The Whiteboard: 3 important lessons learned in the 2023 preseason

3. Victor Wembanyama is ready to run

His unique physique and lack of strength may have presented the illusion that Wembanyama would be something of a project. But if his brief Summer League dominance wasn't enough to convince you he was NBA-ready, the preseason should be more than enough.

Wembanyama has put together a stack of eye-popping highlights but he's also been insanely productive across the board. In two games, he's scored more than a point per minute, shooting 64.3 percent from the field. His 3-point shot has been hot and cold and he's piled up eight turnovers in 42 minutes. But his scoring absolutely pops and it's clear he's going to be putting up points while the rest of his game develops.

It seems incredible to say for a guy who is 7-foot-4, but the Wembanyama might be most impressive in the open court. So far, he's scored 17 points of opponent turnovers and his fluidity, footwork and body control in transition are remarkable.

It's a meaningful data point that the Spurs won't really have to slow things down to help their 7-foot-5 center be the best version of himself.

2. The Nuggets depth should be just fine

The Nuggets lost some serious depth from last season's championship team with the departures of Jeff Green, Ish Smith and Bruce Brown. Most teams would have chased a bunch of minimum contract veterans to try and replace them but the Nuggets used a trio of draft picks on NBA-ready contributors hoping that at least one of them could step in with second-year wings Christian Braun and Peyton Watson to fill the gap.

So far, Julian Strawther seems ready to step up.

In three games and in just 22.0 minutes per game, Strawther is averaging 19.7 points per game, shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 12-of-24 from beyond the arc. The combo forward from Gonzaga overlaps a bit with Braun and Watson but his defense, shooting and finishing mean he could take some minutes right away.

1. Jonathan Kuminga is hungry

Last season was difficult for Kuminga — he regressed in some areas, appeared to create some two-way friction with Steve Kerr and saw his role shrink at times. But his athleticism and versatility are still desperately needed by the Warriors.

So far this preseason, Kuminga looks determined to prove his value — relentlessly using his physicality and attacking the rim. He's shooting 54.5 percent from the field across three games, averaging 26.0 points per game and drawing 29 free throws. The rate at which he's getting to the line — 15.5 times per 36 minutes — is Giannis-esque and would have led the league last season by a decent margin.

He probably won't be able to duplicate it completely during the regular season and his aggression has come with costs — 21 turnovers in three games. But this is the Kuminga the Warriors need this season — a physical wrecking ball who can help them. power through bigger opponents.

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Meet the NBA 25-under-25

FanSided’s NBA 25-under-25 is a celebration of the best young talent the NBA has to offer, ranking the best players in the NBA under the age of 25 and exploring what makes them a must-watch performer.

Last week, we rolled out our seventh annual installment, along with a splashy new, interactive landing page. Check out the whole list here.

A panel of our contributors ranked every player who is likely to play in the NBA this season, under the age of 25, on a scale from 1-10 based on how valuable we expect them to be during the 2023-24 season. The ranking criteria are purposefully a little bit vague so voters could define value for themselves, possibly including generating buzz and fan excitement, in addition to just production. We used Basketball-Reference‘s age parameters which means we only considered players who players who would still be 24 or younger on Feb. 1, 2024.

Recommended Reading:

1. Moar trade rumorz: "Towns, once voted as the player NBA general managers would most want to build around and dubbed as the future of the big man position, has fallen out of favor after multiple disappointing playoff performances. But there’s still room for redemption for both team and player." Five Trade Candidates Who Will Define the 2023-24 NBA Season

2. Georges Niang or R.J. Barrett: "Still, Cleveland had flaws. Aside from not being anywhere near physical enough against the Knicks in the first round, the Cavs also lacked any real veteran scoring punch off their bench, making the choice to waive Kevin Love—who’d fallen out of Cleveland’s rotation—look even more curious." Top Three NBA X-Factors in the Eastern Conference

3. LeBron James is still beating Father Time: "L.A. has purposefully built its team with not just depth, but what it believes to be playmaking depth, so that even if James' minutes aren't cut significantly, more of his time spent on the court can be with players such as Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Wood, who can dictate the action, rather than defer to the veteran to expend the energy to constantly set the table." LeBron's 21st season: What to expect from King James and the Lakers in 2023-24