Four preseason performers have pushed past the usual October noise and made real cases for larger roles when the 2026-27 NBA season opens. Oklahoma City’s new shooters, a towering rookie center, Indiana forward Jarace Walker and Boston wing Hugo González have each supplied a different kind of surprise — whether it is spacing, playmaking, insurance in the frontcourt or a sharper all-around offensive package.
Stirtz gives Oklahoma City a new perimeter answer
Bennett Stirtz arrived in Oklahoma City with a shooter’s confidence. Before the 2026 draft, the 6-foot-3 guard said he viewed himself as the top shooting prospect in the class and intended to establish that reputation throughout his career. Memphis selected him with the 16th pick, then sent him to the Thunder in a trade.
Four exhibition games have given that declaration some early weight. Stirtz has made more preseason 3-pointers than any player in the league, and his scoring has placed him near the top of the rookie group.
- 17.0 points per game, second among rookies and 16th across the NBA preseason.
- 14 made 3-pointers on 26 attempts, a 53.8% conversion rate.
- 3.5 made threes per game.
The opening is clear in OKC’s rotation. Isaiah Joe and Lu Dort, the Thunder’s top two players in made threes last season at 2.5 and 1.9 per game, respectively, are no longer in the mix. Stirtz has looked ready to absorb some of that shooting volume.
Jared McCain has supplied a second perimeter spark, trailing Stirtz by just one made 3-pointer. McCain is 13-for-26 from deep, good for 50%, giving the Thunder two young guards who have been on target heading toward opening night.
Mara gets extended work as Thunder test their frontcourt depth
Aday Mara’s preseason workload has been as notable as his production. With Oklahoma City frequently holding regular starters out of exhibition action, the 7-foot-3 first-round pick has been given a long runway to play through mistakes and build repetitions.
Mara is averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. The Thunder’s need for a reserve big is not theoretical in the Western Conference, where San Antonio’s 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama remains the kind of matchup that can force opponents to reach deeper into their center rotation.
That is part of why Mara was drafted: he offers length that few teams can replicate, and these preseason minutes have served as an early test of whether he can be trusted if that depth is needed in meaningful games.
Walker’s passing flashes a different Indiana ceiling
Jarace Walker has never lacked the profile of a modern two-way forward. What has been missing through his first three seasons with Indiana has been a sustained chance to turn that potential into nightly impact. His preseason passing has offered a fresh reason for the Pacers to watch closely.
Walker posted 10 assists and only one turnover in 28 minutes against Minnesota on Oct. 7, an eye-catching line for a player who averaged 3.5 assists per 36 minutes last season. Across his first two exhibition appearances, he has shown more willingness and imagination as a connector, including a sequence in which he threw the ball off the backboard to himself before delivering a touch pass to Jay Huff.
- Walker was the No. 8 selection in the 2023 NBA Draft.
- He played 117 minutes during Indiana’s run to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the 11th-highest total on the roster.
- He gained more opportunity last season while the Pacers struggled without Tyrese Haliburton.
Indiana could use a fourth-year jump from Walker. A forward who can defend multiple positions, move the ball and keep an offense functioning beside the Pacers’ primary creators would materially change the club’s path back into the Eastern Conference picture.
González looks ready for a larger Celtics assignment
Boston’s offense will continue to create a heavy diet of 3-point looks, and Hugo González has played as though he intends to claim a share of them. The 20-year-old Spanish guard saw limited production as a rookie in 2025-26, when he averaged 14.6 minutes and 3.9 points, but his preseason work points toward more minutes and responsibility.
The 6-foot-6 González has produced 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per 36 minutes in three exhibition games. He is shooting 65% from the field and 61.5% from beyond the arc.
- He recorded 15 points, five assists and four rebounds against Cleveland.
- Against Philadelphia, he scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.
- Boston selected González with the 28th pick in the 2026 draft.
González has helped the Celtics in the places their offense values most: he can stretch the floor, get out in transition and make the next read when the defense rotates. If that preseason growth survives the move into regular-season rotations, Boston could have found a meaningful extra layer in its push to climb another level.
