Chris Paul will make his regular-season debut with the Warriors on opening night against the Suns.
How was that basketball appetizer? Tasty?
Well, enough with the scattered games played in non-NBA cities, constant substitutions, weird combinations and laboratory coaching strategies. The annual October tune-up is over. The 2023-24 season is about to get real, starting Tuesday with championship ring night in Denver.
But before we proceed, maybe we can take a quick rewind at the preseason and the hints that were dropped during this sneak peek.
The preseason focused on new players in new places, most famously Damian Lillard in Milwaukee, and a glimpse of the incoming rookies, and a sampling of teams who reshuffled their decks through trades and free agency.
Overall, the warmup lasted a bit more than two weeks. Now, 82 games await.
Here are four takeaways from the preseason (or exhibition season if you will) and the players and teams who made the most noise, both beautiful and fingernail-across-the-chalkboard-like:
1. Victor Wembanyama might live up to his Draft and uniform number. Surely, you were curious enough to catch a few riffs from the most hyped incoming player since LeBron James, right? Well, Wembanyama did not disappoint in the preseason, showing skills that should be outlawed by anyone who stands 7-4.
In spurts, he displayed shooting range, finger rolls, a decent enough dribble game (including a nutmeg!) and rim-protecting instincts, particularly during a rookie “showdown” exhibition game against OKC’s Chet Holmgren. It wasn’t tremendous all the time, but this is preseason and he’s a rookie. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is feeling good about signing that contract extension last summer.
By the way, this might be overreaching on Wembanyama’s impact this season, but wouldn’t it be something if he was in the running for Kia Rookie of the Year and MVP? Only Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld grabbed both in the same season. If Wemby doesn’t become the third — the Spurs would need to win 50 games, for starters — then it might not happen again in our lifetime.
2. James Harden and the Sixers are coexisting, but barely. How much longer will this shaky “relationship” last? Everyone wants to know, especially Joel Embiid. We’re not even sure where it stands right now. Harden reported to training camp, then bailed due to a personal matter.
This came a few months after he called Philly GM Daryl Morey “a liar” and added, “I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.” Then, Harden said he would play this season because “I’ve got to make a decision for my family … this is a business.”
The ball’s in Morey’s court. He insists he’s not giving Harden away for scraps, to the Clippers or anyone. Harden surrendered the ball this summer when he chose to opt in to his 2023-24 contract, skipping unrestricted free agency and forfeiting his right to choose another team. Now he wants to leverage an exit from his third team in the last two years. Stay tuned.
3. Chris Paul, what’s left? The preseason doesn’t really give you the unfiltered truth about anything. That’s why it’s best to keep an open mind about Paul and his fit with the Warriors. Not only did Paul not play enough preseason minutes with Steph Curry — when they were on the court together, it did look seamless — but the Warriors are also missing their real point guard, Draymond Green, who remains iffy with an ankle injury.
While everyone (Draymond, Curry, Steve Kerr, etc.) is saying all the right things about the addition of Paul, the regular season will reveal the truth. Paul definitely seems like a “fit-in” player for this system based on his ability to pass. That said, he and James Harden didn’t jell in Houston years ago (more of a personality clash, but still).
Paul isn’t 7-foot tall, and that’s the issue. The Warriors’ real need is a quality big man. This will be the first time in Paul’s 19-year career that he won’t have the ball constantly. So again, let’s check back by Christmas.
4. The Grizzlies might be OK for a while. And for their sake, it better be at least the first 25 games because, well, you know. The goal for the Grizz is to stay afloat until Ja Morant returns from his league-imposed suspension to start the season.
All signs are positive so far; the team has embraced the grit and leadership of Marcus Smart, and a healthy Derrick Rose looked young-ish in the preseason games. If those two can hold it down in the backcourt, Memphis might surprise folks between now and mid-December with resiliency and determination.
The Grizzlies know everyone thinks they’ll do a slow fade without Ja, but Memphis actually managed without him during his injury/suspension absences, especially two seasons ago (when they went 20-5). During those instances, former backup point guard Tyus Jones played well. Now, it’s up to Smart and Rose to do the same.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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