7 NBA preseason standouts who look ready to make a leap

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7 NBA preseason standouts who look ready to make a leap

(Photo by Tyler McFarland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Ricky O'Donnell

Tue, Oct 13, 2026 ·

10 min read

Leonard Miller, F, Chicago Bulls

Chris Finch never gave Leonard Miller a chance at real minutes during his first three years in Minnesota. It's hard for any second-round pick to earn minutes on a contender, and Miller's shaky outside shooting made him a particularly rough fit in a Wolves front court that already had spacing issues with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Minnesota didn't hesitate to part with him to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at February's trade deadline, and that's when his career finally started to tick up. The Bulls gave him a shot while they were tanking down the stretch, and Miller immediately proved to be productive, well-rounded player who knows how to use his big 6'10, 220-pound frame on both ends of the floor. Miller continues to impress in the preseason as an opportunistic scorer around the basket, a menace in transition, a quality rebounder, and an improved three-point shooter. Miller knows how to extend advantages with long, coordinated strides to the rim, and he has nice touch in close. He looks far more in control than he did earlier in his career. He's never looked better than he did Sunday night, when he dropped 26 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes against the Nuggets on ESPN. It's fair to still be skeptical of his outside shot, but if he's made any progress there, Miller's ability to generation extra possessions and score efficiently should earn him minutes. The Bulls have a major glut of young power forwards after spending their last three lottery picks on Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue, but Miller is simply too good to keep off the floor this season.

Brandon Williams, G, Golden State Warriors

Williams shined for the Mavericks last season in limited minutes filling in for the injured Kyrie Irving at point guard, and the Warriors did well to identify him as a buy-low free agent target this summer. Golden State has never had a point guard with the downhill scoring juice that Williams provides, and it should make him part of Steve Kerr's rotation as Stephen Curry's backup when the season begins. Williams is incredibly fast with the ball in his hands, and he's slippery enough to keep defenders off-balance on his drives to the paint. His ability to glide to the rim and finish from awkward angles will be his bread-and-butter, and it sets up some easy passing reads for him to kick out to shooters. Williams won't have much defensive versatility, but he looks pretty good guarding in isolation against other smaller guards, and he's always quick to loose balls. The Warriors got him for an absolute steal on the veteran's minimum. It's fair to question how he fits into Steve Kerr's offense as primarily a pick-and-roll ball handler, but he gives the Warriors an element they've always lacked, and that alone should get him rotation minutes.

GG Jackson, F, Memphis Grizzlies

It's wild to think Jackson is still only 21 years old with three NBA seasons already under his belt, but that's what happens when a player reclassifies to skip his senior year of high school. Jackson has never lived up to his recruiting hype at any point since heading to college early, but he's always had the tools to be a productive off-ball scorer. If his preseason run is any indication, he might be putting it all together. He has 43 points in 46 minutes to open preseason, showing new confidence as an outside shooter while looking like a runaway freight train in transition. Jackson has a huge body for a forward at 6'9, 210 pounds, and he uses it to play a power game on the glass and in the open floor. He's going to help the Grizzlies get up and down around the slower Zach Edey-Cameron Boozer front court, and he looks more decisive in his dribble-pass-shoot actions. Jackson's size should make him a factor on the glass, and he no longer looks like a liability as a floor spacer. The Grizzlies are loaded with young talent, and he could be another diamond in the rough.

Asa Newell, F, Atlanta Hawks

Asa Newell has an ability to run into easy points just by using his god given tools. He's an excellent run-and-jump athlete for a 6'11, 224-pound forward, and he's kept his motor high in the preseason by moving without the ball and finishing everything around the rim. Newell's skill set might feel a little outdated in the modern game when forwards are expected to be able to handle and shoot, but Atlanta's up-tempo system should allow him to find more opportunistic avenues to make an impact. Newell isn't going to be a creator, but he can put the ball on the floor in small doses to set up spin moves and step-throughs around the basket. His outside shot looked okay in low volume last year, and while that hasn't been part of his preseason success, it's something that will continue to be vital for him going forward. He's a pretty nimble player when he gets in close, and he's powerful enough as a two-footed leaper that it's going to hard to challenge him around the rim. It's still a bit of a question on how Newell fits into this version of the Hawks, but he could have some utility as a garbage man-style player just by keeping his energy high.

Kel'el Ware, C, Milwaukee Bucks

Ware always seemed to be in Erik Spoelstra's doghouse in Miami, but it's possible the lessons he learned with the Heat can help him take the next step in his career after being sent to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade . Ware's tools have never been a question as a super bouncy big man with a 7'4+ wingspan, and he's always produced great highlights playing above the rim on both ends. The issue for Ware has been keeping his motor consistent while executing the scheme, but the early returns look good in preseason so far for the Bucks. Ware shoots such an easy ball from three-point range and has the results to back it up with a 36.9% stroke on 5.3 attempts from three per 100 possessions for his career. He started next to Myles Turner in the front court for the Bucks' most recent game, giving Milwaukee two 7-footers who can space the floor beyond the arc. Ware has a massive catch and block radius when he goes above the rim, and he's going to gobble up rebounds, blocks, and dunks on his tools alone. He just needs to stay focused enough to earn head coach Taylor Jenkins' trust. A fresh start could be exactly what Ware needs to take the next step in his career.

Scoot Henderson, G, Portland Trail Blazers

Henderson was a bit underwhelming in his first two seasons after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and a torn hamstring delayed his debut until February last season. When he finally returned to the lineup, Henderson looked more comfortable playing off the ball while refining his ability as a shot-creator. Portland is no longer counting on him to be a savior with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in front of him on the depth chart, but it's going to be hard to keep him off the floor if he stays on the trajectory he's currently hinting at during preseason. The game no longer feels too fast for Scoot: he's more composed making reads as a passer, and he's more confident shooting it from deep whether it's off the dribble or on spot-ups. He gets a lot of deflections on the defensive end, and he's good at challenging shots with his explosion off the floor. Henderson learned he wasn't going to be able to dominate the NBA on athleticism alone, but he's in a better spot now that his skill level has started to match his speed and strength. He's playing for a contract next summer, and if the Blazers don't want to pay him under Tom Dundon, another team will.

Ron Holland, G, Detroit Pistons

Holland entered a tough situation when he was drafted to a Pistons team that already had two non-shooters entrenched in the starting lineup in Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. The outside shot has always been the biggest hole in Holland's game, but it shouldn't conceal everything else he does well on the basketball floor. Holland has always been a maniac in terms of his motor on both ends of the floor , and it excelled again in his preseason debut, when he amassed seven 'stocks' (steals and blocks) in 24 minutes. Forcing defensive takeaways allows him to get in the open floor, where his speed, leaping, and agility can all shine. Holland doesn't need the ball to make an impact, although he's not much of a threat away from the ball offensively in the halfcourt. It feels like he may have to move to a different team to really have a chance to stand out, but his defensive projection and transition ability continue to intrigue. It would be wonderful to see Detroit give him a real chance in different lineup configurations to see if his per-minute impact numbers could extend to a bigger role.