We are in the middle of the 2018 NBA Preseason, which runs from Friday, September 28 through Friday, October 12.
There is no denying it now; the 2018-19 NBA regular season is close. So close that there is already plenty of action! The stars may be limited in the preseason, but there are many reasons to tune in as many of the best basketball players in the world collide.
New faces in new places, breakout candidates, and up-and-coming full-time NBA hopefuls abound this NBA preseason.
As for new faces in new places, it would be tough to argue that anyone stands out more than LeBron James in his Lakers gold and purple. At 33 years old, James has played a surprising amount this preseason. It was exciting to catch a glimpse of him already as he begins to gel with his new, young Lakers teammates. Despite his comparatively advanced age and limited minutes, he still looks like the same ol’ LeBron James and had good chemistry with new teammate, Rajon Rondo.
We have talked plenty about the offseason’s blockbuster DeMar DeRozan / Kawhi Leonard trade. DeRozan looked fairly pedestrian in his first outing as a San Antonio Spur, albeit also in limited minutes. Leonard is the more interesting player to watch, as we have not seen him play in some time due largely to injury.
So far in limited minutes, he has not had much time to put up big numbers. However, he appears to be moving well and has had some flashy moments handling the ball in a halfcourt set for the Raptors. The addition of Leonard will instantly vault the Raptors into the conversations about top defensive teams in the NBA.
There are naturally more players in new places, but we will continue to cover them all as the season progresses.
On the rookie side of things, first overall pick, DeAndre Ayton has looked as good as advertised. Luka Doncic is also looking well-rounded. There are many promising young players joining the fray this year. The Cavaliers, Collin Sexton and New York Knicks, Kevin Knox have shown great promise. Trae Young is distributing nicely but has yet to get his shot going.
Other NBA news:
Jimmy Butler is still a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Coach Tom Thibodeau has essentially said that the team is still trying to move him.
After missing the majority of the 2017-18 season, Andre Roberson of the OKC Thunder has re-aggravated his injury. He will likely miss two additional months.
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