Preseason hoops are here. The WNBA playoffs are booming. And NBA Opening Night is only 15 days away. It’s a good time to be an Enjoyer!

🎉 Happy birthday Grant Hill, Asa Newell, Cody Zeller, and Jewell Loyd! 🎉

After years of photoshopping, Miami fans finally got to see Giannis in a real-life Heat jersey. He made it look good.

On Saturday, the Heat tipped off the NBA preseason with a comfortable win over Toronto, showcasing their new superstar on the court for the first time. Giannis played just 14 minutes, but still balled out with 9 PTS on 100% shooting along with 7 AST (the Heat had 19 players log at least six minutes in this game— who knew they even had that many spots on the bench?).

Those dimes were the real story for the Greek Freak, who looked extremely comfortable facilitating for his teammates in drive-and-kick scenarios. All seven of Giannis’s assists resulted in made three-pointers, which could bode well for a Miami team that made a point to surround him with shooters.

Exhibition or not, the league we love is BACK! 🎉

In round one, New York knocked off the top-seeded Lynx. In round two, the Dream gave them a wake-up call.

The first game of the WNBA semifinals saw Atlanta take a 1-0 lead over the Liberty thanks to big performances from two veterans: Jordin Canada (25 PTS, 5 STL) and DeWanna Bonner (23 PTS, 9 REB). On a day where Atlanta’s All-Star trio of Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, and Rhyne Howard were limited to a combined 12/35 from the field, Canada and Bonner stepped up to help the Dream take G1 of the best-of-three series.

New York got 27 PTS from Sabrina Ionescu, 19 from first-round hero Breanna Stewart, and shot well as a team (43.1 FG%, 39.3 3P%), but 19 total turnovers ultimately made the difference. The Liberty trimmed the deficit to five multiple times in the fourth quarter, but Canada played the hero, scoring five points in the final 90 seconds to keep New York at arm’s length. We’ll see how the Liberty respond in Game 2!

The Golden State Valkyries have only existed for two seasons, but it’s safe to say their time is now.

On Sunday, the Valkyries came out on top of a Game 1 tilt with the Aces, further cementing their status as the current title favorites. After the #1 seed Lynx bowed out in round one, Golden State has a golden opportunity before them, and they don’t look ready to hand it over.

Forward Gabby Williams was the star of the show, putting on a two-way clinic to fuel the Valks’ victory. On offense, she poured in 25 PTS and 5 AST, scoring or assisting on over half of Golden State’s points. On defense, she held the Aces to 4/14 shooting as the primary defender. That effort drew heavy praise from owner Joe Lacob.

“Print this,” Lacob said. “Gabby Williams is the best player in the world.”

Vegas’s A’ja Wilson, who could also lay claim to that title, finished with 24 PTS but went just 8/21 from the field, part of a poor shooting day from the team as a whole. If the Aces want to bounce back, they’ll need more from Wilson, but the three-time MVP is more than up to the task. In the meantime, enjoy some immaculate hoops from Gabby 👇

The preseason is only three games old, but we’ve seen enough to buy some stock in what’s to come this campaign. Let’s break down a player, team, and trend on the rise ahead of the regular season.

Miami backed up the Brink’s truck for Larsson this offseason, inking him to a four-year, $60 million extension last month. On Saturday, he showed why. The 6-foot-5 guard was perfect in the Heat’s win over Toronto, and we don’t mean that in a hyperbolic way— he shot 3/3 from the field, 7/7 from the line, and added 2 AST, 2 REB, and 2 STL with a +16 plus-minus. Coach Spo and crew clearly have big plans for the Swede, and we’re getting in on the ground floor.

After dealing for Jaren Jackson Jr. at last year’s trade deadline and drafting Darryn Peterson, the Jazz are widely expected to take a step forward from the dedicated rebuild of the last few seasons. It’s too early to say whether that improvement will come to pass, but coach Will Hardy’s group looked the part in their 109-97 win over Denver. Lauri Markkanen logged 17 PTS in 14 minutes, up-and-comers like Ace Bailey and Isaiah Collier showed more poise, and the team’s overall ball movement shined, racking up 28 AST on 39 baskets. With a unique combination of young talent and established stars playing in an efficient system, Utah is hitting all the right notes.

NBA officials bring a new point of emphasis into each season, and this year, they’re after the offensive push-off. The “off-arm push” has been maligned by fans and defenders for years, and now, it seems the refs are officially cracking down. Scottie Barnes was called for the violation early in the first quarter of Toronto’s faceoff with Miami, and if that tendency survives to the regular season, it could impact scorers across the league. Stay tuned…

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, use your voice to uplift those around you. You never know what a few words of encouragement could mean to someone! See you soon.

Walker Carnathan