The NBA preseason started and NBA fans got their first look at new lineup changes and the debut of highly touted rookies. The first match proved to be a nail-biting one as the Golden State Warriors went head to head against the Los Angeles Lakers that had a combination of experience and rookie talent.

Stephen Curry was as accurate as ever and LeBron James, who is in his 21st season, has not lost any of his vigor. But it was the new faces which stood out, the first-rounder from the Lakers especially showing good floor vision and a desire to guard on the defensive end.

The Warriors’ youngsters also got into the act, giving a glimpse of what awaits the franchise beyond Durant and Curry. In other games across the league, other duels also offered similar stories. The Boston Celtics that have signed Porzingis in the new season showed good combination against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers’ leading man Joel Embiid who just had his MVP season, continued his wreaking havoc around the paint area and expanded his range to become a sharpshooting big man from the three-point line. In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets started their championship defense forcefully, as Nikola Jokic looked in charge of the Nuggets’ offense.

The Phoenix Suns, today having Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal in their roster, demonstrated their strength during some of the games, though they might have had some troubles during the early part of the season. These preseason games are helping coaches to test their players, and formations and even some of the reserve players and rookies have been given many playing time.

This has created some rather unexpected performances from some rather obscure talents which could very well redefine depth charts as the regular season draws near. The adoption of the new in-season competition format has not only intensified the teams’ efforts to win games in the beginning of the tournament, but also to prepare for the playoffs.

With players adapting to their new teammates, coaches and strategies, basketball pundits are now tweaking their forecast based on these displays. The preseason has also been of benefit in that players who have been out of action due to injuries have been given an opportunity to prove their fitness and several stars have taken advantage of this.

Thus, after each game, there is something to look forward to as the NBA season is set to be one of the most entertaining and hard to predict in recent years.