NBA preseason basketball is back and opinions are flying after all of the offseason shakeups. While small exhibition samples aren’t worth extrapolating major takeaways from, preseason allows us our first look at the new crop of rookies (outside of Summer League competition).
Rookie preseason performances likely won’t translate cleanly to NBA competition against regular-season lineups and schemes. Still, we can glean some takeaways from their first bits of Association hoops before the regular season begins. Let’s discuss five rookies who’ve caught my eye for one reason or another.
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Bailey has scored the ball like a top-five pick to begin his preseason career, leading all rookies in scoring with 22.5 points per game across his first two contests. He scored at least 20 points in each of those two games on sparkling 74.2 percent true shooting, looking the part of a seamless fit in Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s offense.
As a prospect, Bailey’s main weaknesses came as an on-ball creator, where his limited feel and ball skills curtail his shot-making impact. Hardy has deployed him as an off-ball scorer and Bailey has feasted on pin-downs, curls and second-side actions. He’s even flashed some basic passing chops on empty-side ball screens.
His defense and interior creation will be swing skills in year one; Bailey has posted a poor 10 percent free-throw rate early on, matching his pre-NBA sample. And while his elite efficiency will certainly regress, we can bank on Hardy to deploy Bailey in logical ways that maximize his offensive talent.
Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors
Even without racking up stocks (steals + blocks), Murray-Boyles’s defensive impact potential has been clear through three preseason games. He’s blocked two shots (and logged zero steals) but his defensive versatility, motor and pressure on the ball have impressed, even if his usual off-ball playmaking brilliance hasn’t popped.
His fit in Toronto brought some questions, given his weak outside shooting, compounding a poor Raptors 3-point attack. Murray-Boyles has made one of his six triples through three preseason games but considering he attempted 39 threes in two full college seasons, his deep-range confidence was encouraging.
Murray-Boyles flashed his usual underrated offensive prowess, slashing past slower bigs and dishing out dimes to his teammates. If the floor-spacing results in some offensive friction for Murray-Boyles, he should still find ways to add value through connective passing, secondary driving and rebounding.
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Beyond the top-two picks in this class, I viewed Knueppel as the most NBA-ready prospect in the 2025 Draft and that’s borne out so far. He’s already playing like an effective offensive piece after an elite freshman season at Duke, fueled by a special shot-making profile. Knueppel’s made 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) preseason triples so far but his volume uptick is quite encouraging.
At Duke, he attempted 10.5 threes per 100 possessions. In the preseason, that’s up to an enormous 14.1 per 100 possessions. Volume stabilizes much more quickly in small samples than efficiency and a significant boost in 3-point volume would make Knueppel a nightmare to defend.
His underrated passing has already flashed in the preseason, making the most of his snappy processing, off-ball movement and underrated skill with the ball. I’d bet Knueppel ends up as an All-Rookie First Team member, driven by veteran offensive impact and sound defense for the Hornets.
Walter Clayton Jr., Utah Jazz
While Bailey’s early success captured most of the attention around the Jazz this preseason, their other first-round selection impressed in his own right. Utah’s 18th overall pick looked like an experienced NBA guard in the preseason, thriving as an off-ball scorer and playmaker so far.
Clayton was one of the best players in college basketball for years and his offensive prowess is translating early. Despite sinking just 3 of his first 14 (21.4 percent) 3-point attempts, Clayton Jr. has averaged 13.5 points on 54.8 percent true shooting, fueled by sharp cutting and off-ball movement into shots and smart passes.
He’s not a full-fledged on-ball creator but he’ll punish lazy defenses for ducking under screens with pull-up threes. Once Clayton’s threes start falling, he’ll be a dangerous offensive player from the moment he steps onto an NBA court, with plenty of play-creating and finishing options for Hardy.
Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic
Draft analysts (myself included) tabbed Richardson as one of, if not the strongest, values in the class. The 19-year-old guard has looked the part of an instant impact role player early on for the Magic, averaging 11.7 points on 62.1 percent true shooting. Richardson was an effective scorer at the college and high school levels, which is translating thus far.
In college, he was an efficient 3-point shooter and an elite midrange shooter and finisher, especially for his size. He’s made seven of his eight catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts in three preseason games, and has the confidence and handle to attack off the catch and punish defenses for selling out to his jumper.
Even after trading for Desmond Bane this summer, Orlando needs more than one player to bring offensive punch and Richardson could add that early. Even considering potential rookie struggles as a defender, on-ball creator and playmaker, Richardson’s shooting and scoring savvy could make him an immediate contributor for a strong Magic team.
All stats courtesy of Synergy Sports and NBA.com
The post 5 Rookies Who Are Shining In NBA Preseason Thus Far appeared first on Sportscasting | Pure Sports.