Commentary

Don't write off preseason performance

Preseason wins mean little to NBA elite, but rebuilding teams are a different story

Updated: October 20, 2010, 3:59 PM ET

Preseason NBA coverage nearly always comes packaged with a disclaimer: It's just the preseason. The implication being that we can't learn anything from preseason basketball performance because teams treat the exhibitions as a regular-season lay-up line and not real competition. If the players don't treat the games like they mean something, then why should we?

Because they do mean something.

To read why preseason performance may matter more than you think, plus reasons for Timberwolves and Grizzlies fans to be excited about the upcoming season, you must be an ESPN Insider.