Analyzing the preseason can be tricky. No one wants to overreact to exhibition games, but those contests are often our first glimpses of a team's new identity, a player's new tool kit, or trouble on the horizon. Here are eight preseason trends worth monitoring as the NBA's 2026-27 regular season draws near.
Can Giannis keep up this pace?
The Heat were the league's fastest team last season, so it's not exactly shocking to see them lead the preseason in pace (107.82 possessions per game). However, it is worth wondering how long Giannis Antetokounmpo can keep this up.
To be clear, the Greek Freak looks great after a variety of injuries limited him to 36 games last season, and the Association offers few sights more entertaining than Antetokounmpo running the floor with a full head of steam. But even in his MVP prime, his Bucks teams never played quite this quickly, and he hasn't played on a team that ranked top five in pace in five years.
In addition, Antetokounmpo missed at least 15 games in four of the last five seasons and averaged 61 games played per year during that time, due mostly to knee and calf injuries. Between Miami's preferred pace and the team's lack of off-the-dribble creators, the Heat might be asking their new superstar to do too much.
Can Sixers stars coexist?
The new-look 76ers have the league's biggest boom-or-bust potential, and managing the team's personalities might be as important as managing Philadelphia's questionable defense.
"Our chemistry is gonna be the biggest part for us," veteran swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said recently. "Us liking each other, being able to be around each other and have fun on and off the court."
That immediately brings to mind the relationship between Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown. It was only five months ago - before Brown knew Embiid would soon be his teammate - that the All-NBA star openly complained about Embiid's flopping on his now-infamous Twitch stream. It makes you wonder what was going through Brown's head in their preseason debut when Embiid nearly injured him while embellishing contact, all 7 feet and 270 pounds of Embiid flailing and flopping into Brown's legs.
Perhaps more telling was Embiid's body language and dejected look later that night as Brown forced a drive rather than feeding Embiid, who had an obvious mismatch in the post.
It's possible that we're reading too much into a couple of meaningless preseason moments these players have already forgotten. It's also possible that these moments show exactly why Philly's grand experiment won't work.
"I'm against the concept of sacrificing," Embiid said Friday. "The way I explained it was, 'You do what you do best, and we're going to support you.' ... I don't think anybody has to take a back seat."
Easier said than done.
Jayson Tatum is really back
The Celtics superstar, who was sidelined for most of last season while recovering from a devastating Achilles injury, appears to have shaken off the cobwebs. Tatum's efficiency lagged in his return to the court last season, but he posted an effective field-goal percentage of 56.9% through two preseason contests. He also led the preseason in minutes per game and was the only player to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Tatum's return to All-NBA excellence would go a long way toward helping the Celtics defy expectations again.
Flagg still can't shoot
I'm on record as saying Cooper Flagg could be an All-NBAer this season, but the Mavericks sophomore will have to get there without any improvement to his long-range jumper.
One of the few nits to pick in Flagg's tremendous rookie campaign was his 29.5% conversion rate from 3-point territory. He was even worse this preseason, making four of his 15 3-point attempts. Flagg shot 38.5% from deep on decent volume in his lone collegiate season, and he's good enough at everything else to make this a nonstory for now, but it would be nice to see a couple more of his jumpers fall. (Unless you reside outside of Dallas, in which case it would be terrifying.)
Pass-first Trae
Trae Young's phenomenal playmaking has always taken a backseat to his sky-high usage and ball dominance (even when he was leading the league in assists), but he's looked like more of a pass-first guard in his first preseason as a Wizard.
The four-time All-Star had more assists (30) than field-goal attempts (27) in four exhibition contests, though his seven-assist, 1-of-11 shooting performance in the preseason finale put a damper on things. Between Anthony Davis, No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, and a deep collection of other prospects, there are a lot of mouths to feed in Washington. Young taking this approach would help spread the wealth.
The Thunder did it again
Part of what fuels Oklahoma City's success is that rather than using the team's surplus draft picks to chase a blockbuster trade, general manager Sam Presti has used those selections to supplement the team's stars and replace role players with cheaper youngsters on rookie-scale contracts.
It looks like Presti and the Thunder have done it again, as rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz might already be rotation-caliber players for the league's championship favorite (though Mara's eligibility is in question).
Mara, a Spanish center who helped lead Michigan to a national championship in the spring, averaged roughly 13 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in five preseason contests. Meanwhile, Stirtz looked like exactly the type of shooter and off-ball mover the Thunder hope can replace Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. Stirtz has obvious defensive flaws, but he shot 53% inside the arc and 48% from deep. That'll do.
Leonard Miller, MIP?
A second-round pick in 2023, Miller played a grand total of 179 minutes over his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons in Minnesota. Then he was traded to Chicago as part of the deal that sent Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves, and everything changed.
Miller found his place on a rebuilding Bulls team, logging more than 600 minutes across 27 games including his first 12 career starts. If this preseason is any indication, he was just getting started.
Miller averaged 16.4 points on 74% true shooting in only 20 minutes per game off the Bulls' bench, adding about seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal in five exhibition appearances. Among 323 players who played multiple preseason games and logged at least 15 minutes per contest, only three players were better, according to NBA.com's Player Impact Estimate. The other players in the top four are all reigning All-Stars.
Miller passes the eye test too. He's a 6-foot-10 forward (with a 7-foot-2 wingspan) who can put the ball on the floor and run in transition, and he might be able to shoot - the Canadian canned 10 of his 18 3-point attempts.
Chicago desperately needs "guys," which is how many people around the league refer to players who are part of what a team is trying to build. Out of nowhere, Miller certainly looks like a "guy" for the Bulls.
Ty Jerome needs to stay healthy
Jerome has spent most of his seven-year career either injured or playing on bad teams (he's appeared in nine total playoff games), so you're forgiven if you're unfamiliar with his game. But he can straight-up get buckets, and I'm fascinated to see the numbers he can put up on a rebuilding Grizzlies team that needs someone other than Cam Boozer and the kids to score.
Jerome averaged nearly 20 points in 23 minutes last season on 62% true shooting, but ankle and calf injuries limited him to 15 games. That's been the theme of his career: The efficient guard has missed more than half of his teams' games. The one time Jerome crossed the 50-game threshold - when he logged 70 games for the 64-win Cavs two years ago - he finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Jerome was up to his usual tricks this preseason, averaging 15.5 points in less than 18 minutes per game while shooting 53% inside the arc, 47% from deep, and 100% from the free-throw line. Among the 39 players who averaged 15-plus points during the exhibition season, Jerome and All-NBA center Jalen Duren did so in the fewest minutes per game (17.7).
For the sake of his career and our entertainment, the basketball gods need to keep Jerome healthy.
Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.
