The NBA preseason wraps up Friday, which means one thing — it’s nearly time for the real campaign to tip off! But before we turn our attention to Tuesday’s opening games, there was plenty of action and intrigue from training camps around the league.
Among the highlights were San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama making some spectacular plays, as well as Damian Lillard making his Milwaukee Bucks debut alongside fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Elsewhere, we’re still in wait-and-see mode on whether James Harden gets his wish to be traded from the Philadelphia 76ers.
ESPN’s NBA insiders look back at what stood out this preseason ahead of next week’s tip-off.
| Lakers
Fifth spot in starting lineup still up for grabs
Continuity has been the Lakers’ aim in the offseason, but the team has added players who give coach Darvin Ham some options for his starting lineup. Mavericks
Overseas trip did little for Doncic-Irving chemistry
The Mavericks’ preseason trip didn’t quite go as planned. The hope was that Warriors
Kuminga on a hot streak with Green out
The buzzword throughout Golden State Warriors training camp has been “connectivity.” Through their first four preseason games, it looks like it fits. Sources within the organization told ESPN this is the most coherent the team has been in a while, both on and off the court.
The main driver has been Celtics
An elite six-man rotation on both sides of the court
There’ve been only brief glimpses of Boston’s top six guys — Nuggets
After ‘Summer of Jokic,’ bench depth a worry for the champs?
Nikola Jokic’s summer of celebrating the Nuggets’ title gave us Clippers
Amid Harden drama, Kawhi and George fully healthy
Despite the ongoing saga of whether James Harden would join from Philly, the vibes in Clippers camp have been perhaps the best of the Nets
Simmons aiming to thrive with no expectations
An intriguing question this offseason was whether could remake himself into a productive NBA player. Through a few preseason games, at least, the answer is starting to take shape.
Simmons still has lots of offensive issues: He can’t shoot, has trouble at the free throw line and still looks hesitant at times attacking the basket. But, physically, he looks much better after back surgery, he’s pushing the pace in transition, setting up 3-point shots for his teammates and holding up defensively.
Brooklyn’s roster is well-suited to bring out the best in Simmons. It has a bunch of long, switchable defenders. It has a lot of 3-point shooters Simmons can kick out to after collapsing the defense — long one of his best attributes — or run with in transition. It’s a low-pressure situation on a team with low expectations, an environment where Simmons will get a chance to just play and see what he can turn himself back into.
It’s why Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said Monday that the only thing he wants to see from Simmons is a continued willingness to be aggressive, regardless of how many mistakes that creates. Simmons has shown so far that his offseason declaration that he can be this team’s point guard is valid. Now, he should get this season to see how much he can build on this start. — Bontemps
