5 NBA Preseason Trends to Watch for During 2014-15 Regular Season
The NBA preseason can spin a highlight reel, build some buzz and help whet the appetite for hoop heads anxiously awaiting the approaching 82-game trek to the playoffs.
As with any good appetizer, these exhibitions are enjoyable while they last but typically lack substance. For all that these games are capable of, rarely do they yield any truths.
They can, however, drop hints about the road ahead. Between the personnel moves made over the offseason and the subsequent changes in play style and responsibility, the preseason can shed light on how certain teams plan to handle their transformations.
There aren't many lessons to be learned this early into the basketball calendar, but these five trends should have some staying power going forward. By the time the games start to really matter, these won't be just trends anymore—they will be parts of an identity.
Jazz Running, Gunning and Defending Under Quin Snyder
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Last season, Tyrone Corbin's final year as head coach of the Utah Jazz, Utah's roster had five players over the age of 27. Of those five, only one—34-year-old Richard Jefferson—held a regular rotation spot throughout the campaign.
The Jazz were loaded with youth and well-stocked in both size and athleticism.
Yet, all of those elements added together somehow resulted in Utah playing at the NBA's fifth-slowest pace (93.57 possessions per 48 minutes). Despite the controlled tempo, Utah's offense was neither disciplined (15.5 turnovers per 100 possessions, 13th most) nor efficient (100.6 points per 100 possessions, 25th).
The Jazz utilized a style that seemed to play away from their best player's strengths. That mistake will not be repeated this time around.
Under new coach Quin Snyder, Utah looked to push the pace at every opportunity while sprinting to a 92-73 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. The Jazz shined brightest at the defensive end, holding Portland to 34.6 percent shooting from the field, but their offense had an energy that last year's team often lacked.
"It was clear from the opening tip that the Jazz want to rebound and run," wrote Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune. "No longer will they attempt to slow the pace as a means of limiting their opponents' scoring. Hurrying will fire their own offense."
The Jazz may not see improvements in the standings yet, but they should be a pesky opponent with all of their youth, size and athleticism finally unleashed. Given how tightly contested the Western Conference figures to be, Utah could leave its fingerprints on the playoff race by picking off teams that can't match the energy and exuberance it will bring on a nightly basis.
Pistons Choosing Spacing over Size
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Detroit Pistons president-coach Stan Van Gundy had to know what he was getting into.
Amid a league-wide effort to get smaller and faster, the Pistons tried going the opposite direction. But rather than looking bigger and stronger, their super-sized frontcourt just appeared slower and offensively challenged.
During the 1,361 minutes Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith played together last season, the Pistons were outscored by 8.0 points per 100 possessions. If extrapolated over the entire season, it would have been the league's fourth-worst net efficiency rating.
Something had to give, and that something wound up being Monroe's starting spot. The Moose, who has plenty to prove after signing his one-year qualifying offer this summer, came off the bench in Detroit's 111-109 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
Monroe hasn't started a regular-season game on the sideline since January 2011. However, the throwback big man said he is willing to do whatever best helps the team.
"Whether I start or whether I come off the bench, it's not going to change the way I play," Monroe said, per MLive.com's David Mayo. "You guys might worry about it but all I'm focusing on is being on the court."
The role seemed to suit him just fine. He had more points (24) and nearly as many rebounds (nine) as Smith and Drummond combined (22 and 10, respectively).
It's hard to say whether this is Van Gundy's permanent plan to address his logistical problem, but look for him to continue finding ways to keep this trio apart.
George Hill Getting Aggressive
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Outside of the San Antonio Spurs, there may not be anything more reliable in the basketball world than the annual discussions of the importance of George Hill's aggressiveness.
It was a story even when the Indiana Pacers were at their Eastern Conference-contending best. With Lance Stephenson now buzzing in someone's ear as a member of the Charlotte Hornets and Paul George potentially lost for the season with a broken leg, Hill's assertiveness is more critical than ever.
Hill rose to the occasion during Indiana's preseason-opening 103-90 defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The lanky point guard led the Pacers in points (17), assists (seven) and steals (two), while finishing second in rebounds (six).
He has the talent to make a similar impact on a nightly basis, if he takes it upon himself to do so.
"More than any other time in his Pacers career, Hill has to make aggressiveness a habit," wrote Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. "He can't just show this side—scoring on a variety of pull-ups, floaters and putbacks—every now and then."
So, does Hill have it in him to keep his foot on the gas? He only put up 13-plus shots in seven games last season, but in those contests he averaged 21 points on 46.3 percent shooting. More importantly, the Pacers won six of those seven games.
Victories figure to be exponentially harder to come by this season, but Hill could keep Indiana's basement from completely collapsing by staying on the attack. It's a familiar challenge for him, but the pressure is even greater than before.
Steve Kerr Bringing Ball Movement to the Bay
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First-year Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said this was coming.
Shortly after accepting the gig, Kerr spoke of adopting an offensive system that "emphasized ball movement, spacing," per Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
The words were certainly encouraging for Warriors fans who had suffered through some unsightly offensive showings under former coach Mark Jackson. Golden State was decent at that end last season—12th in efficiency, 12th in assist percentage—but it had the personnel to be great.
Judging by the team's first performance under Kerr, that chance at greatness is alive and very well.
The Warriors ran up 112 points on the Los Angeles Clippers, who tied for seventh in defensive efficiency last season. Even more important than what Golden State scored was how it scored.
The ball rarely stuck, finding its way to scorers all over the floor. Seven different Warriors finished with double-digit points, and eight had multiple assists. The team assisted on 71.4 percent of its makes, which is more than a 12-point climb from last season's percentage (59.1).
"We have so many weapons that can shoot the ball, so many high basketball IQ guys and so many guys who can move the ball well," Andrew Bogut said, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I think it’s no secret that ball movement will improve our offense dramatically."
Provided, of course, the Warriors move the ball carefully. They coughed up 15.2 turnovers a night last season and gave away 23 against the Clippers. Preseason rarely features the cleanest play, but the carelessness is still concerning since it was an issue last season and has been something Kerr has already addressed this year.
If the team trades a few highlight plays for better ball control, this offense might be incredibly potent. And if the Warriors can continue defending at an elite level—they held the Clippers to .407/.261/.710 shooting—they could have some intriguing two-way championship credentials.
Nets Get Back to Playing Big
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Small ball might have saved the Brooklyn Nets' 2013-14 season, but new coach Lionel Hollins wants his team to take a more traditional approach.
"If you're an inside player, a big guy, patrol the paint, and play outside last," Hollins said, per Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. "Don't play outside and never get to the paint."
During Brooklyn's 111-94 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Nets attacked inside early and often. Brook Lopez led the way with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and reserve center Mason Plumlee added 12 points and six boards during his 20 minutes of work.
Lopez also tied swingman Joe Johnson for the team lead in field-goal attempts (12), while Plumlee (10) nearly managed as many as former All-Star point guard Deron Williams (11). This is a pattern that could well be repeated throughout the season.
The offense will still feature heavy doses of Johnson and Williams, who averaged a combined 30.1 points last season, but the Nets need their bigs at their best for the present and the future. Johnson will turn 34 next June, three days after Williams' 31st birthday. Williams also underwent surgery on both of his ankles over the offseason.
Lopez is returning from his own procedures on his right foot and left ankle, but the 26-year-old's best days should still be ahead of him. Plumlee, the 22nd overall pick in 2013, followed up a solid rookie season (7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.2 minutes) by snagging a roster spot with Team USA's gold-medal group at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The Nets need to invest in their post players' development. And that should fit perfectly with Hollins' coaching philosophy.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
