As the NBA preseason gets closer, teams are preparing for the new season. Several players and coaches are already making headlines. Ben Simmons has spoken about the attention he received after missing a shot in practice.

Lakers coach JJ Redick has also shared his thoughts on Dalton Knecht’s preparation. Meanwhile, Steve Kerr has discussed the Warriors’ starting lineup and the fight for starting spots. He has also explained what he wants to see from Gui Santos this season.

Here are some of the biggest quotes, reactions, and storylines from NBA Media Day.

Ben Simmons questions media attention after viral airball

Ben Simmons is back on the basketball court after a long break. However, people are already talking about his shooting. During his first training camp with the Sacramento Kings, the Australian guard faced questions about an airball from practice. The clip went viral on social media. Simmons believes that people should not judge his work based on one missed shot.

Ben Simmons explained his feelings about the attention while speaking to reporters.

“Can you talk to me a little bit about that? Repetition. I mean, I air ball one and one of y’all posted it, and that was the one that goes viral, but s*** happens, you know?” Simmons said. 

Ben Simmons is unhappy that people are focusing so much on one mistake. He knows that players miss shots in basketball. However, he does not want one airball to take attention away from his overall training.

He also said that the viral clip showed only one moment. It did not show all the work he does in practice.

“It’s basketball. I get my shots up, I get my full work in,” Ben Simmons said.

People have questioned Simmons’ shooting for several years. During his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, he often faced criticism for not taking certain shots. This became a major talking point during the 2021 playoffs.

Ben Simmons is now trying to start a new chapter with Sacramento. His first training camp with the Kings gives him a chance to work toward a regular return to the NBA after spending nearly 18 months away from the league.

JJ Redick shares his verdict on Dalton Knecht

Dalton Knecht is entering his third NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He wants to earn a regular place in the team’s rotation. The young forward showed that he could score during his first season. However, he received fewer chances to play in his second season.

However, Lakers head coach JJ Redick has seen positive signs in Knecht’s preparation.

“First of all, he’s been a pro. He’s been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason,” Redick said. 

Redick praised Knecht for working hard throughout the offseason. The coach also spoke positively about his early practice sessions. He also spoke about Knecht’s recent performances in practice and his desire to earn a place in the rotation.

“And he’s had a good three days of practice. So I don’t think his approach changes. I know he’s hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation,” Redick said. 

These comments show what Knecht needs to do next. Redick has praised his hard work, but Knecht must also perform well enough to earn playing time.

The competition for minutes will continue during training camp and the preseason. Knecht must show that he can help the team whenever he gets a chance. His three-point shooting could help him earn a regular role, especially if he scores consistently alongside the Lakers’ leading players.

The Lakers selected Knecht with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for Northern Colorado and Tennessee. He averaged 9.1 points per game in his first NBA season. He also shot 37.6% from three-point range in 78 games.

Knecht had fewer chances to play during the 2025-26 regular season. He played 54 games and averaged 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes per game. His reduced playing time makes the upcoming training camp important. He needs to show that he can earn more minutes this season.

Redick’s comments are encouraging, but they do not guarantee Knecht a place in the rotation. The forward must turn his hard work into good performances and try to secure a regular role when the season begins.

Steve Kerr opens starting competition as Gui Santos remains in the mix

The Golden State Warriors still have several decisions to make before the new season begins. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green remain important parts of the team’s plans. However, Kerr has confirmed that the other starting spots are still open.

Gui Santos is one of the players hoping to earn a starting spot. The forward improved last season and became a regular member of the Warriors’ rotation.

Kerr made it clear that Santos still has a chance to become a starter.

“Yeah, for sure, yeah. Yeah, nothing has been decided at this point. So he’s right in there in the mix for being a starter,” Kerr said, as video shared by Sleeper Warriors on X.  

This means Santos can compete for a starting spot, but the Warriors have not promised him one. His performances during training camp and preseason games will help Kerr decide the team’s lineup.

Santos played 68 games during the 2025-26 season and started 30 of them. He averaged 9.2 points per game. These were the best numbers of his career. His performances also helped him earn a bigger role, especially when injuries left the Warriors with fewer options.

Kerr has also explained what Santos needs to improve in his offensive game. The coach wants him to keep improving his shooting while learning to play better alongside the team’s established stars.

“Continued growth, shooting the ball,” Kerr said. 

Kerr also explained that the Warriors gave Santos a lot of responsibility last season. The team often needed him to create scoring chances because it did not have many other options.

“We asked a lot of him last year, and he turned it over quite a bit. Those last 25 games when he stepped it out. It was a good process for him to have to create shots for us, because we didn’t have any other options,” Kerr said. 

That experience helped Santos learn how to create his own shots. However, it also showed that he still has areas to improve. Kerr wants him to learn from his mistakes and make better decisions within the Warriors’ offensive system.

The coach also made it clear that he wants Santos to keep improving and remain an important part of the team’s attack.

“So we’re just looking for continued growth. He’s a focal point of our team, our offense,” Kerr said. 

Santos must also learn how to play alongside Curry and Jimmy Butler when Butler returns from injury. Kerr wants him to create scoring chances while also understanding when he needs to play a supporting role.

“But fitting in next to Steph, next to Jimmy, when he’s back, where he’s still able to attack and make plays, but also being the role player, fill-in guy that he’s so good at,” Kerr said. 

Santos must find the right balance between creating his own shots and helping his teammates. His progress has given him a chance to compete for a starting spot. 

Kerr reveals Warriors’ preseason starting five

Kerr has already announced the starting five for the Warriors’ preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, October 4. Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Green and Al Horford will start the game.

This lineup gives an early look at how Kerr wants to combine shooting, passing, and size. Lendeborg, a first-round draft pick, will get a chance to show what he can do alongside the Warriors’ experienced players.

Kerr explained why he likes this group of players.

“Really good size on the front line, good playmaking from, obviously, Steph and Dre together and also spacing from Al and then, you know, all three of those guys, Al, Yaxel, BP, can all shoot the three but also make plays,” Kerr said. 

However, Kerr knows that the lineup could change before the regular season begins.

“So it’s a good, well-balanced lineup. The question will be, can we do that opening night? Given the age of Al and the minutes and all that stuff, who knows? But for now, that’s how we’ll start,” Kerr said. 

Horford’s place in the lineup is important because the Warriors must manage their frontcourt players carefully. Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a health issue and was expected to miss training camp. This makes Horford’s availability more important for the team.

However, the preseason lineup does not guarantee that these five players will start the opening game of the regular season. Kerr still needs to check their performances, manage their playing time, and see how well they play together.

NBA targets flopping, push-offs and illegal screens

While teams prepare for the new season, the NBA is also asking referees to focus on certain actions during games. On September 29, the league announced its officiating points of emphasis for the 2026-27 season. These include offensive push-offs, movement around screens, flopping and closeouts on jump shots.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch welcomed the league’s renewed focus on flopping. Coaches and fans have often criticised players for exaggerating contact during games.

“Hopefully the league cleans up this crap, because nobody wants to watch it,” Finch said. “That’s what they said was the feedback from the fans. They’re tired of watching the flopping.”

Finch also believes that players have received too many benefits from exaggerating contact. He wants referees to stop rewarding this behaviour.

“And we know that it’s been rewarded at too high a level, so just stop rewarding the flopping,” Finch said. 

The NBA has also explained what referees should look for when they judge a flop. Monty McCutchen, the league’s senior vice president of referee development and training, described the action as an exaggerated movement.

“We have a really strong definition of what a flop is — it’s secondary theatrical exaggerated movements (STEM),” McCutchen said.

Referees must now apply this rule carefully and consistently. They need to identify players who deliberately exaggerate contact without penalising those who lose their balance after genuine contact.

The NBA is also focusing on offensive players who use their free arm to push defenders away and create space. Players can use an arm to feel where a defender is. However, they can commit an offensive foul if they extend their arm with force to push the defender away.

McCutchen explained that referees must make these decisions consistently during games.

“We have players that are going to live on the line where 10 times that they have the ball, they’re going to be feeling and firming [with their off arm, which is legal] during a game, and three times during the game they may have full extension or have force,” McCutchen said. 

He also said that referees must not make decisions based on a player’s name or reputation.

“You’re not allowed to call it because of the name on the back of their jersey,” McCutchen said. 

The league also wants referees to watch players who set screens. Some players push or shove defenders when they try to move around a screen. These actions can give the attacking team more space and make it harder for defenders to stay with their opponents.

These rules are not completely new. However, the NBA wants referees to apply them more consistently. Fans will get a clearer idea of how these changes affect games once the regular season begins.

Ben Simmons has spoken about the attention he received after an airball in practice, while JJ Redick has praised Dalton Knecht’s hard work ahead of the new season. The Golden State Warriors also have important decisions to make. Gui Santos is competing for a starting spot, and Steve Kerr is testing different lineups.

Meanwhile, the NBA wants referees to pay closer attention to flopping, push-offs, and illegal screens. These changes could affect how players create space and how referees judge contact during games.

As the preseason begins, which of these NBA stories will you be watching most closely?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.