Max Christie has "the green light to shoot 3," Mavericks analyst Devin Harris said, adding that Dallas wants "8, 10, 12 3-point shots a game" from him. That is Harris relaying the plan, not word from coach Dusty May.
Analyst Devin Harris expects Kyrie Irving, out 19 months, to be eased back. His view, not team word: "I would be shocked if he actually played that Indiana game." Dallas opens with 3 games in 4 nights, the Spurs home opener the back end of a back-to-back.
Cooper Flagg gets the ball late in close games, Mavericks analyst Devin Harris said, and he has already seen it in practice: "They're going to put the ball in his hands in clutch situations." Dallas is also hunting corner threes off Flagg's pick-and-roll.
Zaccharie Risacher's job while defences load up on Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg: run the floor, push the pace, chase rebounds off teammates' misses and cut behind his man. "Those backdoor cuts for easy layups are going to be huge," Mavericks analyst Devin Harris said.
Miami's Trae Young on anyone who forgot he can score: "maybe I just have to continue to be more aggressive and be more myself. And that's all I'm gonna do this year." He involves teammates early so they attack late; age has made him better at "knowing when to pick my spots."
No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa rolled his ankle during preseason, Wizards guard Trae Young said, giving no status or timeline. Young raised it as a setback: "we fell short of that, obviously, with the number one pick AJ coming down, rolling his ankle."
Kel'el Ware says he can play power forward for the Bucks if needed alongside Myles Turner, who spaces the floor and contests shots, letting Ware sprint out in transition: "I'm able to be agile a little bit more." He calls Taylor Jenkins's system "pretty much the same" as Miami's.
Nate Ament went through everything in the Bucks' Oct. 19 contact practice, and Taylor Jenkins will see how he responds on Oct. 20. The G League hasn't even come up: "right now I want him thinking about carving out a rotational spot for us." Everyone else was available.
Kyle Kuzma has made progress recently in the Bucks' offense and on defense, Taylor Jenkins said, calling it "a big year for him." Asked if Kuzma, who started much of the preseason, starts opening night, Jenkins didn't commit: "We're still working through our starting lineup."
Ryan Rollins says his role with the Bucks is much bigger this season: "Controlling the offense, playing with pace, being the initial thrust on both ends of the court." He also said opponents' scouting reports are "more aware of me than they were last year."
"I'm not going to be playing 38 minutes per night," Portland's Damian Lillard, 36, says. He felt fine at 20 to 25 minutes in preseason and the guard depth means less load. He plans to play back-to-backs but may sit one somewhere, to stay fresh for the postseason.
With Scoot Henderson's contract decision near, Jrue Holiday says Portland put a lot in his hands: "him making the decision... he's shown out all training camp." Holiday leans on him but won't offer contract advice unasked: "Scoot knows that he can control what he can control."
Jrue Holiday backs Micah Nori's plan to play 10 or 11 deep in shorter stints for Portland: "We have depth, and I think that's something that we should use if we have it. Because we have it." He called last year's defensive rebounding "terrible," a topic raised "every day."
Branden Carlson still has concussion headaches and isn't 100%, Portland coach Micah Nori said, adding Carlson has had one before: "So hopefully he will be okay." Chris Youngblood tweaked his Achilles but practiced a little. Micah Potter is still working back from an illness.
"I think for sure we will go 10 deep. Absolutely." Portland's Micah Nori said Sidy Cissoko and Vit Krejci are probably the 9th and 10th men for now. Nori asks Cissoko to defend "damn near 5 positions"; Krejci stays on the floor through energy, effort and defense.
Yang Hansen can fill in on nights Robert Williams III is out, Portland coach Micah Nori said. He sees Micah Potter as the option when shooting is needed and Branden Carlson as a vertical threat at power forward. On his depth: "It's really a good problem to have."
Lu Dort will come off the Hawks' bench after starting his whole career. He said he's had good conversations with Quin Snyder about it and is ready for any stint: "If it's playing 10, 12 minutes straight, playing 5 minutes, whatever it is, you know, I'll be ready to go."
Doug Christie wants the Kings to stop settling for early mid-range shots, and players at Sacramento's media availability agreed: "We waste them sometimes for sure... we agree with him for sure." Asked if Ben Simmons' injury looked bad at once: "we keep that in-house."
From Sacramento's media availability, on Ben Simmons' injury: "It changes a lot... He can do everything 1 through 5." The Kings lose his fast breaks off rebounds and a defender who can guard anyone. Players called him their leader and said they will play for him.
"He's gonna have the ball in his hands a lot." Devin Booker on Jalen Green, a lead ball handler for Phoenix and learning he needn't make the hero play. Phoenix were near the league's bottom in shots at the rim last year; Booker says "unleashing Jalen" should change that.
Khaman Maluach getting more opportunity has helped Phoenix's offense, Devin Booker said at practice: "we found some different things that have been working for us." With Grayson Allen gone, he said, they lost 3-point shooting and "have to find ways to make up for that."
"I feel like we got the best bench unit in the league and to add me to it, it'll be great too." Miles Bridges will come off Phoenix's bench with Luke Kennard, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, and is picking up full court on defense for the first time since Michigan State.
"Doesn't mean who starts will end the game." Phoenix coach Jordan Ott has not settled on Mark Williams or Oso Ighodaro at center, to start or to close. Williams has more late-game experience when teams foul Ighodaro, who brings plenty else. Opener is Oct. 21 in Portland.
Jordan Poole's role with the Pelicans, per Jamahl Mosley: Poole "is accepting the role of being able to defend at a high level, but also be able to come and score when needed to and playmake."
Bennedict Mathurin says the Pelicans have him in a different role: he'll "play off the ball a little bit more and trying to be a little bit more active offensively." From New Orleans' media availability, asked if more three-point attempts are an emphasis: "Of course."
"Nate Bittle is out of the boot, so he's reconditioning now," Toronto's Darko Rajakovic said at practice, calling the team in "pretty good health." Asked whether Alijah Martin had tweaked his knee, he said Martin went through a whole practice and "was completely fine."
Scottie Barnes will carry a heavy load for Toronto, Darko Rajakovic said at practice: "We need Scottie to be a beast getting to the rim, scoring at the rim. We need Scottie to knock down his 3s." He accepts some nights Barnes will overpass or take too many shots.
Matisse Thybulle gets a roaming role on defense, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, but within limits: "You got to allow him freedom to be a little bit of a roamer on defense... Not gambling." He cited one play where Thybulle gambled on DeMar DeRozan and it hurt the Lakers.
Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr missed Lakers practice again, JJ Redick said; Bronny James and Dalton Knecht had excused absences. Collin Sexton was "in practice, full participant," though Redick did not say whether he will play in the next game.
Hawks rookies' minutes hinge on depth. Zuby Ejiofor hasn't gotten into some games, though Quin Snyder said he had a really good practice. Kingston Flemings, before the opener against the Magic: "If I play 8 minutes, I'm trying to affect it the same as if I play 20."
"We've got a group that had a lot of continuity at the end of last year. That's the way we'll start the season," Quin Snyder said of the Hawks. Preseason put health first, which he said made the rotation tricky to judge; lineups will keep being evaluated.
Denver's top six is set, David Adelman said at practice, with Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones next in line. Beyond that it's open: Bryce Hopkins and Alpha Diallo have had good moments. Spencer Jones is in the rotation "if he's healthy"; Adelman gave no update on his status.
"If they choose to play Chet on Aaron Gordon, I feel like Aaron Gordon can orchestrate the offense," Nuggets coach David Adelman said at practice ahead of the opener at Oklahoma City. That gets Jamal Murray off the ball, which Denver had for only about 30 games last year.
"For whatever reason, teams that were supposedly tanking gave us all kinds of problems. And I really mean it," Nuggets coach David Adelman said at practice. He said it has been a problem for years, he doesn't know why, and the new anti-tanking rules help Denver.
Asked for an update on Josh Hart, Knicks coach Mike Brown answered for the whole roster: "Yeah, no, no, everybody's healthy. Nobody was held out of any portion of practice." He did not address Hart individually.
James Wiseman isn't in the Knicks' plans as a starter, or even necessarily a backup yet. Mike Brown, who coached him at Golden State, wants a simple role built on his natural ability, to expand later. Wiseman "didn't play any college basketball, really," Brown said.
Rookie Caleb Wilson says he and Matas Buzelis will be key to protecting the Bulls' rim with Nic Claxton out: "I'm definitely going to be a big part." Tiago Splitter wants him looser: "Caleb has a thousand things on his mind right now... just go there and hoop."
Jalen Smith will start at center for the Bulls with Nic Claxton out, Tiago Splitter said, with Tobe Awaka "just coming back." Splitter wants everyone but the shooter chasing misses 75% of the time, up from about 40%: "we don't have the best shooting team in the NBA."
Nic Claxton must practise full speed with the Bulls before he returns; Tiago Splitter would only say "on average" two more weeks. Zach Collins practised fully but won't commit to 21 October, and expects limited minutes: "whether that's 10 minutes, 15, 20 minutes, not sure."
"Are we still hungry? ... Or are we just content? That's our big question." Jalen Brunson said keeping the Knicks' core intact is very valuable, but the answer comes in the first couple of weeks. The title is "in our past," he said, with "no relaxation whatsoever."
Minnesota's rotation could shift game by game early, Chris Finch said at practice, playing nine or ten deep: "There'll be some guys that don't make the rotation that probably can help us too. It's just hard to play them all." He said 10 to 20 games is when the data matters.
Quin Snyder has sat down individually with Lu Dort, Corey Kispert and Asa Newell about their Hawks roles, and said Kispert "had a terrific preseason." Asked if Newell needs reps, he praised his defense but didn't commit: "The problem is the game is 48 minutes."
Peyton Watson says his cutting has to change with the Cavaliers. In Denver he cut off double-teams on Nikola Jokic's post-ups, an engine he called "probably the most talented of all time." Now, "the cuts are more opportunistic. So I've got to find ways to get in there."
Jarrett Allen is paired with Donovan Mitchell again in Cleveland, recalling being told they had "the number 1 pick and roll in the NBA." He called Evan Mobley and James Harden "an incredible pairing": Harden driving and lobbing to Mobley, or Mobley handling off Harden's screen.
Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson said Nae'Qwan Tomlin sat out practice and Sam Merrill was limited; Khalifa Diop is "coming back from a setback." Atkinson wants a 10-man rotation, likely named only at game time: "I've made that mistake before... the guy tweaks an ankle."
Ivica Zubac is learning a system a bit different from the Clippers', and Indiana is adjusting too: "he's a little different than anybody we've ever had," Rick Carlisle said. Larry Nance Jr., Jay Huff and Aaron Nesmith will be used at more than one position.
T.J. McConnell (hamstring) isn't back yet and a couple more Pacers are still getting healthy, per Indiana's media availability. Quenton Jackson has run the bench at point guard; Rick Carlisle says he's "ready for... being a full-time roster guy and being ready at all times."
"I feel good. You know, just taking it day by day," said Anfernee Simons, who has missed 76ers practices over the past week. With no preseason game reps, he expects to "find my way" over the first 20 games. Asked if he'll play in the opener: "I can't confirm or deny that."
Labaron Philon Jr. and Anfernee Simons can both play on or off the ball in the 76ers' bench unit, Simons said, and he can run the offense "if LP's running the point for a long time and he needs a break." The rookie debuts at the Garden on the defending champions' ring night.
Karl-Anthony Towns may draw a power forward, not a center, in the 76ers' Oct. 20 opener at the Knicks: Nick Nurse is weighing putting his center on Josh Hart. The upside: more switching on screens. The risk: can Towns pass, rebound, post up and shoot over a power forward?
Joel Embiid is "ready to go" for the 76ers' opener, Nick Nurse said: "Some of those things weren't going on a year ago." Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall did not practice. Wade wore a practice jersey anyway. "Shouldn't make any judgments by those jerseys," Nurse said.
"It's still a grind, even for everybody... You're not in midseason mode." Kawhi Leonard on his conditioning before Toronto's opener. He gauges readiness by playing games and seeing how he feels, says "you can't go as hard as you used to" and that recovery is now big.
Toronto is tracking Kawhi Leonard's workload and health, with his own input, to keep him holding up through the playoffs. "We're checking every single box that exists," Darko Rajakovic said. Leonard even asked to guard more point guards in preseason to build conditioning.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, after losing time, got heavy minutes in Toronto's last two games, and Darko Rajakovic liked his drives and finishes. The Raptors coach wants him attacking the basket: "We need him to be a beast regarding the ball offensively and defensively."
Jrue Holiday hurt his hand guarding Sacramento. An X-ray found "nothing was broke"; swelling kept him out of Portland's final exhibition. Micah Nori thinks he'll be good for the Phoenix opener. Robert Williams III sat too. Nori: "We really missed them, which is no excuse."
Robert Williams III says he's available for the season and wants to play back-to-backs for Portland; last year's trainer-built plan capped him at two straight games. "Minute-wise, got to be smart, but for sure I want to make that leap." He'll "see if I can get there."
Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan started Portland's last preseason game. Coach Micah Nori called that "probably a pretty good indication" for the Oct. 21 opener vs. Phoenix but didn't commit. Scoot Henderson comes off the bench for "downhill scoring."
"A lot of guys are going 3 stints in one half as opposed to 2," Portland Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori said Oct. 18, describing shorter shifts across his rotation. He said the team also has a lot of different ways to close games.
Darius Acuff Jr. is the lone inexperienced player in the Sacramento Kings' first lineup. Zach LaVine called him a gifted, high-IQ point guard whose preseason mixed uncertain moments with dominant ones: "Darius has been good... And then things where he's dominating."
Jabari Smith Jr. is taking on more of Houston's rim protection. "It's just on me to go try to protect the rim more," he said at practice, vowing more contests and more help defense near the basket. On his defensive technique: "I feel like it's all coming together."
Zach LaVine on the Sacramento Kings' starters barely playing together in preseason: "it sucks." Doug Christie: "it took the last game to finally see a unit out there that you can see hitting the court." Asked if that group starts the season, he said: "we'll have to see."
Maxime Raynaud isn't available for the Sacramento Kings, and Domantas Sabonis tied that to how the frontcourt is being covered. Asked about Precious Achiuwa playing center and the team leaning on Ben Simmons, he said: "we don't have Max, you know."
Domantas Sabonis says there was no setback: the Kings kept his preseason light on purpose, playing the first and last games without extra load after eight months away. "Everything's good. It's just... playing it smart." He says he feels good after about 30 minutes in the finale.
Joan Beringer needs to play, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said at practice: "it could be 14 minutes a night, it could be 24 minutes a night," depending on how he plays. He expects some inconsistency: live game reps are the biggest part of Beringer's development.
Enrique Freeman's energy and move from small-ball center to forward impressed Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who hopes to keep him "in the program in some way, shape, or form." Asked about filling the open two-way spot right away, he called it "wait and see."
Isaiah Evans spent early camp trying to create his own offense. That has changed, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said at practice: "now he's more in the catch-and-shoot mindset, which is... we saw the benefits of that the other night."
Anthony Edwards is "playing off ball even more now," Minnesota's Bones Hyland said at practice, with LaMelo Ball taking "a lot of pressure off of him." Chris Finch wants Edwards and Jaden McDaniels rebounding better after the team "got crushed on the glass" playing small.
DeMar DeRozan gets the ball for the Nuggets' second unit in dead-ball, tight spots; when play is flowing, it runs through Tyus Jones' pick-and-roll, David Adelman said at practice. DeRozan doesn't want to isolate every possession. The rotation is still unsettled at 9 or 10 men.
"I don't know how many people... are humble enough to go in the Hall of Fame in September. And then take an assistant coaching job in May or June. But he's one of them." Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on Billy Donovan joining Mitch Johnson's Spurs staff.
Jared McCain, after Thunder practice: "My mental's great. My physical's great. Body feels great." He sees his role as spacing and "finding windows" for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell when doubled; his confidence, he says, doesn't hinge on minutes.
Charles Lee expects Charlotte to "have our hands full on the road versus a really good team" in the season opener at Brooklyn. Asked if Coby White and Kon Knueppel will be ready, he didn't commit: "there's still no timeline on those guys." Both have added some contact work.
From the Rockets' practice: Marcus Smart was sick, by a brief, partly garbled account. Ime Udoka said Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams have "no restriction," but some players will miss back-to-backs early in the season while Houston leans on its depth.
"Reed will be a huge part of what we do." Ime Udoka on Reed Sheppard, despite a Rockets backcourt now including Marcus Smart and Fred VanVleet. Sheppard has improved everywhere, especially on defense. Udoka wants a 10-man rotation early, saving some developing players.
Max Christie was limited at Mavericks practice with a sore foot. "He's here shooting and doing stuff, but yeah, he wasn't full go," Dusty May said. Morez Johnson Jr. had a good practice, though May said "I can't imagine he's going to be able to play a full 48."
Rookie Sergio de Larrea "looks like a guy that could play in the rotation," Dusty May said at Dallas Mavericks practice; teammates play better around his passing. May doesn't want only Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving carrying Dallas: "those guys are going to be worn down."
Orlando's Noah Penda will miss the start of the season with a new hamstring injury on the same leg as his first, which imaging showed had fully healed. Timeline? "I have no idea, honestly." He won't rush back. Sean Sweeney: whoever gains minutes has "to be ready to go."
Franz Wagner (shoulder) got "some light work in" at Orlando's practice but is "still being evaluated." Asked about concern, Sean Sweeney wouldn't commit. His order for lingering issues, games or not: "health first, then it's conditioning, and then it's basketball."
Payton Pritchard, on a two-year Celtics extension he puts at $22 million a year, says he'd come off the bench if Joe Mazzulla wants: "to me a starter is the amount of minutes you play. Do you finish games? Are you playing 30+ minutes? Then you are a starter"
Rookie Kingston Flemings on his Hawks role: defend, pressure the ball and "get downhill, get CJ, Nickeil the ball" — creating for CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. His summer: workouts with LeBron James, who was "already in there working out" at 5 a.m.
Oklahoma City rookie Otega Oweh is out for the season. Kenrich Williams, after practice: "Yeah, it sucked. Like, it just like gives you a bad feeling... especially for a guy like him, like rookie, like was playing, was playing pretty good."
Cason Wallace will make the Thunder's biggest jump this season, Kenrich Williams says: "I'm calling it right now." Asked if Chet Holmgren's contusion, which kept him out all preseason, could linger, coach Mark Daigneault didn't commit: "I'll leave it to the injury report."
Suns coach Jordan Ott hopes Luke Kennard and Oso Ighodaro are back for opening night but didn't commit. Everyone else came out of the preseason healthy: "I think we're in a pretty good place there." Miles Bridges returned, and Ott called his defensive intent "high level."
"I feel great. I'm excited to play," a healthy Jalen Green said after the Suns' Oct. 16 game. He's slowing down from his Houston days as a table-setter, "not looking for my shot right away in the beginning of the offense," hunting the right pass and two feet in the paint.
Kobe Sanders went through the Clippers' full practice on Oct. 17. Asked whether Sanders would be ready, Tyronn Lue gave no formal status but liked what he saw: "he looked pretty good. He's comfortable."
Baba Miller will play power forward and center for the Clippers, Tyronn Lue said, including beside Brook Lopez or Isaiah Jackson: "playing him and Isaiah together a little bit to get more size on the floor is going to be key for us."
Brandon Ingram is out of surgery. Tyronn Lue saw him when he woke: "He was in good spirits. And the doctor said it was a great surgery." No timeline; Lue says the Clippers can be special once he's back. With five rotation players out, young and two-way players get chances.
Isaiah Jackson will start at center for the Clippers on opening night, per a reporter citing Tyronn Lue. Derrick Jones Jr. backed it: "He can switch 1 through 5, he can run the floor. Honestly, I think he's one of the best big men in the league, so he's up there with me."
"Just to see Kyrie back competing like he was, I thought he made a lot of really good passes." Dusty May liked what Kyrie Irving showed in the Mavericks' postgame against the Hawks, and said Irving trusted his teammates.
Asked if Zaccharie Risacher starts opening night, Mavericks coach Dusty May wouldn't commit; the lineup is undecided. But on his second half against Atlanta, his former team, "he's gonna be a major rotation piece and play a lot."
Kris Murray moved from Memphis's bench units into the starting group. "We wanted to see him also there together with the starters," coach Tuomas Iisalo said. He praised Murray's work on Brandon Miller: "arriving with the ball, not fouling, and being there on every catch."
Ty Jerome is becoming Memphis's full-time point guard, a role coach Tuomas Iisalo says he has never had in his career. "He's found a better balance between moving the ball and being aggressive." Cameron Boozer is "essentially a second playmaker" at power forward.
Two point guards at once is by design for the Grizzlies. "A lot of our triggers or actions or sets are built so that we have 2 handlers," coach Tuomas Iisalo said. Don't read much into preseason minutes, though: once the season starts, "it's going to be very different."
Yang Hansen played 20 minutes on Oct. 16, and Portland coach Micah Nori said he needs high-level minutes to adjust to NBA speed and length: "Hansen needs to play high-level basketball." Nori took the blame for Al Horford hitting three 3-pointers over Hansen in his first stint.
Walker Kessler expects Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to be double-teamed a lot off screens, so the Lakers center says he must improve at making plays when he catches the ball behind it: "just playing out of that pocket, it's going to be a big, big part of my expansion."
"Marvin hasn't played. He's been hurt." David Adelman explained why Marvin Bagley III got an extended fourth-quarter run in Denver's preseason finale. Tyus Jones got one too because "Tyus needed to play more minutes," and Adelman said he was very impressed with that group.
Trevon Brazile has "a chance to be in the rotation," Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the rookie played with Denver's starters in the preseason finale. Adelman wants him seeing the ball better when he runs on offense and not getting caught in switches on defense.
Ziaire Williams, back from a hamstring injury, was on a planned minutes limit and has foot soreness. JJ Redick hopes for "3 really good days with him" so the Lakers forward "can play more than 10 minutes" Oct. 21. Luka Doncic sitting the second half was planned, Redick said.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, at center, is to start the fast break off defensive rebounds, Lakers coach JJ Redick said. Told by Redick in a timeout he hadn't looked at the basket, he hit three straight 3-pointers. "Hey, you're a really good basketball player, shoot the ball."
Damian Lillard is back from a lower-body injury. Portland coach Micah Nori said 13 free throw attempts show his quickness is intact, and "he hurt his lower body, not his upper body. He can still shoot the thing." Nori said the team got through the preseason relatively healthy.
Deni Avdija is taking fewer shots this preseason but making them count. Portland coach Micah Nori said adding Ja Morant, a willing passer, lets Avdija play off the ball more: "maybe not as many shots for Deni, but he's been able to be much more efficient."
The 76ers' Joel Embiid blamed his preseason falls on trips and pushes: "I'm just trying to do a better job to stay on my feet... But I feel okay." Asked if his third-quarter dunk meant he's back, he said "not really": "I thought I would never dunk again."
Jabari Walker, LeBron James and Dean Wade have played center in 76ers lineups with no true big. James said clean rebounding is the key and "we haven't logged enough minutes with it to know good or bad." Wade turned his ankle Oct. 16; James said "he'll be great."
Good shooting bailed Utah out against Phoenix, Will Hardy said, and the possession battle is his biggest worry: "They had 20 offensive rebounds... That coupled with 18 turnovers, the math is against you most nights."
Zaccharie Risacher on his slow starts through four preseason games with Dallas: "I gotta do a better job and show up early in the game... The first half usually during those preseason games wasn't that good." Facing his former team, the Hawks, was "exciting."
AJ Dybantsa has an ankle sprain, and Wizards coach Brian Keefe said: "We just took him out of the game for precaution." Keefe said the team will know more once it gets more information. Washington has a couple of days of practice before its opener.
Khris Middleton is back playing for the Wizards. "Yeah, it's great to see him back out there," coach Brian Keefe said, calling Middleton a smart player who makes the right play.
Zion Williamson missed all four of his three-point attempts, and New Orleans coach Jamahl Mosley had no complaints: "Oh, I love that he shot it. Gosh, I love it. And they look good." Mosley credited off-court work and said Williamson shoots about 50% from three in practice.
"Our depth is going to be the key for us this year," New Orleans' Jamahl Mosley said, with his bench having won its minutes across four preseason games. Jeremiah Fears said Mosley reshuffles the practice groups every day so players get a feel for each other.
Jeremiah Fears says film study has slowed the game down for him. New Orleans' Jamahl Mosley called Fears' command of the floor the main gain of his offseason, as he balances scoring, setting up teammates and calming the game: "that's great growth for that young man."
Dean Wade rolled his ankle late in the first half of the 76ers' preseason game, but Nick Nurse called it "not major concern," saying they were "just cautious because preseason game." Nurse hopes to add "about 3 or 4 players" by Oct. 20: "I don't know if we will or not."
Joel Embiid played 29 minutes in the 76ers' preseason game, and Nick Nurse liked it: "I think that's pretty hard playing 29 minutes for him, which is— I like to see." He said Embiid shook off rust from the first game, pointing to his 8 defensive rebounds.
"Is it Tyrese and Joel and Jaylen and Labaron or whatever?" Nick Nurse doesn't yet know which 76ers combinations of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Labaron Philon Jr. work. Asked if Brown will lead second-unit lineups: "Possibly. I don't know yet."
Jalen Duren isn't all the way back yet. "We're still rounding him into game shape," Jarrett Jack said after the Pistons' game, calling it "the biggest marker probably for us in this whole thing" heading toward Oct. 20. He's also learning a few offensive tweaks.
After a camp of minor issues, Morez Johnson Jr. said he knocked off rust in Dallas's Oct. 16 game: "I didn't feel like I was in great rhythm ... but I'll get there soon." Used heavily at center, he said it feels like power forward since he still switches onto everyone.