The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Week 11 of the 2025-26 season

Week 11 of the NBA season delivered the full spectrum of emotions, from a long-awaited performance to embarrassing blowouts and troubling behavioral patterns. As teams head towards the midway point of the season, we saw which stars are finding their rhythm and which ones are spiraling in the wrong direction. Here's what stood out from December 28 through January 4.

The Good: 

It took a while, but Joel Embiid finally threw down his first dunk of the season during the 76ers' victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday, and you could feel the collective sigh of relief from Sixers fans everywhere. After missing significant time and dealing with ongoing injury concerns, seeing the big man actually elevate and finish above the rim felt like a genuine cause for celebration. Philadelphia desperately needs Embiid at full strength, and while one dunk doesn't fix everything, it's a sign that maybe he's starting to feel like himself again. The Sixers have been building some momentum lately, and having a healthy, engaged Embiid could be the difference between a playoff push and another disappointing season.

The Bad: 

LeBron James turned 41 on December 30, and the Detroit Pistons gave him the worst present imaginable, a humiliating 128⁠–106 blowout loss on home court. James managed just 17 points before spending the final minutes of his birthday sitting on the bench with his arms folded, watching his team get dismantled. The Pistons destroyed the Lakers in the paint, outscoring them 74⁠–44 down low and exposing just how undersized and defensively challenged this roster really is. Cade Cunningham put on a clinic with 27 points and 11 assists, while the Lakers committed 20 turnovers and essentially waved the white flag midway through the fourth quarter. It was LA's fourth loss in five games, continuing a troubling slide after their hot 15⁠–4 start. The fact that this disaster unfolded on LeBron's birthday, with him becoming just the 12th player ever to appear in an NBA game at the age of 41, made it even more painful to watch.

The Ugly: 

Draymond Green was ejected from Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz after arguing about a three-second violation non-call, marking his second ejection in just eight games. The play itself was almost comical. Green got so heated about a missed 3-second call that he abandoned his help-side defensive assignment, allowing Lauri Markkanen an easy dunk. Two quick technicals later, and he was done for the night before halftime. Green now has nine technical fouls this season in just 29 games, putting him more than halfway to an automatic suspension. Ironically, the Warriors keep winning without him, which is either a testament to their depth or a concerning sign about his current impact. Either way, at age 35, his short fuse is becoming a liability. Whether it is getting removed from the game by officials or taking himself out, Green’s absence from games seems more like addition by subtraction for the Warriors at this point.