Browsing: intriguing

As we inch closer to the start of the NBA regular season, weâ€re getting an early look at players and teams. And while we should take what we see in preseason with a grain of salt, thereâ€s some excitement building.

Now would usually be the time to tell you who is on the verge of breaking out in 2025-26, but I find that limiting. When I watch the preseason I’m intrigued by what impact players — from rising stars to established veterans — can have on their teams if something I’m seeing can carry over to the regular season. Thatâ€s the joy of the preseason, seeing the payoff from offseason development and preseason experimentation.

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Here are a few names to keep an eye on at the start of the season.

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

The intrigue with Wembanyama comes from wondering what approach he will take in Year 3.

There is a balance that comes with offensive versatility. On one hand, a team can use a player in a lot of different scenarios — on ball, in the post, as a roller, off screens. That type of sandbox approach can keep consistent pressure on defenses, as there is not one specific thing to take away. On the other hand, a team can lose the emphasis on a specific action on a night-to-night basis.

One thing has appeared clear from watching Wembanyama in preseason: a change in shot selection. For all of his size and skill, Wembanyama averaged nearly nine 3-point attempts a night last season. Through two preseason games so far, he has taken exactly two 3-pointers. Thereâ€s a clear emphasis for Wembanyama to increase his paint touches and work to catch the ball closer to the basket. More attempts to drive the basketball, and more attempts to initiate contact, should result in a better balance offensively. Working to seal matchups near the post or elbow is a way to keep pressure on defenses.

(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

His strength will be tested as teams continue to be physical with him on drives or fight to push his catches out. Can he get to his spots consistently? What does that look like when he does?

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Keep an eye on his playmaking this season. The Spurs have worked to use multiple players as screeners which could open up pops for shooters or rolls when they go double big. Wembanyama appears to be making more contact as a screener while mixing in slips and quick rolls — knowing when to roll and force the weakside to help, and knowing when to pop to force a rotation. A quick swing or a drive against a closeout could keep an advantage for the Spurs.

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On the defensive end, Wembanyama is always a sight to behold. In pick-and-roll, he can be near the level of a screen, drop back to contain the drive, use his wingspan to swipe down at the ball-handler and still recover to his man popping or rolling. If the offense takes that space as a chance to pull up, that can easily turn into a switch and contest.

His size jumps off the page when he is defending on the weakside, sometimes seeming like he can remove a quadrant off the court with his presence. The rim protection speaks for itself (176 blocks in 46 games last season, most in the league), but I’m intrigued by how he’ll adjust as teams work to space him and play off his rotations.

Trey Murphy III, Pelicans

Murphy made a large leap last year prior to a shoulder injury, but I believe there is even more room for his game to expand. Never doubt the combination of knowing what you can do and working to improve on everything else.

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The quick decisions and reads continue to grow. When heâ€s spaced on the perimeter or running in transition, the threat is no longer just a 3-point shot but a drive. You can feel that impact when heâ€s used off the ball in dribble handoffs or pindowns. If you are not physical and give him space, or try to go under, the shot is going up. If you lock and trail, he can turn the corner and get to the paint or to his pull-up. If you try to get physical, you open up backdoor cuts or curls to the basket. The Pelicans will need that type of versatility in the half court which pairs well with Zion Williamsonâ€s ability to be used in different ways.

Murphy has also been looking to initiate contact to get to where he wants to vs. only taking the space given. An improved handle could open up more opportunities in pick-and-roll where he can reject and try to get downhill. Pitch-and-catch action could open even more room for him. It will be interesting to watch what it looks like if he has the mindset to create space in different areas of the floor.

Al Horford, Warriors

It’s not difficult to think of the ways Horfordâ€s experience can help a Warriors team that features Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. But the speed in which you can see it already has surprised me to a degree.

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The defense is what jumps off the page. Horford’s scheme versatility defending pick-and-roll will add a level of consistency to the Warriors’ defense. His ability to get to the level of a screen, turn it into a trap, drop and contain penetration is key. We have seen time and time again no matter the age, Horford is willing to switch and defend multiple positions, and late switches can help the Warriors recover. The Warriors having Horfordâ€s help defense on drives or rotations on the baseline is one thing. Having that with Draymond and Jimmy on the court feels like another.

Offensively, Horfordâ€s ability to space and willingness to move the ball fits right into the Warriors’ ethos. The passing can open up cutters and keep an advantage for the Warriors when they get a defense in rotation. He can be involved in screening actions on and off the ball. How often have the Warriors had a big who can set a post split and receive a post split?

Deuce McBride, Knicks

Mike Brown has brought more ball movement, player movement and freedom to the New York Knicks offense. McBride looks like he fits right in to the vision and is set up to thrive within the offense.

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Simply put, it is wise to believe in a scoring guard within the confines of a Mike Brown offense (see Monk, Malik). More pace and more tempo should open up more opportunities for McBride to attack offensively. More opportunities in transition to attack an early clock suits McBride a little more than bringing the ball up (slowly) and going right into a set.

An emphasis on spacing should also highlight McBrideâ€s ability to get downhill to score. The ball moving from side to side should allow McBride to attack a tilted defense. Combine the offensive confidence with the effort he gives defensively and that unlocks even more lineup versatility for the Knicks. Do not be surprised by three-guard looks with McBride guarding a top option.

Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers

The potential has always been there for Sharpe, but all of the elements appear to be coming together for a breakout season.

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One of the tougher things for a young, athletic player to navigate is understanding how and when to change speeds. Early in the preseason you can feel the growth from Sharpe in that area. There is more poise and composure, a combination of patience and confidence. Weâ€re seeing a scorer play with an understanding of when and how to get to his spots against the space defenses are giving him.

Sharpe is doing a better job of setting up his defender to get screened in pick-and-roll and, instead of hitting the turbo button to get downhill, heâ€s taking the space and attacking appropriately. The midrange pullup is there, but that attack can open up a kick, or a quick burst of speed can turn it into a drive. The more he can get downhill against closeouts, the tougher he becomes to guard. That kind of shiftiness can only open up things for him — and Portland — offensively. The sky is the limit if he is able to consistently mix the drives and self-creation.

Cam Johnson, Nuggets

This is less about Cam Johnson the talent and more what Cam Johnson the talent unlocks for the Nuggets. It’s the little things that can help them offensively.

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Running the wing in transition as Jamal Murray flows into pick-and-roll with Nikola Jokić. Seeing that action take place and diving from the wing to the block to take his man out of help defense. Forcing someone else to rotate which opens a kick from Jokić for 3.

Running pick-and-roll with Jokić, kicking to the wing and immediately relocating for a 3. Backdoor cuts with a willing passer that put pressure on the defense. Those types of things have already stood out.

Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets

The Rockets have added Kevin Durant to their roster, Alperen Åžengün has gotten even better, Amen Thompson will get more responsibility in the Rockets’ offense. I remain intrigued by what this season can look like for Smith. There is a clearer runway for him to have an impact on both ends of the floor, both with the starting lineup and mixing in with bench units.

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In the preseason weâ€ve seen a good mindset from Smith. Defensively, he has played with a high level of activity, switching and defending multiple positions. Defense is the base for the Rockets’ success and the more he can grow on that end the better. Offensively, heâ€s continued to play with aggression, but it feels like it has more purpose behind it.

If he gets a switch, he’s trying to dive in the paint to get deep position. He’s hitting first on his drives instead of solely relying on getting to a fadeaway. He’s throwing the ball into the post and setting a post split to get involved in off-ball movement. It feels like his growth could be flying under the radar, but if he continues to hit the right notes thatâ€s only good news for the Rockets.

Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

With both Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell out to start the season, it could be a moment for Nembhard to emerge. The Pacers will be different, but a lot of their principles will remain the same. Now is the time to see if Nembhard can build on the base heâ€s showcased the past few seasons.

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With Indiana’s pace, tempo and movement, I do not think Nembhard will have to be the true “engine†of the Pacers offense. But there will be a lot more opportunities for him to impact the game offensively, and I want to see what that looks like. How much can he help the Pacers keep being the Pacers when it comes to pace/tempo? How does he handle being a larger part of a teamâ€s game plan? Will the extra opportunities unlock a different level of aggression?

We have seen the playoff production, the shotmaking, the defense, but this is a player who has yet to average more than 30 minutes a game in the regular season.

Deâ€Andre Hunter, Cavaliers

The fit felt good when Cleveland traded for Hunter at the trade deadline; the team needed a wing who could defend multiple positions, knock down shots and drive the basketball. With a full offseason of familiarity in tow and some early injuries, is there room for Hunter to continue to grow?

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The shotmaking always feels important for Hunterâ€s overall impact, but this is a Cleveland offense that is built on pace and tempo. That can open a level of freedom which could allow Hunter to have more of an impact offensively. Does Cleveland work to get him the ball in different areas of the floor? Is there more room for him to drive or be involved in pick-and-roll? It feels like there is a real opportunity for Hunter to have an impact for the Cavs this year.

Ausar Thompson, Pistons

Honestly, I am very excited to watch another year of Thompson being a mad man on defense. If you enjoy screen navigation, point-of-attack containment and overall activity, he will bring it to you every single night.

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But the athleticism and drives — and what that means for Detroit — is where the fun can begin on offense. Cade Cunningham runs the show, but Detroit values having shooting and playmaking on the floor. Can Thompson get consistent paint touches to force defenses to help and create advantages? Defenses may want to go under, but if he can turn the corner and become a pressure point, a lot opens up for Detroit.

Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies

This one feels less like box-score growth and more like an opportunity for a player to really develop. New coach, new system and new opportunities abound in Memphis, and itâ€s clear they value what Wells brings to the table.

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There has been more of an effort to get him involved on and off the ball, and heâ€s shown an ability to space the floor. If he can continue to improve offensively, while being active on ball and pesky off ball defensively, Memphis could have a gem.

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With a week to go before NHL teams have to submit their opening night rosters ahead of the 2025-26 season, several rookies around the league are having steady training camps and making their teams think about what to do with them from here.

Teams who find themselves tight against the salary cap might prioritize having a youngster on the roster to grow their game and financially fit the structure of the group. Other teams may have a veteran who is being marginally outplayed by a prospect, but choose to hang on to the older player because they’d otherwise have to expose them to waivers.

The final week of NHL training camps is going to lay bare team strategies and open opportunities for rookies and veterans alike.

Hereâ€s a look at some of the prospects Iâ€m tracking closely before next Mondayâ€s NHL roster announcements:

Parekh is a unicorn prospect for the Calgary Flames, a transitional defenceman who can almost be described as a rover. Heâ€s equal parts fourth forward as he is offensive defenceman. Parekh produced 97G-172A in 206 combined regular season and playoff games with the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) before making his Flames debut last spring. He was also an impressive plus-84 with the Spirit.

Iâ€ve liked a lot of Parekhâ€s game at Flames training camp. Heâ€s playing to his identity with his offensive approach, while learning what itâ€s going to take to defend at the NHL level. It will take some time, and there will be growing pains, but Calgary doesnâ€t have a defenceman like Parekh on their roster. He looks like he can quarterback one of their power play units and heâ€s been active off the puck joining the rush as an extra layer.

Here are some examples of what Iâ€ve noticed from Parekh in the pre-season.

The first clip demonstrates Parekhâ€s vision, agility, and quick release getting pucks to the net. His ability to find open space to create offence is elite. Heâ€s in motion looking for the best possible shooting or passing angle and covers a wide area of the offensive zone in the process, making him hard to front and defend.

Opposing teams will need to be aware of Parekhâ€s ability to join the rush as an extra attacker. When he identifies an opportunity to explode up ice off the puck, heâ€s aggressive trying to create odd-man rushes for his group.

Now on to the growing pains portion of Parekhâ€s game that will need to evolve as he gains more traction at the pro level.

In the following clip Parekh and his partner, Kevin Bahl, are in relatively good shape defending the neutral zone, but once the play enters Parekhâ€s side of the ice he gives up far too much gap. Parekh does well to block the initial shot but then breaks down in his recovery. He initially chases the play to the corner where Jonathan Huberdeau has engaged his check, then ends up late to the crease as Seattle capitalizes on the small area breakdown.

I see a path for Parekh to break camp with the Flames, but I also envision him skating in sheltered minutes at even strength in Calgaryâ€s bottom pairing. His element offensively should land him a role on one of Calgaryâ€s power play units.

Schaefer is one of my favourite prospects and the most endearing young person I have scouted in my career. Heâ€s going to have a long career in the NHL as a top pairing defenceman who is deployed in all situations.

Schaefer made headlines last week with his superior effort against the Philadelphia Flyers when he tracked down Matvei Michkov in overtime to kill a breakaway scoring opportunity and turned up ice to rip a puck from a high danger area. His 200-foot effort is infectious and speaks to his overall competitiveness.

The NHL is a hard league and the games get more difficult as training camp goes on. Schaefer continues to evolve. Heâ€s being deployed in all situations for the Islanders, but heâ€s learning some things along the way.

An example is the following clip of a goal against versus New Jersey. Schaefer doesnâ€t fully engage on the Islanders’ blue line. He will look back at this play and recognize he needed more urgency to kill it before it became a scoring chance, and ultimately a goal against:

I want to end Schaeferâ€s breakdown on a positive. Hereâ€s an example of what sets certain players apart early in their NHL development. In the following sequence Schaefer keeps the puck in on the offensive blue line and, with his head up, directs a “shot/pass†to Anthony Duclair. Duclair corrals the disc and deposits it in the Devils’ net.

Schaeferâ€s hockey sense and vision are elite. He will make difficult puck plays look more simple than they actually are.

Schaefer is going to be an NHL defenceman this season. He will break camp with the Islanders, but he might start the season skating in the bottom pairing at even strength alongside a veteran like Scott Mayfield. Mayfieldâ€s style is different than Schaeferâ€s and should allow the youngster to take some risks knowing Mayfield has his back in the defensive zone when things occasionally break down.

Ike Howard, W, Edmonton Oilers

I would describe Howardâ€s training camp as “mixed results†thus far in Edmonton. Heâ€s played with solid pace up ice, tracking opponents as F1 on the forecheck, and using his speed to disrupt puck plays and create some turnovers. Heâ€s also deposited the puck in the back of the net working the weak side flank on the power play. But there have been some instances where Howard has been caught puck watching or not moving his feet in the defensive zone that have led to scoring chances and goals against.

Here’s an example of what the Oilers can expect from Howard on the power play. In the sequence he actually breaks his stick on his first shot attempt, only to return to the scene with a new twig and different approach to directing the puck on goal. His quick release snap shot ends up in the back of the Winnipeg Jets net:

The puck moves quickly in the NHL and players have to be “on time†defensively so they can help keep plays out of high danger areas and the back of their net. In the following clip Howard gets caught anticipating the puck will be exiting his zone. When it doesnâ€t, he struggles to take the proper route and engage along the half-wall to win back the puck. Itâ€s a hectic sequence that exposes Howard chasing the play in his zone before the Jets end up scoring.

I appreciate the speed Howard provides tracking up and down the ice, especially off the rush offensively, and he has the kind of release that can beat NHL goalies clean from a variety of spots in the offensive zone. Ultimately his ‘B’ game will have to evolve in order for Howard to stick in the NHL this season, but I believe he has the hockey sense and competitiveness to adjust and pay close attention to his defensive responsibilities when heâ€s not scoring.

The Ducks are a team on the rise and Sennecke is a hulking (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) skill forward who will eventually play a big role for them as they trend towards being a playoff team and potential contender in the coming years. He produced 36G-50A in the regular season with the Oshawa Generals last year and followed it up with 14G-18A in 18 playoff games. His combination of length, power and puck touch make him very difficult to defend.

Sennecke has caught my eye at training camp with a couple of plays that speak exactly to his identity as a player.

In the first clip he regroups in the neutral zone before powering to the net for a tuck.

Not every play will result in a goal or an assist, but can still be classified as unique and perhaps elite. Hereâ€s an example of Sennecke creating a scoring chance following an inaccurate pass that was in his feet. He barely breaks stride corralling the puck and motioning it on to his stick off his back foot. It speaks to his coordination and sneaky ability to make something out of nothing.

The Ducks have a big decision to make with Sennecke. They might keep him around for a nine-game NHL audition this fall to see if he can earn a full year in the league. Otherwise, Anaheim will be forced to send Sennecke back to Oshawa for one more year since the new rule regarding clubs being allowed to place one 19-year-old prospect in the AHL instead of junior doesnâ€t kick in until next season.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins enter Saturday on the back leg of a pre-season back-to-back, and everyone in North America is aware that a special someone is back in town for one last hurrah.

But Marc-Andre Fleury won’t be the only source of entertainment when the Penguins take on the Columbus Blue Jackets for second and final time this pre-season.

In their 3-2 comeback win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, the Penguins featured mostly a prospect- and AHL-focused lineup. There were a few exceptions in guys like Danton Heinen, Blake Lizotte, Philip Tomasino, Connor Dewar, and Matt Dumba, but may others were players fighting for role positions on the NHL roster.

That’s not the case for Saturday’s game.

Not only are the big veteran players in Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell slated to start, they will also ice most of their top organizational prospects – offering fans a glimpse into what the future could look like for the Penguins.

During the summer, we released our full Top-20 Penguins’ Prospects list. As it turns out, many of them are going to be in the lineup Saturday for the Penguins. Top-five prospects Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen, Ben Kindel, and Sergei Murashov are all listed on the roster, as are Owen Pickering, Tristan Broz, Filip Hallander, Finn Harding, and Avery Hayes.

It should be a nice blend of past, present, and future, gift-wrapped within a game that may not have any meaning in terms of standings and points but hold significant emotional value.

“We felt like this was one… today’s a little bit unique,” head coach Dan Muse said. “You got the uniqueness there of Marc-Andre Fleury being here and the celebration of him going into the game, so I think this is just the way it lined up.”

Blue Jackets At Penguins Preseason Preview: Marc-Andre Fleury Returns To Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their first preseason win on Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

Here are the lines and pairings for Saturday’s game:

Forwards
A. Hayes – Crosby – Rust
Anthony Mantha – Malkin – Justin Brazeau
Koivunen – Rakell – Kindel
Boko Imama – Broz – Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Hallander

Defensemen
Parker Wotherspoon – Karlsson
Caleb Jones – Letang
Pickering – Brunicke
Harding

Goaltenders
Murashov
Fleury

It is already known that Fleury will suit up for the third period and Murashov will anchor the opening two. Murashov has emerged as a legitimate prospect candidate to take the reins as the Penguins’ goaltender of the future, as his dominance at every level of professional hockey has been something to marvel at.

In some ways, Murashov is remniscent of a young Fleury – quick, athletic, agile, cool, confident, and poised. So it’s only fitting that – akin to the rest of the roster – past and future get to suit up in the same game.

And Fleury’s advice for Murashov and other young Penguins’ goaltenders?

“You better try hard,” Fleury said Friday. “I’m coming to take your spot.”

And for one night, one period only, he will.

‘I’m Happy It All Worked Out’: Fleury, Teammates Relish Chance To Share Ice One Last Time
Normally, NHL training camp is an all-business kind of affair, and that’s exactly how it’s been at Pittsburgh Penguins’ camp this year.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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