Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not need a long warm-up to look like himself again.
In his first preseason action Wednesday, the reigning MVP went 5-for-5 from the floor, 3-for-3 from deep and 4-for-4 at the line in 17 minutes as Oklahoma City fell 128-126 to Milwaukee. He put up 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and a block, and he never turned the ball over.
The shooting line jumps out immediately, but the assists may have been just as important. As NBA on SI noted, defenses are still crowding Gilgeous-Alexander, which makes the clean playmaking all the more notable.
Of course, it is still preseason. But perfect is perfect.
Brooklyn had a very different kind of night - one that offered a reminder of how much a hot perimeter game can change the feel of an offense.
The Nets buried 20 of 37 attempts from 3-point range in a 124-90 win over Charlotte, good for 54.1 percent. That kind of accuracy stands in sharp contrast to last season, when Brooklyn shot 34 percent from deep, the worst mark in the NBA. The Nets also had more than 46 percent of their shots come from beyond the arc, which was close to last year’s shot profile.
One October game against an undermanned Hornets team is hardly enough to draw big conclusions. Still, if Brooklyn can keep firing at that volume and simply make more of those looks, it would clear up one obvious issue in a hurry.
Orlando’s preseason opener showed early signs of the kind of offense Sean Sweeney may want to build.
The Magic started against Memphis by running Spain pick-and-roll for Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, and the action produced an open corner 3 for Wendell Carter Jr. Orlando then turned around and ran the same set again. Ryan Kaminski of NBA on SI pointed to that sequence as a glimpse of how the Magic could lean on Wagner and Banchero as creators while using Bane’s shooting and movement to stretch the floor.
Sweeney has already made his spacing preference clear.
“We would rather be too high, too wide, too far apart, too spaced,” he said.
It is only October, so nobody is revealing a finished product yet. But after Orlando’s offensive problems last season, any early sign of cleaner spacing and easier shots is worth paying attention to.
In Other News...
Hornets Already Have An Early Brandon Miller Concern
The preseason often serves as the first real checkpoint for young players trying to carve out a role, and for Brandon Miller, it has already delivered an unwelcome one. The Hornets said Miller and Christian Anderson Jr. were held out of the preseason opener after injuries suffered in practice, and both were listed as day-to-day, a reminder of how quickly camp work can complicate an early evaluation period.
Around the league, coaches are still sorting out how much to lean on rotation pieces and how to fold new faces into the mix, which only makes those early absences more notable. Orlando has had its own developmental buzz this summer, with Sean Sweeney praising two-way players Alex Morales and Colin Castleton for the work they put in during practices, a useful contrast to the health questions that can pop up before the games even start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got Linked To A Kyrie Trade Fans Will Debate
Kyrie Irvings name is back in the rumor mill, and this time Orlando is at least adjacent to the conversation. Reports have suggested Irving could be open to a trade if it lines up with his long-term goals, and NBA insider Marc Spears said Mavericks management may be willing to work with him if he pushes for a move.
For the Magic, the idea is easy to understand even if it is far from simple to sort out. Irving would instantly change the profile of an Orlando offense looking to climb the Eastern Conference ladder, but any potential deal would have to clear a steep bar in terms of value and certainty, especially with a player whose next step could shape the franchises direction just as much as his on-court talent. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Morales Is Giving The Magic A Reason To Trust Him
Alex Morales has already given the Magic a useful reminder of what two-way players can bring when the preseason gets a little grimy. Against the Memphis Grizzlies, he made his presence felt by chasing down offensive rebounds and turning loose possessions into extra chances, the kind of work that does not always show up first on the highlight reel but tends to matter when a game tightens up.
For a team trying to sort out the edges of its roster, those minutes are the ones that build trust. Coach Sean Sweeney saw Morales helping in the small, necessary ways throughout the game, and that is often the lane for a player on his path: energy, activity and support rather than big scoring totals. If Orlando is looking for reliable depth, performances like this are the sort that keep a player in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]