The NBA preseason is a time to welcome new faces, sort through lineup questions, hype up prospects, squabble over unresolved contract situations and panic about unfortunate injuries before the real competition begins.
With Tuesday's openers fast approaching, let's bounce around the league one final time in search of key takeaways that will shape the upcoming season.
Jump to a team: ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN NO | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
Atlanta Hawks
The preseason revealed... the backcourt is loaded
With Trae Young's salary no longer on the books, the Hawks have assembled a backcourt rotation stacked with creators Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum, stoppers Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort, shooter Corey Kispert and 2026 lottery pick Kingston Flemings. In fact, Atlanta had such a surplus that it traded two backup guards to land 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith from the Charlotte Hornets in September.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder has used multiple starting lineups during the preseason, but he's best served sticking with last season's top group -- Alexander-Walker, McCollum, Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu -- because it posted a phenomenal plus-20.3 net rating. That would move Dort to a reserve role after he spent the past six seasons as a starter for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Boston Celtics
The preseason revealed... Jayson Tatum will hit the ground running
While Tatum returned from a May 2025 Achilles tear in less than 10 months, his shot looked rusty and he played below his All-NBA standard down the stretch last season. Then, his speedy comeback ended with a whimper when he sat out a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round due to left knee discomfort.