The NBA preseason is a week old, and the regular season starts Oct. 20. Preseason scores don’t mean much, but the first week has already told us a few things: two stars are back from Achilles tears, a couple of blockbuster moves are taking shape, and the top rookies look ready.
Here’s what’s worth paying attention to, and what people around the league are saying.
Who looks good in the NBA preseason so far?
- Tyrese Haliburton is back. The Pacers star hadn’t played since tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals. On Wednesday he returned at Hilton Coliseum, his old Iowa State arena, with 7 points and 6 assists in 16 minutes in a 123-112 win over Minnesota. “It’s been 472 days since I played a game of basketball,” he told the crowd, NBA.com reported.
- So is Damian Lillard. Back in Portland after his own Achilles injury, Lillard scored 15 in 19 minutes in a 123-118 win over Golden State, alongside new teammate Ja Morant.
- The Lakers look different. With nine new players and LeBron James gone, L.A. beat Sacramento 125-101 in its opener, led by 26 at halftime and had 29 assists on 41 made shots, Lakers Wire noted. Luka Dončić, last season’s scoring champ at 33.5 points a game, had 21 before halftime.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t miss. The Thunder star went 5 for 5 with 17 points in his debut, though OKC lost 128-126 to Milwaukee.
- The Celtics’ depth. Boston opened with a 124-113 win in Cleveland, led by Luka Garza’s 22 points and 10 rebounds, NBC Sports Boston reported.
What are the biggest storylines?
Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat uniform is the one everybody’s watching. Milwaukee traded him and Bobby Portis to Miami in June for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and draft picks, ESPN reported. Ware already had 18 points and 12 rebounds in a Bucks win this week. Giannis opened the Heat’s preseason in Quebec City.
LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er now, and the Lakers are fully Dončić’s team. The Knicks are defending champions and will raise their banner on opening night against LeBron’s Sixers. And the rookie class is loaded: No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa (Wizards), No. 3 Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), No. 4 Caleb Wilson (Bulls, 15 points in his debut) and No. 7 Darius Acuff Jr. (Kings, 19 points in his first game).
Who are the favorites to win the 2027 NBA title?
Oddsmakers have the Spurs and Thunder at the top. San Antonio opened at +250 and Oklahoma City at +260, with Boston at +550 and the Knicks at +650, according to Covers. Opening night on Oct. 20 is a tripleheader: Celtics at Pistons, 76ers at Knicks and a Western Conference finals rematch, Thunder at Spurs.
The BeezLoop Take
Preseason stats are mostly noise. Coaches rest starters, play 15-man rotations and test lineups they’ll never use in April. So don’t panic about your team’s record, and don’t book the parade either.
What preseason does show is health, and that’s the real story this year. Haliburton and Lillard both coming back from Achilles tears changes the East and the West. If either looks like himself by December, the title race is wider than the odds suggest. The Spurs and Thunder are the favorites for a reason, but injuries decided last season, and they’ll probably decide this one too.
The open question: can Giannis make Miami a contender right away, or does it take a season to fit?
Also on BeezLoop: the Knicks won a title in June and now want Karl-Anthony Towns to take a discount.
Sources: NBA.com Starting 5 · Lakers Wire via Yahoo Sports · Sports Illustrated (Heat) · ESPN (Giannis trade) · NBC Sports Boston · Covers (title odds) · The Ringer · NBA (video)
