Every NBA Team's Biggest Takeaway From 2023 Preseason
The NBA draft, free agency, summer league and the preseason are all behind us now. Next on the docket is the 2023-24 regular season, which tips off on Tuesday.
Congratulations, everyone. We made it.
Before we dive headfirst into another campaign that will bring plenty of new storylines, highlights, drama and more, let's set the stage with takeaways from the preseason.
No, teams don't take these games as seriously as those that are right around the corner. But there is plenty to glean from the last few weeks of action.
Bleacher Report's NBA staff has you covered for each and every team below, and we've split it up by division, starting with the Atlantic.
Atlantic Division: Philadelphia 76ers
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When it felt like just about every fan and analyst wanted Daryl Morey to rush through the Ben Simmons situation, he was patient. And when his patience resulted in the James Harden trade, he seemed to have been vindicated. At least he was back then.
Of course, he probably didn't foresee being in an eerily similar situation with Harden just two years later. After requesting a trade in July, the 34-year-old has since publicly called Morey a liar, attended a party with signs calling Morey a liar, skipped media day and missed multiple practices during training camp. He also didn't play a single second in the preseason.
Actually, somehow, this now feels even messier than the Simmons situation. Even if he doesn't get a return he feels is worthy of Harden, Morey simply needs to rid himself of what could develop into a disaster.
If Harden stays and gives Philadelphia nothing, meaning the 76ers struggle out of the gate, no one would be surprised to see or hear Joel Embiid trade rumors.
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics
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The recency of the Jrue Holiday trade is still generating some reaction, but the more important move for the Boston Celtics may have come earlier in the summer.
Kristaps Porziņģis' ability to space the floor as a 5 is already widening driving lanes for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And when I say he spaces the floor, I mean he really spaces it.
Porziņģis doesn't just spot up at the three-point line. He has to be respected several feet behind it. And that pulls opposing bigs dozens of feet from the rim. The Jays will feast inside when sharing the floor with him.
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Nets
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His preseason averages aren't any more impressive than his underwhelming 2022-23 numbers, but Ben Simmons has shown some flashes of the athleticism and defensive intensity that helped make him an All-Star for the Philadelphia 76ers.
And even if he doesn't get all the way back to what he was for the first four seasons of his career, 85-90 percent of that player would make the Brooklyn Nets one of the East's more interesting teams.
Lineups with Simmons playing point center, while surrounded by versatile wings like Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Royce O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith, could dominate the perimeter on defense.
—Andy Bailey
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Atlantic Division: New York Knicks
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Other than his contract, what reason is there for the New York Knicks to start RJ Barrett?
He's never come close to league-average scoring efficiency. The Knicks' point differential has been dramatically worse when he plays in each of the last two seasons. And this preseason, he's shooting just 38.5 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from deep.
It's hard to argue against New York being better off with Josh Hart in the starting five. And maybe Barrett could find new life as a potential heat-check guy against reserve defenders.
—Andy Bailey
Atlantic Division: Toronto Raptors
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The Toronto Raptors may not be fully embracing Scottie Barnes' point-forward potential. Signing Dennis Schröder in the wake of Fred VanVleet's departure demonstrated that.
However, Barnes did have the ball in his hands a decent amount this preseason, and that's the key to reaching his ceiling.
In these exhibition games, the 22-year-old averaged 26.6 points and 5.7 assists per 75 possessions, while shooting 58.6 percent from the field.
Those numbers probably won't carry into the regular season, but even if he's near that, the Raptors could quickly bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
—Andy Bailey
Central Division: Detroit Pistons
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The Jaden Ivey-Ausar Thompson battle for the starting shooting guard job has been a bit of a surprise coming out of Detroit, especially after the 2022 No. 5 overall pick started 73 of his 74 games as a rookie and has done nothing to lose this title.
Still, Thompson seems to be the guy right now. Detroit's No. 5 overall pick a year later is the better defender of the two but easily the worst shooter, making just 26.3 of his total shot attempts this preseason.
Marvin Bagley III has been a nice surprise (17.0 points on 73.7 percent shooting in 21.4 minutes) as he fights for rotational minutes, while Killian Hayes continues to be a non-threat from the outside (16.7 percent from three).
Cade Cunningham has only played in two games thus far, although that's been enough to convince us he looks ready to shake up an injury-shortened 2022-23 campaign and begin his All-Star ascension this season.
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Indiana Pacers
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Tyrese Haliburton only played once in the preseason, although his eight assists still stand as the most per game on any NBA player thus far.
Even in a brief sample against the Atlanta Hawks, he showcased why he's one of the best distributors in the NBA, whipping full-court transition passes to teammates while finding cutters after breaking down defenders on the perimeter.
If the Pacers make the playoffs this season, Haliburton will be the primary reason why.
Obi Toppin looks like the best power forward on Indiana's roster at the moment. The fourth-year forward is an ideal lob target for Haliburton and has shot the ball better than rookie Jarace Walker.
Bruce Brown hasn't looked like a $22 million man just yet, although he doesn't need to put up big numbers on this team to have a major impact. As long as he defends, hits open threes (which he hasn't done yet with a 16.7 percent rate this preseason) and provides some leadership, his signing will be a success.
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Milwaukee Bucks
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All eyes have been on the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing this preseason for Milwaukee, a combo that's going to be one of the best in the league immediately.
Opponents simply can't double-team Lillard anymore (something the Los Angeles Lakers still experimented with) as the veteran point guard is either going to find his two-time MVP teammate in single coverage or kick out to a wide-open shooter.
Thanks to the Lillard trade and re-signing of Brook Lopez, Antetokounmpo is going to have more space than he's ever experienced on an NBA court. While Lillard is still going to average 25-plus points per game, don't be surprised if Giannis' numbers across the board don't actually decrease as his efficiency rises.
An average of 17.0 points in only 20.0 minutes for Antetokounmpo this preseason is a good sign he's still going to stay in the MVP race, even with Lillard feasting as well.
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Chicago Bulls
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Much of the Bulls success this season will come from their young role players, given that the core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević hasn't experienced much success together.
Chicago needs players such as Patrick Williams and Coby White to look like real high-level starters, no matter what role they ultimately land in.
So far, so good for Bulls fans.
White, who re-signed on a three-year deal this summer, is averaging 13.3 points on 58.3 percent shooting overall and 40.0 percent from three to go along with 4.3 assists in just 22.8 minutes a game. With Lonzo Ball expected to miss this season, White's play at point guard will be crucial.
Williams looks better as well, hitting the occasional step-back jumper while proving he's not just a three-and-D option who feeds off scraps from the stars. Still just 22, he has some untapped potential that will have a big effect on Chicago's ability to return to the postseason.
—Greg Swartz
Central Division: Cleveland Cavaliers
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While Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland struggled with their shots at times, it's been good to see Max Strus fit in as the team's new starting small forward.
Cleveland hasn't had a three-point shooter this active since Kyle Korver, which is going to help add some new wrinkles to the offense and keep defenses more off-balanced.
It would have been nice to see Evan Mobley hoist up some more three-pointers, especially in these meaningless games, although the third-year forward only attempted one of his 15 total shots from outside the arc. Floor-spacing between him and Jarrett Allen could again be an issue.
Keep an eye on rookie second-round pick Emoni Bates, who averaged 12.7 points on 51.9 percent shooting overall in only 16.3 minutes through three games.
—Greg Swartz
Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks
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The Jalen Johnson breakout is happening.
The 21-year-old plays as if he's angling for a sponsorship from the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. He has the versatility to do a little (or sometimes a lot) of everything, and the athleticism and explosiveness to fly around everywhere.
In the past, he has sometimes played too frantic for his own good, but even if he downshifts from 1.5x speed to 1.25x, he can still stay a step ahead of the opposition. That's what he's doing this preseason, routinely jumping off the screen without jumping out of his lane.
His efficiency will regress (he could be a 51.7 percent field-goal shooter, although he definitely isn't a 60 percent three-point splasher), but the rest of his game can translate in an expanded rotation role.
His defensive versatility, grab-and-go rebounding, playmaking and open-court attacking could all be key elements for this team, so much so that he just might push for the starting spot vacated by John Collins this summer.
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Miami Heat
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The Heat have long been on the hunt for the half-court scoring star who could complete this club's championship puzzle. But what if the answer to their offensive issues is already on the roster? And what if he just so happens to be extra motivated after hearing that he's expendable all offseason?
Tyler Herro, one of the primary pieces in this summer's Damian Lillard talks, just so happens to count net-shredding as the sharpest part of his game. While he wasn't a participant in Miami's most recent run to the NBA Finals, his shot-making was a crucial part of its push to the 2020 championship round—as a 20-year-old rookie, no less.
He might always face defensive limitations, but one more leap on the offensive end might take him from pretty good to freakin' great. His off-the-dribble shooting and flashes of creative playmaking are the stuff offensive gravitational forces are made of.
If Herro looks anything like he has this preseason (26 points per game on 48.8/42.9/85.7 shooting, 4.5 assists against 2.0 turnovers), he could be the perimeter shot-creator the Heat have been missing.
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Orlando Magic
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The Magic should appear on plenty of breakout lists, due both to their collection of young talent and the fact that they fielded a competitive club for the last campaign's final months (29-28 after their atrocious 5-20 start).
Orlando thinks it's figured out how to convert this potential into tangible improvement: Letting it fly.
Just three teams attempted fewer threes than the Magic's nightly allotment of 31.1. This preseason, though, they are seventh among NBA teams with 42.3—as many as the Golden State Warriors attempted last season, when they led the entire league and ranked third on the all-time list.
Now, Orlando could definitely dial things back in the regular season and surely will if it can't up its conversion rate (31.5 percent). Still, this commitment to a better-spaced offense is interesting, as the attack clearly needed to improve (26th last season) for the team to raise its ceiling and floor.
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Charlotte Hornets
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An audible buzz greeted the offseason arrival of Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick offering towering promise to a team that has far too often been without blue-chip talent.
If the 6'9" 201-pound swingman approaches anything near his full potential, Charlotte could have a two-way star.
However, the 20-year-old needs time to grow his game. He's shown flashes this preseason and in the summer sessions before it, but there have (predictably) been bouts of inconsistency. In four preseason outings, he's twice shot below 35 percent from the field and never had more assists than turnovers.
Charlotte may want to limit its regular-season exposure to his growing pains, at least early on. Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer wrote Miller has "no chance" of opening the season as a starter. With the Hornets nowhere near the championship race, though, that's a decision they'll want to revisit sooner than later.
Few things will matter more to Charlotte's season than his development, so it should plan on expanding his role as soon as he signals he's ready.
—Zach Buckley
Southeast Division: Washington Wizards
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The rebuilding Wizards will have tons of shots available, and Jordan Poole won't hesitate to launch them. He took 19 shots and 16 free throws in 27 minutes Wednesday, erupting early and often during a 41-point night.
The 24-year-old can have more games like this. His combination of slippery handles and deep shooting range makes him a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. He managed to get his on some loaded teams in Golden State (19.5 points per game over the past two seasons), and outside of Kyle Kuzma, no one will really challenge him for shots in Washington.
Now, the significance of Poole's stats is certainly up for debate. The Wizards know he can score, but what they don't know is if he can do it efficiently or provide anything else that contributes to winning.
This preseason, he's had more turnovers (nine) than assists (seven) and is only shooting 40 percent from the field. His scoring punch will prop up a lot of fantasy rosters, but this early eruption hardly answers any questions about his fit as a real-life building block.
—Zach Buckley
Southwest Division: San Antonio Spurs
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This may not surprise, but Victor Wembanyama will be the must-watch rookie this season.
While the 19-year-old has so much to learn and is still growing into his body, he covers so much ground on the court, both with his length and general awareness. The latter will only improve with experience. Offensively, his outside shot is still a work in progress. Going by preseason numbers, he'll average two or more blocks per game.
The Spurs will rely on Zach Collins at center next to Wembanyama. The percentages may not be great, but the pair will not be shy hosting from three. Also, Devin Vassell may lead the team in scoring, if not the Frenchman.
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Memphis Grizzlies
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The obvious issue for the Memphis Grizzlies is the absence of Ja Morant (suspended by the NBA for 25 games for conduct detrimental to the team).
Without him, the team will probably struggle to reach last year's 51 wins, but the preseason showed Desmond Bane is happy to carry the load as the team's primary scorer.
If the team stays near the top of the West, Bane has a real shot to represent Memphis as an All-Star. Move him up fantasy league draft boards.
Unfortunately, Marcus Smart is not expected to suit up (abdomen) until Friday, which has meant a bigger role for Derrick Rose. Without its top-two guards, it's difficult to get a true temperature on the team, but the Grizzlies are still a load with Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama (in what looks like a bigger role this year) and Bane.
Also, keep an eye on David Roddy as a regular contributor.
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: New Orleans Pelicans
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Zion Williamson is healthy, at least as of this writing.
The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled to keep their high-paid, No. 1 pick from 2019 on the court. He's such a powerful, dynamic player. Hopefully, he can play a major role for the team this season.
The franchise was better than its result last year, primarily because of injury. And the team has had some early ones already to Naji Marshall, Larry Nance Jr., Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III—but having Williamson on the court is a very positive sign.
Coach Willie Green spread the preseason minutes throughout his deep roster, so getting a clear handle on where the team is heading into the regular season has been difficult.
One positive is that Kira Lewis Jr., who has also struggled to stay healthy throughout his young career, was able to play a regular rotation role.
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Houston Rockets
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Jabari Smith Jr. looks ready to take the next step as a sophomore for the Houston Rockets.
The 20-year-old looked incredible in summer league and was the team's top scorer throughout the preseason. He's another player for fantasy league managers to consider drafting early.
The Rockets have an interesting combination of players, and it will take a little time for new head coach Ime Udoka to sort out his rotation. But the initial impression is that the team will be a significantly tougher defensively than in previous years.
Houston will be very watchable with players such as Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thomson, and incoming veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
—Eric Pincus
Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks
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The Dallas Mavericks underperformed last season and haven't looked great through the preseason. Star Luka Dončić played very light minutes, and Kyrie Irving only made one appearance.
Who the Mavs are this season was not made clear over the last few weeks, and they get more of an incomplete grade than anything else.
That said, Jaden Hardy seems intent on carving out a bigger role, though he's struggled to shoot from three. Newcomers Grant Williams, Seth Curry, rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dereck Lively II are still adjusting to their new homes. Derrick Jones Jr. may also play an important role defensively.
—Eric Pincus
Northwest Division: Denver Nuggets
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There isn't much left to say about the Denver Nuggets' starters. Led by the best player in the world, they were the driving force behind a 16-4 championship run.
However, after the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, there were questions about the bench.
The thing is, though, Denver's bench was generally dreadful last season. When Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray were both off the floor, the Nuggets were minus-11.6 points per 100 possessions.
Turning over a unit that bad probably wasn't the worst idea. And Denver has plenty of youth and energy to assist in that overhaul.
Christian Braun and Peyton Watson should both be better, and the Nuggets picked three older rookies in the 2023 draft in an effort to shorten the learning curve.
One of those rookies, Julian Strawther, averaged 17.8 points and shot 45.2 percent from deep in the preseason.
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Portland Trail Blazers
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It looks like there will be a bit of an adjustment period for Scoot Henderson. That's not surprising. There is for most rookies.
While his playmaking appears NBA-ready, scoring efficiency could take some time. Fortunately, he'll have plenty of it, thanks in large part to Anfernee Simons.
The 24-year-old will command the attention of the opposition's best perimeter defender on most nights, which will take plenty of pressure off Henderson. And even in that role, Simons should be one of the league's more efficient scorers.
This preseason, he's putting up 30.5 points per 75 possessions, while shooting 61.1 percent from three.
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Oklahoma City Thunder
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Chet Holmgren is exactly what this team needed.
Point guard Josh Giddey has led the Oklahoma City Thunder in rebounds per game in each of the last two seasons. Their starting centers for 2022-23 included Jaylin Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski and Jeremiah Robinson Earl. It was clear the team was loaded with young talent, but it needed a bona fide 5.
And despite his slender frame and perimeter skills, that's exactly what Holmgren appears to be.
The 2022 No. 2 overall pick averaged 27.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per 75 possessions this preseason. And in a marquee matchup with Victor Wembanyama, he looked more than up to the challenge.
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Minnesota Timberwolves
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After a serious playoff series against the Nuggets and an alpha performance for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, plenty of attention has understandably been on Anthony Edwards.
At this point, it feels like the Minnesota Timberwolves are his team.
Following what felt like a messy fit between Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert last season, there's already been plenty of buzz about moving KAT and building around a duo of Edwards and Gobert.
On the other hand, if Towns shoots like he has this preseason, when he averaged 29.0 points per 75 possessions while shooting 38.9 percent from deep, this might just work after all.
—Andy Bailey
Northwest Division: Utah Jazz
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The biggest question for the Utah Jazz coming into the preseason was who'd make up the guard rotation, and we don't really have much of answer after the last few weeks.
Kris Dunn has probably played the best, but he's 29 years old and doesn't really seem to fit the rebuilding timeline Utah tipped off last summer. Keyonte George played the most and looked great in the summer league, but he shot just 38.7 percent from the field this preseason. Jordan Clarkson still feels best-suited for the role of a heat-check-off-the-bench guy. The same could probably be said of Collin Sexton. Talen Horton-Tucker's outside shot is still a bit of a concern, and Ochai Agbaji's lack of ancillary contributions is too.
There's a lot to think about. And there are solid arguments for or against any of the above playing significant roles.
Jazz fans could be in for a lot of experimentation at the point and shooting guard spots.
—Andy Bailey
Pacific Division: Phoenix Suns
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The Phoenix Suns look ready to outscore opponents most nights, which shouldn't be a surprise.
Preseason play suggests Bradley Beal will take more of a tertiary role to Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. And don't sleep on Grayson Allen, who may have found a perfect home for his skill set. That's not to say he'll be better than Beal, but it may not be so cut-and-dry who is more important to the Suns this season.
Also, look for a resurgent Jusuf Nurkć, playing on a much better team than his prior Portland Trail Blazers squads. Specifically, he could see an uptick in assists—perhaps close to double his career average of 2.3 per game.
Another who looks primed to be an important contributor is veteran guard Eric Gordon.
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Golden State Warriors
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Jonathan Kuminga may demand a more prominent role with the Golden State Warriors this season. While the 21-year-old didn't seem to make much of a jump from his rookie to second year, he looks ready to bust out.
The Warriors' stars are not young (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Chris Paul), and coach Steve Kerr will need Kuminga's athleticism on the floor.
Also, Paul looks like a natural fit. He's more of a traditional ball-dominant point guard, and the Warriors prefer to keep it moving. But the 38-year-old played off the ball some with James Harden with the Houston Rockets; he is one of the smartest players of his generation and needs just a few minutes of watching to alleviate any concerns.
Kerr will have some difficult rotation decisions when Green returns from an ankle injury, but just watching Paul through the preseason, he will be a positive for Golden State.
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Sacramento Kings
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The Sacramento Kings are coming off their best season in a couple of decades (48 wins, their first playoff berth since 2006), but they may be the most likely squad to take a step back in the upper tier of the Western Conference.
Sacramento wasn't exactly exposed through the first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors. Still, opposing teams may have a better idea of how to offensively attack Domantas Sabonis and the rest of the Kings' roster—and a relatively lackluster preseason may reflect that.
The Kings remain an offensive powerhouse, but there's plenty to be concerned about on the defensive end (coach Mike Brown has a lot of work to do to level up his team defensively).
Also, while Sasha Vezenkov received three percent of the "Who will win the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year" vote in the annual GM survey, per John Schuhmann of NBA.com, it looks like he needs some time to adapt to the NBA following his move from EuroLeague side Olympiacos.
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: Los Angeles Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers are better than they were a year ago, which is saying a lot for a team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
However, they have more shooting, size, length, athleticism and overall depth now. And it's enough that stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis might be able to sit for stretches (with seemingly annual injuries) without decimating the roster.
Especially intriguing is the fit for big men Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes. The Lakers didn't add a traditionally sized big to try to counter Nikola Jokić, who knocked L.A. out of the playoffs. Instead, the team added a scorer in Wood and a springy athlete in Hayes.
Both looked very interesting, both next to and spelling Davis throughout the preseason, and how they fit in may determine how far L.A. can get in the West.
—Eric Pincus
Pacific Division: LA Clippers
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The good news for the LA Clippers is that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George look healthy. That's the most important factor for a successful season—an issue that seems to crop up at the worst time year after year.
It's difficult to make too much out of preseason performance, but the potential for a James Harden trade seems to have the rest of the roster out of sorts.
If the Clippers trade for Harden, at least three players will be on the move, but which ones? That a deal may never happen doesn't matter; that potential seems to have cast a bit of a pall on the team's role players.
Perhaps that's why the team's starting group had a difficult time with the Denver Nuggets, without Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and other key starters. L.A.'s bench was able to get the win in the second half, but the Clippers' lack of clarity may lead to a slow start to the season.
—Eric Pincus
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