Risers and Fallers From the NBA Preseason, Including Scottie Barnes’s Pants

We did it. We are mere days away from the official return of NBA basketball.

The league’s preseason concludes on Friday with a full slate of games before the real action kicks off on Tuesday. Street clothes are aplenty over the preseason as some star players stay on the bench during the dress rehearsals or change at halftime after a handful of minutes to find their sea legs. For players toward the end of rosters or on training-camp deals, the games are critical to make a team or carve out a role once the regular season starts.

An unfortunate reality of the exhibition contests is injuries before the real games even start. We saw a couple of those this year, but we also got the first look at stars on new teams and rookies ahead of their true debuts. With the preseason all but wrapped up, we kept note of risers and fallers from a couple weeks of October NBA basketball. Fun was had and we learned a few things about how the season might go. Let’s get into it:

Riser: The 76ers’ superstar-loaded roster

LeBron James made his Sixers (preseason) debut against the Nets, and Philly’s new superstar combo of him with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid looked ... good? Yes, it’s only preseason, but we got a taste of how Nick Nurse could manage the offense with a myriad of ball-dominant stars. LeBron played the facilitator a lot, which makes the most sense in the offense as Maxey, Brown and Embiid all have to get their looks. We even saw a James and Embiid pick-and-roll that was fun where Maxey was left unattended beyond the arc and Brown was in the dunker spot for an easy finish.

The possibilities are endless!

Faller: Scottie Barnes’s pants, literally

I just couldn’t help myself.

Scottie Barnes provided the funniest moment of the preseason when he lost his pants as he tried to throw down a 360 dunk pregame. Toronto Star photographer Richard Lautens caught the moment with two great pictures where the Raptors star had his eyes rolled back in both shots. Always the jokester, even Barnes couldn’t believe this one.

Riser: Jalen Duren

Detroit’s All-NBA and All-Star center had quite the summer with a long restricted free-agent saga that finally ended with him agreeing to a five-year, $200 million contract with the Pistons. Duren had a rough postseason, then the messy contract situation left an even more sour taste. But, boy, did he look good in his preseason debut.

He dropped 24 points in just 15 minutes on Wednesday against the Timberwolves and reminded everyone why he was an All-Star last season. The Pistons’ biggest question has always been who will be Cade Cunningham’s No. 2. Duren looked a lot like that over the regular season and he should be hungry to get back to that status after a tricky few months for the 22-year-old big.

Faller: Philadelphia’s center depth

In not-so-good news for the Sixers, backup big man Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles in the preseason and will be out for the season. Hukporti was a solid third center for the Knicks and came to Philly on a one-year deal over the summer. Andre Drummond, Philly’s previous center off the bench, signed with New York. Embiid’s health is always a question and Adem Bona might be good enough to keep the team afloat when needed. However, Hukporti’s injury is a brutal blow that may force Nurse to get creative, possibly with James as the center at times. That is, unless Tacko Fall makes the roster out of training camp.

Riser: The new NBA warmups

The league took some heat for the new “Specter Edition” jerseys that were revealed for the eight oldest franchises last month. A clothing collection accompanied the release, dubbed “Standard Issue” by the NBA and Nike, which includes items players will wear during warmups, practices and maybe even coffee runs.

We got the first look at the new warmups throughout training camp and in the preseason, and they look pretty nice. It’s something new and looks like a fashion piece fans would want to wear day in and day out. (Just don’t look at the prices if you actually want something from the collection.)

Just look at the drip from Rick Carlisle!

Faller: Knicks’ chances of keeping their title team together

The Knicks will defend a title for the first time in 53 years with pretty much the same roster. Mitchell Robinson went to Boston, which is a big loss, but veteran big man Andre Drummond should mostly fill the void. It’s no secret that owner James Dolan wants to avoid the second apron at all costs and no extension for Karl-Anthony Towns or Josh Hart, plus the organization’s recent comments enforces that.

The team announced that it would not negotiate contract extensions until later in the season, at least, as New York focuses on the business at hand. Towns, who is in the trickiest contract situation, was caught off guard.

"It was news to me," he said about the Knicks’ stance, according to ESPN. "Very disappointed to say the least. Let's state the obvious: It's business, but there is business on the court for us to handle."

Towns is on the verge of a critical season. It’s clear the Knicks are playing hardball with finding a number that keeps their star center happy but also would keep an increasingly expensive team clear of the second apron. New York’s financial situation got messier over the preseason, but Towns can prove his case on the floor.

Riser: Caleb Wilson

This kid has seemed as advertised every step of the way. Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the draft, stood out during Summer League and did the same over the preseason. He jumps out of the gym, shoots, scores at the basket and can protect the rim with his lengthy frame. Let’s hope he participates in the slam dunk contest at some point because he immediately arrives as one of the NBA’s best dunkers. More than that, Wilson has star potential and he’s a player the Bulls can build around as the franchise tries to turn it around.

Faller: Los Angeles Clippers

As if it wasn’t bad enough for the Clippers after the NBA’s massive punishment following the Kawhi Leonard-salary cap circumvention investigation, the team has already suffered some injury woes. Brandon Ingram will miss the start of the year, at least, but he’s ramping up according to Tyronn Lue. Max Strus was a veteran who could help the team stay steady this year, but he went down with a foot injury five minutes of the first preseason game and will miss considerable time. Bradley Beal continues to deal with injuries and Yanic Konan Niederhauser will miss the start of the season, too.

That puts a lot of pressure on Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura and top-five pick Keaton Wagler. The Clippers aren’t expected to compete this season, but it’s rough to start the year with a ton of injury issues with little hope after the sanctions handed down by the league.

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