What were the 2023 NBA Pre Season takeaways?

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The 2023 NBA Pre Season has come to an end. It is time to analyze the stand outs from the exhibition games. For starters, the Boston Celtics look like a force to be reckoned with. Their big 4 consisting of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis looked dominant in their pre season games. The Milwaukee Bucks duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo look they could become the best duo in the NBA. The East might be a two team race but it does not excuse the quality of eastern conference teams. The Philadelphia 76ers did not see James Harden play a single pre season game for them, hoping he can get a trade to the LA Clippers. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks struggled defensively in their pre season games, while teams like the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks showed a lot of promise. Out in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns promoted their elite big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They looked like a scary trio in their pre season matchups. The Golden State Warriors played their pre season games as if they were regular season games. From Steph Curry’s game winning shot to Chris Paul coming off the bench, the Warriors were very entertaining. The LA Laker also gathered a lot of attention through out the pre season. Their revamped roster started the pre season strong but struggled near the end. Lebron James will be entering his twenty first NBA season and he will look to build on last season’s late success. The Denver Nuggets will enter the season as the Defending Champions. They wil utilize their bench differently due to the departure six man Bruce Brown. The Nuggets used several young rookies coming off the bench in the pre season. The West could truly become a race to the finish as teams including the Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks will fight to avoid the Play In Tournament. Who were the biggest surprises of the 2023 NBA Pre Season? Will contending teams follow up their pre season with momentum? The NBA 2023-2024 season tips off on October 24th. 
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