Preseason Recap: What to Expect This NBA Season

Written by: Sierra Green🇺🇸

Basketball’s heating up as the season approaches (Photo credit via NBA website)

While many fans are eager for the NBA regular season to start, the preseason can give them a look into how their favorite team might actually play during the season. 

This year the preseason took place from Oct. 2 to Oct. 17. It often serves as a time for coaches and players to try out new lineups and plays beyond regular season practice. Although preseason games don’t count towards regular season records, the level of play is still competitive. 

"As a competitor, you want to win everything. No matter if it counts or it doesn't. You want to play your best. You want to show the coaching staff what you can do from year to year,” said Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski. 

Looking back at last year's preseason stats, the Golden State Warriors had the best record through preseason play. They were the only team to have a perfect record, 6-0. 

This brings into question, do preseason games matter? 

Back in the 2021-2022 NBA preseason, the Golden State Warriors were also undefeated and went on to win the championship that same year. 

There's two sides to this. The Warriors ended the preseason play undefeated last year, while during the regular season they ended in seventh place with a 48-34 record. And the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had one of the worst preseason records during the 2024-25 season, finished first in the eastern conference with a 64-18 overall record. Although for the Cavaliers, winning it all was the only goal. 

“We're not trying to break records,” Cavaliers forward Max Strus said. “We're just playing each game to win.”

Preseason statistics are occasionally linked to regular results, but a lot of other factors are at play. The two biggest are trades and incoming drafted players that could impact the NBA season. This year’s first overall pick in the draft was Cooper Flagg. It’s safe to say that there are high expectations for the 6-foot-9 forward. Flagg is expected to make an immediate impact as a two-way player for the Dallas Mavericks. 

The second overall pick in the 2025 draft was Dylan Harper to the San Antonio Spurs. The final top pick was Valdez Drexel “V.J.” Edgecombe Jr., starting for the Philadelphia 76ers. These top draft picks along with others in their class are set to impact their team and the overall league in a major way. 

Besides the draft, teams were busy during the off-season with trades. 

The trade that caught everyone's attention was the seven-team deal, which sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Within this trade, multiple other teams, current and drafted players, were involved in what was the biggest news during the off-season.

Fans are anxious to see how Green and Brooks fit into the Phoenix Suns team and play alongside longtime players like Devin Booker. It will also be interesting to see the role of a veteran player like Durant on a young and upcoming team like the Rockets. 

According to NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, "The Rockets look great on paper. Kevin is a great player.”

Another big trade was Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole being sent to the New Orleans Pelicans. One that likewise included various teams and was unexpected for fans on both sides. 

During the offseason, the team that probably took the biggest hit was the Celtics. They lost three key players due to financial reasons. The first being veteran point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. Next, center Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks. Lastly veteran two-way player Al Horford to the Golden State Warriors. 

On top of trades, there are many essential players who are injured and will most likely not step on the court the entire season. 

During their individual playoff runs last year Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum, Indiana Pacers' ​​Tyrese Haliburton, and Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard all faced season ending achilles injuries. 

As all of these players were the star of their team, and all coincidentally wore the number zero. These injuries did not only affect their championship contention last year but will also affect their teams chances again this year. 

Another notable injury is Houston Rockets guard Fred VanFleet who suffered a torn ACL during the off season and will likely be out for the entire 2025-26 season. 

With the preseason games over, there are already a few teams to keep a look out for, and others who can only hope to turn their season around. The three undefeated teams are the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs. On the other hand, multiple teams have struggled to keep up or even win a single game as the Miami Heat’s record of 0-6.

The top teams people should pay attention to are the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and Atlanta Hawks. These are teams who have acquired new players and could potentially go deeper into post-season play. 

Fans are anxiously anticipating the regular season return of their favorite players and teams. Will the preseason set realistic expectations for regular season play or will the long seven month season come with unexpected results for fans worldwide?