Power Rankings, Week 1: Celtics lead the way as 2024-25 begins

Preseason record: 4-1

OffRtg: 120.8 (1) DefRtg: 104.6 (12) NetRtg: +16.3 (2) Pace: 100.7 (28)

The champs have brought everybody back, but the roster may be too expensive beyond this season, so there remains a sense of urgency.

Preseason takeaways

• Kristaps Porzingis is out and Al Horford only played in the preseason finale, but the Celtics were still dominant through their first four games, leading three of them by more than 30 points. Last season, the Celtics had the highest-rated bench in the 28 years for which we have play-by-play data, and bench minutes were terrific once again, with Boston outscoring its opponents by 41 points per 100 possessions in Sam Hauser’s 70 minutes.

• Porzingis is the ultimate floor spacer, but the Celtics still led the league (by a wide margin) in 3-point rate without him, taking 55.4% of their shots from beyond the arc. The other side of that is that only 11 (19%) of Jayson Tatum’s 58 shots came in the paint.

Something to watch in Week 1: Focus. The Celtics were relentless last season, especially in the playoffs. It’s going to be fascinating to see if they keep their foot on the gas over the next 25 weeks, or if some complacency sits in.

A game against the new-look Knicks on ring night should have the Celtics’ full attention, but the schedule gets soft after that. Six of their next seven games are on the road, but five of those six are against teams that had losing records last season. They’re playing 27 of their first 31 games within the Eastern Conference.

Week 1: vs. NYK, @ WAS, @ DET

Preseason record: 3-1

OffRtg: 107.6 (12) DefRtg: 101.0 (5) NetRtg: +6.6 (8) Pace: 102.2 (23)

The only way that expectations could be higher for the Thunder would be if the Celtics didn’t exist. This team has won just a single playoff series over the last eight seasons, but 80% of the league’s GMs picked it to win the Western Conference.

Preseason takeaways

• Jalen Williams averaged 31.3 points per 36 minutes on an effective field goal percentage of 65.5%. He took 17 (40%) of his 42 shots from 3-point range, a jump from 25% over his first two seasons in the league. The flip side is that his free throw rate (four free throw attempts, 42 field goal attempts) would have ranked 247th among the 261 players with at least 300 field goal attempts last season.

Something to watch in Week 1: Rebounding. Hartenstein’s absence puts the Thunder’s rebounding back in the spotlight. They were one of two teams to rank in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage last season, and they weren’t much better on the glass in the preseason, especially when you subtract their game against the New Zealand Breakers.

The Thunder open the season in Denver, having gone 3-1 against the Nuggets last season. They got destroyed on the glass in their October loss, but outrebounded the Nuggets over their three wins.

Week 1: @ DEN, @ CHI, vs. ATL

Preseason record: 4-1

OffRtg: 109.2 (8) DefRtg: 102.5 (8) NetRtg: +6.7 (7) Pace: 104.6 (8)

It’s amazing how much the Knicks have overhauled their roster in the last 10 months, adding OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns via trade. Of course, Jalen Brunson remains the centerpiece.

Preseason takeaways

• The Knicks’ starting lineup played 80 preseason minutes together, with that being the most for any preseason lineup by a wide margin. It had one great game (plus-23 in 22.4 minutes) against the Wizards but was otherwise outscored by six points and shot just 15-for-63 (24%) from 3-point range over its four total games together.

• As of Monday morning, the Knicks had 12 players under contract (not including two-way deals). Two of them — Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa — are unavailable to start the season, and another two — Pacôme Dadiet and Tyler Kolek — are rookies taken with the 25th and 34th picks in the Draft. So regarding experienced players on their bench, they have Cameron Payne (6-foot-3), Miles McBride (6–foot-1) and Jericho Sims (27 total playoff minutes last season).

Something to watch in Week 1: Depth and size. See above. The Towns trade left the Knicks a little thin (and small) on the wings, and the injuries have left them thin up front. It’s probably not yet time for Josh Hart to play 48 minutes a night, so some inexperienced guys will need to be thrown into the fire and the Knicks might not have the rebounding advantage that they’ve had in the past.

The Knicks have a fun start to the season, playing their first four games against the Celtics, Pacers, Cavs and Heat. They were 12-15 (fifth best) in games played between the top eight teams in the East last season, though that breaks down to 5-1 with Anunoby and 7-14 without him.

Week 1: @ BOS, vs. IND

Preseason record: 2-3

OffRtg: 113.7 (3) DefRtg: 110.9 (24) NetRtg: +2.8 (11) Pace: 106.3 (3)

A year ago in this space: “This is the year when we find out if the Wolves can continue to employ both Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.”

With Minnesota having its best season in 20 years and reaching the conference finals, the answer seemed to be “Yes, they can.” Then, they traded Towns just before training camp.

Preseason takeaways

• Julius Randle played in just one game, a loss in Chicago that Naz Reid missed. So we haven’t seen what the Wolves’ frontline rotation might look like and if there are any minutes available for Luka Garza, who averaged 30.2 points per 36 minutes on an effective field goal percentage of 70.2% in the preseason. Those marks were in the top six among players who played at least 50 minutes and among players with at least 35 field goal attempts, respectively.

• Donte DiVincenzo should keep the floor spaced for Anthony Edwards, and his ability to handle some playmaking duties should help keep 37-year-old Mike Conley fresh. DiVincenzo averaged 6.9 assists per 36 minutes (with an assist/turnover ratio of 4.25) in the preseason. Conley played in both games of 10 of the Wolves’ 13 back-to-backs last season, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if that number was much lower this year.

Something to watch in Week 1: Randle’s defense. The Bulls scored 71 points on 55 possessions (129 per 100) with Randle on the floor on Wednesday. Not much of that was his fault, even if he seemed to be short on gas when he’d been on the floor for a while. But it could be a challenge for him to meet the high standard that the Wolves set on that end of the floor last season.

After they visit the Lakers and Kings (who both ranked in the middle of the pack) this week, seven of the Wolves’ next 10 games will be against teams that ranked in the bottom 10 offensively last season.

Week 1: @ LAL, @ SAC, vs. TOR

Preseason record: 1-4

OffRtg: 105.0 (19) DefRtg: 115.5 (30) NetRtg: -10.5 (26) Pace: 104.5 (9)

The Nuggets have seemingly taken another step backward, losing starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. But they still have the best player in the world.

Preseason takeaways

• The Nuggets ranked last defensively in the preseason, but the defensive numbers were good (102.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) in 39 minutes with their starters on the floor. Overall, they were a plus-15 in Nikola Jokić’s 93 minutes and outscored by 73 points in 147 minutes with the MVP off the floor.

Something to watch in Week 1: Jamal Murray. There are always going to be questions about the Nuggets’ depth, and it remains to be seen if Christian Braun can replicate what Caldwell-Pope gave them on both ends of the floor. But none of that matters if Murray doesn’t return to form after a rough postseason and even rougher Olympics performance.

After getting an early-season win in Oklahoma City last season, the Nuggets lost three straight (including two home games) to the Thunder, who will be in Denver twice in the first 16 days of the season.

Week 1: vs. OKC, vs. LAC

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 105.3 (17) DefRtg: 106.6 (14) NetRtg: -1.3 (18) Pace: 103.2 (18)

The Suns were a disappointment last season, losing in the first round of the playoffs with a pricey and talented trio of stars. But Mike Budenholzer and Tyus Jones are here to address some of their issues.

Preseason takeaways

• The Suns saw the league’s third biggest jump in 3-point rate (3PA/FGA), from 37.8% (21st) last season to 47.5% (sixth) in the preseason. Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant had a ratio of 1.6 3-point attempts (56) for every mid-range attempt (35), up from 1.1 last season.

• The Suns were also one of only two teams — the Knicks were the other — that committed fewer turnovers per 100 possessions (14.8, seventh lowest) than they did last season (15.0, 25th). And that was with Jones having a much lower assist/turnover ratio (21/5, 4.20) than he’s had in any of the last six seasons.

Something to watch in Week 1: The results. Beal, Booker and Durant are healthy to start the season, a much different scenario than a year ago, when they didn’t play together until Dec. 13. The Suns were 18-10 (in the regular season) against the other 17 teams that had winning records when all three were available.

The Suns will play 19 of their first 23 games against those teams that finished above .500 last season, starting with two games in L.A. and a big home opener on Saturday, when they’ll be at a rest-disadvantage against the Western Conference champs.

Week 1: @ LAC, @ LAL, vs. DAL

Preseason record: 1-3

OffRtg: 102.7 (22) DefRtg: 101.7 (7) NetRtg: +1.0 (16) Pace: 103.4 (17)

The defending Western Conference champs made some changes — swapping Josh Green and Derrick Jones Jr. for Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson — that may or may not make them better.

Preseason takeaways

• Luka Dončić missed the entire preseason with a calf contusion, but was a full participant in practice over the weekend, with the Mavs not set to play until Thursday. Dončić accounted for more than a third of the Mavs’ made 3-pointers when he was on the floor last season and without him, they saw the league’s biggest drop (by a huge margin) in 3-point rate in the preseason. Dereck Lively II did attempt a 3, though, bringing down some rain with a miss against the Clippers.

Something to watch in Week 1: The Dončić-Irving-Thompson minutes. Despite Thompson’s offensive struggles in the preseason, the bigger question is how well the Mavs will defend when he’s on the floor with Dončić and Kyrie Irving. It will be fascinating to see who’s guarding Bradley Beal and Devin Booker at the start of their game in Phoenix on Saturday.

The Mavs will play seven of their first nine games at home, and they’ll have a rest advantage in that road game against the Suns. They were just 5-5 (1-2 on the road) in rest-advantage games last season.

Week 1: vs. SAS, @ PHX

Preseason record: 2-3

OffRtg: 102.2 (24) DefRtg: 109.8 (20) NetRtg: -7.7 (24) Pace: 101.7 (25)

Is Paul George the guy who can help Joel Embiid finally get past the conference semifinals? No matter what George does over the next eight months, it’s still about mostly about how healthy Embiid is in April and May.

Preseason takeaways

• Embiid didn’t play, while George and Tyrese Maxey played just 34 minutes (over two games) together. George injured his knee last Monday, while Maxey suffered a thumb contusion on Friday. It will seemingly take some time for the Sixers’ three stars to figure things out and, hopefully, this isn’t a situation like last season’s Suns (where the three stars didn’t play together until Game 24).

• With Embiid hinting that he won’t play in both games of back-to-backs (the Sixers have 15), Andre Drummond’s role is more important. Drummond’s rebounding raises the Sixers’ floor in the non-Embiid games and minutes. In the preseason, he grabbed 28.8% of available boards, easily the highest rate among 432 players who averaged at least 10 minutes in two games or more. (Turnovers will be an issue, though.)

Something to watch in Week 1: Embiid’s post-up frequency. When Embiid is healthy and engaged, he gets into the post and demands the ball. When he’s feeling less than 100%, he’s much more likely to drift on the perimeter and shoot jumpers.

The Sixers have a couple of big tests in Week 1, hosting the Bucks on Wednesday and visiting the Pacers over the weekend. They had the worst record (10-15) in games played between the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams last season, with that mark breaking down to 5-6 with Embiid and 5-9 without him.

Week 1: vs. MIL, @ TOR, @ IND

Preseason record: 0-4

OffRtg: 102.9 (21) DefRtg: 110.8 (23) NetRtg: -7.9 (25) Pace: 108.3 (2)

When he was in Brooklyn, coach Kenny Atkinson never got the chance to take a good team to the next level. But he’s getting that chance in Cleveland with a team that needs its best players to play better together.

Preseason takeaways

• Mobley took seven (23%) of his 31 shots from 3-point range. That’s not a particularly high rate, but it’s about double his rate from last season (10.7%). Only one of those seven attempts came from the corners, though.

Something to watch in Week 1: Dean Wade’s minutes. The Cavs were at their best last season (plus-8.3 points per 100 possessions) with Wade on the floor, in part because most of his minutes were as the floor-spacing four when only Mobley or Allen were in the game. With Max Strus (ankle sprain) out for more than a month, Wade should see some extra playing time, both at the four and at the three (where he started the preseason finale).

The Cavs begin their season with games against three of the four worst teams in the Eastern Conference last season. In 2023-24, they were just 14-4 (seventh-best among the top 10) against the East’s bottom five.

Week 1: @ TOR, vs. DET, @ WAS

Preseason record: 2-2

OffRtg: 115.1 (2) DefRtg: 111.3 (25) NetRtg: +3.8 (9) Pace: 105.5 (5)

Off a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers are back for a full season with Pascal Siakam alongside Tyrese Haliburton.

Preseason takeaways

• The defense was not good, and it was at its worst (more than 120 points allowed per 100 possessions) with the Pacers’ starters on the floor. The Pacers did experiment with some zone, playing more zone possessions in the preseason (18) than they did all of last season (11), according to Synergy tracking.

• The Pacers might have a little more reliable depth this season. Bennedict Mathurin is back from injury, Jarace Walker could be ready to play in his second season and James Wiseman showed signs that he could help, shooting 17-for-24 (71%) and averaging 16.2 rebounds per 36 minutes.

Something to watch in Week 1: The defensive shot chart. The Pacers’ 24th-ranked defense allowed their opponents to take 55.7% of their shots in the paint, the highest opponent rate (by a wide margin) in the last 25 years. We’ll see if they’re willing to allow more 3-pointers to make rim protection a greater priority.

The last time the Pacers were in Madison Square Garden, they shot a playoff-record 67.1% from the floor to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. They’ll be back on Friday, the start of a stretch of seven straight games against teams that had winning records last season.

Week 1: @ DET, @ NYK, vs. PHI

Preseason record: 1-3

OffRtg: 94.1 (30) DefRtg: 109.7 (19) NetRtg: -15.5 (30) Pace: 101.5 (27)

Are the Bucks still a title contender or has their time passed? We will find out in the next eight months.

Preseason takeaways

• The Bucks were, statistically, the worst team in the preseason. But they were a plus-21 in just 34 minutes with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor together. Their worst on-court numbers belonged to players at the end of the bench.

• Though those 34 minutes with Lillard accounted for 85% of Antetokounmpo’s total time on the floor, he led the preseason in usage rate (41.4%) by a huge margin. And none of his 31 shots came from 3-point range.

Something to watch in Week 1: Wing play. It seems doubtful that Khris Middleton, who missed the entire preseason, will be available when the Bucks play in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Even if he is, you have to assume that his minutes will be limited for some time. So the Bucks’ wing depth will be tested early. They’ll certainly need more from Pat Connaughton, who has shot just 34% from 3-point range over the last two seasons.

The Bucks are playing 28 or 29 of their first 32 games within the Eastern Conference, and for the third straight year, they’ll open their schedule against the Sixers. Milwaukee won the previous two openers by a total of three points.

Week 1: @ PHI, vs. CHI, @ BKN

Preseason record: 1-2

OffRtg: 97.7 (29) DefRtg: 103.9 (11) NetRtg: -6.1 (23) Pace: 103.5 (15)

The Pelicans appear to have the most unsettled roster, with four guys who need the ball in their hands and the lack of a starting-caliber center. But this team ranked sixth in the league in point differential last season, and it now has more offensive talent.

Preseason takeaways

• Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson didn’t play together, with the former missing the Pelicans’ first two games, one game being canceled, and the latter missing the preseason finale on Tuesday. And Williamson played just 21 total minutes alongside both Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum.

• Jordan Hawkins could be in position to get some more minutes in his second year, especially if Trey Murphy III (hamstring strain) isn’t ready to start the season (and if the Pels play Williamson at the five). Hawkins was far from bashful in the preseason, averaging 31.6 points per 36 minutes, second most among 340 players who played at least 50 total minutes.

Something to watch in Week 1: Small ball? There was another big — Daniel Theis, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl or Yves Missi — on the floor for all of Williamson’s 36 preseason minutes. Will Robinson-Earl or Missi be in the regular-season rotation, or will we see some minutes with Williamson at the five? The Pels outscored their opponents by 8.6 points per 100 possessions in 366 minutes with him at the five last season.

The Pelicans have a league-high 10 two-game series (no other team has more than seven), where they’re playing the same team in two straight games. The first two are a four-game trip (starting Friday) where they’re visiting the Blazers and Warriors.

Week 1: vs. CHI, @ POR, @ POR

Preseason record: 1-2

OffRtg: 102.6 (23) DefRtg: 101.0 (6) NetRtg: +1.6 (14) Pace: 102.7 (20)

One of the league’s most improved teams last season still has a very young core, though it added a vet (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) to help it take the next step.

Preseason takeaways

• It was just three games (they had one canceled), but it was the same ol’ Magic. They were in the bottom 10 on offense and sixth on defense, combining with their opponents to score just 101.8 points per 100 possessions. The numbers were even uglier (85 scored and 89 allowed per 100) in the starting lineup’s 33 minutes.

• If Franz Wagner has fixed his jumper, he’s waiting until the regular season to show it off. After shooting 17-for-92 (18%) from 3-point range after the All-Star break last season, 9-for-34 (26%) in the playoffs and 7-for-35 (20%) in the Olympics, he was 0-for-7 in the preseason. Jett Howard (who might replace Caleb Houstan in the rotation) was the only Magic player who shot well (7-for-17) on more than six attempts from beyond the arc.

Something to watch in Week 1: Offense. Preseason doesn’t count, but the 3-point shooting is still a little discouraging for a franchise that has ranked in the bottom 10 offensively in each of the last 12 seasons. If the Magic are going to take another step forward, they have to find a way to be, like, close to average on that end of the floor.

They’ll begin the season with a tough test of their offense, visiting the Heat on Wednesday. The Magic are playing seven of their first nine (and 16 of their first 25) games on the road.

Week 1: @ MIA, vs. BKN, @ MEM

Preseason record: 6-0

OffRtg: 112.3 (5) DefRtg: 96.1 (3) NetRtg: +16.2 (3) Pace: 99.8 (30)

Klay Thompson is gone, but Stephen Curry and Draymond Green remain, and the Warriors have retooled to remain competitive. You could certainly make the argument that the supporting cast is stronger than it was a year ago.

Preseason takeaways

• The Warriors were the only undefeated team in the preseason, also outscoring their opponents by 24.1 points per 100 possessions, the league’s second-best mark, in the first quarter (the quarter that most resembles regular-season basketball). That mark drops (to plus-14.6 per 100) when you throw out their 36-18 first quarter on Friday (when Stephen Curry and the entire Lakers rotation didn’t play).

• The Warriors were better offensively each of the last two seasons (ranking 10th and ninth on that end) than they were when they won the championship in 2021-22 (16th). But you have to wonder if there’s a ceiling on this season’s offense given that five of their top 12 guys — Kyle Anderson, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II — could cramp their spacing. Of course, Anderson, Green and Payton combined to shoot 12-for-25 (48%) from 3-point range in the preseason.

Something to watch in Week 1: The closing lineup. The Warriors led the league with 48 games that were within five points in the last five minutes last season, they had eight guys who played at least 45 clutch minutes, and coach Steve Kerr might have more options this year. There will definitely be some offense-defense substitutions, but it seems that anybody could get the call down the stretch of a close game.

The Warriors were 16-2 (9-1 on the road) against the five Western Conference teams that finished at or below .500 last season, and they’ll begin this one with visits to the only two teams — the Blazers and Jazz — that they beat four times. They’ll have a rest advantage in their home opener against the Clippers on Sunday.

Week 1: @ POR, @ UTA, vs. LAC

Preseason record: 0-5

OffRtg: 99.6 (27) DefRtg: 110.8 (22) NetRtg: -11.2 (27) Pace: 102.1 (24)

DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento will be one of the most interesting experiments in the league. If it works, the Kings could be back in the top six in the West.

Preseason takeaways

• With DeRozan comes an increase in mid-range shots. He led the league with 20 mid-range attempts in the preseason and the Kings had the lowest ratio of 3-point attempts to mid-range attempts (3.0 to 1), having had the fifth-highest ratio (4.4 to 1) last season. So they’ll be working against the math a little bit more than they’re used to.

Something to watch in Week 1: The wing rotation. Even if Kevin Huerter (who missed the entire preseason) is available this week, the Kings are a little thin on the wing, to the point that Doug McDermott (who they signed five days ago) might be in the rotation.

The Kings were one of four teams that scored more than 120 points per 100 possessions multiple times against the Wolves’ top-ranked defense last season, doing it in two wins in Minnesota. They’ll open the season with the Wolves in Sacramento on Thursday.

Preseason record: 4-1

OffRtg: 108.1 (11) DefRtg: 105.0 (13) NetRtg: +3.1 (10) Pace: 104.2 (10)

The Heat have been the No. 8 seed in the East each of the last two seasons. The first time, they made a miracle run to The Finals. But six months ago, they got clobbered in the first round. The best way to avoid that same fate is to be better in the regular season.

Preseason takeaways

• Butler made the most of his availability, registering a true shooting percentage of 77.5%, the third-highest mark among 231 players with at least 25 field goal attempts. He took just one mid-range jumper, shot 13-for-18 in the paint and had 18 free throw attempts to go along with his 25 shots from the field. The man still knows how to get to the line.

Something to watch in Week 1: Early offense. Last season, the Heat took 22.4% of their shots, the league’s third-highest rate, in the last seven seconds of the shot clock. In the preseason, they were looking to get the ball up the floor more quickly, often pushing off of made baskets on the other end. Getting a few more easy baskets a night would help them not rank in the bottom 10 offensively for a third straight season.

The Heat had the league’s second-best division record last season, going 13-3 within the Southeast. They’ll open this season with games against the Magic (3-1) and Hornets (4-0), having been responsible (even though they had a bottom-10 offense overall) for two of the 14 games where Orlando’s third-ranked defense allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions).

It’s time to ball, y’all.

Week 1: vs. ORL, @ CHA

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 107.6 (13) DefRtg: 111.6 (27) NetRtg: -4.0 (20) Pace: 105.3 (6)

The last time the Grizzlies were healthy, they were the No. 2 seed in the West. But while Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are still here, the supporting cast is very different from two seasons ago.

Preseason takeaways

• Zach Edey will be the starting center, though we didn’t get to see him alongside Jackson, who missed the entire preseason with a hamstring issue. The Grizzlies will let Edey operate in the paint, and his 22 post-up possessions (on which he shot 7-for-14) were the most in the preseason per Synergy tracking.

• Floor spacing will be a big question, as has been the case in Memphis for the last few years. Three of the projected starters — Morant, Edey and Marcus Smart — were a combined 1-for-12 from 3-point range in the preseason. Jackson (32.6% on 3-pointers in the last four seasons) has never established himself as a serious threat out there, either.

Something to watch in Week 1: The results. This week could tell us a lot about the Grizzlies’ ability to return to the top of the Western Conference. They’re not playing any other West contenders, but the question is if they can take care of business against the Jazz, Rockets and Magic (at home).

The Grizzlies’ game in Houston on Friday is also the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days. So their depth, with GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. out to start the season, could be tested early.

Week 1: @ UTA, @ HOU, vs. ORL

Preseason record: 3-1

OffRtg: 112.9 (4) DefRtg: 103.3 (10) NetRtg: +9.6 (4) Pace: 103.9 (11)

The Rockets were the league’s most improved team last season, and if their trajectory continues in the positive direction, they’ll be competing for a playoff spot in the West.

Preseason takeaways

• If you watched the first four minutes of their game in Oklahoma City, you’d conclude that the Rockets were going to really struggle offensively again this season. The starters (missing Fred VanVleet) couldn’t get good shots (often forcing bad ones) as they scored just two points on their first eight possessions against a really good defensive team. But Houston had the fourth-ranked offense in the preseason, scoring an amazing 131 points per 100 possessions in VanVleet’s 68 minutes, even though he shot just 6-for-23.

• Reed Sheppard shot just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc and had just a single free throw attempt, but was money (6-for-8) from mid-range. (His teammates were 5-for-30.) The Rockets’ win over the Spurs on Thursday was somewhat of a dress rehearsal, and the rookie got the most first-half minutes (13:37) off the bench.

Something to watch in Week 1: Amen Thompson. Overall, the second-year wing saw the most preseason minutes among the Rockets’ reserves, and he started the game that VanVleet missed, even handling the ball a bit. Thompson saw a jump in efficiency after the All-Star break last season, seems primed for another leap in Year 2, and might even be a guy the Rockets turn to down the stretch of close games.

Based on last season’s numbers, the Rockets’ first four games are their easiest stretch of the season. But the Grizzlies (who they’ll host on Friday) and Spurs (who they’ll play twice in San Antonio) could be the league’s two most improved teams.

Week 1: vs. CHA, vs. MEM, @ SAS

Preseason record: 2-4

OffRtg: 99.8 (26) DefRtg: 112.5 (28) NetRtg: -12.7 (28) Pace: 103.0 (19)

The Lakers had the West’s 11th best point differential last season, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing only six and 11 games, respectively. Is there a way for them to get better?

Preseason takeaways

• Last season, the Lakers averaged 3.5 fewer shooting opportunities than their opponents, the league’s worst discrepancy, with one issue being that they ranked 29th in offensive rebounding percentage. They were even with their opponents in regard to shooting opportunities in the preseason, ranking 15th in offensive rebounding percentage. But that latter number was more about the reserves than the starters, with Anthony Davis grabbing just 4.9% of available offensive boards while he was on the floor, down from 9.3% last season.

• They ranked third in total zone possessions (20) in the preseason, putting Davis at the top of a 3-2. Pulling one of the league’s best interior defenders away from the basket may seem counterintuitive, but they could try to attack that shot discrepancy by forcing more turnovers.

Something to watch in Week 1: Father and son. We don’t know how much longer the elder James will play, so we should appreciate him while he’s still among the best players in the league. And why not enjoy the inevitable (and unprecedented) father-and-son moment, even with the knowledge that Bronny James needs a lot more development before he might be able to contribute to more than something ceremonial.

The Lakers begin their season with five games against teams that had winning records last season. The first three of those are at home, though they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Kings (against whom they’ve lost eight of their last nine games) on Saturday.

Week 1: vs. MIN, vs. PHX, vs. SAC

Preseason record: 4-1

OffRtg: 103.3 (20) DefRtg: 94.2 (2) NetRtg: +9.2 (5) Pace: 102.5 (21)

Paul George is in Philadelphia and Kawhi Leonard is still dealing with knee issues. So the Clippers are apparently left with the James Harden System as they begin their first season at the Intuit Dome.

Preseason takeaways

• Whether or not Leonard is available, the Clippers must lean into a defensive identity. There’s potential on that end of the floor after seeing Terance Mann and Derrick Jones Jr. harass the Blazers into four turnovers in the first five minutes in their meeting in Seattle. With Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum in the rotation as well, Leonard (when he plays) doesn’t need to be at his best on that end of the floor for this to be a very good defensive team.

• Those defenders also must make shots. Dunn airballed his first 3-point attempt of the preseason and combined with Jones to shoot just 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. Mann, meanwhile, attempted just seven threes in 76 minutes.

Something to watch in Week 1: Defense. The Clippers will need offense from sources other than Harden, but they can remain competitive by playing at a top-10 level on the other end of the floor. (Harden has been on five top-10 defenses in his 15-year career.) Five of their first six games are against teams that ranked in the top 10 offensively last season.

It would be nice if Leonard was available for what would be a really fun first week — games against the Suns, Nuggets and Warriors — that could give us an early peek at where the Clippers stand in the Western Conference. Alas…

Week 1: vs. PHX, @ DEN, @ GSW

Preseason record: 1-3

OffRtg: 102.1 (25) DefRtg: 108.0 (16) NetRtg: -5.9 (22) Pace: 105.6 (4)

With Dejounte Murray in New Orleans, it’s back to the Trae Young Show in Atlanta, though the continued development of Jalen Johnson may be what determines how good the Hawks are.

Preseason takeaways

• Murray attempted more than twice as many mid-range shots (260) as any two of his teammates last season. In the preseason, the Hawks had the league’s highest ratio of 3-point attempts to mid-range attempts (10.1/1), while also seeing its third biggest jump in assist rate.

• It appears that the Hawks will start Young, Dyson Daniels, De’Andre Hunter, Johnson and Clint Capela. That group has the potential to be pretty good defensively, though the same lineup with Murray in Daniels’ place allowed 119 points per 100 possessions in 172 total minutes last season.

Something to watch in Week 1: Zaccharie Risacher’s ability to contribute right away. The No. 1 pick looked very comfortable in the preseason, scoring 32 total points (25.2 per 36 minutes) in a myriad of ways and on 12-for-20 shooting. If he’s not in the starting lineup, he’ll get a lot of minutes off the bench, and it will be critical for the Hawks to find ways to score when Young is off the floor.

The Hawks visit Oklahoma City on Sunday, but their first five games might still be their easiest stretch of the season, because that game against the Thunder is sandwiched by four games against the Nets, Hornets and Wizards (x 2).

Week 1: vs. BKN, vs. CHA, @ OKC

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 110.8 (6) DefRtg: 108.4 (18) NetRtg: +2.4 (13) Pace: 102.4 (22)

The Raptors are one of those teams that don’t have a very low floor or a very high ceiling. But they’ve got a lot invested in the trio of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

Preseason takeaways

• That trio didn’t play together in the preseason, with Quickley (thumb injury) missing the first four games and Barrett (shoulder injury) missing the last four. But the Raptors were good when their rotation guys played, and they outscored their opponents by 15.0 points per 100 possessions in 78 total minutes with their other two returning starters —  Barnes and Jakob Pöltl — on the floor together. The context is that three of their five games were against the Nets and Wizards. But they also had a 46-27 first quarter in Boston, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White in the lineup for the Celtics.

• The Raptors outscored their opponents by 20.4 points in the paint per game, the league’s best differential.

Something to watch in Week 1: Grady Dick shooting 3s. Dick is in the starting lineup by necessity and the Raptors were one of two teams that ranked in the bottom five in both 3-point percentage (34.7%, 27th) and the percentage of their shots that came from 3-point range (36.9%, 26th) last season. They were again in the bottom five in the latter in the preseason. They can’t expect to be so dominant in the paint in the regular season, and they’ll need Dick (and others) to let it fly from beyond the arc.

Barrett’s status to start the season is unknown and the Raptors have a brutal schedule over the next seven weeks, with 22 of their first 25 games against teams that had winning records last season. They will play five of their first seven at home, with the Cavs and Sixers venturing across the border this week.

Week 1: vs. CLE, vs. PHI, @ MIN

Preseason record: 2-3

OffRtg: 108.5 (9) DefRtg: 111.6 (26) NetRtg: -3.1 (19) Pace: 103.8 (12)

It’s Year 2 for Victor Wembanyama and Year 20 for Chris Paul, who almost always makes teams better when he first puts on their uniform. But it could be a tough climb for the Spurs in a deep Western Conference.

Preseason takeaways

• Devin Vassell (right foot surgery) has been out and will miss the start of the regular season, with Julian Champagnie appearing to be his replacement in the starting lineup. He can’t replicate Vassell’s skills off the dribble (he made seven pull-up jumpers all of last season), but Champagnie shot 16-for-38 (42%) from beyond the arc in the preseason.

• The Spurs (who ranked 13th in total zone possessions last season) played the second most zone in the preseason, according to Synergy tracking. Zone, of course, is a way to keep Wembanyama near the basket … on defense, at least.

Something to watch in Week 1: Wembanyama’s shots. In the preseason, the 7-foot-3 guy took only nine (43%) of his 21 shots in the paint, at least in part because he settled for jumpers instead of attacking the basket. Last season, that rate was 51%, which is still too low. He’s 7-foot-3! Get him the ball near the hoop.

The Spurs were 1-7 in games played between the three Texas teams last season, and they’ll begin this one with three games against the Mavs and Rockets (x 2), with a rest advantage against Houston on Saturday.

Week 1: @ DAL, vs. HOU

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 105.2 (18) DefRtg: 96.8 (4) NetRtg: +8.4 (6) Pace: 100.3 (29)

It’s another fresh start for the Pistons, who’ve been the league’s worst team over the last five seasons. It also feels like a huge season for Cade Cunningham, even though he got a max extension early in the summer.

Preseason takeaways

• Cunningham was just 3-for-13 on 3-pointers, but his mid-range game looked sharp. He drained three straight pull-ups at one point in the Pistons’ win in Phoenix and finished 8-for-14 from between the paint and the 3-point line.

Something to watch in Week 1: Tobias Harris looking to score. The last we saw Harris in games that counted, he was registering an anemic usage rate of 11.8% in the playoffs. His presence makes the Pistons more legit, but they need him to regain his desire to put the ball in the basket.

The Pistons are playing 23 or 24 of their first 27 games within the Eastern Conference and their first six (all against 2024 playoff teams) should be one of their toughest stretches of the season. They were 0-30 against the eight East playoff teams last season.

Week 1: vs. IND, @ CLE, vs. BOS

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 108.2 (10) DefRtg: 107.6 (15) NetRtg: +0.6 (17) Pace: 110.3 (1)

DeMar DeRozan is gone and he took his mid-range shots with him. It’s not clear how competitive the Bulls will be, but their shot diet could be a lot different.

Preseason takeaways

• Historically, there’s a stronger correlation from the preseason to the regular season when it comes to style-of-play stats than when it comes to quality-of-play stats. And the Bulls’ preseason stats indicate that things will be different this year. They saw both the league’s biggest jump in pace and it’s biggest jump in 3-point rate (3PA/FGA) from last season to the preseason, with eleven different Bulls attempting at least 10 3s over their five games.

• Lonzo Ball is back after a 33-month absence, he played most of his 31 minutes alongside the Bulls’ returning starters, and he looked pretty good in totaling 21 points and four assists. Both he and Josh Giddey will get the Bulls in transition, though it will be interesting to see how much they play together.

Something to watch in Week 1: 3-point differential. The Bulls were outscored by 9.3 points per game from beyond the arc last season, with that being the league’s biggest discrepancy. Part of that was how few 3s they attempted, and part of it was how many they allowed.

After playing their first two games on the road, the Bulls will alternate home and road games for almost three weeks. They’ve lost 25 of their last 30 games against the Bucks, who they’ll visit on Friday.

Week 1: @ NOP, @ MIL, vs. OKC

Preseason record: 3-2

OffRtg: 105.5 (15) DefRtg: 110.5 (21) NetRtg: -5.0 (21) Pace: 104.7 (7)

Lauri Markkanen remains in Utah with a new contract, but there’s probably not enough experienced talent around him for the Jazz to compete in the Western Conference.

Preseason takeaways

• The Jazz are back to playing big, with Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler joining Markkanen on the starting frontline. The 20-year-old Hendricks took 23 (61%) of his 38 shots from beyond the arc and connected on just six (26%) of the 23, but the Jazz grabbed a pretty amazing 42.6% of available offensive rebounds with that trio on the floor.

• The ball is in the hands of 20-year-old Keyonte George, who can sometimes venture too far into “get mine” territory. He shot well (effective field goal percentage of 64.0%), but had a lower assist ratio in the preseason (19.2% of his possessions) than last season (23.3%).

Something to watch in Week 1: Turnovers. The Jazz committed 3.4 more turnovers than their opponents last season, with that being the third-worst differential for any team in the last 20 years. Their own turnovers, of course, contributed to the 27.2 transition points per game (second most in 20 years of Synergy tracking) they allowed. Not ranking 30th on defense starts in transition, and transition defense starts with not ranking 30th in turnover rate (which they did in the preseason too).

The Jazz’s first opponent (Memphis) ranked third in opponent turnover rate last season, with the Jazz committing 16 more turnovers (5.3 per game) over their three meetings.

Week 1: vs. MEM, vs. GSW

Preseason record: 2-3

OffRtg: 105.9 (14) DefRtg: 103.2 (9) NetRtg: +2.6 (12) Pace: 103.5 (14)

There are a few teams that could tell us how much of a difference a coaching change can make. The Hornets are one of them, with Charles Lee taking over a roster that didn’t go through many changes in the offseason.

Preseason takeaways

• LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller combined to shoot 36-for-79 (45.6%) from 3-point range, with those 79 attempts accounting for 69% of their total shots from the field. Overall, the Hornets saw the league’s second biggest jump in 3-point rate (3PA/FGA) from last season to the preseason (49.3%, second), with Lee’s new team only trailing his old one.

• Mark Williams suffered a strained tendon in his left foot before training camp and missed all five preseason games, leaving his status for the start of the regular season unknown. Ball, Miller and Williams played just 153 total minutes together last season, with the Hornets outscoring their opponents by 5.4 points per 100 possession in those minutes.

Something to watch in Week 1: Tidjane Salaün’s minutes. The No. 6 pick in the Draft only started one of the Hornets’ five games but ranked fourth (among all players) in total preseason minutes (139). How much he plays when the games count could tell us how competitive the Hornets (who have some solid vets at the forward positions) want to be.

After the Hornets open the season in Houston, they’ll play (depending on the unscheduled week) 25 or 26 of their next 27 games within the Eastern Conference. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in their home opener against Miami on Saturday, having lost 11 of their last 13 games vs. the Heat.

Week 1: @ HOU, @ ATL, vs. MIA

Preseason record: 2-1

OffRtg: 105.5 (16) DefRtg: 87.7 (1) NetRtg: +17.7 (1) Pace: 103.5 (15)

If the Blazers want to get this thing moving in the right direction, they’re going to have a tough time in a loaded Western Conference. But there are a lot of young players for which this will be a critical season, no matter how many wins the team tallies.

Preseason takeaways

• Even when you throw out their win over Ratiopharm Ulm, the Blazers were, statistically, the best team in the preseason. Their other two wins were blowouts over the (basically) full-strength Kings and Jazz, outscoring Sacramento by 20 points in Domantas Sabonis’ 30 minutes and Utah by 13 points in Lauri Markkanen’s 17 minutes. (Portland was 0-11 against NBA opponents in Chauncey Billups’ first three preseasons as coach.)

Something to watch in Week 1: Scoot Henderson, Year 2. Even with Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder injury) out to start the season, it appears that Henderson will come off the bench again. He can be a solid playmaker, but he needs to put the ball in the basket, and his preseason shooting (effective field goal percentage of 40.2%) wasn’t encouraging.

The Blazers were 7-46 (third worst) against the 18 teams that finished with winning records last season. Their first eight games are against that group, and their first stretch of five games in seven days begins Sunday with their second game against the Pelicans.

Week 1: vs. GSW, vs. NOP, vs. NOP

Preseason record: 1-3

OffRtg: 109.4 (7) DefRtg: 108.1 (17) NetRtg: +1.3 (15) Pace: 101.6 (26)

When the Nets traded Mikal Bridges, they also traded for their own first-round pick. So we can see where this season is probably going. But there’s a measure of intrigue with a new coach and the potential to develop some young talent like they did the last time they were in this position (without their own picks).

Preseason takeaways

• Cam Thomas ranked third on the team in usage rate (22.4%), and he was assisted on 12 (67%) of his 18 field goals. He’s been assisted on just 46% of his regular-season buckets in his career.

• Ben Simmons played 52 minutes over three games, often operating at the five, with the Nets playing the entire preseason without Nic Claxton (who’s expected to be available on Wednesday) and Day’Ron Sharpe (out at least another four weeks). Simmons, of course, didn’t attempt a single shot from outside the paint. But he can get the Nets in transition and reward teammates for moving without the ball.

Something to watch in Week 1: Defensive buy-in. The Nets have a group of good defenders, but they rarely displayed a desire to compete on that end of the floor last season. Maybe new head coach Jordi Fernandez can elicit better effort.

The team that scored most efficiently against Brooklyn last season (129.8 points per 100 possessions over three games) was the Bucks, who the Nets will host on Sunday.

Week 1: @ ATL, @ ORL, vs. MIL

Preseason record: 2-3

OffRtg: 98.8 (28) DefRtg: 113.2 (29) NetRtg: -14.3 (29) Pace: 103.8 (12)

The Wizards were 15-67 last season, and the two most efficient starters from that team are gone.

Preseason takeaways

• With Tyus Jones in Phoenix, Jordan Poole is the starting point guard in Washington. Poole’s assist ratio (22.5 per 100 possessions used) was the highest he’s recorded in any regular season or preseason prior, but still nothing close to Jones’ ratio of 39.3 last season. Malcolm Brogdon is here, but is dealing with a thumb injury (after playing just 39 games for Portland last season).

• The Wizards’ expected starting lineup — Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma, Alexandre Sarr and Jonas Valančiūnas — did not have a great preseason, getting outscored by 27 points in 29 total minutes against the Raptors and Knicks. They started rookie Kyshawn George instead of Valančiūnas in their second game against Toronto, but scored just three points on their first 13 possessions, often looking unorganized offensively.

Something to watch in Week 1: Defensive activity. While the offense was a serious struggle, you can see some defensive potential in the young (and long) trio of Coulibaly, George and Sarr. It’s doubtful that the Wizards will break their streak of three straight seasons in the bottom 10 on defense, but the young guys might force some turnovers that lead to transition opportunities.

The Wizards will begin their season on Thursday against the league’s No. 1 offense from last season, having lost eight of their last nine against Boston. They’ll have a rest advantage two nights later against the Cavs.

Week 1: vs. BOS, vs. CLE