Jaden McDaniels is averaging 28.3 points per 36 minutes in the preseason.
The preseason gives teams a chance to shake off the rust and get reacquainted before the regular season gets underway. NBA writers assessed which teams have hit the ground running and exceeded expectations thus far.
Brian Martin
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are 2-1 entering Friday’s preseason finale against Charlotte, having played three games in five days, all requiring travel: a 132-123 win at Atlanta, a 122-118 home loss to Orlando and a 104-100 win at Chicago. This preseason schedule was designed to prepare the team for a four-game road trip that immediately follows their regular-season opener at home.
To manage the compacted schedule and evaluate a young roster set to begin its first season following the departures of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies have 15 different players averaging between 11.7 and 17.6 minutes per game. That includes No. 3 pick Cam Boozer, whose 17.6 minutes per game rank 16th among first-round rookies. However, Boozer’s production has far surpassed his limited playing time; he is averaging 12.3 points (8th among the group) on 57.1% shooting (3rd), along with 5.0 rebounds (5th) and 3.0 assists (10th).
Memphis is also re-integrating 2024 first-round pick Zach Edey after he missed all but 11 games last season due to ankle and elbow injuries. In his first action since Dec. 7, 2025, Edey recorded two points and four rebounds in 10 minutes. He followed that up with a stronger outing against Chicago, posting 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting, alongside five rebounds, two steals, and a block in just 16 minutes.
Shaun Powell
Brooklyn Nets
Anytime a team is in transition, it is tinkering with multiple lineups and searching for a personality; finishing with a winning record in the preseason is a good thing. There’s hardly a guarantee that it’ll translate into the regular season but the signs are encouraging for the Nets.
Egor Dëmin is dropping hints that he could have a strong sophomore season. Meanwhile, scoring won’t be an issue with Julius Randle around to help out Michael Porter Jr. There’s a challenging 82-game road ahead but again, the Nets can be competitive most nights.
John Schuhmann
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets’ 3-0 start isn’t particularly meaningful by itself, and one of those wins came against a Charlotte team that was missing three starters. But they held their own against the Sixers’ full starting lineup and outscored the Wizards by 16 points in Trae Young’s 28 minutes on Monday.
The Nets’ own starting lineup could be solid; Randle and Porter Jr. complement each other really well offensively, Day’Ron Sharpe does good things on both ends of the floor and Egor Dëmin is starting to show why he was selected with the eighth pick in last year’s draft. Through Monday, Brooklyn had scored a remarkably efficient 79 points on 54 offensive possessions with those four guys on the floor together.
It still seems doubtful that the Nets will compete for a top-10 spot in the East. Depth and defense are big question marks. But they’re definitely better than they were last season, when they somehow scored 1.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than every other team.
Jeff Zillgitt
Minnesota Timberwolves
Given preseason caveats – starters aren’t playing regular minutes, coaches are searching for promising rotations and making roster decisions – making definitive conclusions is unwise. With that out of the way, the Minnesota Timberwolves have what appears to be an improved offense with the addition of LaMelo Ball in the backcourt alongside Anthony Edwards.
After finishing 13th in offensive efficiency last season at 115.6 points per 100 possessions, the Timberwolves have scored 119.4 points per 100 possessions in four preseason games. Edwards, Ball and Jaden McDaniels have each played about 20 minutes per game, and Edwards is averaging 33.9 points, McDaniels 28.3 points and Ball 21.2 points and 10.3 assists per 36 minutes.
Bones Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Antonio Reeves and Zyon Pullin also have contributed offensively, and Joan Beringer has been solid on the offensive glass. Ball and Rudy Gobert are fine-tuning their pick-and-roll chemistry, and Ball can help Edwards unlock more scoring opportunities. Minnesota is shooting 48.1% from the field and 43.8% on 3-pointers and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch likes what he has seen so far.
