NBA Rookies Take the Court For First Time in Preseason
With calendars flipping to October, the 2023-24 NBA season looms right around the corner.
Preseason kicked off this week with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks taking the court in Abu Dhabi. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers also joined them in action on Saturday. While it may be routine to many players, preseason offers the chance for guys to adjust to their new team and rookies to introduce themselves to the NBA game.
Rookies Leonard Miller, Dereck Lively II, Oliver-Maxence Prosper, Brandin Podziemski, Jalen Hood-Schifno, and Maxwell Lewis all got their first glimpse of NBA play this week.
For Minnesota, Miller played ten minutes in his season opener, recording four points and three rebounds. He missed his only attempt from beyond the arc but rejected a shot as well. The 6-foot-10 Canadian followed this performance up by drilling two threes en route to ten points in the TImberwolves' second matchup with the Mavericks. Additionally, he tallied a pair of steals and a block on the defensive end.
On the other side of the matchup, Lively II and Maxence-Prosper had their moments as well. They both featured in Dallas’ first starting lineup. In his 14 minutes of play, Lively II made half of his two field goal attempts, grabbed five boards, and recorded a block. Maxence-Prosper played 17 minutes, but his only point came at the free-throw line.
In game two, Lively II remained in the starting lineup. In 22 minutes in action, the former Duke big man nearly replicated his game one performance statistically. Maxence-Prosper came off the bench in this one but still managed to tally five points and six rebounds. However, his three-point shot remains a work in progress as he missed all five of his tries.
In the Warriors-Lakers matchup on Saturday, Podziemski shined for Golden State. The 6-foot-5 guard came off the bench to relieve Chris Paul and contributed to all facets of the game in his 26 minutes. He scored in a multitude of different ways, drilling a trey and five two-pointers for a total of 11 points. The Santa Clara alum also facilitated for his teammates and crashed the boards, collecting five rebounds and four assists. Podziemski looks poised to fill for a significant role for the Warriors.
For Los Angeles, Hood-Schifino and Lewis made an impact themselves. Hood-Schifino shot just three-for-eleven from the floor but flashed a lot of his upside in his 23 minutes on the floor. Lewis played just 10, yet was able to display his offensive tools in his five-point performance.
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