The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is less than two weeks away. Preseason action is in full swing and will end next Friday.
But before those games tip off, there are plenty of key questions surrounding several playoff contenders. How are new-look teams such as the Knicks and Timberwolves figuring out their rosters? Can teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns bounce back from disappointing seasons?
As the regular season draws near, our NBA Insiders answer top preseason questions for key teams around the league.
If you thought the Celtics were going to look different heading into coach Joe Mazzulla’s third season — and coming off their record-setting 18th NBA title in June — it took two preseason games in Abu Dhabi against the Denver Nuggets to quickly show that won’t be the case.
Over those two games, Boston got up a staggering 108 3-point attempts — and made 38 of them.
Since Mazzulla became coach in 2022, Boston has built a team that leans heavily into that strength, including a bench unit featuring players who can shoot 3s in a hurry in Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard. For all of the understandable focus on Boston’s star-studded starting lineup, it is that bench unit — which will include some combination of Pritchard, Hauser, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta — that will be important this season.
The Celtics will try weather the absence of Kristaps Porzingis until at least December after he underwent offseason leg surgery and also limit the wear and tear on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Mazzulla has shown faith in his reserves by playing them in substantial roles in the past, and Boston is hoping that can be the case again this season. — Tim Bontemps
In his first training camp in which he has been an active participant in three years, Lonzo Ball walked off the court and expressed his optimism.
“Today was probably my best day,” the Bulls guard said after practice last week. “It’s getting better each time.”
Ball still has not played in a game since January 2022 and has undergone three surgeries on his left knee since. But news of his recovery since a cartilage transplant in March has been trending positively. He has been participating in full 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Bulls for weeks, reporting to Chicago early before the start of camp to begin preparing for the season.
Ball did not play in the team’s preseason opener against the Cavs on Tuesday, and is not expected to play at all during the preseason. The Bulls are being cautious — Ball called the communication between him and the training staff constant — and the expectation is they will take his return slowly.
Ball has stated he wants to be ready for the season opener. The team will monitor him each step of the way, but there is a growing — and cautious — optimism in Chicago that he will be ready to take the court once again. — Jamal Collier
The Cavs brought back their top eight rotation players with whom they reached the conference semifinals last season. So how is new coach Kenny Atkinson planning to fix the offense problem that contributed to J.B. Bickerstaff’s firing?
It’s a common idea this time of year: run. Atkinson took the team to Florida for camp and tried a bunch of ways to get the Cavs to speed up: shortened shot clocks, lots of fast-break drills, instructions to make quick decisions.
You’ve heard of seven seconds or less, the mantra of the 2000s Suns? The Cavs would love it to be five seconds or less, at times.
The Cavs’ issue, sometimes, is their two-big lineup with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can be great at the defensive end but make them easier to guard in the half court. So the idea is, don’t play as much in the half court.
“I think we were 23rd or 24th in pace last year,” guard Donovan Mitchell said. “Obviously it’s tougher with a two-big lineup. But we still can find ways to continue to move it.”
When the Cavs do slow down, they intend to have Mobley (who signed a five-year, $224 million contract extension) play with the ball in his hands more. Mobley is a multitool offensive player but has mostly made his mark on the defensive end. His slower-than-expected offensive maturation has frustrated Cavs fans.
“Evan can bring the ball up, he’s knocking down 3s, I think that’s really gonna help us continue to space the floor,” Mitchell said.
But if Mobley has the ball, then it’s not with Mitchell or point guard Darius Garland. It would make more sense for Mobley to become a floor spacer — he has but to limited effect to this point — but for now this is how the Cavs will operate. October brings hope. — Brian Windhorst
New Mavs guard Klay Thompson called this preseason “the most important one I’ve had in so many years,” following his legendary 13-year run in Golden State. That mindset was evident in Thompson’s approach to training camp practices in Las Vegas.
“He doesn’t take any reps off,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “When someone has played in this league the years that he’s played, sometimes it’s hard to make that adjustment on the system. But he’s in for every rep because he feels he wants to get it right. … He does have a lot to prove. You can see that he is hungry.”
Thompson sat out the Mavs’ preseason opener as a healthy scratch alongside Kyrie Irving, while Luka Doncic didn’t play because of a calf contusion. Kidd said the plan is for Thompson and Irving to play in the Mavs’ three remaining preseason games.
“Hopefully, Luka can get back here soon to get that continuity, to get some work and also to see how those three look out there at the same time,” Kidd said. “That would be nice. But it’s a marathon.” — Tim MacMahon
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said before training camp started that Jamal Murray reminded his teammates not to take this moment together for granted.
“We have a championship window,” Murray said, according to Malone. If the Nuggets are going to return to the NBA Finals after being dethroned in the second round by Minnesota last season, Nikola Jokic will be the unstoppable MVP force that he has been.
Murray was rewarded with a four-year, $208 million max contract extension this offseason, but in some ways this will be a bounce-back season for the point guard. After averaging 25.0 points per game and 40% 3-point shooting in his first three postseasons combined, his numbers dipped to 20.6 and 32% in last season’s playoffs.
He also had a disappointing summer with Team Canada, averaging 6.0 points and 14.3% 3-point shooting. It just didn’t look like the Murray who starred during the Nuggets’ 2023 title run. Jokic will need Murray to be healthy and return to being one of the most clutch guards in the game, especially with the duo adjusting to a slightly different supporting cast with new addition Russell Westbrook and younger players Christian Braun and Peyton Watson set to play bigger roles this season. — Ohm Youngmisuk
When coach Steve Kerr started Jonathan Kuminga in the Warriors’ first preseason game on Saturday alongside Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the frontcourt, he was giving Kuminga his first audition at the starting small forward spot.
“Not great. But it’s preseason for everybody. … I want to keep looking at it,” Kerr said despite the team’s 91-90 win over the LA Clippers in Hawai’i. “Obviously all three guys are talented players, and you want to be able to play your best players together on the floor, but it has to click. So we will keep trying.”
Kerr’s comments suggest Kuminga’s spot in the starting lineup is still up in the air. The Warriors will want to keep 6-foot-6 Green at power forward instead of having the 13-year veteran play center for all 82 games — or even the majority of them. That leaves small forward as the only position for Kuminga. But the Warriors are confident Andrew Wiggins will bounce back after last season’s struggles that included a career-low 13.2 points per game, so that job could be his.
Kuminga is eligible for a contract extension until Oct. 21. Both Kuminga and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. have expressed mutual interest in getting a new deal done and keeping the fourth-year player in San Francisco.
“I’d love to have [a new contract], but I’m not really concerned about it,” Kuminga told reporters last week. “If I get it, if I don’t, it’s cool. I’m still going to be me. I’ll just go out there and perform. But that’s not a problem.” — Kendra Andrews
Will Kawhi Leonard be ready for the season opener?
Kawhi Leonard’s status for the season opener and how much he will be available — he’ll likely be held out of back-to-backs after playing in 68 regular-season games last season — remains to be seen. While the franchise star says he’s confident that he and the medical staff have a better handle on the inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, Leonard also said he and the Clippers have to find the best way to keep him healthy for late in the season. Leonard has been available for only two games in each of the past two postseasons because of injuries to his right knee.
In the meantime, the Clippers will rely heavily on guard James Harden to be the primary scorer and playmaker. Ivica Zubac, signed to a new multiyear deal this summer, looks poised for a big workload — including pick-and-rolls with Harden.
The Clippers will also rely on defense and a group of new reserves. The team’s biggest additions in the offseason were assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy, who will be Ty Lue’s defensive coordinator. In the wake of Paul George’s exit to the 76ers, the Clippers signed defensive-minded players such as Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn. Kevin Porter Jr., back in the NBA for the first time since his September 2023 arrest, will get plenty of opportunities behind Harden. The Clippers will also look to veteran guard Terance Mann, who just signed a new deal, to take a step forward.
But do the Clippers have enough shooting and scoring with George in Philadelphia? Veteran forward Norman Powell will have a bigger role, but the team could have a depth issue at center behind Zubac. P.J. Tucker is away from the team as both sides try to find a trade for the vet. Former lottery pick Mo Bamba was sidelined in camp in Hawai’i because of a knee issue, giving Kai Jones a bigger role in the preseason opener. — Youngmisuk
Who could surprise around LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
New head coach JJ Redick waited until the second preseason game to play his announced starting five of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, and in the first glimpse of what his regular-season rotation could look like, third-year swingman Max Christie was his first substitution.
The 21-year-old Christie signed a four-year, $32 million extension in the summer following limited opportunities his first two seasons, averaging 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game.
Beyond finding him playing time to start the preseason — Christie averaged 11.5 points and 5 boards in 32 minutes per game — Redick has raved about the team’s 2022 second-round pick throughout camp.
“He takes this very seriously,” Redick said. “And I really appreciate that about him.”
With Jarred Vanderbilt sidelined because of offseason procedures on both feet, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Christie has a serious shot to make an impact to start the season with his perimeter defense. Not to mention his speed and leaping ability fueling his potential offense.
He attacked the rim in each of his initial exhibition games, throwing down a two-handed slam over Terrance Shannon Jr. of the Minnesota Timberwolves and then finishing a 2-on-1 fast break sparked by Austin Reaves with a flush against the Phoenix Suns.
“I’m just trying to be explosive,” Christie said after the Minnesota game. — Dave McMenamin
How is Zach Edey developing around Ja Morant and the veterans?
Marcus Smart’s first impression of the Memphis Grizzlies’ lottery pick is the same as most people who stand next to Zach Edey: “Motherf—er’s big.”
The 7-foot-4 Edey, who has slimmed down to 290 pounds, is stepping right into a big role as the starting center on a Grizzlies team that expects to rebound from last season’s injury-ravaged 27-win campaign. Edey, the Rookie of the Year betting favorite, is also making a big adjustment from back-to-the-basket, go-to guy in college to a cog in an up-tempo machine in the NBA.
“It’s just learning a new way to play basketball a little bit,” Edey said. “At Purdue, I was going block to block following the ball, trying to get post-ups, setting ball screens, rolling hard. That was my role in the team, and it led to winning, so I was happy with it, but now my role’s a little different.
“What I got to do to impact winning is a little different at this level, so just I got to make that adjustment and keep learning.”
Edey’s preseason debut in Monday’s road win over the Mavericks was a mixed bag, as the No. 9 pick finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 fouls and 3 turnovers in 18 minutes. Coach Taylor Jenkins praised Edey for his defensive presence in the paint, saying he has to get a feel for the increased speed and physicality of the NBA game.
Jenkins also noted that they will work with Edey to “clean up a little bit of the running habits,” such as when to fight for a deep seal in the paint and when to space out to the perimeter.
“We just got to make sure he’s way more comfortable and confident and make sure he’s getting the ball where he wants to still be aggressive,” Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant said. “He was pretty good once he got rolling, so we are not worried about him at all. I know he’s not worried. When we get it, it’ll be scary.” — MacMahon
Are the Heat at a crossroads when it comes to Jimmy Butler?
Although some plane trouble prevented Jimmy Butler from getting to media day on time last week — and from having the ability to show up with one of the wacky hairstyles he has shown off the past couple years — it didn’t stop the star forward from getting to the Bahamas in time for Miami’s season-opening meeting Monday night.
But simply getting everyone to training camp on time is just the first of many hurdles the Heat will have to clear as they attempt to figure out what this group can achieve. Are they the team that has reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the past five years, and the NBA Finals in two of them — something only the defending champion Celtics have matched?
The Heat reached the playoffs last season via the play-in only to lose to Boston in the first round. They’ve rarely been able to get all of their best players on the court at the same time because of injury, and thus are still sorting out how they want to deploy them. Butler and Bam Adebayo will obviously be the anchors of the starting lineup, while Terry Rozier — who came over in a midseason trade before injuries limited him to just 31 games in 2023-24 — will likely join them.
That leaves two other spots for some combination of Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez and Haywood Highsmith. But whatever direction coach Erik Spoelstra goes with those decisions to start the year, it’s likely Miami will be experimenting for some time.
Ultimately, though, the Heat will have to decide just how real of a contender this group can be. Butler has a player option for next season — and, at some point between now and next July, Miami will likely have to make a decision on whether a longer-term partnership with the six-time All-Star makes sense. — Bontemps
Will the Bucks bounce back with a full year under Doc?
With coach Doc Rivers roaming the sideline, the Bucks believe they can return to contending status behind Giannis Antetokounmpo after a disappointing first-round exit against Indiana.
But health will be especially key for one of the oldest rosters in the league, as Khris Middleton (33), Damian Lillard (34) and sharpshooting center Brook Lopez (36) are all in the latter stages of their respective careers. At present, Middleton, who has played just 88 games the past two seasons, is still recovering from nagging ankle issues that plagued him last season.
Rivers, meanwhile, dipped into his past during camp by bringing back former NBA point guard Rajon Rondo, whom he coached for seven seasons in Boston, as a guest coach. Rondo, a two-time champion, is widely considered one of the smartest players to ever play the game, and Antetokounmpo recently told reporters that Rondo has already led a Bucks film session. Rivers told ESPN that Rondo will be around the team in an unspecified role this season.
The much-hyped pairing of Lillard and Antetokounmpo showed promise last season — they scored 30 points in the same game eight times, the most in a season by a duo in Bucks history — but they’ll need to carry those efforts into the postseason if the Bucks are to prove that their championship window isn’t closed and that last season was an aberration. — Baxter Holmes
Is this now Anthony Edwards’ team after KAT’s exit?
When explaining why the Wolves made a team-altering trade to move Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp, coach Chris Finch said the team wanted to ensure it had the flexibility to remake the roster going forward.
What was obvious, but left unsaid, was who would be at the center point of that roster: Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota moved on from one face of the franchise for the chance to keep rebuilding the team around Edwards. His breakout performance in the postseason after leading the Wolves to the best record in the Western Conference has cemented Edwards as one of the faces of the league.
“We continue to challenge [Edwards] because we think he can be one of the best players ever and we don’t say that lightly,” team president Tim Connelly said. “And with that expectation comes tremendous responsibility.”
Connelly lauded the team’s new additions, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for their versatility on the court, but also their toughness and experience in playoff and high-stakes games. It’s the kind of experience they want surrounding Edwards and the depth they believe is needed to help carry him to a long playoff run in the future.
The new Wolves appear to have received the message. When asked about his role with Minnesota at his introductory news conference, Randle’s message was simple: “I’m here to help.” — Collier
What’s new with Brandon Ingram’s future and Zion Williamson’s health?
Brandon Ingram’s future has been one of the biggest topics of discussion across the NBA over the past few months. But what has the Pelicans excited, at least coming out of training camp, is Ingram’s present.
The word from the Pelicans after last week’s training camp in Nashville is that Ingram, after months of his name percolating in trade talks and a lack of progress on a potential contract extension that would keep him from becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, has looked fantastic through the opening week of practice.
And while he didn’t play in Monday’s preseason opener against the Orlando Magic, Zion Williamson has also shown up healthy and in shape. Williamson played in a career-high 70 games last season but a hamstring injury in the play-in forced him to miss the playoff series.
Whatever ceiling this Pelicans group has is going to come down to the way those two perform: Can they stay healthy? Can they take leaps forward?
If both of those things are true — and if guard Trey Murphy can get back relatively quickly from his hamstring injury that’s knocked him out for at least the next couple of weeks — finishing in the top four in the West is a real possibility.
If those things don’t happen, however, it could be another year of fighting for a spot in the play-in, which could create a lot of difficult choices for this franchise to make over the next 12 months. — Bontemps
How is KAT progressing in first weeks in New York?
For two weeks now, it’s been clear which question would ultimately dictate how this season plays out for the Knicks: How well will All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns mesh with his teammates in New York following the blockbuster trade?
It goes without saying that there’s a ton riding on the decision to acquire Towns, who has scored 35 points across two preseason games in limited action. The move put a dent in the Knicks’ enviable depth as it gave Minnesota two-time All-NBA forward Julius Randle and wing Donte DiVincenzo (who led the league in 3-pointers last season), along with a future first-round pick.
At the same time, nearly everyone acknowledges the possibility of a higher offensive ceiling. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have each mentioned the additional spacing they expect because of Towns’ shooting ability as a center. And coach Tom Thibodeau has said thinks there’s an opportunity for New York to improve upon its No. 7 rank in offensive efficiency from the 2023-24 campaign.
As for Towns himself, he feels it’s possible to reduce the learning curve of playing for a new team because of the time he spent playing for Thibodeau in Minnesota.
“It gives us a little bit of a head start,” he said, citing his familiarity with the coach’s offensive and defensive concepts.
For all the focus on Towns’ potential impact on the Knicks’ offense, there’s questions about how he’ll fare defensively. New York boasts arguably the best defensive wing duo in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. But for the past two seasons, Towns played next to center Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. What will the scenario look like when Towns is guarding the backline on his own? — Chris Herring
After a big summer, is it the year for Joel Embiid and Co.?
The overwhelming feeling around the team during the first few days of training camp in the Bahamas was one of serenity and optimism. Some Sixers officials joked that things may even be “too good” at the moment.
Still, after a summer where the 76ers managed to have as much success from a transactional standpoint that they could’ve hoped for — extending Joel Embiid, signing Paul George, re-signing Tyrese Maxey and adding a bunch of quality depth — there is real optimism that this year could be the year this team finally breaks through and at least reaches its first Eastern Conference finals since 2001.
That, though, comes down to the health of Embiid. And what was as equally obvious as the good feelings around the 76ers is that the team is going to be very cautious with the superstar center.
He’ll barely play –if at all — over the next couple of weeks before the regular season opens in Philadelphia on Oct. 23 against former 76ers coach Doc Rivers and the Bucks. — Bontemps
Do the high-powered Suns have enough defense to keep pace?
After Phoenix finished sixth in the Western Conference and were swept out of the first round last season, a Western Conference scout was asked how the Suns could possibly live up to the hype that they generated by trading for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
“They’re going to have to f—ing outscore everybody,” the scout told ESPN.
Phoenix was 10th in offensive efficiency last season, scoring 116.8 points per 100 possessions under coach Frank Vogel’s lone campaign before he was dismissed.
The Suns signed Tyus Jones over the summer to be their new starting point guard, joining Durant, Beal, Devin Booker and Jusuf Nurkic with the first five — which moves Grayson Allen to the bench.
Jones, with a career assists-to-turnover ratio better than 5-to-1, should certainly help organize the offense. But with Jones listed at 6-1, 195 pounds, the Suns’ starters could miss the size and tenacity of Allen.
“Defensively they’re going to be bad, just with the pieces that they have,” the scout added. “They’re going to be small as s—. …Tyus, I don’t think is a good defender. Book fouls a ton. Brad is small. Kevin is a good defender but he’s going to be 37. And I think Nurk is one of the worst pick-and-roll defenders in the league.”
New coach Mike Budenholzer — whose teams won 46 or more games in seven of his 10 seasons with Atlanta and Milwaukee — has a proven track record that suggests he will find a way to make the offensive pieces fit, at the very least.
“Defensively they’re going to be challenged,” the scout said. “But offensively, they should be able to score. Bud’s teams have scored. They’ve been good offensively.” — McMenamin
How’s DeMar DeRozan adjusting to his new surroundings?
There haven’t been many opportunities for DeRozan to initiate bonding activities with his new Sacramento Kings teammates — they’ve only had one off day since training camp began. But, relationships are already brewing.
DeRozan and forward Domantas Sabonis worked out together multiple times in L.A. during the offseason and he’s had multiple conversations with star guard De’Aaron Fox. And even before he arrived upon signing a three-year, $74 million deal, the Kings organization did everything they could to make him feel like a part of the franchise.
A source told ESPN that the moment DeRozan stepped foot in Sacramento’s facilities, he automatically had his teammates’ respect; they listen to every word and piece of advice he offers.
But the Kings don’t just view the six-time All-Star as a veteran there to teach their young core. They believe the 35-year-old guard is the missing piece they’ve been needing to be a more explosive offense in the Western Conference. And the feeling is mutual.
DeRozan told ESPN that Sacramento is the best place for him to be successful. He called his two-man game with Sabonis something that will be “unguardable.” He knows he and Fox can help pull pressure off one another in clutch situations..
“This is a hungry team,” DeRozan told ESPN. “They play with a chip on their shoulder. With a lot of great players and a great fanbase, you can’t ask for anything better. That’s what you want to be a part of. They check off every single box.” — Andrews
Who else will the Spurs rely on besides CP3 and Wemby?
San Antonio finds itself in unfamiliar territory now with clearly defined roles for the first time since embarking on its rebuild.
Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul had some early highlights together in their preseason debuts on Wednesday, while there already has been a semblance of growing continuity from the team’s young core of Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones.
Clearly, they’ve grown through taking their lumps these past few seasons, which includes a five-year postseason drought. But the arrival of veterans Paul and forward Harrison Barnes will help to accelerate the process. The two veterans have set a standard for professionalism at the team’s training facility that multiple players described as contagious.
Paul and Wembanyama will be the focal points of the team but Barnes figures prominently as a dependable Swiss-Army knife type of player. Last season with Sacramento, Barnes was one of three NBA players to start all 82 regular-season games and brings championship pedigree from his time at Golden State.
The Spurs will expect more from Devin Vassell, the team’s second-leading scorer last season. He signed the richest extension in franchise history last October and contributed six 30-point games, but the Spurs want more consistency from the 24-year-old guard, who will be out until at least Nov. 1 as he recovers from offseason foot surgery.
Sochan started off last season at point guard in a failed experiment. But the team’s best perimeter defender is back to his familiar forward position, and Sochan has tweaked his formerly side-spinning jumper to a more traditional delivery to improve accuracy.
Johnson, meanwhile, spent more than a quarter of last season in San Antonio’s starting lineup, before assuming a sixth-man role to provide more scoring punch off the bench. The team’s third-leading scorer last season is expected to remain in that sixth-man role. — Michael C. Wright
How does Alex Caruso fit into this talented young lineup?
Oklahoma City is where Caruso first learned the ropes of the NBA as a 22-year-old undrafted rookie in the G-League. Eight years later, he’s back in OKC as a key veteran acquisition from a June trade with Chicago in exchange for Josh Giddey.
Caruso provides connectivity, lineup flexibility and leadership (not to mention championship pedigree from his time with the Lakers) for the young Thunder that finished as the top seed in the Western Conference. He also could form a potentially stifling defensive duo on the perimeter this season (if OKC chooses to go that route) in lineups with Lu Dort.
“What comes naturally for me is playing defense,” Caruso said last week during training camp.
The shooting guard showcased as much in his preseason debut at San Antonio on Monday by finishing with a steal and a block to go with five assists in just 17 minutes. Expect Caruso to assume a role very similar to what he’s done the first seven years of his career. This time, the 30-year-old will be doing it for a team that relied last postseason on 99.6% of their points coming from players aged 25 or younger, which ranks as the highest percentage during a playoff run for any team in NBA history.
Offensively, Caruso seems to be an ideal fit for coach Mark Daigneault’s system. He connected on 41% from deep last season on a career-high 4.7 attempts and averaged 10.1 points. Caruso’s connectivity will manifest itself most with the guard serving as a shooter, passer, screener, and ball handler on pick-and-rolls. — Wright
