5 Hot Takes from Early NBA Preseason

And it brought along a bunch of spicy hot takes with it.

OK, we're actually the ones supplying those, but since the preseason games—technically meaningless, but exciting nonetheless and perhaps quietly loaded with early-season hints—spawned the takes, they deserve at least a producer's credit.

Some of these takes might look laughable in months (or even weeks), but others could wind up quite appearing quite prognostic with hindsight. Either way, these are five things we're noticing already and the potential significance of them.

It was—and still is—fare to wonder how Damian Lillard might fare after such a long layoff while recovering from the Achilles tear he suffered in April 2025. That's a tricky injury for any athlete to navigate, let alone for someone who celebrated their 36th birthday this summer.

And despite being back in the comfy confines of the Pacific Northwest, there were—and still are—things that could make him uncomfortable. Like the Portland Trail Blazers' overloaded backcourt, the rise of Deni Avdija as the organization's new star and changes with coaches and ownership.

But when Portland tipped off preseason play Wednesday night, Lillard looked right at home. He packed 15 points and a trio of three-pointers into his 19 minutes of action, finding his opportunities within the flow of this multiplaymaker system.

"I feel great," Lillard said afterward . "I think the amount of time that went by, I'm happy that I used the time. ... I was prepared mentally and physically, so I felt like myself. I felt like I was just playing another game."

With Lillard's deep shooting range and overall feel, he could be a tremendous off-ball asset. This offense has a chance to really hum. Of course, it might have to in order to compensate for a defense that could spring a lot of leaks if Lillard and Ja Morant spend a ton of time alongside one another.

The Milwaukee Bucks begrudgingly cut ties with their greatest player in franchise history, Giannis Antetokounmpo, this offseason. They may have snagged their next star in the process—and, no, we aren't talking about Wisconsin's own Tyler Herro.

Because after the Bucks' first two preseason tilts, the Badger State can't say enough about its new unicorn big man, Kel'el Ware. His three-ball isn't even falling yet (20 percent), and he is already pacing Milwaukee in scoring (16 points per game) and leading the entire league in rebounding (12), looking every bit like a (super early) Most Improved Player award candidate.

Miami Heat fans will, of course, caution Bucks fans about getting too excited. They'll point toward Ware's consistently inconsistent body of work as reason to remain skeptical. They might even question his impact on winning after his net differential went deep in the red last season (minus-6.2 points per 100 possessions), which is exactly where his current plus/minus resides (minus-19 in 48 minutes).

The Milwaukee faithful should hear exactly none of that. Not during the most optimistic month on the NBA calendar.

This is when fun flashes are all that's needed to let the imagination run wild. Especially when they're coming from someone as tooled-up as Ware.

High hopes were tied to Jarace Walker when the Indiana Pacers took him with the No. 8 pick in 2023. But after three years of slow growth and unsteady play, those hopes had either been discarded or at least dialed back a bunch.

If one preseason outing is any indication— it isn't, but play along —Walker may finally be making good on his potential as a 6'7", 235-pound two-way playmaker. In 28 minutes, which Indiana won by 18 points, he dished 10 assists while losing just a single turnover.

"I like when he does basic things very well," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters . "Rebound the ball with two hands. Putting two eyes on the guy he's throwing it to... Being a threat at all times and making decisive drives on the angle toward the basket. Seeing progress with Jarace."

Granted, a coach won't get carried away over a single preseason performance from a fourth-year pro, but we are not at all bound by that rule. Because if Walker looks like he did in that outing—efficient, decisive, active and uniquely skilled—he could be an all-purpose itch-scratcher for a Pacers team aiming to re-establish itself among the East's elites.

Fred VanVleet Changes Everything for Houston

The Houston Rockets might regret never searching for an external replacement for Fred VanVleet last season. But now that he's back from a torn ACL and orchestrating this offense again, maybe Houston's patience will be rewarded.

Signs of his 17-month-plus layoff were nonexistent on Friday. He scored well (17 points in 24 minutes), shot it well (5-of-12 from three) and set the table like an etiquette expert (seven assists against one turnover). The Rockets won his minutes by 15 points (second-highest plus/minus among the starters), and his impact felt even greater than that.

"Nice poise, leadership," Rockets coach Ime Udoka remarked . "He's knocked the rust off over the last month. ... He gets us into our sets. He understands when to score and when to find guys. He opens up a lot for us in the pick-and-roll."

VanVleet could be a great problem-solver for this squad. The Rockets didn't take enough threes last season (28th in attempts), and he'll help crank up the knob. They were a decision-making mess (27th in both assists-to-turnover and turnover percentage ), and he'll calm things down. They didn't make the most of their star power, and he'll simplify things for everyone around him.

Houston has enough talent to solidify itself atop the West's second tier and even frighten those two teams ranked above the rest (San Antonio and Oklahoma City). But this roster has to come together in ways it never did last season, and it looks like a healthy VanVleet just might make that happen.

LeBron James Is Philly's Most Important Player

The star-studded Philadelphia 76ers might have a roster for the ages. LeBron James and Joel Embiid are former MVP winners. Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown are recent MVP candidates. This is a collection of talent that is unrivaled across the Association.

It's also one that could, at least in theory, be tricky to manage. There are egos to massage, touches to disperse and, of course, only one basketball to go around. Then again, Philly has an in-house hoops savant in James, so these on-paper concerns could be diagnosed and solved before they ever reach the court.

He might not be the best player on this team right now, but he'll be their best (and most essential) box-checker. Everything from perimeter initiation and creation to small-ball center duties could fall on his shoulders, and he looks ready and willing to handle them. In his preseason debut, he packed 10 points, five assists and four rebounds into just 18 minutes while posting a team-high plus-10 plus/minus.

"The Sixers have lacked high-level passing since (James) Harden's departure and just added a true basketball genius to quarterback their offense," Adam Aaronson wrote for PhillyVoice . "Every member of the Sixers will score many easy baskets as a result of James' otherworldly processing."

James' vision emboldened teammates to race up the floor for hit-ahead transition looks or cut into open spaces in the half-court. His creativity helped grease the offense gears for something-out-of-nothing scores. His selective assertiveness allowed him to net his only field-goal attempt and all eight of his free throws, too.

It was subtley spectacular, which is our (ridiculously) early favorite for the theme of James' season at large. His teammates will post bigger numbers and probably spark more viral fires, but his impact and importance will be the greatest of the group.