7 Players Who Will Make Us Realize That Preseason Basketball Teaches Us Nothing

The NBA preseason is an entertaining, sloppy and utterly meaningless preview to the NBA season we have all been so anxiously awaiting. 

While the preseason offers fans a look at a wide spectrum of players who may not get so many minutes during the regular season, its main purpose is to serve as an adjustment period for rookies and veterans alike, and to allow coaches to see their sets in action against opposing squads. 

Due to the even distribution of playing time found in the preseason, certain players are bound to over or underwhelm and some may even look like potential breakout candidates. But at the end of the day, the preseason doesn't really teach us anything at all. Here are seven players who illustrate my point. 

Corey Brewer

Corey Brewer lit up the preseason, averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting a blistering 52 percent from the field. Brewer was clearly the Nuggets’ best scorer during the exhibition sequence and showcased his trademark defensive tenacity as well.

Unfortunately, none of that means anything. 

Brewer is a talented player, and likely deserving of minutes. Unfortunately, the truth is that he simply won’t get the opportunity to carry over his solid play into the regular season.

Brewer is just one example of a talented player who finds himself buried in the depth chart, and though the minutes are spread generously in preseason, rotations are bound to tighten up around the league come the regular season. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Kidd-Gilchrist played very well in limited Summer League action, and looked like an easy bet to start off his NBA career strong. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, as the second overall pick struggled immensely in eight preseason games, averaging just 5.8 points while shooting 32 percent from the field.

While it’s easy to look at Kidd-Gilchrist’s horrific preseason stats and immediately proclaim him a bust, it’s important to remember that the preseason is meant to serve as an adjustment period for players.

While some rookies, like fellow Kentucky star Anthony Davis, adjust seamlessly to the NBA game, others take more time to find consistency. So while MKG may look disappointing now, fans must acknowledge that the NBA adjustment takes longer for some than others.

LeBron James

LeBron James simply serves as the best example of how far off a player’s preseason numbers can be from his regular season production. LeBron averaged around 14 points per game during the preseason, a solid count for the average player, but nothing for a star of his caliber.

The point?

The preseason is all about equally distributing not only minutes, but also shots.

As talented as LeBron is, anything less than 25 points per game during the regular season would be downright shocking. So though a star player might post mediocre scoring numbers during the preseason, it’s no cause for concern. 

Steve Nash

Nash’s statistical production in the preseason was rather miniscule. With averages of 5.8 points and 4.3 assists per game, Nash produced at a level close to the standard of his backup, Steve Blake. And Lakers fans do not want to see that Steve starting at point.

While Nash’s limited impact could be seen as a sign of his age finally catching up to him, it’s much more likely due to a lack of minutes and the growing pains of a new system.

After many years in Phoenix’s system, Nash will take some time to adjust to an offense that requires him to share ball-handling duties with Kobe Bryant. So while Nash’s averages may start out a bit lower than would be expected, this is no cause for panic. He remains a highly efficient offensive mastermind, just one in need of some practice with his new toys. 

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond has been a pleasant surprise for the Detroit Pistons in the preseason. Not only did the UConn product put up solid rebounding and block numbers, he also scored at a very impressive clip.

However, don’t pencil him into Rookie of the Year Contention just yet.

While Drummond may not be quite as raw as opposing coaches expected, he still has a lot to learn on the offensive end, and a rookie scoring average of 19.6 points per 36 minutes hardly seems sustainable. While rookies can struggle early much as Kidd-Gilchrist has, they can also adjust surprisingly well. But just as weak performances must be taken with a grain of salt, so must strong ones. 

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving’s low percentage shooting over the course of the preseason goes to show how inaccurate such a small sample of games can be in showing a player’s shooting ability.

Irving serves as a prime example of the fact that many players use the preseason as an opportunity to regain their shooting touch. While Irving must get back in the motion after recovering from a broken shooting hand, other players are rusty on the release simply due to lack of practice.

So while Irving’s 35 percent shooting could raise alarms amongst Cavs fans, it really shouldn’t. Last season’s Rookie of the Year is too good of a shooter to see his shot disappear, and the preseason is hardly an accurate judge of a player’s forthcoming percentages. 

Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter was an absolute beast during the preseason. With averages of 13.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, Kanter was by far the most effective member of Utah’s frontcourt during his eight exhibition games.

Kanter may have earned himself some playing time with his strong performances, and his efficiency on both ends of the court should make it easier for the Jazz to part with Al Jefferson and/or Paul Millsap.

But while Kanter looks like a potential breakout candidate for the future, he remains a backup for now and is unlikely to break the 20 minutes per game threshold this season.