Vibe check on the NBA's undefeated teams

Six teams are undefeated through two to four games. What's real? PLUS: reactions to Monday's action.

Good morning. Let's basketball.

On Monday we took a gander through the sad cases of winless NBA teams. Two of them ended that trauma on Monday night. The Heat, unfortunately, remain in October hell at 0-4.

Let's look at the other end of the standings and turn our attention to the six undefeated teams still standing.

RIGHT BACK WHERE WE BELONG
Detroit Pistons (3-0)

It felt like a hot take to say the Pistons had a strong chance to be the best regular season team in the East again. But defense, Cade Cunningham and solid, predictable execution pay off. Detroit has to now weather a storm without Jalen Duren and without the safety blanket of Isaiah Stewart to replace him. But the past 12 months has shown us that this is a team that can weather storms. (In the regular season.)

OUR CURSED FRIENDS
Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)

We all expected bad news about Jalen Williams' injuries Monday morning after that brutal scene on Sunday. And sure enough: J-Dub suffered a broken fibula and dislocated ankle, and will miss months if not the remainder of the season. Then the Basketball Gods smited our dear Thunderians again: Cason Wallace tore his labrum on Sunday and will miss a similar amount of time. Oklahoma City, who traded three rotation players in the offseason to save salary space in part to carry J-Dub's extension and one later handed to Wallace, are now without two crucial starters, both elite defenders, one among the most dangerous secondary scorers in the league.

Anyways, the Thunder are still amazing and will be real mad at both fate and what everyone says about their title chances over the next few weeks. They will be heard from. They still have excellent players, including the best scorer on this planet or any other. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not Ajay Mitchell.)

YOU HAVE OUR ATTENTION
Houston Rockets (4-0)
Los Angeles Lakers (3-0)