NBA Rookies 2026: Who Rocked the Preseason – and Who Still Needs Work

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents NBA Rookies 2026: Who Rocked the Preseason – and Who Still Needs Work.

The preseason games are done, and the first real assignments are right around the corner – which makes this the perfect moment for an honest stocktaking. The Athletic has now published exactly that: Which of the highly touted rookies of the 2026/27 season actually delivered in the preseason – and which ones have the analysts at least slightly concerned?

The short answer you can take from the teaser: Most top picks have met expectations. At the same time, the authors raise "mild concerns" – and explicitly not about the absolute stars of the class, but about a few other names.

Acuff, Mara, Dybantsa – three names in focus

The headline of the analysis alone makes clear that the authors scrutinized certain players especially closely. Three of them already appear in the URL of the article: Darius Acuff, Aday Mara, and AJ Dybantsa. All three are considered top talents of their draft class, and all three were watched especially closely in the preseason games.

What makes up the evaluation in detail – specific game scenes, statistical anomalies, and assessments on how they fit with their respective teams – can be read in the full piece at The Athletic.

Why the preseason is only a taste

Anyone cheering loudly right now should hold back – and anyone already leveling criticism should do so even more. The preseason is a testing ground: systems are tried out, minutes are distributed, and players are brought up to NBA pace. A strong showing is a good sign, but still no guarantee for the regular season.

The reverse is also true: Those who haven't yet shone in the preseason can still improve under competitive conditions. That's exactly why the analysts deliberately frame their concerns as "mild" – an indication that they see potential, but not everything is running smoothly.

Where to find the full article

The detailed evaluation – including all the details on Acuff, Mara, Dybantsa, and the other rookies mentioned – can be read directly at The Athletic. The article is part of the paid offering of the New York Times.

To the original analysis at The Athletic