2025 NBA Preseason: Biggest Takeaways, Trends, and Stars From Exhibition Season

The NBA Preseason concluded on Friday, with Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, and an imposing starting lineup in Houston being among the biggest talking points.

Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives against Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 8, 2025. Alex Slitz/Getty Images

The NBA Preseason wrapped up on Oct. 17, setting the stage for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday. But before jumping into the 80th season in NBA history, we should look back at the exhibition schedule, as there are several things we can learn in preparation for the real games. From old faces in new places to new styles of play for teams and emerging players, here are the biggest takeaways from the 2025 NBA Preseason.

Size Matters in Houston

The Rockets trading for Kevin Durant was then partially offset by the team losing point guard Fred VanVleet (ACL) for the year. Without a clear-cut point guard replacement for VanVleet, the Rockets leaned into their strength of size during preseason. They utilized a starting lineup with four players 6-foot-10 or taller—Durant, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams—and with 6-foot-7 Amen Thompson as the shortest player on the court. The results were certainly encouraging, as Houston was one of three undefeated teams (4–0) in preseason and they averaged a league-high of 130.8 points.

A Magical Downtown

Orlando was a playoff team last season, thanks almost entirely to its defense, which allowed the fewest points per game. On offense, Orlando couldn’t buy a bucket from outside the arc, ranking dead last in both 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. The Magic then added sharpshooter Desmond Bane in the offseason, amongst other moves, with hopes of kickstarting their perimeter offense.

So far, so good, as Orlando ranked 10th in 3-point percentage in preseason, with rookie Jase Richardson particularly standing out. The son of former Magic player Jason Richardson knocked down 70 percent of his 10 3-point attempts as a more balanced Orlando team could be an Eastern Conference contender.

A South Beach Sophomore

Miami’s Kel’el Ware emerged in the second half of last year, even making the All-Rookie Second Team. However, he’s poised to make a leap as a sophomore, based on his preseason dominance. Ware notched three double-doubles across four games in the exhibitions, while no other player had more than one double-double in preseason. He led the NBA Preseason in rebounds (11.0), while also topping in total points (81) and field goals made (32). He even knocked down 8 of 16 (50 percent) three-pointers, giving glimpses of a potential stretch-five. His performance helped cover up, somewhat, the fact that Miami had a league-worst 0–6 preseason record.

New-Look Celtics Keeping Old Style of Play

Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford are now playing elsewhere, while Jayson Tatum (Achilles) won’t be playing for a while. However, even though there are several new names and faces in Boston, the team’s offensive approach remains. After setting the all-time NBA record for made 3-pointers in a season (1,457) last year, Boston finished the 2025 NBA Preseason by, again, leading all teams in 3-pointers attempted. However, the Celts weren’t very efficient as, while they attempted the most downtown shots, they made just the tenth-most, shooting only 30.9 percent from beyond the arc. If that type of high volume but low efficiency carries over into the games that matter, coach Joe Mazzulla will have a decision to make on if his team should abandon this approach.

Point Zion?

With every new season, we hear about players being in “the best shapes of their lives” but that actually rings true for Zion Williamson. He looks physically much different, and he’s also being utilized differently with the Pelicans. With Dejounte Murray (Achilles) sidelined and CJ McCollum now with the Wizards, New Orleans doesn’t have a clear answer at the point guard position.