The start of the NBA regular season is rapidly approaching. If you’re an NBA fan, this is the most exciting time of the year — when an offseason full of questions, transactions and rumors turns into definable things we can see with our own eyes.
Media day has come and gone, delivering a fresh dose of optimism, hope and good vibes. Training camps have offered the first glimpses of what’s to come (and those glorious, post-practice catch-and-shoot drills). What’s next?
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That’s right, preseason basketball.
Some may say the games do not count, but I am a firm believer that there is value in the preseason, which begins Thursday. Now, I will say, you should take what you see in the preseason with a grain of salt. This is not the time to let the box score guide you.
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My No. 1 rule is to explore concepts and ideas. You will not see the totality of what a team is looking to do in the regular season, but if you keep your eyes open you can understand the philosophy that’s being set. By the end of the preseason, you can get a sense of which teams are closer to the drawing board than they want to be and which teams feel better about their vision.
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Here are a few ideas on what to look for to enjoy the preseason.
New faces in new places
From Kevin Durant in Houston to Cooper Flagg in Dallas, we finally get to see what it looks like on the court. From an individual standpoint, a big key for me is usage. Not the amount of shots a player is taking, but more how teams want to use these players.
It’s time to see what KD looks like in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Are they initiating offense? Are they more involved in second side actions once the defense has moved? How much are they off-ball? Where are they spaced? Who are they running the two-man game with? What does that open up for the team? Who are they asked to guard, and are they switching or roaming on defense?
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Asking and answering those types of questions will help you get a better understanding for what is to come in the regular season.
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