NBA Preseason Is More for Coaches Than for Fans

Fans base a bit too much on preseason performances.

Talk of young players being Hall of Famers or veterans being over the hill is all too common.

Sadly, many fans don't seem to see who the NBA preseason is actually for—the coaches.

But the issue isn't simply black or white. To suggest that nothing can be gained from watching a preseason game is ridiculous. However, one must use some caution when making claims like x player is going to have a great season, or x team sucks.

For veterans, the preseason is simply an extension of practice. It's a time to work out the kinks, get their timing and rhythm back—and most importantly, avoid getting injured.

For them, there is nothing to be gained from winning, losing, scoring 50 points, or embarrassing another team. It's just practice. They go hard, but without any particular purpose.

For younger players, preseason is a proving ground. It's a time to show the coach that you can now handle the ball effectively in transition, or that you've improved your midrange jump shot.

For the guys who are otherwise going to be sitting a lot during the season, it might be a chance to prove that they should get minutes when available. It might even be the time to show a coach that you're willing to do some things that other players ahead of you aren't.

However, from the perspective of a fan, these things are usually unknown.  Thus, they are unaware why Kobe Bryant shot 32 percent from the field, or why players who never shoot threes are taking two a game.

Furthermore, it goes without writing that coaches like play around a bit with players. Lamar Odom might be experimented at the point-guard position for instance, and be stripped four times. A certain player might miss every one of the 12 shots he takes because he's working out a new release.

Therefore, the NBA preseason is for the coaches to really find out which players are doing what they are asked to do. That may be to pass more, shoot more, run a particular play, try a different defensive scheme, or focus solely on their post game and avoid taking jumpers.

Because it's not about winning or losing, coaches don't need to worry about maximizing a player's productivity by allowing them to do what they're most comfortable with. It might be that the coach wants the player to do what they usually can't do.  Simply because that results in a bad night doesn't mean anything about that particular player.

So what can be gained from watching a preseason game? You can observe the fruits of a player's offseason labor. They may have added some strength, allowing them to take contact and finish.  Or, like in the case of New Orleans' Morris Peterson, they may have come into camp in better shape than the year before.

You can also observe chemistry to some degree. You can see how two players mesh on the court and how they are able to compliment each other. Often, a player will be used from the bench in place of a starter to see how well this player is able to blend with the starting unit. Perhaps the original starter would be better utilized as a sixth man. 

When so many different players are trying to do so many different things, it is foolish to pay any attention to the game's outcome, or the individual statistics. At no point has the NBA preseason given an accurate preview of the regular season. Teams often win every game in preseason and start out 2-8 for the regular season.

So when you're watching these games, forget about how well someone is shooting, or how lazy your favorite superstar looks. Pray no one gets injured, look for any physical improvements in the players, coaching experiments you can pick up on, or observe the chemistry between certain groups of players.

That's preseason. Just remember that as you're furiously typing hate mail to Cleveland Cavalier management about paying good money to watch LeBron play for eight minutes in a scoreless effort, or when you're telling your friends that Roy Hibbert is the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon.

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