Darren & Vic's Takes: NBA Week 4 Preview

Published: Thursday, November 13, 2025

by Darren Worrell & Victor Lisboa

Week 3 of the NBA season is in the books! Some fun action now leaves no more undefeated teams. However, the NBA is in Week 4, which means Darren and Vic are back to preview the matchups that they feel will be big games this week!

Darren: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers

This is one of those games that can go in either direction. On one side, you have the defending champions who have been picking up right where they left off. They are currently first in the Western Conference with an 11-1 record.

Then on the other hand, you have a Lakers team who have done well despite being a new team. They currently have an 8-3 record, and that is good enough for fourth in the West.

It is impressive how good this Los Angeles team has been, especially since many people saw them as just a mix of role players and a couple of stars. Especially with one of those stars being LeBron James, who has not even played yet.

The role players have been the driving force behind their success so far. The group has exceeded expectations and does not look like they are slowing down anytime soon.

This is Luka Doncic’s team now in many ways, which LeBron has even said himself. With James out, Doncic has led the team well thus far. He is leading the team with 37.1 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 9.1 assists per game. He has been one of the most consistent players in the league this season and one of the hardest to stop when he gets to his spots.

In addition, Austin Reaves has been having quite the season as well. He has seen his usage go up a lot this season and has taken advantage of that being the other go-to player. He is averaging 30.3 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 9.0 assists per game. With this type of production, this would easily be his best season.

The Lakers also have the depth on their team, proving that they can win games even when the big three of Luka, Reaves and LeBron are not playing.

Not much needs to be said about the reigning champions. The Thunder have the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous Alexander who is leading the charge, and a solid supporting cast to help him out with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams when he returns from injury, Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and more.

Usually, I predict who is going to win, but this week I am not going to because like I said it can go in either direction. Just expect it to be a great game and make sure your popcorn is ready!

Victor: Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons

The NBA is now in the middle of its third annual Emirates NBA Cup. This is an annual in-season tournament, where all 30 teams compete in a format of group play, followed by a single-elimination knockout round, and eventually a championship game.

All the games, excluding the championship, count towards regular-season team records, and a prize pool typically with monetary incentives are awarded to players.

Prior to the start of the season, most analysts had the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks at the very top of the conference. Those teams have stayed within the playoff picture to start the year, but the Detroit Pistons currently hold the best record in the conference (9-2).

This has been in large part due to Cade Cunningham, who appears to be emerging as a true superstar. He is currently tenth in the league in scoring, averaging 27.5 ppg and is second in assists with 9.9 per game.

Cunningham has had a solid supporting cast around him, however, Ausar Thompson did suffer an ankle injury that could keep him out of this game against Philadelphia. Jaden Ivey has yet to make his debut as well. He’s recovering from arthroscopic surgery to relieve right knee discomfort. Ivey could be set to return sometime near or close to November.

Lastly, I have to mention Cunningham’s biggest supporting piece thus far. That has been Jalen Duren, who’s been a dominant force in the paint all-season. Duren, who turns 22 next week, is solidifying himself as one of the best centers in the NBA He is averaging 19.4 ppg, and is fifth in the league in rebounds, averaging 12 per game.

On the other hand, the 76ers have also been impressive. The Sixers currently stand at 7-4, which is good for sixth in the conference. The 76ers finished 13th in the conference last season, missing the postseason entirely. This was clearly disappointing, and the non-stop injuries to their starters led to a murky outlook for this season.

However, this may have been a blessing in disguise, as this led the 76ers to acquire the third pick in the 2025 NBA draft. This has turned out to be pivotal as they drafted VJ Edgecombe out of the University of Baylor, and he along with Tyrese Maxey have already created one of the most formidable backcourts, in the entire association.

Edgecomb was regarded as a fast, athletic, stout defender, with a knack to shine in the fastbreak. This has all come into fruition, as he is amongst the top of all rookies in scoring with 15.4 ppg on 36% shooting from three. He is already arguably the leading candidate for 2025 Rookie of the Year.

Similar to Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey is also solidifying his place as an elite guard. He is third in the league in scoring with 32.1ppg and sixth in assists with 8.3 per game. He has also been impressive by shooting 44.4% from the three-point line.

His ability to get downhill with speed, combined with his shooting, teamed up with VJ Edgecomb has been a must see TV and has me excited for this matchup.

Darren Worrell and Victor Lisboa can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu, victor.lisboa@student.shu.edu 

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