the Warriors needed 80 attempts to hit that number, while the Magic needed 113.
11: Orlando’s Franz Wagner averaged 11 assists per game over his last five appearances, reaching double figures in that category in four.
35.8: Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 35.8 points per game over his last four appearances, a run that began with him totaling 85 points in two wins over the Cavaliers.
Awards Section
Week 3 Team of the Week
G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
G Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
G Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
F Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
C Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Week 3 All-Rookie Team
G Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings
G Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
G Bennett Stirtz, Oklahoma City Thunder
F Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors
C Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder
Plays of the Week: Victor Wembanyama’s historic performance against the Mavericks
Week 4 Schedule Breakdown
Week 4 Games Played
4 Games: CLE, DAL, HOU, IND, MEM, MIL, NOR, NYK, OKC, PHX, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, MIA, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC
2 Games: BKN, MIN
Week 4 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 3)-Monday: DAL, DET, LAL, NOR
Monday-Tuesday: PHX
Tuesday-Wednesday: BOS, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL, POR, UTA
Wednesday-Thursday: TOR, WAS
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: CHI, CLE, MEM, MIA, NOR
Saturday-Sunday: DAL
Sunday-Monday (Week 5): BOS, HOU, PHI, PHX, WAS
Week 4 Light Game Days: Thursday (four games), Saturday (five games)
Week 4 Busy Game Days: Monday (eight games), Wednesday (10 games), Friday (nine games), Sunday (nine games)
Teams with no games on Saturday or Sunday: GSW, ORL, POR
Teams with games on Saturday and Sunday: DAL
