When you’re playing King of the Mountain and that mountain is a manure pile, yes, you’re the one on top … but it’s still a manure pile.
The Southeast Division, after 10 days into the 2025-26 NBA season, is the most ho-hum – or as the kids call it – 6-7 division in the league. Only the Miami Heat have a winning record; otherwise, everyone is looking forward to playing one of these teams and the likelihood of walking away with a victory.
Miami Heat (3-2)
Since beginning the season with an opening night loss to the Orlando Magic on the road, the Heat reeled off a 32 point win at Memphis, opened their home campaign with an impressive eight point win over the New York Knicks, and swatted the Charlotte Hornets by 27 before going back on the road and losing to the undefeated San Antonio Spurs last night.
Gone is Jimmy Butler for the first full season without a marquee player, and Tyler Herro is still 8-12 weeks away from returning due to his left ankle injury. That puts the onus squarely on the shoulders of free agent signee Norman Powell, who is knocking down 24 points, grabbing 7.3 rebounds, and hitting 50 percent from downtown thus far.
Bam Adebayo is scoring 23 a game and leads the Heat with 9.2 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins is hitting for 16.4 points, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks. While their wins have been impressive, it seems they’re still a big name player/trade away from contending for anything other than also-rans.
Atlanta Hawks (2-3)
The Trae Young injury (right knee sprain Wednesday night versus the Brooklyn Nets), doesn’t seem as serious as initially perceived, but it did put things in perspective as to what this team may or may not be able to do without Young in the lineup.
The Hawks sucked it up and went on to beat the Nets on the road, with Jalen Johnson (back from his early season sidelining) leading the effort with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 18 off the bench, and Luke Kennard got on track with 17, while Kristaps Porzingis got going for 14 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in the win.
Johnson is proving himself crucial, having played four of the team’s first five games and leading the team with a 20.5 point average, seven rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He’s also shooting an impressive 57.9 percent from the field. Porzingis is right there at 20.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 45 percent from the arc.
I still think this team moves on from Ice Trae before the trade deadline.
Charlotte Hornets (2-3)
A healthy LaMelo Ball is a dangerous LaMelo Ball. Finding some wood to knock on, because the closest he’s come to playing a full season in five seasons was the 2021-22 campaign (75 games).
But so far this year, Ball has had some impressive games. Though only 20 points in the first game of the season, he shot 50 percent from three, and had 20 again six nights later in a loss to the Heat. He scored 27 points against the Philadelphia 76ers in a loss, and turned around the next night and hit for 38 on the road versus the Washington Wizards.
So where does the help come from? It’s an age-old question in Charlotte. The next person I think of is Miles Bridges, and – after he was drafted by the Hornets – was hoping it would be Brandon Miller. But Miller is only hitting for 14.5 points and shooting a paltry 18.2 percent from beyond the arc; by comparison, Ball is 34.6 and Bridges 37.1 and while still underwhelming, they are double what Miller brings.
Ball needs help and the Hornet fans do not deserve to see a perennial rebuilding effort.
Orlando Magic (2-4)
Probably the most disappointing team in this division isn’t the Hawks – it’s the Magic. We’re talking about a team that at least made the playoffs the last two post-seasons, even if they were bounced in the first round.
The Magic added Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones, and also signed Paolo Banchero to a five-year, $239 million extension and the ROI so far? Not that impressive. Only wins have been against the aforementioned Heat and Hornets. Losses to the Hawks and Chicago Bulls were single digit affairs, but on the road the 76ers beat them by a dozen, and then on Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons straight destroyed the Magic by 19 points, 135-116.
Banchero is leading his teammates with 22.5 point, nine rebound, and four assist averages. Bane’s numbers are down slightly from his Memphis Grizzlies days as he adjusts to his new surroundings. And Jones is barely getting 15 minutes a game, though he was never expected to be much more than backup insurance.
Hopefully they have more up their sleeves than we’ve seen so far.
Washington Wizards (1-4)
Does anyone even expect the Wizards to be anything more than a doormat? They haven’t been to the playoffs since Scott Brooks was their head coach (2020-21) and Bradley Beal was still a relevant talent.
The only 60 win season this team has ever had was under K.C Jones and when Elvin Hayes was the marquee talent on the roster and they were still the Washington Bullets (1974-75). The only ‘long’ playoff runs since Jones’ tenure were under Dick Motta and Gene Shue (in his second stint as head coach) in the late 1970s and the majority of the 1980s. Motta won a title in 1978 and then lost in the Finals in 1979.
The dry spell and playoff drought started when Wes Unseld went from being one of the star players of those 70s and 80s teams into the coach’s chair. The only other run of playoff appearances was four straight under the underrated Eddie Jordan and stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, and Etan Thomas.
What did Khris Middleton do to deserve this exile?
When they say Washington is broke, I have to check both the front page and the sports page – both are true. What will it take to return the Wizards to the glory days of the Bullets and early Wizards? Sound off on X at @realtmoneymedia
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Tracy ‘T-Money’ Graven is the Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com owner of TMoneyMedia.com and also has his posts on SubStack at allballs.substack.com
He has written the NBA, appeared as a guest on NBA Radio, and the last 25+ years for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show, NBARadioShow.com, and also tackles the NFL and NCAA. He’s spent 25+ years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (CBA, G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
He has raised five kids, and now currently resides in the heart of SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee – home of the 2024 Men’s Baseball World Series Champion Tennessee Volunteers.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
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