Starting 5: Stars and newcomers deliver in preseason debuts

LaMelo Ball had an all-around performance (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 3-pointers) in his preseason debut with the Timberwolves.

Look out below,

it’s the Jaylen Brown show.

JB’s red-hot start in Philly

highlighted a Monday of marquee debuts.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

New Colors, Fast Starts:

Brown shines for Philly, Ball clicks with Edwards in Wolves preseason debut

Monday Roundup:

Boozer flashes, Luka outduels Acuff Jr., Pistons rally past Suns

Tonight On NBA TV:

Two retooled squads meet in Charlotte, Lakers face Warriors in San Francisco

Amex Season Previews:

John Schuhmann examines all five teams in the Atlantic Division

Points Of Emphasis:

Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the NBA’s officiating focus for 2026-27

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Preseason hoops is in full swing…

Four games

tip off tonight, including an NBA TV doubleheader as the Nets and Hornets open their preseason in Charlotte (

7 ET

), followed by Lakers-Warriors (

10 ET

).

The Rockets and Mavericks

arrived in Macao

on Monday for the

2026 China Games

. The two teams will face off at The Venetian Arena on both Friday (8 a.m. ET) and Sunday (6 a.m. ET), with both games live on NBA TV.

1. NEW COLORS, FAST STARTS: BROWN & BALL DELIVER IN PRESEASON DEBUTS

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

76ers fans

are used to seeing Jaylen Brown get buckets.

Since 2020-21,

no player has scored more points against Philadelphia than Brown, with 813 across the regular season and postseason.

And in his first

preseason game with Philly, the buckets came with one welcome difference: they counted for the Sixers.

76ers 120, Knicks 97:

Brown was clinical, dropping

22 points in the 1st half

on 8-of-13 shooting, as Philly built a 72-58 halftime lead en route to a preseason-opening win over Jalen Brunson (12 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) and the defending champion Knicks.

VJ Edgecombe

added 12 points and seven assists for the Sixers, who were without LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. |

Recap

Quick Introduction:

Brown’s first bucket came on a smooth

baseline stepback

. He made seven of his next 11 shots, including a

two-handed hammer

in transition

Quick Production:

Brown’s 22 points were a game-high, and he added two boards, two assists and a block in just 17 minutes before sitting the 2nd half

“He looked great,”

said Edgecombe of his new teammate. “

Everybody knows what JB can do

, and it’s just building … now it’s time to get ready for next game.”

Up Next:

Philly visits Brooklyn on Thursday (7:30 ET, League Pass), with James’ first preseason appearance still to come

Knicks Tape:

Brunson showed

no signs of rust

in limited action (15 mins), and OG Anunoby matched him with a team-high 12 points

Brown wasn’t the only star

in new threads Monday, as LaMelo Ball made his mark in Minnesota – along with his new running mate.

Wolves 116, Bucks 97:

Ball only needed 10 seconds to show off his playmaking, finding Jonathan Kuminga for the

game’s first bucket

.

LaMelo didn’t slow down,

stuffing the stat sheet

in 17 minutes of play (11 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 3s). He combined for 25 points with Anthony Edwards (14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk), as the Wolves opened their preseason with a win. |

Ant ➡️ LaMelo ➡️ Ant:

How did Ball and Edwards mesh in their first outing?

See for yourself

as the duo quickly connected for 3

Cleared For Takeoff:

Terrence Shannon Jr. got up for a

big-time hammer

, and Kuminga joined the flight with a

monster oop

New Bucks:

Kel’el Ware (14 pts, 12 reb) and Tyler Herro (11 pts, 3 ast) looked sharp in their first action with Milwaukee, while Lottery picks Brayden Burries (7 pts, 5 ast) and Nate Ament (8 pts) combined for 15 points

2. ROUNDUP: ROOKIES FLASH, LUKA COOKS, DETROIT RALLIES

Monday delivered

more marquee debuts, including first looks at two top draft picks.

Grizzlies 132, Hawks 123:

This year’s No. 3 pick, Cameron Boozer, showed off his

all-around game

(11 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), as Memphis poured in 81 points in the 1st half and never looked back, outpacing Corey Kispert (19 pts) and the Hawks in both teams’ preseason opener. |

Roaring:

GG Jackson netted a team-high 14 points for the Grizz, while Ty Jerome (5 ast) and Jaylen Wells (4 3s) scored 12 apiece

Scoring:

Memphis dropped 49 points in the 2nd quarter, going 8-of-11 (72.7%) from deep to break the game open

Key Hawks:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all Atlanta starters with 14 points, while Kingston Flemings, this year’s No. 8 overall pick, added 11

Worth The Wait:

One young Dyson Daniels fan arrived at their first Hawks game with a

one-of-one onesie

In California,

Luka Dončić picked up right where he left off.

Lakers 127, Kings 103:

Dončić

racked up 21 points

, three dimes and two steals before the break as the Lakers built a 73-47 halftime lead en route to a win over Sacramento, despite a dazzling preseason debut from this year’s No. 7 pick, Darius Acuff Jr. (19 pts, 4 ast). |

Dueling Playmakers:

Dončić came out firing with 13 points in the opening frame, while Acuff Jr. tallied

17 before halftime

. But a 37-19 Lakers 2nd quarter broke the game open

Early Impact:

Offseason additions Cameron Carr (19 pts) and Quentin Grimes (16 pts) helped power Los Angeles, which was without Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves

Pistons 109, Suns 107:

After trailing by as many as 19, Detroit used a 59-39 2nd half to storm past the Suns, earning a complete win in which 12 Pistons scored five-plus points

Ron Holland II

scored a game-high 14, while Cade Cunningham posted 10 points in 16 minutes. |

Instant Connect:

Ausar Thompson and offseason addition John Collins also scored 10 apiece for Detroit, with the pair connecting on a reverse lob ⬆️

Suns Core:

Devin Booker (13 pts) and Dillon Brooks (11 pts) led Phoenix, while Miles Bridges did a bit of everything (8 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) in his Suns debut

3. TONIGHT ON NBA TV: HORNETS HOST NETS, LAKERS VISIT WARRIORS

Jared C. Tilton + Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Last season,

the Hornets won 44 games, their most since 2015-16.

But a loss in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament

left them one win shy of their first Playoff appearance in 10 years, extending the longest active drought in the NBA.

Now,

Charlotte is turning to a young tandem to take the next step, centering its future around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. |

Hornets Season Preview

Tonight (7 ET, NBA TV),

the Hornets open their 2026-27 campaign against Brooklyn. With Knueppel sidelined for the preseason, the opener offers an early look at the new pieces surrounding that tandem.

Last Year’s Surge:

The Hornets went 33-16 after the New Year, storming into the Play-In behind an offense that splashed an NBA-best 17.3 3s per game

This Year’s Shift:

Charlotte dealt two centerpieces, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, this summer, opting to build around Knueppel and Miller, while adding vets like Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale

This Year’s Vision:

Reid (162), Allen (159) and O’Neale (212) combined for 533 made triples last year, helping replenish Charlotte’s shooting. But it’s not just shotmaking that Charlotte’s offseason additions will provide

“I think that they bring

… 219 games of Playoff experience to our group,” said head coach Charles Lee at Media Day of Charlotte’s acquisitions.

“

This roster

,

we talked a ton about doing it by committee … trying to elevate the guy next to you.”

All In:

With Knueppel currently sidelined, that committee starts with Miller, Charlotte’s leading scorer from last season (20.2 ppg). And as his role grows, the 23-year-old is embracing Lee’s vision.

“The goal is, of course, Playoffs,”

said Miller at Media Day. “It’s not all about me … whether it’s me guarding the best player every night or scoring the ball, I would do whatever my team needs me to do to win basketball games.”

Playoff basketball

isn’t new to Julius Randle. His teams (whether in New York or Minnesota) have reached the Playoffs in each of the past four seasons. Now, the three-time All-Star is looking to help Brooklyn get back.

Veteran Lift:

Randle joins Michael Porter Jr., who averaged a career-high 24.2 ppg last season, giving Brooklyn two established scoring options around its young core

Growing Nucleus:

That includes five first-rounders from the 2025 Draft, along with this year’s No. 6 pick, Mikel Brown Jr., an explosive guard out of Louisville who could see his first preseason action tonight

Jay Metzger + Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

In the nightcap (10 ET, NBA TV),

the Lakers visit the Warriors, with Los Angeles coming off Monday’s win in Sacramento and Golden State looking to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to the Clippers in Honolulu.

Steph Being Steph:

Despite the defeat, Steph Curry didn’t miss a beat in Golden State’s preseason opener, scoring 10 points in 12 minutes, including

a deep 3

for his first bucket

Still Got It:

What keeps Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader with 4,248 makes, going as he enters Year 18? Sunday provided a reminder…

“I love it, man,”

said Curry after the game. “It’s kind of a daunting task … all the stuff you have to do to get ready to play. But as soon as you get out on the floor it’s automatic, just

how worth it it is

.”

Two more games

tip off tonight on League Pass. Two-time reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could see his first preseason action as the Thunder host the Pelicans, while the Nuggets and Jazz meet for the second time in three days.

4. AMEX SEASON PREVIEWS: ATLANTIC DIVISION SPOTLIGHT

Pamela Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

The regular season

is just two weeks out, and to get ready, we’re spotlighting all 30 teams’

2026-27 Amex Season Previews

in the coming days, division by division.

First up: the Atlantic,

boasting a slew of revamped contenders, recent trade partners and longtime rivals.

NBA.com’s John Schuhmann

breaks down all five squads – including their season outlooks, potential breakout candidates and must-see matchups – with a glimpse of each preview below:

Celtics:

“It’s a new era for the Celtics, who had the league’s best record and the most playoff wins (86) over Jaylen Brown’s 10 seasons in Boston … but it’s hard to believe that Boston’s time at (or near) the top of the East ends here.” |

Read More

Knicks:

“New York should be the favorite in the East, and we’ll surely see more high-stakes playoff drama at Madison Square Garden in spring 2027.” |

Nets:

“After three straight seasons where they lost more games than the year prior, the Nets might finally be ready to take a step forward.” |

Emilee Chinn/NBAE via Getty Images + Toronto Raptors Instagram

Raptors:

“Seven years after he led the Raptors to their only NBA championship, Kawhi Leonard is back. And he’s here, once again, to make a good team great.” |

76ers:

“If it all comes together, the Sixers can do more than just make the Eastern Conference Finals.” |

5. POINTS OF EMPHASIS & AREAS OF FOCUS FOR 2026-27

Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

Before each season,

the NBA outlines points of emphasis and areas of focus for players, coaches and referees to improve how the game is played and called.

NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt

broke down this year’s priorities – from off-arm push-offs to keeping free throws moving – with NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones explaining the thinking behind them:

Said Jones:

We decided on points

of emphasis that we thought would continue to help us push the game forward and create a really compelling product for our fans, for our teams, and for the competitors – the coaches, players and executives – within our organizations.” |

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